juushika 's review for:

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

3.0

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Anne attends college and learns to fall in love. For all that this focuses on romance, it's less dated or frustrating than the previous installation--perhaps because the many featured romances are so varied and compassionate. Anne's romantic entanglements are almost overdrawn, but they function as a platform for her character growth, for the quiet conflict between storybook ideals and happy realities, and by pulling double duty they don't overstay their welcome. Her college life goes relatively unexplored, and I wish it were otherwise--Anne's scholastic achievements would help ground the narrative. Daily life with her classmates rises to fill that gap, and performs well; Patty's Place is exactly what one would hope for from this series, charming and gently idealized. I liked this, didn't love it--probably none of the sequels will live up to Anne of Green Gables, but that's an unfair standard to hold them to.