Title: MockingbirdSeries: N/A
Author: Katheryn Erskine
Genre: Middle-Grade, Contemporary
Publication: April 15th 2010, Puffin
Pages: 235 Pages, Paperback
Source: Thank you to Katheryn Erskine for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 5/5 Cupcakes!
Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon was killed in a school shooting, and Caitlin's dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure--and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be so black and white after all.I received this book to review awhile ago, but for some idiotic reason I never picked it up earlier and I chastise myself for not reading this powerful, thought-provoking gem of a novel sooner. Mockingbird is amazing, it's heart-warming but contains an equal amount of heartbreak which will have you in tears. It sends forth the simple but generally unused message in today's world of the importance of understanding those around you, as well as understanding yourself. It thoroughly depicts the tragic events that can unfold when the simple, humane gesture of sympathy and empathy is disregarded and left unpractised.
Mockingbird is told
from ten year old Caitlin's perspective. Caitlin has Asperger's
Syndrome, she experiences difficulty understanding the emotions of
those around her, as well as understanding the difference in her and
why people often shun her for it. Caitlin sees things in black and
white, something is either this or that, and she doesn't like it when
things blend together and she can't distinguish one thing from the
other. The person who helped her understand and taught her the
correct way to behave and such was her older brother, Devon, who was
tragically shot and killed in a Virginian school shooting. Caitlin
tries to comprehend the shocking loss of her brother and the fact
that she has to accept to life without him, but it's no easy feat.
When she starts talking to Mrs Brook , her school's therapist, and
she learns about the word “closure”, she makes it her mission to
try and find closure for herself, her dad and everyone in need of it.
With many new discoveries and mishaps on her journey, Caitlin learns
that not everything in life is in black and white or set in stone,
and that these different “colours” and unexpected situations in
between are often beautiful things that are required for the healing
process.
This book was utterly
amazing, I absolutely adored it. It left a huge impact on me and I
believe it's a story that will stay with me for many years to come. I
have utterly no complaints about this book, and if there were one,
the only complaint would be that I wish it were longer.
I adored our main
character Caitlin. At ten years old, she has lost her mother to
cancer and her brother to a vicious school shooting, as well as
having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome she has to deal with
life's confusing daily struggles that are thrown at her. Caitlin is a
strong character, and although she's had this horrific turmoil at
such a young age and the impact on her is evident, you can still see
how hard she works at trying to get through this and to understand
the things happening around her. Caitlin is such an amazing,
steadfast, determined person that is honest and kind. The things she
says are amusing and insightful and it often resonated deep within
me. She perceives things differently and she observes things that
other people don't. It was extremely interesting reading a book where
the narrator is one with Aspergers and I think the author did a
fantastic job portraying Caitlin as a girl with Asperger's.
Caitlin's character
growth throughout the novel is one that warmed my heart. She went
from this girl that had a difficult time understanding those around
her and saying things that were often too honest,
to being someone who could make friends and
connect and empathise with those around her. When she started making
friends with first-grader Michael and interacting with kids in her
class and being so kind and learning how to be a friend, it made me
tear up. I loved watching Caitlin grow into a more self-assured,
empathetic person who could better understand the world in which she
lives it.
There
weren't that many characters who we got to see a lot of, but the ones
that we did see all played a vital role in the story in accommodating
Caitlin and her quest for making friends and for finding closure. I loved
Michael and Mrs Brook who were so kind and helped Caitlin through her
everyday struggles. I liked Caitlin's dad but I don't think he did a
very good job of helping Caitlin. I think that he was just so
grief-stricken that he had wrapped himself in his own cocoon and he
didn't know how to break his way out of it, causing him to not always
be the greatest help to Caitlin. It was really beautiful though when,
with Caitlin helping herself, she also ended up helping her dad and
those around her.
This
novel is flawlessly written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing
was constructed in a simple manner yet the resulting effect was of a
powerful nature. I loved being able to get inside Caitlin's head and
see things from her perspective and understand the way that she views
life was a learning experience that opened my eyes. I appreciated
that the author wrote this book in such a gorgeous, honest manner, and that
although the main topic was grief, it consisted of equally
heart-warming, amusing scenes that lightened the devastation this book was centred around.
Mockingbird also really makes a point of
reminding us how vital it is for people to empathise with each other,
for people to go back to the basic foundation of being a friend and
learning to engage with others. Learning to project kindness and love
and honesty towards every person you meet and trying to understand
them. Caitlin was judged a lot and called nasty stuff sometimes and I
love how she didn't let this ruffle her feathers and just went on
being polite right back to them, I think we should all strive to be as determined, hard-working and kind as Caitlin.
Overall,
Mockingbird was a book I shall cherish for a long time. It's a
middle-grade novel that is powerful and resonates deep within in the
core of the reader. Thank you to the author for writing a book with
such a lovable, unique, talented and thoughtful main character and
for creating such an uplifting and inspiring novel.
I give it: 5/5 CUPCAKES!
