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edelk's review
4.0
I read this book off and on, having a hard time getting into it at first. It wasn’t that I was particularly bored, just uninterested in the plot of it. From the beginning I was annoyed with Esther, who was just a bland, annoying, hyper-sensitive character. I couldn’t stand her family or her friends. The events that happen in the book do bring out an unseen side of all of them, though, and those parts were very fun to read. The more I got into the book, the more I felt for Esther. Sure, sometimes she was annoying and said/did things in bad taste, but if she hadn’t, the plot would have been drier.
I’m not one for historical fiction, so you could argue that that’s why I didn’t enjoy the book at first, which is fair, considering I had to read it for school. This book held my attention the farther I got into it. The chapters ended right, leaving me wanting to read more. While I didn’t LOVE any of the characters, the book had some quotable parts from the ones I didn’t like all that much, and it had a good message.
If I wasn’t required to read the book I know I never would have. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just one of those books that even if you don’t really enjoy reading it as much as your favorites, in it’s own way it’s unforgettable.
I’m not one for historical fiction, so you could argue that that’s why I didn’t enjoy the book at first, which is fair, considering I had to read it for school. This book held my attention the farther I got into it. The chapters ended right, leaving me wanting to read more. While I didn’t LOVE any of the characters, the book had some quotable parts from the ones I didn’t like all that much, and it had a good message.
If I wasn’t required to read the book I know I never would have. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just one of those books that even if you don’t really enjoy reading it as much as your favorites, in it’s own way it’s unforgettable.
aprahl's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
deenashoemaker's review
4.0
It's been a few years since I read this book, but everything I remember about it was amazing and beautiful and heartbreaking.
The hatred that humankind can feel towards a people group is unbelievable, this book showed that it's possible to overcome.
I need to buy this and read it again. It was definitely one I want to own, and I'd recommend it highly. It's a book that's been in the back of my mind since the day I read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/13/13 -- Bought the book. Re-read it. New review:
This story was incredible. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed. It's phenomenal how much emotion can be packed into one book. If I had the ability to force people to read, I'd make everyone read this book.
The book takes place in the summer of 1963 where racial segregation and hatred was still very prominent in the US. Because of tragic circumstances King-Roy Johnson comes to stay with Esther Young's family for the summer. Living in a wealthy neighborhood in the North Esther doesn't see or understand the oppression of Black Americans. King-Roy lets Esther inside his life and she is slowly introduced to the horrifying reality that she has always been a part of.
Martin Luther King Jr. preaches nonviolence and a peaceful revolution. King-Roy has proven that to be wrong. He then hears the teachings of Malcolm-X and buries his grief in violence and hatred. The forgiveness and healing MLK Jr. stands for no longer has any significance to King-Roy.
Esther doesn't know who she is. She's talentless, ignored, and being left behind by everyone in life. She finds herself in her passions and beliefs. As the summer goes on, King-Roy changes for the worse and Esther for the better. The more she tries to convince King-Roy that peace is the answer, the further she finds herself in the middle of a problem. While the white Americans in her community do not openly hate black Americans, they do nothing to solve the problem of segregation. Then she hears about the dangerous March on Washington. This is the opportunity she's been looking for. Esther realizes that to make any difference at all, she cannot be passive any longer. She's going to have to fight for what she believes in, even if it kills her.
This story was well crafted and just beautiful. I mostly cried for Esther through the book, to be honest, but that's because I related with her. And so I don't sound like a horrible person I also cried for King-Roy, though in my defense his story was a very small part of the actual book.
I kinda just want to shove a copy of this into every hand I pass and make people read and understand our history and how tragic it really was at times. This book definitely wakes you up to how far we've come and how far we still have to go.
The hatred that humankind can feel towards a people group is unbelievable, this book showed that it's possible to overcome.
I need to buy this and read it again. It was definitely one I want to own, and I'd recommend it highly. It's a book that's been in the back of my mind since the day I read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4/13/13 -- Bought the book. Re-read it. New review:
This story was incredible. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed. It's phenomenal how much emotion can be packed into one book. If I had the ability to force people to read, I'd make everyone read this book.
The book takes place in the summer of 1963 where racial segregation and hatred was still very prominent in the US. Because of tragic circumstances King-Roy Johnson comes to stay with Esther Young's family for the summer. Living in a wealthy neighborhood in the North Esther doesn't see or understand the oppression of Black Americans. King-Roy lets Esther inside his life and she is slowly introduced to the horrifying reality that she has always been a part of.
Martin Luther King Jr. preaches nonviolence and a peaceful revolution. King-Roy has proven that to be wrong. He then hears the teachings of Malcolm-X and buries his grief in violence and hatred. The forgiveness and healing MLK Jr. stands for no longer has any significance to King-Roy.
Esther doesn't know who she is. She's talentless, ignored, and being left behind by everyone in life. She finds herself in her passions and beliefs. As the summer goes on, King-Roy changes for the worse and Esther for the better. The more she tries to convince King-Roy that peace is the answer, the further she finds herself in the middle of a problem. While the white Americans in her community do not openly hate black Americans, they do nothing to solve the problem of segregation. Then she hears about the dangerous March on Washington. This is the opportunity she's been looking for. Esther realizes that to make any difference at all, she cannot be passive any longer. She's going to have to fight for what she believes in, even if it kills her.
This story was well crafted and just beautiful. I mostly cried for Esther through the book, to be honest, but that's because I related with her. And so I don't sound like a horrible person I also cried for King-Roy, though in my defense his story was a very small part of the actual book.
I kinda just want to shove a copy of this into every hand I pass and make people read and understand our history and how tragic it really was at times. This book definitely wakes you up to how far we've come and how far we still have to go.
delbrewe's review
2.0
After reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I wanted a book that was a quicker read but still stayed with the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird. A Summer of Kings stays with the theme but in an even more sad and tragic, and not always in a good way. All in all, though, it was a pretty good book with an interesting protagonist.
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