Bridge to Terabithia

Summary:

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.  (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This was a book that I was familiar with, but wasn’t sure if I had ever read it.  I did end up remembering the story so unfortunately I didn’t have the grand reveal at the end of the book that some may have.  On the other hand, it’s also just as likely that I had read the book when younger, but blocked it out of my memory because it’s not the kind of story I gravitated to.

All that being said, I didn’t get into this book.  This book is realistic fiction to a heartbreaking degree, but I just didn’t get “into it” the same way I did many others.  I'm sure others will disagree with me!  Jesse had some fantastic observations about life and the people around him, but beyond that I didn’t find much engaging.  I wanted to actually find out ABOUT Terabithia, referencing it was just a tease.  I did tear up a little, but it wasn’t heart-wrenching like many other books read at the same age.  I think it’s still a valuable read because it is powerful in its simplicity, but didn’t change my life.

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? This is a classic that is definitely worth a read if you haven’t already.