4 reviews for:

Loretta Mason Potts

Mary Chase

3.93 AVERAGE

awkwardlysocial's review against another edition

3.0

This is a weird book. I struggled connecting or rooting for any of the characters. The boys liked it though.

saysyou's review against another edition

5.0

My mom read this book as a child and recommended it for my kids. She said it stuck with her her whole life and so she had to buy a copy to keep! My kids absolutely adored it! They were so excited to read the story and learn more about naughty Loretta and the people across the bridge. When we finished it, they said “That was a GREAT book!”

vinpauld's review against another edition

3.0

This funny and odd book, written by Mary Chase who is most famous for having written "Harvey," has a memorable concept but I didn't find myself really engaging with it on an emotional level. The book starts out promising enough with Colin, the oldest of 4 children in the Mason family, learning that he is actually not the oldest, that in fact he has an older sister named Loretta who years before decided she would rather live with the local dairy farmers, Mr. and Mrs. Potts. The reason given for Loretta living with another family is not all that convincing, especially when it comes to light that even after she moves back home with her real family, she still has access to the fairyland (?) that supposedly she could only get to from the Potts' farm. There are a lot of inconsistencies of logic in the story and it doesn't help that none of the characters are particularly well developed. I think this could have been a great book if the characters and the plot had been better developed. The idea of a mysterious older sibling who is unknown to the other children in her family and her dramatic reappearance is certainly a great starting point for a story but sadly the emotional element behind this idea is barely touched upon. Instead the author resorts to schemes and complications that left me wishing the story had gone in a different direction. The book is humorous in parts and it's a fast read so I did enjoy it while reading it but I doubt it is one I will revisit.

singerji's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5