Book Review: The Bridge to Terabithia

By Katherine Paterson 

5 Stars 

The Bridge to Terabithia is about Jess Aarons, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in the South and enjoys running. He fantasizes about being the quickest kid in fifth grade, believing that this will give him a chance to shine among his five sisters and distracted father. Jess is self-conscious about his identity. Though he copes with this with his creativity. However, his family's poverty limits his discovery of identity. When the recess race begins, Leslie Burke, a new girl, proudly goes to the boys' side of the playground and defeats everyone. Yet, this subsequently leads to Leslie and Jess becoming good friends. With that bond, they create Terabithia, a hidden dream kingdom across the creek in the woods. The period that they spend in Terabithia appears to prepare them for the challenges of ordinary life. With that Leslie additionally leads Jess to imagination and creativity, teaching him stories from literary masterpieces such as Moby Dick and Hamlet. Increasing Jess' creative aptitude and abilities. Along with enjoying and spending holidays together. Despite their smiles and joy, Jess and Leslie deal with their own troubles, whether it's with their family, religion, themselves, or even simply between them. 

Additionally, my thoughts about the subject of the novel are fantastic. I adore everything about the book: the narrative, the characters, the writing, and so on. There is a film adaptation of the novel (The Bridge to Terabithia), though I prefer the book since there are so many more elements about the tale that make sense. Furthermore, the book's concept or plot is unique, such as how the writer showcased the kid's creativity, which is incredible. The main characters are both different though special in their ways, such as Leslie being confident, adventurous and imaginative. Then there's Jess, who is intelligent, caring, and down-to-earth. Yet, they both connect through their creativity and imagination. Furthermore, the writing has been done nicely in terms of keeping the reader engaged from beginning to conclusion. Moreover, the concepts portrayed in the narrative are good; however, some, such as religion, may be an uncomfortable topic for certain readers. However, my overall opinion of the book is that I love it and would suggest it to others, as well as readers aged 12 and up. 

Reviewed by Zaynab 

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