In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white - the world is full of colors - messy and beautiful.Review:
I loved reading Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine because it was stunning in its honesty. Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome and it makes her see the world differently to others. After her brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, Caitlin does not know how to Deal With It or how to find the closure that she so desperately wants.
With the help of the school counsellor, Mrs Brooks, Caitlin begins the journey to slowly come to terms with Devon's death through finding closure. Closure is hard to achieve though when you see the world so differently and I found Caitlin's struggle so inspiring.
Not only that, but Caitlin also has to learn to socialise with her peers and to make friends. The amount of miscommunication between characters in the book expressed perfectly how difficult it is for Caitlin to come to terms with Devon's death. Her father, though loving, does not want to talk about Devon's death and the unfinished chest that was Devon's project, is a barrier between them; an obstacle that they must knock down.
Mockingbird was fantastic because it taught me more about Asperger's syndrome. I loved seeing the world through Caitlin's eyes, understand the world in the way she understands it and I especially liked observing Caitlin develop throughout Mockingbird in her search for closure.
I also enjoyed the references to To Kill a Mockingbird because I found it paralleled the story well. I was so emotional when I read this story; one sad moment I remember in stark detail is when Caitlin scrapes bark of an oak tree in her attempt to get a piece of wood she believes she needs to complete Devon's project and hurts herself.
Mockingbird was amazing and would recommend it to everyone. Mockingbird teaches us about Asperger's syndrome, but it does so in an informative, sensitive and emotional way. It is about one young girl's difficult journey to find closure in her life.
Book Rating: 5/5
Cover Rating: 4/5
Author: Kathryn Erskine
