Pay It Forward

[goodreads]

Title: Pay It Forward
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 10/10
# pages: 311
Date read: January, 2007

Summary: It all started with the social studies teacher's extra-credit assignment: come up with a plan to change the world for the better, and do it. Twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney began by doing something good for three people. But instead of paying him back, he asked them to "pay it forward" by doing a favor for three more people, who in turn would help three others, and so on, each act a link in a chain of human kindness.

And no one - not his teacher, his mom, or anyone in his small California town - could ever have dreamed of how far Trevor's plan would go... (From the back cover of the book)

Review: Few people don't know this story. Either from having read the book, from having seen the movie, or both. Some might think it's a sappy story, and it kind-of is and kind-of isn't. It's an amazing story, handled with enough grace to make it seem realistic, even in this cynical world of ours. Because really, how difficult is it to pay it forward to just three people?

Few books have made me cry this much. The tears were literally running down my cheeks while reading the last few chapters. It's beautiful. I highly recommend it to anybody who hasn't yet lost hope for the good in humanity.

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Comments

[aurillia.livejournal.com]

The movie was ok, but I felt it held back a lot. I haven't seen the book anywhere - not sure I knew it was a book! But I'll keep an eye out for it, it sounds like it's better than the movie!

[bogormen.livejournal.com]

I quite liked the movie, but yes, the book is even better. I didn't know it was a book either, until lizziey recommended it to me when she heard I liked the movie. Do keep an eye out for it, it's brilliant!