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Review: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

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Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables #1)
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Puffin Books
Published August 28, 2014 (Orig. 1908)

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About Anne of Green Gables

The cherished favorite featuring everyone’s favorite red-headed orphan, now in a deluxe hardcover edition with beautiful cover illustrations by Anna Bond, the artist behind world-renowned stationery brand Rifle Paper Co.

Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.

Anne Gets Into a Lot of “Scrapes”

I remember reading this series to my daughter when she was in fourth grade. We both enjoyed the wild stories about Anne, Matthew, and Marilla and their neighbors at Prince Edward Island. It’s funny reading this book now, in the days when people are so quick to challenge a book, and thinking about some of the scenes and the age group we target this book toward.

For example, Anne accidentally gets her best friend drunk, which causes no small stir. At one point, her teacher shows obvious romantic interest in one of the other students. If a middle grade book published today included those scenes, would people be so quick to accept it, the way we are with Anne of Green Gables?

Perhaps because this is a book that many parents grew up reading or hearing about, it feels like a safe story and isn’t scrutinized the same way that books being published today might be.

I love this series, and I’m not a fan of book bans, so I’m not at all arguing that we should take a closer look at classics and start banning them, too. I do think it’s appropriate to consider the historical context of the work and to reflect on classic literature through the lens of equality, to note things like references to colonialism, which may be tempting to take for granted. Noting those things helps us realize how unchallenged and accepted those ideas were in the time a particular book was written.

My Review

For me, scenes like the one in which Anne accidentally gets her best friend drunk reflect information about Anne’s character and her life before coming to Green Gables. She often gets into “scrapes,” as she calls them, over information she might have known had she grown up with Matthew and Marilla or information she would not have known had she had a more sheltered upbringing with a family on Prince Edward Island.

Her behavior routinely challenges the people in her community, who think of themselves as being the most upstanding and proper. Most often, Anne eventually charms these judgmental characters with her sincerity and exuberance. I love that about her and about the people in her life (that they allow themselves to warm to her).

I love the author’s use of the omniscient point of view. Usually I prefer a close first-person narrative, but Montgomery has a keen sense of when to zoom into a particular character’s viewpoint to deliver a meaningful observation. She reveals Marilla’s surprising love for Anne and shows Matthew’s debilitating shyness.

I also love the strong characterization of the cast. Anne remains dramatic and imaginative. Diana loves Anne’s whimsical nature but remains more practical herself. Marilla grumbles and fusses, but underneath it, her soft heart is moved by her love for others. Matthew is the sweet, softhearted, quiet man who does what needs doing without making a fuss about it.

The novel also centers women as characters, from Anne and Marilla to Mrs. Rachel Lynde, the woman who knows everything going on in the neighborhood, to Miss Stacey, Anne’s teacher, to Mrs. Allen, the minister’s wife and a mentor to Anne, to Anne’s best friend Diana and the other girls she knows from school.

Conclusion

It’s such a sweet book and so full of insight into love and humanity. My older daughter was nine when we read this book together, which turned out to be the perfect age for her.

I enjoyed this reread, and I suspect it won’t be the last time I revisit Anne of Green Gables.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are white. Marilla has chronic headaches and a degenerative vision problem. The text describes some characters as fat, often implying that it’s an asset.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Anne’s teacher has what appears to be a romantic relationship with one of the older students.

Spiritual Content
Anne attends church, and Marilla instructs her to say her prayers every night. There’s a bit of commentary about Christianity off and on throughout the book. For instance, Anne speaks critically of a minister’s prayers, saying it seems like he’s not interested in the words he’s saying or has forgotten their meaning. She questions why paintings of Jesus always show him looking so somber.

When she meets the new minister’s wife, she reflects that Mrs. Allen’s faith brings her joy and comfort and that she’s the kind of person who would be a Christian even if she didn’t need to in order to get into Heaven.

Violent Content
Brief reference to colonialism (people settling on Prince Edward Island). Anne witnesses the death of a person close to her and experiences profound grief after the loss.

Anne relates the plot of a story she’s written to Diana. The tale involves a woman who pushes her best friend off a bridge. The woman’s lover leaps into the river after her, but both drown. The story concludes with the murderer having a mental breakdown and being confined to an institution.

Drug Content
Anne mistakenly offers her best friend Diana currant wine instead of raspberry cordial. Diana drinks three glasses of the beverage and goes home drunk, scandalizing the neighborhood.

Other Negative Content
Brief body shaming. Early in the book, a neighbor criticizes Anne for being too skinny and ugly. Anne retaliates by calling the woman fat. Later, Anne suggests a schoolmate could not play the role of the fairy queen because she’s plus-sized and a fairy queen “should be thin.”

Marilla makes a derisive comment about Italians (not wanting them around or in her house).

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Dark Fable by Katherine Harbour

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Dark Fable
Katherine Harbour
Bloomsbury
Published January 30, 2024

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About The Dark Fable

Magical heists. Deadly secrets. Come along for the ride . . . if you dare. This heart-stopping, seductive fantasy is perfect for fans of Six of Crows.

Evie Wilder is an orphan who has gone through most of her life unnoticed . . . until she’s caught up in a dramatic heist and captures the attention of the Dark Fable. They have chosen her for a she can turn invisible. This skill would make Evie a treasured asset to the legendary group of thieves known for spiriting away obscure and occult artifacts.

Evie cannot resist their allure and is eager to join this newfound family. But she discovers there are more skeletons in the Dark Fable’s past than she could have ever imagined. And these secrets might be the answer to her own tragic past.

No one is who they seem to be and the price of uncovering the Dark Fable’s cryptic history just might be fatal . . .

My Review

I’m starting to realize that I have a real interest in low fantasy, or stories set in the “real world” with additional fantasy elements, in this case, special abilities. THE DARK FABLE is kind of a single point-of-view SIX OF CROWS but set in Los Angeles? There’s a close-knit team led by a dangerous guy who definitely holds back information and has ulterior plans/motives, committing heists of expensive artwork and artifacts. So there’s a similar vibe. The main character is new to the crew, and she’s got her own past trauma, ulterior motives, and cards she keeps close to the vest.

All of that setup really had me interested in this book. I liked some of the characters a lot more than others. Mad, short for Madrigal, was probably my favorite. She winds up being the main character’s closest ally. I liked their friendship and how she looked out for Evie.

I struggled with two things about the book, and unfortunately, they’re both spoilers. I’ll put them below in a spoiler section for anyone who doesn’t want to see them. One element is kind of a trope that just isn’t one I prefer in stories, so that’s very much a personal preference, and I think unless you have tropes you feel very strongly about avoiding that have to do with when information is revealed, this probably wouldn’t bother you.

The other thing was also just weird to me. The characters keep asking themselves and others this question throughout the entire book. It feels like a deeply important question because of the way they consistently come back to it, like how they feel about themselves and what they’re doing hinges on the answer to this question. I didn’t feel like the question was answered satisfactorily, which made it harder for me to really enjoy the last bit of the book because I kept thinking, wait, what?

Conclusion

I liked the blend of Los Angeles and magic elements. I liked the characters. The plot went in some directions that didn’t always work for me, but I think those amount to personal preferences. I think if you enjoyed FOUL LADY FORTUNE by Chloe Gong or GILDED WOLVES by Roshani Chokshi, then check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white, I think. One heist team member is Black, and another is Indigenous. One is bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The main character has a guide she pictures in her mind. She also has the ability to disappear. Her allies have other abilities, too.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battles between heist teams or mercenaries and heist team members. Evie remembers events surrounding her parents’ murders. Other characters have been murdered or died by suicide– sometimes the truth is unclear.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol. One character creates poisons and other solutions that cause adverse effects on enemies, from stunning them to killing them.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE DARK FABLE in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Spoilers for The Dark Fable

Read on if you want spoilers on the two things that I struggled with about this book. Select the text below to see it.

The characters in the heist team keep asking themselves, “What are we?” They each acquired a supernatural ability during a traumatic experience. Is this an evolutionary advance? Do they have magic? Did this come from somewhere? They are really interested in figuring this out. Late in the book, like maybe 80 percent through, Evie asks her mentor this question point-blank. Her mentor responds like, “you haven’t figured it out yet? You’re possessed by demons.”

She’s like, it’s no big deal. You’ve got magic power, so enjoy it? Understandably, the team has a hard time processing this, but they come to accept it pretty quickly. I don’t know. I thought it was really weird. Like, definitely the kind of thing that I would have wanted to know earlier in the book so everyone had more time to explore what it meant and how they felt about it. Plus, demons? Really?

The other thing I had a hard time with is more in the vein of a trope. I’ve seen this in other books, but I had a hard time with it then, too. The main character has a whole set of ulterior motives and plans that the reader isn’t privy to until late in the story. It can make for a shocking reveal; it just feels disingenuous to me to have a character in a close first-person point of view hiding THAT much for THAT long. It’s a me thing. If I didn’t mind that, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more than I did.

Review: The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweiss

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The Trouble with Robots
Michelle Mohrweiss
Peachtree
Published September 27, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Trouble with Robots

Evelyn strives for excellence. Allie couldn’t care less. Together, these polar opposites must work together if they have any hope of saving their school’s robotics program.

Eighth-graders Evelyn and Allie are in trouble. Evelyn’s constant need for perfection has blown some fuses among her robotics teammates, and she’s worried nobody’s taking the upcoming competition seriously. Allie is new to school, and she’s had a history of short-circuiting on teachers and other kids.

So when Allie is assigned to the robotics team as a last resort, all Evelyn can see is just another wrench in the works! But as Allie confronts a past stricken with grief and learns to open up, the gears click into place as she discovers that Evelyn’s teammates have a lot to offer—if only Evelyn allowed them to participate in a role that plays to their strengths.

Can Evelyn learn to let go and listen to what Allie has to say? Or will their spot in the competition go up in smoke along with their school’s robotics program and Allie’s only chance at redemption?

An excellent pick for STEAM enthusiasts, this earnestly told narrative features a dual point of view and casually explores Autistic and LGBTQ+ identities.

My Review

What a fantastic, fun book! I’ve never been part of a robotics team, but this book makes the experience very accessible and highlights the fun as well. I really liked the characters and their individual personalities. It wasn’t hard to keep track of who was who once I got a few chapters into the story, because each one was so different than the others.

I really liked both Allie and Evelyn’s characters. They both wrestled with some heavy issues, but they had good support. As they took the risks of opening up, they were surprised by the way their friends came alongside them and accepted them as they were, while still asking for healthy boundaries and accountability.

The scenes showing the team working together were a really bright spot in the book. Once they all figured out how to come together, the whole story seemed to kick up a notch or two. I loved the way the stakes kept getting higher, and I was definitely on pins and needles as they went to that last competition. I loved how the lessons they’d learned about working together and supporting one another became even more critically important in those final scenes, too.

All in all, THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS was such a fun book to read. I enjoyed it a lot, and I’m really glad I had a chance to read it.

Content Notes for The Trouble with Robots

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Allie’s parents were killed in a car crash, and she’s being raised by her grandmother. She doesn’t feel attracted to anyone romantically. Evelyn is autistic and raised by her two moms. She also is attracted to both boys and girls. Other members of the robotics team identify as LGBTQIA+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two boys on the robotics team are dating.

Spiritual Content
Allie has conversations in her mind with her parents when she misses them most.

Violent Content
A boy at school picks on other kids, calling them names and threatening to beat them up.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef by Michael D. Beil

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The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef
Michael D. Beil
Pixel + Ink
Published February 1, 2022

Amazon  | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wreck at Ada’s Reef

Twelve-year-old Lark Heron-Finch is steeling herself to spend the summer on Swallowtail Island off the shores of Lake Erie. It’s the first time that she and her sister will have seen the old house since their mom passed away. And while her stepfather and his boys are okay, the island’s always been full of happy memories–and now everything is different.

When Nadine, a close family friend, tells Lark about a tragic boat accident that happened off the coast many years before, Lark’s enthralled with the story. Nadine’s working on a book about Dinah Purdy, Swallowtails’s oldest resident who had a connection to the crash, and she’s sure that the accident was not as it appeared. Impressed by Lark’s keen eye, she hires her as her research assistant for the summer.

And then Lark discovers something amazing. Something that could change Dinah’s life. Something linked to the crash and even to her own family’s history with Swallowtail. But there are others on the island who would do anything to keep the truth buried in the watery depths of the past.

A compelling and complex mystery with a classic feel, WRECK AT ADA’S REEF is perfect for fans of THE PARKER INHERITANCE, HOLES, THE WESTING GAME, and anyone looking for a satisfying puzzle that stretches across decades.

My Review

Confession: I haven’t read any of the books that the blurb compares this one to, so I had no idea whether I would like it going in. I tend to enjoy mysteries with a young narrator (see my reviews of THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE or THREE TIMES LUCKY), so I figured this was a pretty good gamble.

And, you know what? It totally was. It takes place on this small island. The residents we meet are all really distinct characters who bring a lot to the story. I loved the relationships Lark develops between the other islanders. I also loved watching her connections with her family members change and grow, too.

Lark is a no-nonsense girl who doesn’t back down from a fight, ever, so when she stumbles onto an unsolved mystery that might have hurt the people she’s coming to care about, she’s ready to put the full force of her personality behind uncovering the truth.

I thought the pacing of the story was great, too. There’s a lot of tension as we begin to put the pieces together about what happened at Ada’s Reef that long ago night. Interspersed with the tension are sweet moments with Lark and her stepdad as well as silly moments with her and her siblings or other characters.

All together, I’m pretty hooked on this series so far. I loved this book and would absolutely read more about Swallowtail Island and its inhabitants. I think fans of middle grade mysteries like the books I mentioned above or the Northwoods mystery books by Margi Preus would really enjoy WRECK AT ADA’S REEF.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Lark is white and an orphan. A couple minor characters are gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
At one desperate point, Lark states that she’s not religious, but offers a prayer to whatever gods are listening.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WRECK AT ADA’S REEF in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep
Laurie Faria Stolarz
Wednesday Books
Published March 16, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep

Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a thrilling novel where an eighteen-year-old girl’s search for answers lands her in one of the most terrifying situations imaginable.

Four days…
Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls trying to find a way out.
Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.

Six months…
Since my escape. Since no one believed I was taken to begin with – from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…
Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.

One month…
Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgment, provide advice, and console each other when needed.
A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m searching for.

Three days…
Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?

My Review

One of the things I really liked about this book is that there is no sexual trauma in it. I was nervous at first, picking it up, because I like this type of suspense, mystery, trauma recovery story, but I’m just really sensitive to sexual trauma, so I didn’t want to end up in over my head with this book. The good news is, I didn’t.

It’s an interesting story. For a long time, I felt unsure about Terra. It seemed plausible that what happened to her was in her head– not on purpose, but that it was the result of previous trauma. Even Terra herself sometimes doubted what she’d experienced. So I felt like the story kept a really good balance there, keeping me really uncertain where it was headed and what would be around the next bend, as a good suspenseful story should.

I also thought the timeline– some sections from the present and others from the past– added to the scattered feel of Terra’s mind. Her chat logs on the Jane Anonymous site added a lot, too, from giving her a safe space to share her feelings to also creating a strong support network.

I read THE LAST SECRET YOU’LL EVER KEEP pretty quickly, only stopping once (because I got food poisoning, gross). I think readers who enjoyed PAST PERFECT LIFE by Elizabeth Eulberg or THE LOST AND THE FOUND by Cat Clarke will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white or not described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used just over a dozen times through the story.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Descriptions of kidnapping. Graphic descriptions of hunger and severe thirst.

Drug Content
Terra attends a college sorority party held by one of her friends’ older sisters and drinks punch, probably containing alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of THE LAST SECRET YOU’LL EVER KEEP in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

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Down Comes the Night
Allison Saft
Wednesday Books
Published March 2, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Down Comes the Night

He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.

Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she’s been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.

The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.

With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.

Allison Saft’s DOWN COMES THE NIGHT is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.

Love makes monsters of us all.

My Review

Every year there are a few books that are so good I end up buying at least one extra copy (for lending, of course!) and pestering everyone near me to READ IT READ IT READ IT!! (Special thanks to my friends who actually do read the things– you’re the best friends a girl could ask for. <3)

DOWN COMES THE NIGHT is absolutely one of those books. I am so in love with it. The wrestling over compassion– is it a weakness or a strength? The sparring (verbal and otherwise) between people who are on the brink of war. The investigation into mysterious deaths inside a wealthy icon’s country manor. I can’t even believe all of those things fit so well into one story, but they really did. It was like the perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, romance and exploration into humanity. Have I mentioned that I LOVE THIS BOOK yet?

The characters totally captivated me. Wren with her impulsive big-heartedness and her complex relationship with her aunt and commanding officer. She and Una, her captain, had me at page one. And then, Henry, who was destined to be a favorite since I love the strong silent type. So many layers. And the back and forth between him and Wren was both hilarious and heartbreaking.

I guess the only thing I could say against this book is that aside from the emotional coming-of-age Wren experiences, there isn’t a lot here that’s truly YA. Wren is an experienced medic and seasoned soldier. I didn’t mind that because I love the story so much, but if you’re looking for something with a very young adult feel, this book might not scratch that itch.

I’ve been listening to the Shadow and Bone trilogy lately, and I definitely think fans of Leigh Bardugo will enjoy DOWN COMES THE NIGHT. I think it will also appeal to fans of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Una, Wren’s best friend, is described as having ochre skin. Wren and Una shared a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to them spending nights together. Una is Wren’s superior officer, though the girls have been friends since before that, but it could make their relationship problematic. Wren clearly loves Una, but it’s also clear that she has little control of the relationship.

Kissing between boy and girl. One scene shows some intimate kissing that leads into undressing and hints at more before the scene ends.

Spiritual Content
Wren’s people serve a Goddess, but she herself doesn’t believe any longer. Henry’s people serve a God, but he has strong doubts as well. They discuss some of the religious values of each and the way they’ve been twisted by leaders to serve political purposes.

Violent Content
Some battle scenes and references to torture and self-mutilation.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine socially. Wren is an expert in poisons and antidotes through her medical studies. She also carries opiates as a pain reliever for her patients. She suspects one character may be using laudanum.

Note: I received a free copy of DOWN COMES THE NIGHT in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.