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courtenayliz's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
torifaye's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Anytime someone says “it’s an Anne of Green Gables read-a-like” I’m ALWAYS going to read it. I largely agree with that statement.
kerryanndunn's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story of a highly imaginative orphan whose daydreaming often leads to trouble. She had shades of Anne Shirley, although Anne has more charm and is more sympathetic than Lucy. I think this story missed a great opportunity in educating its readers about the Ojibwe people and culture. It's mentioned many times that the Martin family lighthouse keepers and Lucy are descendants of the Ojibwe and Mr. Martin is teaching some of the old language to the children so they can hold on to their heritage. I loved this representation, but as someone who knows nothing of the Ojibwe myself, I did not learn anything about them from this book. It was very surface and the story suffers from it.
I also felt so sad for poor Lucy. Her mistakes are so huge and no one helps her learn from them. It guilts her into thinking she must make herself useful to be accepted by this new family and I felt that was a very melancholy takeaway for such a young girl.
The lighthouse, the island, the sea, the searching for shipwrecked treasures, all of this was compelling and evocatively written, I just wish some things had been more developed in this story.
I also felt so sad for poor Lucy. Her mistakes are so huge and no one helps her learn from them. It guilts her into thinking she must make herself useful to be accepted by this new family and I felt that was a very melancholy takeaway for such a young girl.
The lighthouse, the island, the sea, the searching for shipwrecked treasures, all of this was compelling and evocatively written, I just wish some things had been more developed in this story.
theofficialzhang's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an amazing book! Not only was the history well-researched, but I loved the representation and the characters. I am a bit old but I could resonate with Selena's toughness. Also, as a Canadian living near one of the Great Lakes, I always appreciate books set in a place that feels like home. So... yeah... the imagery was really well done!!!
<3
<3
cpalmisanod's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Lucy Landry is a little girl with a big sadness and an even bigger imagination.
Following the death of her elderly caregiver, the orphan girl is sent to live with the Martin family who run a lighthouse. The family is also Ojibwe and French teaches Lucy a lot about family, forgiveness, bravery, and her culture.
Lucy overcomes fears, finds her place, and a great treasure.
Following the death of her elderly caregiver, the orphan girl is sent to live with the Martin family who run a lighthouse. The family is also Ojibwe and French teaches Lucy a lot about family, forgiveness, bravery, and her culture.
Lucy overcomes fears, finds her place, and a great treasure.
stargoddess's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Lucy gave me vibes of Anne from Anne of Green Gables and Lyra from His Dark Materials - girl who is trying to figure out where she fits in the world and doesn’t always get it right but keeps learning and growing. I found her really compelling and loved discovering with her more about the Anishinaabe culture. The Martin family was also delightful, each of them having a distinct voice and personality. The conclusion of the story felt a bit pat as an adult reader but would absolutely be appropriate for the target audience. I look forward to discovering more works by this author, who has become a must read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Holiday House for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley & Holiday House for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
therearenobadbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The concept and theme of this book are interesting as well as the historical setting. I love stories with lighthouses and a big cast of characters because they may promise more volumes. It's a lot of open opportunities to explore each one and their predicaments. They are all so energetic, frontal (honest), and trying to work together. I do hope there will be more.
Only almost at the end, I understood the main reason for her obsession with finding the necklace and it gave more depth.
Our main character is a young girl who just lost her family and is not trying to find her place in a new with many sisters and brothers. She has a terrible fear and is a bit clumsy when she daydreams too much, but throughout the book she learns, thrives, and grows a lot. Took me a bit to understand the direction and intentions of the author with some actions and by being plot-driven it makes the events too sudden and convenient. But if this is an introduction to a series, then it introduces well the mood and the family vibe for future adventures (I hope so).
I love languages and learning new words, it was great to have some Obijwe and French too with a glossary at the end. Perfect for readers of historical fiction and Anne Shirley.
Only almost at the end, I understood the main reason for her obsession with finding the necklace and it gave more depth.
Our main character is a young girl who just lost her family and is not trying to find her place in a new with many sisters and brothers. She has a terrible fear and is a bit clumsy when she daydreams too much, but throughout the book she learns, thrives, and grows a lot. Took me a bit to understand the direction and intentions of the author with some actions and by being plot-driven it makes the events too sudden and convenient. But if this is an introduction to a series, then it introduces well the mood and the family vibe for future adventures (I hope so).
I love languages and learning new words, it was great to have some Obijwe and French too with a glossary at the end. Perfect for readers of historical fiction and Anne Shirley.
waywardvickie's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars!!
This book was so adorable!! Thank you Netgalley and Anna Rose Johnson for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy Landry is an 11 year old girl tackling some hard loss, after losing her dad and her guardian, she is sent to the Martin's, living on a light house in Lake Superior.
To cope with her emotions she switches her personalities to suit the situations that she's in, eg. her queen impression when she first meets the Martin's and her waif girl disposition when she does something wrong. This is all to help her cope with her new and sometimes overwhelming environment. I loved seeing this theme be explored in the book and getting a better sense of Lucy through these moments.
All the characters were really well developed. Even the Martin kids, with so many of them it could have been easy to make them similar and blend into the background but Anna Rose Johnson did an amazing job of making them feel real.
The plot with the necklace was really interesting and i honestly could not stop listening to the audiobook, I was completely enthralled. This is definitely a book I would recommend to younger readers.
Although the book tackles harder topics such as grief and overwhelming fears, Anna Rose Johnson still manages to keep the storyline pretty heartwarming and overall very digestible for younger audiences.
This book was so adorable!! Thank you Netgalley and Anna Rose Johnson for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy Landry is an 11 year old girl tackling some hard loss, after losing her dad and her guardian, she is sent to the Martin's, living on a light house in Lake Superior.
To cope with her emotions she switches her personalities to suit the situations that she's in, eg. her queen impression when she first meets the Martin's and her waif girl disposition when she does something wrong. This is all to help her cope with her new and sometimes overwhelming environment. I loved seeing this theme be explored in the book and getting a better sense of Lucy through these moments.
All the characters were really well developed. Even the Martin kids, with so many of them it could have been easy to make them similar and blend into the background but Anna Rose Johnson did an amazing job of making them feel real.
The plot with the necklace was really interesting and i honestly could not stop listening to the audiobook, I was completely enthralled. This is definitely a book I would recommend to younger readers.
Although the book tackles harder topics such as grief and overwhelming fears, Anna Rose Johnson still manages to keep the storyline pretty heartwarming and overall very digestible for younger audiences.
mrsdaliborreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was so lovely. I appreciated this middle grade historical fictional story about Lucy, who is sent to a lighthouse island on the Great Lakes with the Martins after her last caretaker passes away. Her father passed away a few years ago searching for a necklace and her mother, years before then.
It’s 1912, and Lucy is now 11 years old and navigating being an orphan, but trying her best to fit in with the Martins, as she has no one left. She has six new siblings (and not all of them are thrilled she is there!) and unfortuantely, her bed is in the girls’ room’s closet (there is very limited space in this lighthouse, this is not out of neglect or spite, simply a space issue). Lucy is spirited, confident, and loves telling tales; she refers to herself as "The Princess" or "The Small Waif Girl" at certain times in the story (we're given third-person POV of Lucy), and it is delightful to follow her narrative. You can absolutely argue it is a coping mechanism amidst so much change, but I think she is posited as someone who has always enjoyed tall tales, and exploring new worlds in her imagination!
The plot, besides the Martins ensuring they are doing everything up to code so they are not re-assigned to a different lighthouse, is Lucy's motivation for adventure! She is focused on finding the treasure her dad was searching for years ago (a necklace that once belonged to a local family nearby but was lost!) but she has a deep phobia of being on a boat/on the water. In the boat ride over, she has a panic attack (what I interpreted it as, but I could be wrong!) and obviously this is a major problem if she wants to go on this quest!
Overall, I found Lucy’s story to be bittersweet, tender and truly so easy to zoom through. The writing flowed well, and I was so appreciative of reading the perspective of a French-Ojibwe child and other indigenous characters. This book centers around themes of belonging, chosen family, and bravery during hard times. It also illuminated such fascinating lighthouse history on the Great Lakes that I wasn’t aware of! I highly recommend this book, and will be looking out for Johnson's work in the future!
The author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
This was so lovely. I appreciated this middle grade historical fictional story about Lucy, who is sent to a lighthouse island on the Great Lakes with the Martins after her last caretaker passes away. Her father passed away a few years ago searching for a necklace and her mother, years before then.
It’s 1912, and Lucy is now 11 years old and navigating being an orphan, but trying her best to fit in with the Martins, as she has no one left. She has six new siblings (and not all of them are thrilled she is there!) and unfortuantely, her bed is in the girls’ room’s closet (there is very limited space in this lighthouse, this is not out of neglect or spite, simply a space issue). Lucy is spirited, confident, and loves telling tales; she refers to herself as "The Princess" or "The Small Waif Girl" at certain times in the story (we're given third-person POV of Lucy), and it is delightful to follow her narrative. You can absolutely argue it is a coping mechanism amidst so much change, but I think she is posited as someone who has always enjoyed tall tales, and exploring new worlds in her imagination!
The plot, besides the Martins ensuring they are doing everything up to code so they are not re-assigned to a different lighthouse, is Lucy's motivation for adventure! She is focused on finding the treasure her dad was searching for years ago (a necklace that once belonged to a local family nearby but was lost!) but she has a deep phobia of being on a boat/on the water. In the boat ride over, she has a panic attack (what I interpreted it as, but I could be wrong!) and obviously this is a major problem if she wants to go on this quest!
Overall, I found Lucy’s story to be bittersweet, tender and truly so easy to zoom through. The writing flowed well, and I was so appreciative of reading the perspective of a French-Ojibwe child and other indigenous characters. This book centers around themes of belonging, chosen family, and bravery during hard times. It also illuminated such fascinating lighthouse history on the Great Lakes that I wasn’t aware of! I highly recommend this book, and will be looking out for Johnson's work in the future!
The author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief