The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
angelafishkin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hannahrose_99's review against another edition
5.0
uncle gard and aunt cornelia are so cool and ahead of their time
nikireads100's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a very cute story although very convenient. It is a little kids book and I wish it was still published because it is such a great read for early readers, but their is no surprise in the ending.
madz94's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
There were truly a lot of changes for Samantha and even for Nellie and her sisters. I’m glad Nellie was brought back into the story even though it was very sad. I can’t imagine what went on in orphanages at this time in history. Garner and Cornelia are great people and I love that Samantha gets to live with them.
gillianalice's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thewordwitch's review against another edition
4.0
This series is so incredibly tumble-jumble and disjointed. As a kid, I didn't pick up on this, but I remember I would pick and choose Samantha stories to reread as opposed to the other girls, where I would re-read their whole series from start to finish.
I felt as if the first two books were written to give Samantha an arc that would carry over the six books. This was derailed slightly in book 3, and it went entirely off the rails with book 4 and the appearance of the twins. In book 6, it seemed that there was a mad scramble to pick up with the arc from books 1 and 2. But, the difference between what was going on in books 4 and 5 was jarring.
Grandmary has since gotten married to Admiral Archibald Bemis, and we are robbed of the fun of that wedding and of most of Samantha's feelings about it. (Maybe this is covered in a side book or a short story, but we don't see it in the main series.) Samantha now lives with Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. The twins, despite being in the character vignettes at the beginning, are nowhere to be seen in this book despite having been always underfoot in the last two. (Kind of glad about this, because they were just chaotic energy I didn't need.)
Fortunately, we return to her true BFF in this book, Nellie. Of course, we're touching on some very dark themes, because Val Tripp loves killing off parents. Nellie, who has had a pretty hard go at it right along, is now forced into an almost parental role for his younger sisters with the death of her parents. We're blind-sided with this in the beginning of the book, and the dark realities of what would happen to orphans during that time period is touched on. It reminded me a lot of Anne's past in "Anne with an E" (based on "Anne of Green Gables"). I am glad we get closure on what happens with Nellie and that the twins are sent to the sidelines. I was afraid that she'd be ignored for the flashy consumerism that the twins seem to be focused on.
Overall, of the three books written by Val Tripp in the series, this one seems to connect the most to what Samantha's original storyline was, and I appreciate that.
I felt as if the first two books were written to give Samantha an arc that would carry over the six books. This was derailed slightly in book 3, and it went entirely off the rails with book 4 and the appearance of the twins. In book 6, it seemed that there was a mad scramble to pick up with the arc from books 1 and 2. But, the difference between what was going on in books 4 and 5 was jarring.
Grandmary has since gotten married to Admiral Archibald Bemis, and we are robbed of the fun of that wedding and of most of Samantha's feelings about it. (Maybe this is covered in a side book or a short story, but we don't see it in the main series.) Samantha now lives with Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. The twins, despite being in the character vignettes at the beginning, are nowhere to be seen in this book despite having been always underfoot in the last two. (Kind of glad about this, because they were just chaotic energy I didn't need.)
Fortunately, we return to her true BFF in this book, Nellie. Of course, we're touching on some very dark themes, because Val Tripp loves killing off parents. Nellie, who has had a pretty hard go at it right along, is now forced into an almost parental role for his younger sisters with the death of her parents. We're blind-sided with this in the beginning of the book, and the dark realities of what would happen to orphans during that time period is touched on. It reminded me a lot of Anne's past in "Anne with an E" (based on "Anne of Green Gables"). I am glad we get closure on what happens with Nellie and that the twins are sent to the sidelines. I was afraid that she'd be ignored for the flashy consumerism that the twins seem to be focused on.
Overall, of the three books written by Val Tripp in the series, this one seems to connect the most to what Samantha's original storyline was, and I appreciate that.
panda_incognito's review against another edition
5.0
The great orphanage escape story! I cannot count the number of times that my sister and I acted out stories like this with various friends, and reading this is a quite a blast from the past. However, I experienced the book very differently as an adult, with a different focus and takeaway message. (Spoilers to follow.)
As a child, I was always focused on Samantha's adventure, and even though I thought it was unrealistic that an unaccompanied, wealthy ten-year-old child could roam around the seedy places of New York City looking for her friend, I appreciated the new plot about Nellie after she had disappeared from the past three books. Then, after Samantha finds Nellie and her sisters, my focus was always on the exciting escape, and on her efforts to hide them in the attic. At the end, when the maid discovers them and Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia agree to let the girls stay with them, this seemed like a convenient happy ending. I never stopped to fully appreciate what an incredible act of love this is.
WHAT GOOD PEOPLE. Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia are goals. As a young, fairly recently married couple, they not only take in Samantha so that her grandmother can travel with her new husband, but they also agree to take in three more orphans. What an incredible act of love and generosity. Reading this book as an adult gave me a whole different perspective, because instead of focusing on Samantha's feelings and choices, I focused on Uncle Gard and Cornelia as "real" people, with deep social concern, abiding love for their niece, and a willingness to create a home even for children that they had no biological tie to.
In today's world, even though adoption outside of one's extended family is far more common, people tend to think of children as unwanted inconveniences or lifestyle accessories. Young couples often joke about wanting to postpone having children, and people often advise them not to take on the responsibilities of childcare, saying that it will ruin their independence and freedom. Meanwhile, here are Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia in the early 1900s, happily taking on the care of four orphans before they've even been married long enough to start establishing a family of their own.
It would be easy to scoff at this as an unrealistic happy ending, but these characters were the kind of people who would do this, and as I tried not to cry over the ending, I thought about all the real people I know who have adopted children from difficult, traumatic situations, and about all the families I know that don't match. I don't know if I will ever be in a situation to foster or adopt children, but I want to be that kind of person, and I want to have Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia's deep love for others. This is a beautiful story, and will always be one of my favorite books from childhood.
As a child, I was always focused on Samantha's adventure, and even though I thought it was unrealistic that an unaccompanied, wealthy ten-year-old child could roam around the seedy places of New York City looking for her friend, I appreciated the new plot about Nellie after she had disappeared from the past three books. Then, after Samantha finds Nellie and her sisters, my focus was always on the exciting escape, and on her efforts to hide them in the attic. At the end, when the maid discovers them and Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia agree to let the girls stay with them, this seemed like a convenient happy ending. I never stopped to fully appreciate what an incredible act of love this is.
WHAT GOOD PEOPLE. Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia are goals. As a young, fairly recently married couple, they not only take in Samantha so that her grandmother can travel with her new husband, but they also agree to take in three more orphans. What an incredible act of love and generosity. Reading this book as an adult gave me a whole different perspective, because instead of focusing on Samantha's feelings and choices, I focused on Uncle Gard and Cornelia as "real" people, with deep social concern, abiding love for their niece, and a willingness to create a home even for children that they had no biological tie to.
In today's world, even though adoption outside of one's extended family is far more common, people tend to think of children as unwanted inconveniences or lifestyle accessories. Young couples often joke about wanting to postpone having children, and people often advise them not to take on the responsibilities of childcare, saying that it will ruin their independence and freedom. Meanwhile, here are Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia in the early 1900s, happily taking on the care of four orphans before they've even been married long enough to start establishing a family of their own.
It would be easy to scoff at this as an unrealistic happy ending, but these characters were the kind of people who would do this, and as I tried not to cry over the ending, I thought about all the real people I know who have adopted children from difficult, traumatic situations, and about all the families I know that don't match. I don't know if I will ever be in a situation to foster or adopt children, but I want to be that kind of person, and I want to have Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia's deep love for others. This is a beautiful story, and will always be one of my favorite books from childhood.
littleseal's review against another edition
Bless Cornelia and Gardner. Bless Nellie.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Grief, and Physical abuse
emilydittmar's review against another edition
4.0
Throughout the series, Samantha deals with many heavy issues. The loss of parents had a poignant portrayal.