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luca_castle_of_reverie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.75
paprikaschildkroete's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.25
asreadbykat's review against another edition
3.0
True Rating: 3.5/5
Note for "Anne of Green Gables" fans: If you are looking for an absolutely faithful modern re-imagining of the story, skip this book. Not because the book is terrible, but because, obviously, it IS NOT Montgomery's story and has a lot of differences added in that you will probably not be happy about.
I, personally, haven't read the entire Anne series yet. I've only read the first book, although the second one is on my TBR shelf. I picked this book up because I'm always interested in seeing how authors re-imagine classics, or update them for a more contemporary audience. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful and it was kind of an impulse buy.
I enjoyed reading this story and Anne's journey of moving to and settling in Greenville. Anne is still a little spacey, with a big imagination that, here, is expressed in her love of performance art and fashion. Berry (Diana from the original novels) actually had more of a personality than just "Anne's accomplice" which was also nice to see.
What I really liked about this story though are the themes that Tamaki explored. As someone who moved to a small town (re: one NEWLY BUILT elementary school, and a combined middle school/high school, one local restaurant, and one gas station) from a larger one when I was 7 with a family who had lived in the city their whole lives, I know how difficult the transition can be. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for people like Anne and her family. I think the author did a very good job of capturing those difficulties and how it can affect the person going through them.
The reason I didn't give this book a full 4 stars is simply because everything is wrapped up too nicely, too quickly. Certain characters spend the time from their first introductions until almost ten pages to the end making Anne's life a living hell. They did and said things that made MY blood, as the reader, boil. And they learn absolutely nothing at the end. They just seem to have personality transplants and at least appear to be more accepting and nicer without any repercussions for their actions. This would work more in the original world of Anne of Green Gables, which was at least a little more idyllic and not fully rooted in realism. The homophobia and racism depicted in the story are serious and frequent enough that it can't be overlooked. I finished the book dissatisfied because the teens responsible didn't have to own up to anything they said or did. Anne doesn't even call them out on it. She just goes on being nice to them.
It honestly felt like this book needed at least 50 more pages to have a conclusion where everyone can really have the time to understand and contemplate their actions. And then another 50 to develop the relationship. Because a huge chunk of this book is honestly just Anne telling anecdotes, explaining the music and movie references she makes, or describing her own and others' fashion choices. While I was rooting for the final pairing, I don't feel it was earned because they barely spent any quality time together "onscreen" talking and interacting in the ways that matter.
TL;DR: The book definitely has its charms and touches on some important topics, but feels far too short to really resolve everything in a way that matches the tone of the book.
Note for "Anne of Green Gables" fans: If you are looking for an absolutely faithful modern re-imagining of the story, skip this book. Not because the book is terrible, but because, obviously, it IS NOT Montgomery's story and has a lot of differences added in that you will probably not be happy about.
I, personally, haven't read the entire Anne series yet. I've only read the first book, although the second one is on my TBR shelf. I picked this book up because I'm always interested in seeing how authors re-imagine classics, or update them for a more contemporary audience. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful and it was kind of an impulse buy.
I enjoyed reading this story and Anne's journey of moving to and settling in Greenville. Anne is still a little spacey, with a big imagination that, here, is expressed in her love of performance art and fashion. Berry (Diana from the original novels) actually had more of a personality than just "Anne's accomplice" which was also nice to see.
What I really liked about this story though are the themes that Tamaki explored. As someone who moved to a small town (re: one NEWLY BUILT elementary school, and a combined middle school/high school, one local restaurant, and one gas station) from a larger one when I was 7 with a family who had lived in the city their whole lives, I know how difficult the transition can be. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for people like Anne and her family. I think the author did a very good job of capturing those difficulties and how it can affect the person going through them.
The reason I didn't give this book a full 4 stars is simply because everything is wrapped up too nicely, too quickly. Certain characters spend the time from their first introductions until almost ten pages to the end making Anne's life a living hell. They did and said things that made MY blood, as the reader, boil. And they learn absolutely nothing at the end. They just seem to have personality transplants and at least appear to be more accepting and nicer without any repercussions for their actions. This would work more in the original world of Anne of Green Gables, which was at least a little more idyllic and not fully rooted in realism. The homophobia and racism depicted in the story are serious and frequent enough that it can't be overlooked. I finished the book dissatisfied because the teens responsible didn't have to own up to anything they said or did. Anne doesn't even call them out on it. She just goes on being nice to them.
It honestly felt like this book needed at least 50 more pages to have a conclusion where everyone can really have the time to understand and contemplate their actions. And then another 50 to develop the relationship. Because a huge chunk of this book is honestly just Anne telling anecdotes, explaining the music and movie references she makes, or describing her own and others' fashion choices. While I was rooting for the final pairing, I don't feel it was earned because they barely spent any quality time together "onscreen" talking and interacting in the ways that matter.
TL;DR: The book definitely has its charms and touches on some important topics, but feels far too short to really resolve everything in a way that matches the tone of the book.
exeterplcb's review against another edition
3.0
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
To be entirely honest, I did not finish this book. I got through more than half of it, but really never found connection in the characters or in the story. This is in part my own fault has I have no previous connection with Anne of Green Gables, so the references got lost on me. The story felt pretty predictable as Anne is a stand-out girl in a conservative town, who find a supportive friend also considered an "other" in the town. Anne's mothers are supportive, while still allowing her to find her own way. She is badly bullied for her flamboyance, which her peers correlate to her sexual orientation. The story was following an expected path, and I would assume the story would end happily. The writing was enjoyable, and the story was fun. I imagine this would be a fun read for those familiar with Anne of Green Gables.
To be entirely honest, I did not finish this book. I got through more than half of it, but really never found connection in the characters or in the story. This is in part my own fault has I have no previous connection with Anne of Green Gables, so the references got lost on me. The story felt pretty predictable as Anne is a stand-out girl in a conservative town, who find a supportive friend also considered an "other" in the town. Anne's mothers are supportive, while still allowing her to find her own way. She is badly bullied for her flamboyance, which her peers correlate to her sexual orientation. The story was following an expected path, and I would assume the story would end happily. The writing was enjoyable, and the story was fun. I imagine this would be a fun read for those familiar with Anne of Green Gables.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this queer retelling of Anne of Green Gables! Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorite books growing up and as a queer adult this satisfied me in the few ways the original didn't.
sienna_canread's review against another edition
3.0
I have like two problems with this book and it was very hard to rate it too. It s like 3-4 stars but also not. One problem was I wish it was more like Anne of green gables like that’s the inspiration but I thought it was gonna be more that. Also I didn’t expect the book to be gay and have homophobia in and I usually stay away from books that have a lot of homophobia and this was to the max and I know it’s important to know about discrimination like this but like I wanted a comfy read not slurs.
chronicallytck's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was cute! I loved the plot twist at the end, but it did feel a tad rushed. Anne is always such a cutie and this was a fresh take on a beloved classic.
siena_reads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Vomit
elles_expositions's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was pretty cute!! an easy read lol
i just didnt like the ending very much it seemed unrealistic and not thought out, like there was all this stuff about anne liking gilly and that was pretty emphasized and then the berry thing kind of came out of left field?? amd it was also weird and unbelievable that sarah and tanner changed their attitudes so quickly like just because they started working on the school play they were suddenly conpletely fine with anne.
anyway i didnt realize gilly was supposed to be gillan until the very very end of the book lol
anyway i didnt realize gilly was supposed to be gillan until the very very end of the book lol