Scan barcode
cmw119's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so-so. Felicity was never my favorite American Girl, nor was the colonial period a period in history that I enjoyed. There wasn't much to the plot of this story either; everything moved too quickly and there was no real issue or resolution.
12dejamoo's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.75
This is a silly one in the grand scheme of American Girl books but I won't lie and say it didn't make me giggle
littleseal's review
Miss Priscilla is a bitch and the worst character from any of the AG books I have read (so far).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, and Toxic relationship
piburnjones's review against another edition
1.0
Fair warning: I only just read this as an adult. No nostalgia bonus.
Where to start with this mess?
First, just as a flag, there's a scene where a new character chides Elizabeth and Annabelle for their healthy appetites, saying that fine ladies in England are dainty eaters. Priscilla is an absolute, unredeemed gorgon, but STILL - no other character disagrees with her - you have to make the leap from "Priscilla is awful" to "anything Priscilla says is garbage" all on your own. Valerie, you are writing for children, kindly do not encourage disordered eating.
Since we've introduced Priscilla, let's talk about one dimensional characters in Felicity and Elizabeth's world. In the original Felicity books, Annabelle is a very consistently drawn caricature who never gets the chance to breathe and be a real person. Here she breaks out of that for all of one scene. I would have hoped that Elizabeth might show us a more fully realized picture of her sister than this tiny flicker of sisterly support, but apparently it's too much fun to write Annabelle Bananabelle.
But if Annabelle is bad, Priscilla is Annabelle turned up to eleven. Through the Felicity books, Annabelle occasionally gets reminded by adults to be civil to the younger girls, but no adult here seems to bat an eye at Priscilla's awfulness. Are the Cole parents so cowed by an English title they never correct her about Annabelle's name? This all plays at the level of a farce, which is not usually the mode American Girl operates in.
Then there are all the tricks Elizabeth and Felicity play. The narrative wants you to feel okay about them because Annabelle - and later Priscilla - are so awful, but the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable. The girls justify it to themselves by insisting that they're trying to shake Annabelle out of being such a snob - and the narrative goes along with this rationale - but I can't imagine a person for whom that would actually work as presented. Plus, we're told that the girls have agreed on limits - nothing harmful or mean-spirited - but I'm not convinced that the tricks we see follow those rules. This feels a lot less ha-ha funny and a lot closer to bullying than this book is ready to grapple with.
Not funny, Elizabeth. Not funny at all.
Where to start with this mess?
First, just as a flag, there's a scene where a new character chides Elizabeth and Annabelle for their healthy appetites, saying that fine ladies in England are dainty eaters. Priscilla is an absolute, unredeemed gorgon, but STILL - no other character disagrees with her - you have to make the leap from "Priscilla is awful" to "anything Priscilla says is garbage" all on your own. Valerie, you are writing for children, kindly do not encourage disordered eating.
Since we've introduced Priscilla, let's talk about one dimensional characters in Felicity and Elizabeth's world. In the original Felicity books, Annabelle is a very consistently drawn caricature who never gets the chance to breathe and be a real person. Here she breaks out of that for all of one scene. I would have hoped that Elizabeth might show us a more fully realized picture of her sister than this tiny flicker of sisterly support, but apparently it's too much fun to write Annabelle Bananabelle.
But if Annabelle is bad, Priscilla is Annabelle turned up to eleven. Through the Felicity books, Annabelle occasionally gets reminded by adults to be civil to the younger girls, but no adult here seems to bat an eye at Priscilla's awfulness. Are the Cole parents so cowed by an English title they never correct her about Annabelle's name? This all plays at the level of a farce, which is not usually the mode American Girl operates in.
Then there are all the tricks Elizabeth and Felicity play. The narrative wants you to feel okay about them because Annabelle - and later Priscilla - are so awful, but the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable. The girls justify it to themselves by insisting that they're trying to shake Annabelle out of being such a snob - and the narrative goes along with this rationale - but I can't imagine a person for whom that would actually work as presented. Plus, we're told that the girls have agreed on limits - nothing harmful or mean-spirited - but I'm not convinced that the tricks we see follow those rules. This feels a lot less ha-ha funny and a lot closer to bullying than this book is ready to grapple with.
Not funny, Elizabeth. Not funny at all.
rcpope's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
4.0
theresidentbookworm's review
4.0
Every month, when I was a little girl, I would get the American Girl catalogue in the mail. Sometimes I would circle all the stuff I wanted for my birthday or Christmas, but I really just loved to look through the catalogue. When the Elizabeth doll came out, I decided I had to have her. I saved all my birthday money and coins, and the next time my parents and I went to Chicago to visit my uncle we went to the American Girl store (aka my childhood version of heaven). I still remember counting out all my coins at the cash register, and my mom embarrassingly apologizing to the cashier about us taking so long. The lady just smiled and said, "She's not the first little girl to do this."
Elizabeth has a unique place in the time of Felicity's series. Her family are staunch Loyalists, but her best friend Felicity's family are Patriots. In a time where Patriots were jailing Loyalists in Williamsburg and occasionally tar and feathering them, Elizabeth and Felicity manage to just be kids. They go to etiquette lessons and make fun of Elizabeth's older sister Annabelle. In this installment, the main worry is Elizabeth and her family moving back to England with the possibility Annabelle marrying. Recommended for Felicity fans!
Elizabeth has a unique place in the time of Felicity's series. Her family are staunch Loyalists, but her best friend Felicity's family are Patriots. In a time where Patriots were jailing Loyalists in Williamsburg and occasionally tar and feathering them, Elizabeth and Felicity manage to just be kids. They go to etiquette lessons and make fun of Elizabeth's older sister Annabelle. In this installment, the main worry is Elizabeth and her family moving back to England with the possibility Annabelle marrying. Recommended for Felicity fans!
tracisbooks's review
4.0
The book came with the doll.
It was cute! A very sweet little standalone story.
It was cute! A very sweet little standalone story.
lostinmylibrary's review
3.0
Funny and informative in the foundational way that AG books tend to be.
rebekahmorris's review
1.0
1.5 stars
This was not a "bad" book, but it certainly wasn't good either. The only part I really liked was the "Looking Back" section at the end of the book.
Reasons I didn't like it:
1. Elizabeth's personality was completely changed!
2. The "teasing" she and Felicity did was not kind. Even though it says they agreed to do "nothing unkind or mean-spirited" I would consider everything they did unkind.
3. The girls acted more modern than from the 1700s.
4. Miss Priscilla never called Annabelle by her real name which seems rather unlikely for someone bred as she was.
The entire book was just not something I enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend it.
This was not a "bad" book, but it certainly wasn't good either. The only part I really liked was the "Looking Back" section at the end of the book.
Reasons I didn't like it:
1. Elizabeth's personality was completely changed!
2. The "teasing" she and Felicity did was not kind. Even though it says they agreed to do "nothing unkind or mean-spirited" I would consider everything they did unkind.
3. The girls acted more modern than from the 1700s.
4. Miss Priscilla never called Annabelle by her real name which seems rather unlikely for someone bred as she was.
The entire book was just not something I enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend it.
More...