Go Set a Watchman

"I liked it BUT it wasnt as good as the first and expecting it to be will be a rain of disappointment. I remember thinking it was just a rumor when news came out this was releasing and then when it did I got a copy without hesitation. While TKAM is not one of my favorite books at all, the idea of a sequel being published so many years later intrigued me. Only a few pages in I was pretty sure I was gonna hate it (and even though its said right at the beginning I dont wanna spoil why I felt that way). I personally think this book is better as a stand alone than as a sequel, but it's also been a long time since I read it so perhaps I wouldnt feel that way now if I reread it. "

"This is not a classic. It was published in 2015, regardless of the fact it was written in 1957. It hasn't been around long enough to be a classic. First impressions were: I didn't like this book. But, as I have never read To Kill A Mockingbird, I am not commenting much here until I have read that."

"Not as good as TKAM, but quality literature."

"It’s hard to write a review for this because on the one hand it is an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. On the other hand it is published as a fully fleshed out novel. <br/><br/>One of my first issues with this piece of work is how the characters feel. Scout is really the only one that shows complexity and everyone else feels flat. Especially when compared to To Kill a Mockingbird, these characters have done a complete 180 change. It’s okay for characters to grow and learn, but it’s confusing because we never saw the journey. We’re just left to reconcile these very different versions of the same people alone with no assistance. <br/><br/>Another issue I had was the pacing and the point of this novel. I felt like I was getting whiplash between the flashbacks and present day events because there weren’t any smooth transitions. I was just randomly thrown around and it was super jarring. This story also dragged so badly because we weren’t building to anything. Halfway through the book all events could have been summarized in one sentence “Scout came back home.” And the second half could be summarized by “Scour found out her dad was racist, got upset, and then forgave him.” The second half was definitely more interesting, but it took FOREVER to get to the actual point of the novel. I was never excited to pick this story up. <br/><br/>My final big issue was the ending. In the last few chapters, Atticus deciding to join the KKK in his youth is justified, Scout’s called a bigot by her uncle for disagreeing with Atticus and not wanting to listen to his racist ideas, and Scour forgives Atticus in one chapter and everyone sings kumbaya. IM SORRY WHAT?! How is Atticus not a bigot (a distinction made by Jack) and Scout is? I just find this ending baffling. I wish there had been more work put into Scout and Atticus actually hashing things out and explaining because the leap from anger to this was abrupt."

"Kinda slow"

"O"

"If you love To Kill A Mockingbird, DON’T read this sequel. Some characters you may love in TKAM do some uncharacteristic (to me) things that alarmed and disappointed me profoundly."

"I really enjoyed how Scout starts to mature throughout this book. Despite she still defends her judgements, she learns to understand other’s POV and their motives for their actions before judging their character. "

"I love the message of this book and how it reflects on change and growing up. However, it is a little slow and sometimes has chapters or sections that aren't super relevant. Harper Lee definitely deserves respect for this book though."

"I had no idea the controversy surrounding this book. It was interesting but not a fan of how Atticus was portrayed. TKAMB is still my favorite. "