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zellreads's review
2.0
Ugh. I was really disappointed by this book. Everything felt overexplained and overly flowery. I felt like Shan spent the whole book being in her own way, making poor decisions and doing her job badly, all the way through to the end. She was an uninteresting and unsympathetic character.
shareen17's review
4.0
A girl who has spent her childhood traveling the world and jumping between parents and caregivers finishes high school feeling unsettled and unsure what to do with her life. It's arranged for her to spend a summer working in Portland away from everyone she knows to give her time to think. In some ways she's a frustrating character, as she has the habit of making everything much more complicated than it needs to be, but I think the author captures the feeling of being an older teen who is unsure of yourself and overwhelmed with making life decisions very well.
amlibera's review
4.0
Fascinating - sort of early YA from 1968. I started it without knowing anything about it - just the name and that I had clearly bought it on the Kindle so at some point it appealed to me. It reminds me of some of Madeline L'Engle's non fantasy books- about an intelligent and sensitive 18 year old who starts out playing at being an amateur detective and makes personal connections with a set of people who live in and near a rooming house in Portland. There's a kind of romance but mostly its a coming of age story with a sort of mini mystery that turns out to not be the point at all.
zellm's review
2.0
Ugh. I was really disappointed by this book. Everything felt overexplained and overly flowery. I felt like Shan spent the whole book being in her own way, making poor decisions and doing her job badly, all the way through to the end. She was an uninteresting and unsympathetic character.
michelefortie's review
4.0
Eloise Jarvis McGraw wrote my favorite book of all time, so it's a little surprising it's taken me this long to read a second book by her.
This story was written in the 60's, but besides a few moments (descriptions of outfits and hairstyles), it feels just as contemporary now as it did when it was published. It's a timeless story about a girl, a little lost and a little disheartened, who takes a leap of faith, moves somewhere new and goes to reinvent herself. Along the way she meets incredible and funny and kind new characters, and falls in love, and has to decide what she wants with her future. It's not a happily ever after kind of story, but it is a story about growing up and trusting yourself and taking chances. It felt poignant and relatable to where I am in my own journey, and felt like just the right thing to read right now.
This story was written in the 60's, but besides a few moments (descriptions of outfits and hairstyles), it feels just as contemporary now as it did when it was published. It's a timeless story about a girl, a little lost and a little disheartened, who takes a leap of faith, moves somewhere new and goes to reinvent herself. Along the way she meets incredible and funny and kind new characters, and falls in love, and has to decide what she wants with her future. It's not a happily ever after kind of story, but it is a story about growing up and trusting yourself and taking chances. It felt poignant and relatable to where I am in my own journey, and felt like just the right thing to read right now.
ellingtonfeint's review
4.0
When I started reading this I remembered it as a 5 starrer, but in actual fact it was a 4 starrer, but it fulfills being a 4 starrer so well that it should be a 5 starrer. Got that?
This book sort of has two stories in it, one is the charmingly whimsical tale of an old lady who has left various amounts in her will to her neighbours in the boarding house for various odd things, for example: 10,000 dollars to go fishing. The other is the coming of age story of Shannon Lightley, aka Georgetta, aka Greensleeves who doesn't know who she is, which personality to go with or if she's all three or none of them at all.
I felt that the second story overshadowed the first towards the end. And I remembered not liking the college party at the end, and now I realise it's because at that point the story is undiluted Shan Lightley with no cute side story characters, and then it's just a college campus story with a large helping of personality indicision. I've never had this problem (not to downplay the situation for anyone else) because I've always felt that who you are doesn't particularly matter, you can rework your personality, a sort of make-yourself theory, rather than a find-yourself theory. So I rarely pay attention to the kind of person I am, which is a fatal flaw of itself, but within the context of this book this made what became the main conflict rather unrelatable for me.
And Sherry! I liked him an awful lot and he got on my nerves an awful lot too! When he was whistful, curious and nice I liked him, but when he became obsessed with making his dream girl love him, his lord of the manor manner make me feel a trifle unwell. Another review compared Dave to Dean Priest of Emily of New Moon, and although I fully recognise both their hugely problematic parts, I think that's why I liked Dave better. I like that type of personality better, whether that's good or bad.
Of course the first half and the whole premise is just the sort of thing I like, a bunch of people, a community if you will, a ragtag bunch of interesting individuals, ending up bound together. This book however comes with a hefty dose of realism, mostly in the shape of Shan Lightley but Mr Bruce comes through with a bit too at the end. And end has the message that no one else can break your cage for you, but you.
I enjoyed it, but be prepared, it comes wrapped as a cosy delightful read but in actual fact, it is, a song called “Greensleeves” that may haunt me all my life. To me that whole fading summer has rather the flavor of medieval music. It had the shifting key changes, the gay, skipping rhythm and minor melody, and that unresolved, inconclusive end
And if that doesn't make you want to read it, nothing will.
This book sort of has two stories in it, one is the charmingly whimsical tale of an old lady who has left various amounts in her will to her neighbours in the boarding house for various odd things, for example: 10,000 dollars to go fishing. The other is the coming of age story of Shannon Lightley, aka Georgetta, aka Greensleeves who doesn't know who she is, which personality to go with or if she's all three or none of them at all.
I felt that the second story overshadowed the first towards the end. And I remembered not liking the college party at the end, and now I realise it's because at that point the story is undiluted Shan Lightley with no cute side story characters, and then it's just a college campus story with a large helping of personality indicision. I've never had this problem (not to downplay the situation for anyone else) because I've always felt that who you are doesn't particularly matter, you can rework your personality, a sort of make-yourself theory, rather than a find-yourself theory. So I rarely pay attention to the kind of person I am, which is a fatal flaw of itself, but within the context of this book this made what became the main conflict rather unrelatable for me.
And Sherry! I liked him an awful lot and he got on my nerves an awful lot too! When he was whistful, curious and nice I liked him, but when he became obsessed with making his dream girl love him, his lord of the manor manner make me feel a trifle unwell. Another review compared Dave to Dean Priest of Emily of New Moon, and although I fully recognise both their hugely problematic parts, I think that's why I liked Dave better. I like that type of personality better, whether that's good or bad.
Of course the first half and the whole premise is just the sort of thing I like, a bunch of people, a community if you will, a ragtag bunch of interesting individuals, ending up bound together. This book however comes with a hefty dose of realism, mostly in the shape of Shan Lightley but Mr Bruce comes through with a bit too at the end. And end has the message that no one else can break your cage for you, but you.
I enjoyed it, but be prepared, it comes wrapped as a cosy delightful read but in actual fact, it is, a song called “Greensleeves” that may haunt me all my life. To me that whole fading summer has rather the flavor of medieval music. It had the shifting key changes, the gay, skipping rhythm and minor melody, and that unresolved, inconclusive end
And if that doesn't make you want to read it, nothing will.
jamie_o's review
2.0
This one just wasn't for me. Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a first-rate author though, and I loved Mara, Daughter of the Nile.
18 year old Shannon Lightley, who has lived all over Europe and in Oregon with her dad/stepmom, mom/stepdad, aunt/uncle, is frazzled and trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. As she's about to leave Oregon, her father's friend, known to her as uncle Frosty, convinces her to stay in Oregon for the summer to figure things out. He is a lawyer and she ends up on a sleuthing mission for him. Her belief that she needed a costume and false identity for this was nonsensical though. No one knew her and she was a college-age girl living in a college town.
The mystery with Shannon's undercover detective work and the people she encounters is fairly interesting and that part of the book gets 3 stars. What lowered my rating is the last roughly quarter of the book that really hones in on her personal insecurities and her trying to find herself and discovering the difference between lust and love. I could not wait for the book to end. My word, the angst and drama were just too much. Her "Americans scare me" spiel got old. And I wasn't buying that she loved Sherry (George Sherill) romantically - as a friend yes, but not in a romantic way. Also, the end leaves you hanging as it lacks a good resolution.
It's a clean read (no profanities or sex, just a bit of kissing that isn't too descriptive).
18 year old Shannon Lightley, who has lived all over Europe and in Oregon with her dad/stepmom, mom/stepdad, aunt/uncle, is frazzled and trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. As she's about to leave Oregon, her father's friend, known to her as uncle Frosty, convinces her to stay in Oregon for the summer to figure things out. He is a lawyer and she ends up on a sleuthing mission for him. Her belief that she needed a costume and false identity for this was nonsensical though. No one knew her and she was a college-age girl living in a college town.
The mystery with Shannon's undercover detective work and the people she encounters is fairly interesting and that part of the book gets 3 stars. What lowered my rating is the last roughly quarter of the book that really hones in on her personal insecurities and her trying to find herself and discovering the difference between lust and love. I could not wait for the book to end. My word, the angst and drama were just too much. Her "Americans scare me" spiel got old. And I wasn't buying that she loved Sherry (George Sherill) romantically - as a friend yes, but not in a romantic way. Also, the end leaves you hanging as it lacks a good resolution.
It's a clean read (no profanities or sex, just a bit of kissing that isn't too descriptive).
malvord27's review
5.0
I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the writing, I loved how Shannon comes into her own. I loved the detective bit of the story, although that's really more of a side story in the overall book. I think this is a really good teen/YA book, and many adults (especially avid readers) would enjoy this book.
One thing I was conscious of - this book was written before cell phones were so ubiquitous. This story would have been so different if they were around, and the story is that much the better for not having them in it.
One thing I was conscious of - this book was written before cell phones were so ubiquitous. This story would have been so different if they were around, and the story is that much the better for not having them in it.
thecasualbooknerd's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this one! Very relatable, funny, and an all-around captivating story.
Hoping to get my own copy soon 🥰
Hoping to get my own copy soon 🥰
wordnerdy's review
4.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-book-267.html
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/10/2016-book-167.html
I'd never heard of this book or this author before (though she apparently wrote some of the later Oz books), but it's one of the ones Nancy Pearl had reissued, which was enough of a reason to check it out (another reason: it's $1.99 for Kindle right now). Originally published in 1968, it's the story of an eighteen year old girl completely at loose ends--she's the child of divorced celebrity parents who have raised her all over Europe, and she has no idea who she is, where she belongs, or what she wants to do with her life. So when a family friend enlists her help in determining if an elderly woman's will--with a number of odd bequests--was tricked out of her, she's happy to go undercover as a beehived waitress in Portland, Oregon, and get to know the locals. And it's all super sweet and funny and a little bit sad and endlessly charming. It's also an interesting look at 60s culture, particularly regarding relationships. Really, just wonderful. A/A-.
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/10/2016-book-167.html
I'd never heard of this book or this author before (though she apparently wrote some of the later Oz books), but it's one of the ones Nancy Pearl had reissued, which was enough of a reason to check it out (another reason: it's $1.99 for Kindle right now). Originally published in 1968, it's the story of an eighteen year old girl completely at loose ends--she's the child of divorced celebrity parents who have raised her all over Europe, and she has no idea who she is, where she belongs, or what she wants to do with her life. So when a family friend enlists her help in determining if an elderly woman's will--with a number of odd bequests--was tricked out of her, she's happy to go undercover as a beehived waitress in Portland, Oregon, and get to know the locals. And it's all super sweet and funny and a little bit sad and endlessly charming. It's also an interesting look at 60s culture, particularly regarding relationships. Really, just wonderful. A/A-.