A review by rebelbelle13
Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle

3.0

This is one of those novels that hits you differently depending on when you read it. If you happen to stumble upon it in your youth, say, between the ages of 8 and 13, you might read this and see the real magic in it- that the elves truly exist in Sara-Kate's backyard, that she herself might be an elf, and there is indeed wonderful things happening next door. If you read this as an adult, you might see a troubled, poor young girl who's struggling to take care of her mother, and distracting herself by building an elf village in her backyard in an effort to make friends with her younger, more well off neighbor. Or, both can be true- it depends on which angle you see it from. Sara-Kate's situation is compelling, to be sure, and there are certain moments where you think that the elves just might exist- and you want them to, almost as bad as Hillary does. Their interactions are sweet, and the friendship that builds between them is beautiful, in its own way, and sadly, too brief. I have a feeling that this little gem will stick with me for quite a few years to come.