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rachelramosreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fwog19's review against another edition
4.0
I snagged this book from my daughter's school during their end of year book giveaway. After reading some hard sci-fi, I needed something a bit easier and this filled the bill quite nicely. The time period (1825-1897) is one of my favorite times to read about in American history, though the things that happened were horrifying, to say the least.
Harriet's story was one of hardship, love, and tears. You could feel the pain she felt when one of her loved ones died or was sold to a new master, along with the cruelty of those who looked upon her as property. You felt the pins and needles that she endured from hiding for so long and the chills of her fevers.
The only thing I didn't like was the last part of the book. It felt terribly rushed and it seemed as if the author wanted to cram a lot more into just a few pages. I would have liked to see more letters about Harriet's journey.
Overall, it was a good book. Part of me thinks it would be a bit graphic for kids, but considering the gore that most books have in them these days, it might just be me being old fashioned. Still, it was a good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Harriet's story was one of hardship, love, and tears. You could feel the pain she felt when one of her loved ones died or was sold to a new master, along with the cruelty of those who looked upon her as property. You felt the pins and needles that she endured from hiding for so long and the chills of her fevers.
The only thing I didn't like was the last part of the book. It felt terribly rushed and it seemed as if the author wanted to cram a lot more into just a few pages. I would have liked to see more letters about Harriet's journey.
Overall, it was a good book. Part of me thinks it would be a bit graphic for kids, but considering the gore that most books have in them these days, it might just be me being old fashioned. Still, it was a good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
lundyd98's review against another edition
This story is actually the same book as "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Jacob Harriets, which I believe to be a better version.
bekahbea86's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the history of this stroy and it helps you understand how horribal slavery really was and what they went through. But story wise it was boaring. I could have just read a page out of a text book and gotten the same information and feelings about her situations that I got from reading this.
danyell919's review against another edition
3.0
Wasn't my favorite ... "Nightjohn" and "Sarny" by Gary Paulsen were better.
she_reads_alot's review against another edition
4.0
Well written. Informative and heartbreaking. From the POV of Harriet Ann Jacobs about her life and eventual escape from a southern plantation. Great discussion type book for middle graders. I really enjoyed the the pictures, drawings, and maps in the back of the book.
willowbark's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting book. It was hard to read at times, but that's true of most books about slavery. I'm now very interested in the real book written by the real life main character of this one.
jybaker's review against another edition
3.0
Harriet Jacobs has an amazing story. I learned about her life during the African American Cultural Celebration in Raleigh, and was pleasantly surprised to find this book in our library collection. It was in the Juvenile section, and I'm moving it to YA - there are situations in this book that make it unsuitable for young children.
I wish the author had continued the theme of the book throughout the text. The last section is narrated in a more textual fashion, but would have been much more effective and interesting had it been also told in the form of a letter. If she had done that, I would have given this book a much higher rating. Harriet's resilience was amazing, and I will definitely be looking for other books about her life.
I wish the author had continued the theme of the book throughout the text. The last section is narrated in a more textual fashion, but would have been much more effective and interesting had it been also told in the form of a letter. If she had done that, I would have given this book a much higher rating. Harriet's resilience was amazing, and I will definitely be looking for other books about her life.
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