Dana Ilie's Reviews > The Help

There is a lot to like about this book. It is easy to be drawn in by the storyline and the characters and it’s a pretty fast read. It’s a historical time-period I’ve been really interested, and I thought the portrayal of the events and the relationships were pretty accurately done.

The characters are really well done – they’re all pretty different and easy to tell apart, and they’re all so likable in their own real, sometimes prickly ways.

And I was impressed by the fairly even-handedness of the topic that Stockett managed. She didn’t make one group out to be saints or one group demons. There are good and bad and goodish-baddish people on every side of the issue, and each has different motivations and reasons for being where they are on that side – hate, pride, naivete, personal experiences.
Three reasons why I love The Help:

It’s funny. It is not a comedy but some lines just had me wanting to read on and on!
It is easy to read. Even though The Help talks about a very serious time in American history, the author really thought about how to write the story in a way that it just flows.
I really felt a connection with each of the characters. You get to know them from their point of view. Even though the story is through Miss Skeeter’s mindset for most of the novel, Stockett provides insight into the brain and life of both Minny and Aibileen.