Moses Thomas lives in very confusing times. Yes, the Emancipation Proclamation has been issued; but that doesn't mean that everyone is going to honor it. For example, the purveyor of the local general store isn't going to give him the prize even though Moses' advertisement is the best entry for the bicycle ad campaign. Things only get worse after the editor of his father's paper issues an editorial that sets the city on edge.Race fights break out and everyone is on edge. Moses' father, a highly educated man, believes that violence can be avoided. But not so in the end. Moses learns hard lessons in 1898 about friendship, family and race relations. I am so glad I listened to Crow! I didn't even know that there were race riots in Wilmington in 1898, or that it was the only successful coup d'etat in U.S. history, and I really want to know more!What I really like about this book is that it takes place a generation after the Civil War. As far as civil rights and politics go, it's definitely an unusual time period- at least, in my experience with middle grade/YA historical fiction. I really love it when historical fiction focuses on something I've never heard about, because I also want to learn more, and this book is no exception to that.I don't know much about the South during that time period, but I really liked seeing how Moses dealt with his family, friends, and people in Wilmington, and how aware he was of what had happened, and what was going on. It really is a good look at what someone's life might have been like during that time. I could picture everything so well, and there is a lot of detail.It did start off slow, and it took awhile to get to the actual riots and events of what happened that year. It made it hard to get into at first, because I wasn't sure where things were going, but I did like that we saw what things were like before this happened. I also LOVED that there was an author's note at the end of the book, explaining what happened and where the author got her inspiration for the book. It doesn't seem too common in middle grade/YA historical fiction, so it was nice to hear it.I thought it was fine as an audio book, and the narrator...he fit, and yet he didn't. I did feel like there wasn't much variation in his tone- there was something sort of monotone about his voice, and I couldn't listen to it in the car, because something about his voice was very soothing, and kind of made me want to sleep, which isn't good when you're trying to drive. Yet I could picture him as a 12-year-old boy.Let's Rate It: Overall, I really liked Crow, and I feel inspired to learn more about what happened in Wilmington in 1898. I have mixed feelings about the narrator but overall, I liked the narration too. Crow gets 4 stars.
What do You think about Crow (2012)?
Amazing!It is by far my pick for Mock Newbery.If you are historical fiction freak you will love it.
—ALCOZARJR
Appropriate for middle school -- could be a good replacement for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
—erika420
Young adult-historical fiction-loved it. Kelley, you should read it!
—Kitty
I thought that it is a great book with a real good plot.
—zuhairbedwan
