A review by sometimes_iread
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

emotional hopeful reflective 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

To me, this was the book with the most mature themes in the Anne of Green Gables series, yet it was still done with the usual beauty that I’ve come to expect from the series. As such, I have to say that this has to be one of my favourite installments in the series. 

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery follows Rilla as she navigates the cusp of womanhood as the First World War breaks out. Ingleside is not spared, with the boys volunteering to fight with the Allied forces. This definitely introduces a tension that has never been seen in this series as each of the characters experience the war in their own way. 

Rilla is certainly a heroine that I enjoyed, what with her frivolity tempered with a willingness to do the right thing. This, along with her general spiritedness, resulted in a character who is relatable and easy to like. Her personal growth over the four years of the war was remarkable to see, yet bittersweet because of the circumstances and the need to grow up before her time. 

I knew as I was reading that I would be annoyed if all the Ingleside boys grew plot armour, yet I was dreading who would be the one who would fall and in what manner. Suffice to say, I nearly gasped out loud when Montgomery unveiled the heartbreaking decision. Her choice made perfect sense but that didn’t make it any easier to get through. It certainly gave a tiny, little taste of what those who lived through the war had to go through. 

Diversity meter:

Strong female characters