2016 Anne of Green Gables Reading Challenge: January Review

Happy February! Wowww, it's soo hard to believe that January is already done and past. I have my January report card and February Resolutions still to do, so there will be a little bit of rapid-fire posting this week! (I hope you don't mind. ;))

Thankfully, I was able to finish Anne of Green Gables! (actually, I'm kind of sad that it's over, but I'm looking forward to the rest!) This month is Anne of Avonlea! I was going to answer some discussion questions about the book, but I changed my mind and decided to just write my own review.

I'll start by saying that I love, love, LOVE this book!! *squeals*
I definitely enjoyed this book even more when I read it through slowly. I had missed several things when I read it the first time, and it was really cool to be able to read it again and pick up all the little details and hilarious quotes. I discovered so much more about different characters and their personalities. Through the whole book, I felt like I was there witnessing it all. It was so hard for me to take a break from reading it, and even harder when I realized that I finished it. I think the book is a really good introduction to what the rest of the series will be, and I'm really looking forward to reading the other books.

I realized that I had always viewed Marilla as a kind of  unfeeling woman, but the more I read the book, the more I saw that she had strong feelings and emotions.  She was not into showing strong emotion and giving a lot of complements (or, as she said it, "pampering vanity."). However, she loved Anne just as much as Matthew did, and she was just as proud of her. She was so worried about spoiling Anne that she shrank from expressing her feelings until much later.
Matthew, on the other hand, was not afraid of telling Anne just how much he cared for her.  He encouraged, supported, and cheered her on, even when she was "in the depths of despair." He was definitely a huge father figure in her childhood, and that really impacted her for a long time after he died.
Then there is Anne. I love her. Through the book, you see her transformation from an unwanted orphan to someone who both experiences and learns about friendship and love. This fiery, redheaded orphan girl has an imagination to span the galaxies, a quirky personality, and a rather overly-dramatic but hilarious way of expressing things. Yeah...I really like her. :)

There have been books that made me cry, books that made me laugh, and books that made me cringe, cast them aside, and vow never to lay eyes on their pages again. Anne of Green Gables did cause both laughter and tears, but I loved every second of it. It is hands-down one of my favorite books. I'm giving it a hearty five stars, and I would recommend it for every girl to read! Oh, and as for the guys reading this, you could read the book but I have serious doubts that you would enjoy it half as much... :p

                                                                                                      Have a lovely day!

   ~Megan ♥

*Read my last post here: Currently: Reading, Writing, and Ramblings