Scan barcode
hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
This is the sort of sweeping historical epic that I loved a girl. The only problem is it's not very sweeping - more a series of slightly disjointed vignettes. I found the time jumps a bit confusing and I had to keep checking back so I could work out how old Abby was meant to be. The writing also is a bit flat - some events lack the drama you think they might deserve. Overall though, it was a quick and enjoyable read and I await the sequels. (Netgalley ARC)
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This was definitely upper middle grade. Even though she is eight at the beginning, she's in her twenties at the end. It had a vague Anne of Green Gables feel to it - the setting, not the characters. Better to Wish refers to a part where we are told that it is better to live in that time wishing, than to know what will happen in the future. In Abby's case, I can see why. Wishes are all full of hope and her future is filled with sorrow. This book has a lot of tragedy. The only thing that keeps it from being overwhelming is that it is told in short bursts jumping from one time to another. This is also a problem at times though because it feels disjointed. I would most likely hand it to the students who like the sad stories or historical fiction.
mychaelann's review against another edition
3.0
I'd give 3.5 stars. I want to get the remaining books in the series for Gwen & I.
strawbees's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
2.0
Okay I wanted to like this, I really did. It's set in Maine so that's good. Unfortunately it just didn't do anything for me. I wanted more - there just didn't seem to be any real plot. Maybe the problem was that it jumped so much and covered so much time that nothing really seemed developed enough. Whatever happened to Freddie for goodness sake? Did anyone ever go see him? And what about Orrin? All of a sudden he was not mentioned anymore. And the ending...don't get me started. Sorry this didn't work at all for me.
jessicaz's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of this series! And I liked this book too, although I found the narrative jarring (starting with the shift from 1st person to 3rd person right after the prologue) – and a lot of really important things happening really suddenly. I almost wished some of it had happened off-stage, so we could see the aftermath, but not just have a weird, sudden lead-up to a dramatic event every chapter. (I realize that this book is told as Abby's memory, and that's not how memory works, but there is no law saying the book had to be framed that way (as it was in the previously mentioned awkward prologue)). I believed in the characters, and so am mad that some of them just randomly disappeared...unless their disappearance is explained in the next book, for some reason?
Spoiler
(and SAD! So much SAD)sherming's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. Four discs of not much plot and a tiny bit of character development set in depression-era coastal Maine. Basically an episodic memoir of childhood, though told in 3rd person, about a girl, her sister, her depressed mother and bigoted, abusive father, starting in the early 1930s and ending after World War II. The sense of place is decent, but that's about all. There are a few set scenes that have some interest, like the death of a friend who falls through the ice, but they're predictable. Well, maybe they wouldn't be that predictable for the intended audience, which I presume is tween girls.
So, this is book one of what is supposed to be a series dealing with 4 girls and 4 generations. I can't see a point to continuing the series other than subsequent books probably can't be any worse.
So, this is book one of what is supposed to be a series dealing with 4 girls and 4 generations. I can't see a point to continuing the series other than subsequent books probably can't be any worse.
marcidarling's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
yapha's review against another edition
3.0
If you are looking for a new series to recommend to readers that have finished the Little House books and/or Anne of Green Gables, Family Tree by Ann M. Martin may be the answer.
Abby Nichols is growing up in Maine during the Great Depression. Times are tough all around, and changes within the family can make things even harder. We watch Abby grow up and adapt, moving houses, changing friends, until the book ends after she graduates from high school. There are good times and bad, and some of the bad times are very, very sad. The story continues in book 2 of the series, The Long Way Home, with Abby's daughter Dana as a main character. Recommended for grades 4-7, for lovers of historical fiction and family sagas.
Abby Nichols is growing up in Maine during the Great Depression. Times are tough all around, and changes within the family can make things even harder. We watch Abby grow up and adapt, moving houses, changing friends, until the book ends after she graduates from high school. There are good times and bad, and some of the bad times are very, very sad. The story continues in book 2 of the series, The Long Way Home, with Abby's daughter Dana as a main character. Recommended for grades 4-7, for lovers of historical fiction and family sagas.