7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amanda B, Miller Place NY, November 4, 2004
A Kid's Review
The book I read was Hush, By JacquelineWoodson. This book was a fictional, drama, ethinic book.The most obvious problem in the book was the family's race, being african american.
A summary of the book Hush would be based around a girl whose birthname is Toswiah, which is later changed to Evie when put into the witness protection program. Toswiah faced many problems in this novel. After being used to living in Colorado with her family, grandmother, and having her best friend live down the street, everything changed in a matter of a day. The day and event was a hard decision for her father, who was a police officer. He witnessed a rasict homicide on a teenage boy by his two white partners. After days of thinking of what he should do, he came forward to the police department, who witnessed and interrogated witnesses. In the mean time, the two cops harassed, and called the family. The witness protection program relocated their family, giving them new identities, and they could not come into contact with any of their family or friends from Colorado, until the police department arrested the two cops. Toswiah is forced to reinvent herself and not think of the past at all.
The book was interesting becuase it shows how certain people, even cops, deal with racial problems and how it affects their families. One wrong move by anyone, can affect all parties involved. The book was also inspiring because it shows how a young girl could be so courageous and have the ability to put up with leaving family and friends, to reinvent herself and not say anything about her past.
Possibilities and questions the book raises are how did the family and friends live after they left Colorado? What ever happened to the two cops and their families? How the whole family is affected by this tradgedy? It only fully explains Toswiah and her sisters thoughts and views, but leaves out the effects this had on everyone else.
Arguments I would have against the author would be Toswiah shouldn't, have to deal with rascism and relocation. This also lead to her fathers attempted suicide and the emotional breakdown of her mother,all of which is alot for a child of her age.
The book taught me and affected me by showing me how a person, even a cop cant be trusted. They can give you one impression and totally change it in a matter of seconds. Which can affect the lives of everyday people. It shows how rascism and still exists in society, regardless of the occupation. It also shows how a young girl can deal with adult like problems at a young age, and adapt to different things when needed to.
My overall opinion of the book was it was a very good, interesting, inspiring, and a book some people can relate to, because we are all aware that these problems exist, but not to this extent. Advice I have for potential readers of this book would be to look and see how a young person can relate to such harsh opinions and impressions we have in our own society, and how every little thing can affect a person no matter how minimal.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poignant and pensive, November 7, 2002
This review is from: Hush (Hardcover)
The descriptions make me want to love this book - the color of each person's skin, the way the mother's hands knead the bread, the thought of having no floor to stand on. These are all wonderful. The gradual development of Toswiah/Evie into her own person is also nice, although I thought she had it pretty much together, even at the start. There isn't much action in this book, and sometimes I felt like the book's plot was over, even before the book had really started. You knew the family had to go into hiding; you knew the mother turned to religion. But the descriptive characteristics of each person carry a lot of the story along. They are worth savoring.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poignant and pensive, November 7, 2002
This review is from: Hush (Hardcover)
The descriptions make me want to love this book - the color of each person's skin, the way the mother's hands knead the bread, the thought of having no floor to stand on. These are all wonderful. The gradual development of Toswiah/Evie into her own person is also nice, although I thought she had it pretty much together, even at the start. There isn't much action in this book, and sometimes I felt like the book's plot was over, even before the book had really started. You knew the family had to go into hiding; you knew the mother turned to religion. But the descriptive characteristics of each person carry a lot of the story along. They are worth savoring.
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