almost remembering of the author, L.M. Montgomery, who famously penned the Anne of Green Gables classics. All that said, lets get down to business - here's the skinny on this book.
The Good
Vibrantly painted scenes positively inundate the latter half of the novel, swelling the breast of any romantic reader with the visual beauties of a wild, up-North, rustic living. The protagnist, Valancy enjoys these experiences as a welcome relief from her cramped, lonely persona during the story's early stages. The overall plot is fairly simple and time-tested, reminiscent of romantic classics like Pride and Prejudice, but boasts a theme any person would love: the witty and empowering casting off of society's burdensome social regulations.
The Bad
Montgomery's time spent detailing Valancy's adventures errs into the monotonous during two specific sections of the book. The first comes when she buries the reader under an endless wave of relative's names and brief character descriptions that could all be exchanged for the adjectives, "annoying" and "dull." These depressing characters surround our protagonist's life, choking off any reality of fun, joy, or laughter. In the absence of which Valancy retreats to her Blue Castle: a place in her imagination where she lives out fantasies of freedom, love, independence, and happiness. The second monotonous section stems from the plot limbo realm of Valancy in the wilderness. Here, the reader is to place their plot-radar on hold while they enjoy generous helpings of a plethora of wilderness joys.
The Ugly (a.k.a. the book According to Wilson)
The unending "woe is me" portions of Valancy's life during the first handful of chapters were extremely frustrating. She discloses herself as a rather silly and frustratingly timid, pessimistic girl - the type you want to scream at to just get a reaction out of her other than a defeated matyr-like submission. On reflection, those irritating parts were likely necessary to create a foil for the later, satisfying narrative portions.
The middle of the book is pure GOLD. She revolts against her dull-witted, controlling family in a fireworks show of sharp wit and deliciously portrayed rebellion.
The twilight portion is for all you description lovers out there. Montgomery goes to town with lakes and woods and cozy log cabins filled with toasty fires, rustic home cooking, and a treasury of simple joys that taste so much cleaner and fuller than modern frivolities.
The ending makes the earlier odd portions worth the read. A well-chosen few plot twists provide an excellent conclusion to a sweet little book.
