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novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Twelve-year-old Anastasia is horrified at her family's decision to move from their city apartment to a house in the suburbs." (From Amazon)
A fun series for kids. For fans of Paula Danziger and Judy Blume.
"Twelve-year-old Anastasia is horrified at her family's decision to move from their city apartment to a house in the suburbs." (From Amazon)
A fun series for kids. For fans of Paula Danziger and Judy Blume.
kricketa's review against another edition
5.0
in which anastasia moves to (gasp!) the suburbs, but it's not as bad as she imagines, because her bedroom has a tower.
pagesofpins's review
4.0
This, far more than book one, is the Anastasia I remember from my childhood. No wonder my friends and I remember her as a much-older-than us teenager, as in book two (published two years later), she is 12 rather than 10, frequently reads Cosmo, sips the foam from her dad's beer, is very curious and straightforward about sex (not that she knows much about what goes on), and has a fairly realistic teen disdain for what seem like arbitrary things to an adult (Robert's wearing rubber rain boots! UGH!).
Rather than a series of vignettes like the first book, we have an overarching plot. Anastasia and her family move to the 'burbs, and she must confront her stereotypes of what she thought suburban people were like. I remember the tower bedroom, the goldfish to whom she confides, the time she tells her little brother what a flasher is and he makes unfortunate use of this knowledge during a party. Apparently this book really freaked some conservative parents out in its day with its casual references to beer and Playboy, but most of that went over my head or seemed like no big deal when I was a kid. Anastastia herself is realistically drawn, and there are some hilarious stories in here. (Sam remains the hardest character to believe in, with a dense vocabulary even for a precocious two year old).
Rather than a series of vignettes like the first book, we have an overarching plot. Anastasia and her family move to the 'burbs, and she must confront her stereotypes of what she thought suburban people were like. I remember the tower bedroom, the goldfish to whom she confides, the time she tells her little brother what a flasher is and he makes unfortunate use of this knowledge during a party. Apparently this book really freaked some conservative parents out in its day with its casual references to beer and Playboy, but most of that went over my head or seemed like no big deal when I was a kid. Anastastia herself is realistically drawn, and there are some hilarious stories in here. (Sam remains the hardest character to believe in, with a dense vocabulary even for a precocious two year old).
maries_shelf's review
5.0
Book #5 in my Summer of Lois Lowry series.
I have grown to love this series, and I'm enjoying reading about Anastasia's growing pains.
I have grown to love this series, and I'm enjoying reading about Anastasia's growing pains.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how many times I've read this book -- my copy is falling to pieces. I think I prefer this book even to the first one -- Anastasia makes me laugh so much. It's a story about family life: 12-year-old Anastasia doesn't want to leave her flat in the city to move into the suburbs, but her new home surprises her. It's a very charming book which avoids being twee by creating Anastasia who is angry and frequently unlikable though always relateable, Sam the clever and badly behaved baby brother, and a cast of well-meaning and well-fleshed out adults. This is an idyllic family life -- but it's also hilarious, and believable.
epistolary_lesbian_sister's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
herlifewithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I accidentally read this when my baby fell asleep on me on an airplane and it was mysteriously on my phone two months after its due date. One of those delightful nothing-much-happens middle grade series novels I loved so much as a child. Feels a little thin now, but you know what, I'm almost 32-years-old. That's to be expected. I did, however, enjoy Lowry's offbeat humor. Especially the man named Lloyd who told his wife to call him "Yoyd" after they married.
lellowturtle's review against another edition
5.0
This book takes me back because my dad bought me these books as a kid. I was so into reading them and wanted to be just like Anastasia. She even reinforced my love and want of wearing glasses.
I saw a lot of myself in Anastasia as a kid. I loved books, I wanted to be a writer, and I was insanely curious and knew too much for my age. Haha I am glad that this book holds up.
I saw a lot of myself in Anastasia as a kid. I loved books, I wanted to be a writer, and I was insanely curious and knew too much for my age. Haha I am glad that this book holds up.