My father convinced me to watch the John Wayne version of the film several years ago and I remember liking it, but not being impressed enough to watch it again or think much of it. When I picked up the book, I decided to read it for Dad's sake -so I can better appreciate all the Westerns he watches. I was blown away by this book, however, which caught me off-guard. To begin with, Mattie Ross is the most stubborn, pigheaded, unlikeable yet loveable character I've ever had the honor to read. I wish I'd read her when I was 14 so I could have had such a strong role model to read about. I will definitely be pushing this book into the hands of teenage girls from now on. I also really enjoyed the writing. The story is interesting and clear, but also very funny. I actually laughed aloud when Chaney walks Mattie through how to shoot a gun, after which she shoots him. I'll be recommending this book to everyone for the next few months at least.