The Help Book Review

Book: The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Start Reading Date: June 18th 2020

End Reading Date: June 27th 2020

My Goodreads Rating: 5*

First Thoughts

I can’t remember if I’ve done a book review on The Help, and if I have it’s probably been years. When I go into reading the book I always go into it with an open mind. 

While Reading

Aibileen 

I really like Aibileen. I’d love to be her friend. For me Aibileen is that kind of friend that everyone needs in their lives. She’s kind and loving, yet when she’s mad or angry you’ll know about it. I love the friendship between Aibileen and Minny. 

Minny

For me Minny is one of those ladies that would get to old age, and tell people what it was like as a maid and not hold anything back. She’d be that grandma that everyone would love and go to for advice. 

Skeeter 

I really wanted to like Skeeter, but she has some really big flaws in her character. I know that’s the charm of her, but there’s something about her that bugs me. Sure her doing the book is a great idea, but I think she is really naive about things and not really understanding about how other people think of her especially people like Minny and those who help her with the book that are scared. She redeems herself by writing the book. I feel bad for her when she finds out about Constantine. 

I liked her a lot more when she stoped being friends with Hilly and became her own person that she was hiding deep down. 

Extra

So if you know anything about me, you’ll know I have love hate relationship with multiple people narrating a book but this is one the few where I think it works really well. 

Hilly is one of those people that I would’ve hated to be around. She is such a bully and you could tell from the second she’s introduced into the book. She’s one of those people who thinks she’s better than everyone else and needs others to make her feel better. I always feel sorry for Hilly. I know I shouldn’t but I feel like she’s so insecure that she has to being other people down to make herself feel better. 

Even though Elizabeth’s mother makes a small cameo in the book, her actions are heartbreaking. 

With Elizabeth I feel really sorry for her. You can tell that she really trusts Aibileen and that what Hilly says isn’t right but she’d much rather have white friends and be popular than actually thinking for herself. I think if she was a lot more like Skeeter then I think she would’ve been more understanding. 

I don’t know if all the books are like this, but when it comes to The Benefit, I’m so confused but the writing of the book. It feels different than the others, and it looks and reads like a newspaper in the past and the present.  

Celia is one of my favourite characters within the book. Just like Skeeter she is ahead of her times and doesn’t see Minny any differently even though she’s employed her as Help it isn’t the same as how the other women see their help. I feel bad that she is this woman who is so kind to Minny, yet wants to be friends with Hilly. 

I find Skeeter’s mother rather annoying. I know that’s a really bad thing to say considering that she’s ill, but she just annoys me. 

I find it funny how even back in the 1960’s just how much women think of their appearance and try crazy hair experiments. Even with friends we try and please them and sometimes when enough is enough we just snap and realize that sometimes their friendship isn’t needed in our lives

Conclusion 

I wish that racism didn’t exist. I think we live in a toxic world. 

I think that The Help should be read in schools. 

Every time I read the book I always have a different opinion on Skeeter. I don’t know why. Sometimes I really like her and other times I don’t. 

Lauren x

The Chocolate Run Book Review

Book: The Chocolate Run
Author: Dorothy Koomson 
Pages: 419
Start Reading Date: June 4th 2020
End Reading Date: June 16th 2020
My Goodreads Rating: 5

Amber, a young single woman who works at a film company. She enters a relationship with Greg, they met after their best friends Jen and Matt enter a relationship three years earlier 


First Thoughts
It’s been absolutely forever since I last read the book. I adore Dorothy Koomson and her writing. 


While Reading 

I feel that Jen is a bit self centred and drags people down, so when Greg gets angry at Amber because she ditches him to spend time with Jen I can totally understand it. 

Though saying that I do feel sorry for Amber, because she obviously loves Greg, through all his faults, but Jen is her best friend. 

Oh how my mind has changed for Jen since I wrote that last review. I think Jen is the most selfish person within the book apart from Matt, and think they are well suited together and honestly I think Amber and Greg’s relationship would work so much better if they didn’t have Jen and Matt as constant people in their lives.  

I think that Amber has better friends in her work colleges Martha and Reneé.  

The plot is one of those plots where people are just getting on with their lives but a ton of curve balls get thrown in to it. On the back of the book it says that Greg is scared of commitment and Amber likes being single. But honestly reading the book I think Amber is just as much a comitmantphobe as Greg is when it comes to relationships.  



Conclusion 

You can definitely see that Dorothy has gone through a massive change in her writing style over the years, and how over the years I’ve also formed. 

I wanted this review on the book to be amazing and longer than it is but honestly one of those books where I’d not know what to review 


- What did you think of the characters?
I think the characters are a mixture of people and that’s why they worked so well for so long. 

- Who was your favourite character?
I really like Eric, Amber’s brother. He seems like the only one whose stable enough, and who Amber feels completely herself around. 

- What did you think the main themes of the book were?
Love, heartbreak 

- What did you think of the ending?
If it were me, I don’t think I could forgive Jen for how she acted. Not just at the end but all the way through the book. I understand that Matt was a little controlling but I’d be upset by how she spoke to me 

What I Learnt From A #BlackLivesMatter Protest

I didn’t know what to expect from the #blacklivesmatter Protest. But what I saw was incredible.

Though I didn’t know what to expect from this I knew there would be trouble. I’ve seen the riots people are doing in other places. There was one man who made a scene and he was escorted away instantly while everyone was chanting Stop The Violence Stop The Hate. 

I learned that we live in a world where we want to try and save everyone and everything. But if we start small we can get there. We can make a difference. 

- Change Needed To Happen A LONG TIME AGO
I knew change needed to happen, but it’s like I didn’t pay attention. I’ve seen it where were reducing our plastic usage, or trying to save the planet, or the oceans, and while they are things I also believe in, I now see that black lives matter just as much as everything else were trying to change. Black People are humans just as much as I am, and their lives matter just as much as mine.  

We are making small progress compared to where we were when our parents and grandparents were kids. But we live in a world where change is important. I know in my lifetime that I may not see it, but we can make a real good start on it.  

6/6/20

- Amazing People Out Weigh The Negative 
There was one point during the march where someone made a scene. It happened so quick. I saw people run past me and go towards where the commotion was happening. It was over just as quickly as it had started and while a lot of people gathered around this man, more didn’t. As a community we out weighed him and he was gone. We already live in a world of negativity 

6/6/20
not taken by me

- I Have A Voice & I Can Use It
I’ve heard people say it’s a millennial and younger thing. Well at the protest people of all ages were there using their voices. Just because I’m a millennial doesn’t mean my voice can’t be heard or that I can’t use it. 

6/6/20

- I Understand, That I Don’t Understand, But I Stand
I can educate myself better on the whole situation. And hearing the stories of people who spoke, really got to me.

6/6/20

- White Privilege 
I didn’t realize just how privileged I am because of the colour of my skin. I’ve never had to fear the police, or fear going out of my apartment, or walking around the store not being followed. I’ve never feared that I’d be confronted by people or them yelling at me because of my skin.

6/6/20