Bridge to Terabithia

A couple of years ago, I had read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. This year I got the chance to read it again. Reluctantly, I opened it up and began reading it with the rest of my class to start off another school year. Something was different this time around. Everything seemed more intense, more real. Perhaps this has to do with my grandfather, who past away last December.

The book starts off very well. It introduces our main character, Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. in the very first chapter quite thoroughly. It lets you into a day in the life of Jess—a boy who likes to draw and run. It allows you to meet his family of four sisters, a stay-at-home mother, and a working father. Almost instantly you feel sympathy for Jess. He’s surrounded by all these women, who truly do not appreciate him. In the next chapter, you are introduced to Leslie Burke. A girl that isn’t like most in town. Jess and Leslie don’t hit it off at first, but soon they become the best of friends.

This story puts great emphasis on their friendship, and when the climax hits, you’re left feeling breathless. I would love to tell you how the story ends and what exactly I’m talking about with the climax, but that would merely spoil the story for anyone interested in reading it. And if you are interested in reading this book, then buy it. Now. This book will leave you in tears, and begging for more. Which will sadly never come, according to Katherine Paterson.