Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2009. 451.

Imagine being disrespected and in constant danger just because of the color of you skin. The Help by Kathryn Stockett makes this feel real, pulling you into a different time and through three different characters experiences.. You can’t help but never want to set this book down.

The Help guides you through three different women's struggles during the 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. Two of the narrators are part of the help, Aibileen and Minny. They team up with Skeeter, a young women aspiring to write, to make a book about different help’s experiences. They know what kind of danger they’re in, being in one of the most racist towns in the U.S.A. but continue the story. Skeeter is quickly ousted by her fellow society women, and must decide to continue writing and possibly risk her future. Aibileen and Minny must face a tougher decision, should they risk getting beaten, possibly murdered for trying to make a difference?

I have read hundreds of novels, but The Help still manages to be one of my favorites. One of the things I particularly loved is the word choice, metaphors, and similes. Throughout the book you have a perfect image of what the scene looks like. In one of the first paragraphs Stockett writes, “First day I walk in the door, there she be, red-hot and hollering with the colic, fighting that bottle like it’s a rotten turnip” (Stockett 1). Good description is always important in a book, and it’s ever-present throughout the entire story.

The Help also includes powerful messages. The stand these women are making against racism comes with a myriad of unforgettable quotes and heartfelt moments. My personal favorite quote was “Wasn’t that the point of the book? For women to realize, we are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I’d thought” (Stockett 418). This was said by Skeeter, and you can’t help but wonder how different the world could have been if more people thought like this. The Help is truly a masterpiece. After reading it, you have to think about the subjects that are discussed in it. Even though this book is directed towards adults, I would suggest teens to read it also, as it is not one to miss.