toreypickard's review against another edition
3.0
Excellent glimpse at a moment in history. Glad we read it, and the full cast audio really helped bring it to life.
rosemech's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Blood
rrabas's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting account of the battle of Bull Run told from the perspective of fictional characters.
shaprincess21's review against another edition
5.0
This book was actually a great book if you like anything based in Civil war times.
elsanore's review against another edition
3.0
I read Paul Fleischman's Bull Run with my two children as part of our homeschool study of the Civil War. The audio book brought it to life! Presented by a full cast of sixteen voices, each is a distinct character. Reading silently would not have had nearly the same impact, and I would have given the book a mere two stars.
whitneydrew's review against another edition
2.0
I think there were too many narrators of this story (16). It got confusing and it felt a little less emotional because of it.
jamicuns01's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was on the 4th grade battle of the books list and read it. It is actually for the 5th graders, but I'm glad I read it. It's a good glimpse at the beginning of the Civil War. I had a hard time remembering who was who, but I did like that the author used a number of witnesses from different walks of life to tell the story. I was struck by the treatment of the slaves by the northerners. They were fighting a war that would end slavery but they turned back a slave if they tried to escape? :( I was also struck by the idea that people would set up picnics on a hill overlooking the battle and watch it unfold for their entertainment. What a different time. I recommend it for any young reader wanting to learn more about the Civil War.
pinkrain718's review against another edition
4.0
This book includes many perspectives concerning the Battle of Bull Run and it's a great way to introduce the war and how different people reacted. I look forward to reading parts aloud to my class when I introduce this battle.
just_fighting_censorship's review against another edition
3.0
Fleischman does a great job of capturing the essence of a large collection of characters and objectively telling the story of the first battle of the American Civil War. We have a diverse collection of voices, women and men, old and young, black and white, Northern and Southern. He doesn't skimp on the gory details of war, which I think is a good thing, but be warned.
elizabethseebee's review against another edition
2.0
I have always enjoyed stories that are told through multiple characters perspectives, BUT sixteen characters is far too many to keep track of... Perhaps if the characters full stories were condensed into separate chapters instead of flipping back and forth through all the characters, it would've been easier to read. Though I did like how the characters intertwined at the end and how the perspectives were through slaves, generals, soldiers, and other folks...