Reviews

Tru & Nelle by G. Neri

bungadinding's review against another edition

4.0

Awalnya saya kira buku ini 'cuma' retelling To Kill a Mockingbird, campur permainan detektif a la Sherlock Holmes, dengan gaya bahasa yang ringan untuk anak-anak. Memang karakternya dicomot dari kehidupan tokoh nyata Harper Lee dan Truman Capote saat kanak-kanak, tapi saya kira yang diceritakan ya bagian persahabatan yang fun-nya saja. Ternyata buku ini juga menyisipkan tema-tema 'dark' seperti rasisme dan pengabaian anak oleh orang tua yang dialami Truman. Bagian Ku Klux Klan-nya sempet bikin deg-degan, walaupun memang sudah dilunakkan sehingga masih cocok untuk anak-anak. Menurut saya buku ini bagus buat memperkenalkan anak-anak ke isu-isu sosial yang lebih serius, semacam buku pengantar sebelum naik level ke To Kill a Mockingbird.

bickie's review

3.0

Interesting story imagining a brief time in the childhoods of real-life writers Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Streckfus Persons Capote. Great historical fiction choice depicting small-town Depression-era Alabama (though I found it a little unrealistic that none of the town leaders were members of the KKK except perhaps the sheriff who, if he wasn't, turned a blind eye). Some of the episodes get a bit scary, but they are all told as though from Nelle and Tru's perspective, and they are 6 and 7 in the book. Sets groundwork for reading the authors' works in the future.
Ages 9-12+ (older readers interested in Harper Lee and/or Truman Capote would also enjoy this book)

mschrock8's review

3.0

On page one, I was already in love with the tree illustrations to start each new chapter!

"Twiggs Butt" - a child's name!

"Why be normal when you can have fun?"

"Sometimes, a small gesture of friendship can make all the difference." That's when I cry the most.

There it is! The ham costume on page 147!

A timely read with a Halloween-themed farewell party.

A fun read to get me up to the second book in this series, a Christmas book.

rachelmerry_'s review

3.0

It was fun to think of these famous authors as kids, but I feel like some of the more sensitive issues surrounding racism in the American South could’ve been written in a more thoughtful way, even with it being a children’s book.

knbee's review

2.0

While I love the idea of this book and do have some positive things to say about it (memorable characters- even those other than Tru and Nelle, fully drawn-out setting, touching relationships, fun mystery), it just didn't resonate with me. The events after the big reveal were not fully fleshed out, and honestly, were written in what was little more than list-format (and then... and then... and then...). I think it would have been much stronger as a shorter book (ending just after the reveal) or a longer one (expanding on the closing events). I also found a few of the characters to be stereotypical.

pagesofvante's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

hamckeon's review

4.0

Having read a lot of Capote's work, as well as Harper Lee's two novels, I found this novel completely charming. I love that he fictionalized the story, while including a lot of true elements. My only concern is that I am not sure my students would appreciate the book as much as I do or if it would interest many of them. I could be wrong though and certainly hope I am since I find this book to be quite the gem.

arundlestl's review

4.0

I enjoyed these stories of young Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Capote. It made me nostalgic for a time I never lived, and sad for the recent loss of Harper Lee, who I never met.
I'm just not sure who the reader is for this book. It's great for everyone who has read "To Kill a Mockingbird": so anyone in 9th grade English class or older. The subtleties of the influences on the children and how it ties into the books they will eventually write is just what readers like to make them feel smart. But it also reads like a young adult coming of age story, so I could recommend it to a 4-6th grader who enjoys a gentle read and historical fiction. But mostly, I believe, its audience is librarians and language arts teachers.
This is very different from G. Neri's other books; is there anything he can't write about?

Full disclosure: I received this eARC from Edelweiss.

acourtofreading's review

4.0

This was a cute story about the friendship of two misfits. Truman is adorable and I love Nelle's sass. The only problem is children who read this will have no idea what the Klu Klux Klan is because it's not thoroughly explained or explained at all. I think the author either assumes children can't handle that type of information or that they already know about the history of racism in the south. But still it was a great story!

nietna's review

3.0

I find this interesting since I already knew a bit about the Truman Capote/Harper Lee connection. I'm not sure kids-at least ones that are in my classes-would be as interested.