ceilisbookshelf's review
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, Racism, and Lesbophobia
mwatka's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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
4.0
it deals with a lot of homophobia and racism which i knew going into but it still took me as a surprise how much there is! it is slow to begin with but going on adventures with anne was a lot of fun and seeing how she takes on living in a new small town. if you’re a fan of the original AOGG this book is very much so nothing like that besides just some of the character names so don’t expect anything to be even remotely similar!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
genevieve_eggleston's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Outing, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Hate crime, Misogyny, and Cursing
Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
ribs's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
anything anne shirley related and i come crawling. when i heard about this anne of green gables reimagining, i made sure to read it immediately, especially when she’s asian and a lesbian.
i was quite looking forward with which this book has in store for me but upon reading, i felt dimly disappointed. the resolution to the racism and homophobia anne experienced in the hands of the townspeople didn’t quite blend well with me. i’m glad anne finally fit in by the end but when half of the plot revolves around such negativity and the ending isn’t even enough to wash them out, one would justly feel let down. none of the kids nor the parents even said sorry to anne. anne deserves so much better.
i was quite looking forward with which this book has in store for me but upon reading, i felt dimly disappointed. the resolution to the racism and homophobia anne experienced in the hands of the townspeople didn’t quite blend well with me. i’m glad anne finally fit in by the end but when half of the plot revolves around such negativity and the ending isn’t even enough to wash them out, one would justly feel let down. none of the kids nor the parents even said sorry to anne. anne deserves so much better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
agoldendear's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, I haven’t read Anne of Green Gables, so I won’t compare this to that.
The main thing I liked about this book was the characters. I particularly liked that Anne’s parents had complex personalities and were a significant part of the story. Not that the other main characters weren’t also good.
I liked the writing style, which was kind of all-over-the-place to match Anne’s personality. I can imagine that some other readers might get annoyed by it, which is also valid. The dialogue was also good and felt pretty real to me, especially the conversations between Anne and Berry.
The main thing I had an issue with was more my own problem rather than the book itself. This book basically has constant bullying and a lot of homophobia and racism that the main character has to deal with. I tend to look for a little more escapism in my reading, so this book ended up being stressful for me in a way I didn’t really like.
The main thing I liked about this book was the characters. I particularly liked that Anne’s parents had complex personalities and were a significant part of the story. Not that the other main characters weren’t also good.
I liked the writing style, which was kind of all-over-the-place to match Anne’s personality. I can imagine that some other readers might get annoyed by it, which is also valid. The dialogue was also good and felt pretty real to me, especially the conversations between Anne and Berry.
The main thing I had an issue with was more my own problem rather than the book itself. This book basically has constant bullying and a lot of homophobia and racism that the main character has to deal with. I tend to look for a little more escapism in my reading, so this book ended up being stressful for me in a way I didn’t really like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Vomit
Hate crime includesSpoiler
vandalism and someone getting hit in the head with a soccer ball.theespressoedition's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to love this, but I just couldn’t. The concept was great. The execution was not. It was very angry and frustrating and took WAY too long to develop. I shouldn’t have been wondering what would happen with 6 pages left. The dialogue and writing was bizarre. Too many questions and uses of “like.” Just definitely not my jam, sadly. It makes me so sad ugh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Classism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
queenkath32's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
As someone who adores Anne of Green Gables I was really hoping to like this. It was mostly fine, I felt like the plot was pretty standard, and it wasn’t a bad modernization of the setting. In all, though, it ended up feeling very meh. I liked most of the characters, but somehow everyone ended up feeling flat—especially Tanner and Sarah. Where in the original AoGG I find Anne charming and creative, this felt more like a discount version of her character. I liked Berry the best out of everyone in this, especially because I think Tamaki fleshed out her character in a more creative way than other modernizations have done
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Hate crime, Body shaming, and Racism
thebookpaiges's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, and Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
melodypowers65's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
I'll start by saying that I liked the character of Anne and thought she was a really well done modern interpretation of Anne Shirley. I particularly liked this very Anne-ish line early in the book: "A shard of light pierced my dark mood."
There were other nods to the original book, some subtle, some more overt, that I liked it. It wasn't a direct retelling of the story of Anne of Green Gables and so didn't include all the "big moments" (the middle grade graphic novel retelling I read earlier in the year, Anne of West Philly, did more of that). I would have liked this novel to include a few more of those nods to the original story, but I don't think it lessened it too much overall, because it is its own book.
One thing I will note for other fans of the original book is that there is a lot of homophobia and racism present in this retelling. It is an important part of Anne of Greenville's story (and just generally an important issue to explore) and a good modern take on how Anne was initial treated with suspicion in Avonlea for being an unknown orphan. However, if like me, you turn to Anne as a nostalgic comfort read, just be aware that it is very present and that, for me, this novel therefore doesn't fall as much into the comfort read camp.
Overall, I would have given the first 3/4 or 4/5 of this book 3.5 or 4 out of 5. However, I am leaving it unrated because I felt that the end of the book really pulled it down overall. I felt the ending was very rushed and that the resolution came suddenly and without a clear explanation (as far as I could see) why the townspeople had suddenly changed their attitude (there was sort of an explanation, but I felt it lacked emotional resonance).
I also did not like how the romance plot line ramped up very quickly and then, just as quickly, did a complete and unexpected u-turn. Both love interests for Anne were women, so I don't feel I am depriving the world of sapphic representation by complaining that I wish they could have just stayed friends, rather than turning it into romance. I think there was something about how it was set up and how rushed the ending was that turned me off it, because I quietly squealed when Anne of West Philly had a similar twist at the end.
Overall, I think Anne of West Philly is a better modern Anne of Green Gables retelling, whereas I think Anne of Greenville is more of a story about a modern Anne Shirley, if that difference makes sense. I'm just really disappointed that the ending lets down what was otherwise a good book.
There were other nods to the original book, some subtle, some more overt, that I liked it. It wasn't a direct retelling of the story of Anne of Green Gables and so didn't include all the "big moments" (the middle grade graphic novel retelling I read earlier in the year, Anne of West Philly, did more of that). I would have liked this novel to include a few more of those nods to the original story, but I don't think it lessened it too much overall, because it is its own book.
One thing I will note for other fans of the original book is that there is a lot of homophobia and racism present in this retelling. It is an important part of Anne of Greenville's story (and just generally an important issue to explore) and a good modern take on how Anne was initial treated with suspicion in Avonlea for being an unknown orphan. However, if like me, you turn to Anne as a nostalgic comfort read, just be aware that it is very present and that, for me, this novel therefore doesn't fall as much into the comfort read camp.
Overall, I would have given the first 3/4 or 4/5 of this book 3.5 or 4 out of 5. However, I am leaving it unrated because I felt that the end of the book really pulled it down overall. I felt the ending was very rushed and that the resolution came suddenly and without a clear explanation (as far as I could see) why the townspeople had suddenly changed their attitude (there was sort of an explanation, but I felt it lacked emotional resonance).
I also did not like how the romance plot line ramped up very quickly and then, just as quickly, did a complete and unexpected u-turn. Both love interests for Anne were women, so I don't feel I am depriving the world of sapphic representation by complaining that I wish they could have just stayed friends, rather than turning it into romance. I think there was something about how it was set up and how rushed the ending was that turned me off it, because I quietly squealed when Anne of West Philly had a similar twist at the end.
Overall, I think Anne of West Philly is a better modern Anne of Green Gables retelling, whereas I think Anne of Greenville is more of a story about a modern Anne Shirley, if that difference makes sense. I'm just really disappointed that the ending lets down what was otherwise a good book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs