Set in the 1930's Atticus Finch has to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. His children are bullied and teased for their father's efforts at helping the innocent, and struggle to understand what's wrong and right.

From the moment you start reading this book you can tell it's a classic and an absolute treasure. However, it would have been a boring book if it was written by anyone but Harper Lee.

At first I didn't know what it was that drew me in but I suppose that's good in a book. Now I realize Harper Lee's writing isn't fussy and, simply put, just how a book should be written. With little descriptions, she tells you exactly what it was like, which made me realise how unneeded a long description is when you've got a few well put words.

As it's seen from a child's point of view the events seem more shocking and make you feel more disgusted about racism than ever. Throughout the book you develop deep hatreds of people but I must say when the author makes you think about it, no one is all bad or all good and although you still dislike them you should never hate anybody as it says in the book.

I was deeply entertained by Mrs Dubose and, after hating her, Harper Lee miraculously made me forgive her (almost). Aunt Alexandra was also a deeply thought out character who always puts a brave face on in order to help others. Although at first I thought Atticus Finch was the true hero, Scout, even with her nasty temper, managed to put herself into others shoes and turned out to be an inspiring heroine.

Whilst it felt that it just suddenly stopped at the end, I don't think I would have liked it as much if it carried on because there was not much more to say.

This book has earned the title of a classic and rightly so. A book to savour and not devour all at once and to read over and over again as you will always find something new in it. It's a must to read, because if you don't it would be like killing a mockingbird and of course it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

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