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abaumler's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
soulkissed2003's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
llama_lord's review against another edition
5.0
I am continuing my re-read of Felicity's books, one of my favorite series from childhood, while I listen to the American Girls podcast.
I'll start with the most obvious thing which is that this story's plot of Felicity's idyllic summer vacation on her grandfather's plantation has definitely aged like milk for modern readers. It's made even worse by the fact that the book continues the series' tradition of almost completely ignoring slavery, despite being set on a literal plantation. It seems like it's purposefully written in a way that readers can be as blissfully unaware of the reality of slavery as Felicity is if they (or their parents) choose to. The "Looking Back" historical section in the back of the book gives more information on slavery than any of the other books have so far - which still isn't much - and I felt that even that historical information had a rosy retrospection on slavery. It really baffles me that apparently no one in 1992 on the publishing team thought twice about it. I understand that the Pleasant Company/American Girl wanted Felicity to be from Williamsburg because they were receiving so much support and historical resources from the Colonial Williamsburg living-history museum, but I can't help but think that so many aspects of Felicity's story would be improved and hold up better for modern audiences if Felicty's stories had been set in one of the northern American colonies instead of Virginia.
It's a shame that this story is clouded by it's setting, because I think it is one of the best in the Felicity series. It was certainly my favorite of the series when I read these as a child, and it's the story that I remember the most even as an adult re-reading them. In this book, Felicity is on her annual summer vacation to her grandfather's plantation, King's Creek. While there, Felicity is really enjoying her time being outdoors; going on long daily horseback rides with her grandfather, playing games with her little siblings, and foraging for food and plants which her grandfather teaches her to use for food or medicine. Felicity is miraculously reunited with Penny - the horse she tamed and set free in Book 1 - when Penny is coincidentally included in a group of horses Grandfather purchases from his neighbor. However, things go wrong when Felicity learns that Ben, the teenage apprentice who lives with her family, has ran away from Williamsburg to join the Patriot army but has injured himself and is stranded in the woods near King's Creek. Felicity must nurse him back to health all while deciding if she should keep his secret and help him run away to the army, or reveal his secret to Grandfather and her parents and force Ben to return home.
I think that the excellent pacing in the Felicity books in terms of the Revolutionary War really pays off in this story. The war starts during the spring of 1775 which is a few months before this story takes place, but we really get a feel for how it is affecting Felicity's life because we have been there for the steady build up to the war through previous books. Even Ben's decision to break his apprenticeship and run away has been foreshadowed through his behavior in the last two or so books. I really appreciate the thought that has gone into these books as a series; the Revolutionary War progresses and intrudes in Felicity's life a little bit more in each book and Felicity herself matures a little in each book, all in a way that takes advantage of the 6-book American Girl series structure and makes it work really well.
I appreciated the fact that Felicity just gets to be a hero in this story, in the sense that she doesn't have to "save the day" from some situation she herself accidentally created. I thought that the situation with Ben running away and Felicity having to help him worked well in this book, it lends itself to a lot of action and suspense and also to a very difficult moral decision for Felicity. I thought that the plot point of Felicity reuniting with Penny came off as a little too convenient, and, dare I say, a little underwhelming considering how important Penny is to Felicity. Unfortunately it seems that Penny had to become a B plot and take a backseat to Felicity's daring rescue of Ben.
As far as child me was concerned this book was the peak of the Felicity series, and consequently I remember absolutely nothing about any of the books that come after this. So I'm excited to keep reading and see how the Felicity stories end.
I'll start with the most obvious thing which is that this story's plot of Felicity's idyllic summer vacation on her grandfather's plantation has definitely aged like milk for modern readers. It's made even worse by the fact that the book continues the series' tradition of almost completely ignoring slavery, despite being set on a literal plantation. It seems like it's purposefully written in a way that readers can be as blissfully unaware of the reality of slavery as Felicity is if they (or their parents) choose to. The "Looking Back" historical section in the back of the book gives more information on slavery than any of the other books have so far - which still isn't much - and I felt that even that historical information had a rosy retrospection on slavery. It really baffles me that apparently no one in 1992 on the publishing team thought twice about it. I understand that the Pleasant Company/American Girl wanted Felicity to be from Williamsburg because they were receiving so much support and historical resources from the Colonial Williamsburg living-history museum, but I can't help but think that so many aspects of Felicity's story would be improved and hold up better for modern audiences if Felicty's stories had been set in one of the northern American colonies instead of Virginia.
It's a shame that this story is clouded by it's setting, because I think it is one of the best in the Felicity series. It was certainly my favorite of the series when I read these as a child, and it's the story that I remember the most even as an adult re-reading them. In this book, Felicity is on her annual summer vacation to her grandfather's plantation, King's Creek. While there, Felicity is really enjoying her time being outdoors; going on long daily horseback rides with her grandfather, playing games with her little siblings, and foraging for food and plants which her grandfather teaches her to use for food or medicine. Felicity is miraculously reunited with Penny - the horse she tamed and set free in Book 1 - when Penny is coincidentally included in a group of horses Grandfather purchases from his neighbor. However, things go wrong when Felicity learns that Ben, the teenage apprentice who lives with her family, has ran away from Williamsburg to join the Patriot army but has injured himself and is stranded in the woods near King's Creek. Felicity must nurse him back to health all while deciding if she should keep his secret and help him run away to the army, or reveal his secret to Grandfather and her parents and force Ben to return home.
I think that the excellent pacing in the Felicity books in terms of the Revolutionary War really pays off in this story. The war starts during the spring of 1775 which is a few months before this story takes place, but we really get a feel for how it is affecting Felicity's life because we have been there for the steady build up to the war through previous books. Even Ben's decision to break his apprenticeship and run away has been foreshadowed through his behavior in the last two or so books. I really appreciate the thought that has gone into these books as a series; the Revolutionary War progresses and intrudes in Felicity's life a little bit more in each book and Felicity herself matures a little in each book, all in a way that takes advantage of the 6-book American Girl series structure and makes it work really well.
I appreciated the fact that Felicity just gets to be a hero in this story, in the sense that she doesn't have to "save the day" from some situation she herself accidentally created. I thought that the situation with Ben running away and Felicity having to help him worked well in this book, it lends itself to a lot of action and suspense and also to a very difficult moral decision for Felicity. I thought that the plot point of Felicity reuniting with Penny came off as a little too convenient, and, dare I say, a little underwhelming considering how important Penny is to Felicity. Unfortunately it seems that Penny had to become a B plot and take a backseat to Felicity's daring rescue of Ben.
As far as child me was concerned this book was the peak of the Felicity series, and consequently I remember absolutely nothing about any of the books that come after this. So I'm excited to keep reading and see how the Felicity stories end.
bronwynmb's review against another edition
4.0
I’m starting the American Girls podcast, so I’m rereading my AG books before I listen to the episodes.
Not my favorite book, but I do like how the Revolution is getting closer, with all that means. It seemed a bit simple and quiet otherwise though.
Not my favorite book, but I do like how the Revolution is getting closer, with all that means. It seemed a bit simple and quiet otherwise though.
frogy927's review against another edition
3.0
I am revisiting these books after listening to the American Girls podcast where two adult women re-read them. I would have said I read all the Felicity books as a kid if you asked, but now that I've "re-read" it, I don't think I actually did.
Is it weird to say that a 60 page book is poorly paced? I noticed it in the first one, but it was even worse here. The first half is an attempt to show historically accurate daily life, largely through the adults making awkward, stilted exposition every time they talk. And then the second half is all the plot, which is totally not believable but is at least fun.
I also felt this book was way worse in terms of handling slavery than the first one. This book made it clear that Felicity's family were slaveowners in the actual content of the book (which the first one didn't), but I felt the handling of it in the Look Into the Past section was really poor, and glossed over the whole thing in a way that does children a huge disservice.
Separate from the book on its own, the podcast is real skeptical of the way the books seem to be setting up Ben/Felicity, but that seemed totally real, believable, and historically accurate to me. Ben is 16 and wants to leave his apprenticeship with Felicity's father to fight in the revolution. At the end of the book, they agree that Ben will stay until he is 18 (a little over a year away), then he can go fight, then when the war is over, he has to return to complete his apprenticeship (another three years). Assuming Ben fights for roughly 3 years, when this is all over, he will be 24 and Felicity will be 18. At the end of his apprenticeship, Ben will either be able to open his own general store or take over the Merriman's store. If Ben and Felicity get married, Felicity will be marrying into a future in the same social status/level as that of her parents. Those ages and futures seem totally believable to me.
Is it weird to say that a 60 page book is poorly paced? I noticed it in the first one, but it was even worse here. The first half is an attempt to show historically accurate daily life, largely through the adults making awkward, stilted exposition every time they talk. And then the second half is all the plot, which is totally not believable but is at least fun.
I also felt this book was way worse in terms of handling slavery than the first one. This book made it clear that Felicity's family were slaveowners in the actual content of the book (which the first one didn't), but I felt the handling of it in the Look Into the Past section was really poor, and glossed over the whole thing in a way that does children a huge disservice.
Separate from the book on its own, the podcast is real skeptical of the way the books seem to be setting up Ben/Felicity, but that seemed totally real, believable, and historically accurate to me. Ben is 16 and wants to leave his apprenticeship with Felicity's father to fight in the revolution. At the end of the book, they agree that Ben will stay until he is 18 (a little over a year away), then he can go fight, then when the war is over, he has to return to complete his apprenticeship (another three years). Assuming Ben fights for roughly 3 years, when this is all over, he will be 24 and Felicity will be 18. At the end of his apprenticeship, Ben will either be able to open his own general store or take over the Merriman's store. If Ben and Felicity get married, Felicity will be marrying into a future in the same social status/level as that of her parents. Those ages and futures seem totally believable to me.
bronwynmb's review against another edition
4.0
I’m starting the American Girls podcast, so I’m rereading my AG books before I listen to the episodes.
Not my favorite book, but I do like how the Revolution is getting closer, with all that means. It seemed a bit simple and quiet otherwise though.
Not my favorite book, but I do like how the Revolution is getting closer, with all that means. It seemed a bit simple and quiet otherwise though.
panda_incognito's review against another edition
3.0
This is another book where Felicity is disobedient and makes unwise choices.
The pacing is a bit off for this book as well, but it's still entertaining, and covers lots of vivid historical details. Then, in the back of the book, the "peek into the past" clearly addresses slavery and the harsh realities of plantation life. Since the previous books in the series rarely make it clear which black characters are paid servants versus slaves, I appreciate the choice to finally address the topic in detail.
Spoiler
One has to wonder why her parents and grandfather were more disturbed, angry, and harsh about her potentially damaging her grandmother's antique guitar in the last book than they are about her trying to help her father's apprentice run away in this one. These misplaced priorities may serve the plot of both books, but they seem very dubious from an adult perspective.The pacing is a bit off for this book as well, but it's still entertaining, and covers lots of vivid historical details. Then, in the back of the book, the "peek into the past" clearly addresses slavery and the harsh realities of plantation life. Since the previous books in the series rarely make it clear which black characters are paid servants versus slaves, I appreciate the choice to finally address the topic in detail.