Anne of West Philly- A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables by Ivy Noelle Weir
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Web ID: 13393795A modern, inclusive retelling.
Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir & Myisha Haines is a modern retelling of the beloved classic, Anne of Green Gables, with inclusive changes such as a Black Anne and is set in West Philly rather than Prince Edward Island. This modern retelling includes a little bit of an LGBTQIA+ twist (as does the original if you really read it.) I loved the inclusion of a STEM program (coding, robotics, et cetera) in the story and the contemporary fostering situation. This is perfect for middle-school and/or high-school readers who may want a more modern look at the classics, want a school setting, or a focus on foster care, found families, and friendships.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good Reading
No, you do not need to be familiar with the original Anne of Green Gables series to enjoy this retelling of it. Anyone who has read it before will receive some marvelous surprises here, though. One of my favorite parts of reading this graphic novel was seeing how the same story can change in meaningful and exciting ways when it’s set in a different century. For example, Marilla and Matthew weren’t surprised to receive a girl instead of a boy this time around because their social worker talked to them about Anne in advance and worked hard to ensure the placement would be a successful one for all involved. Little moments like these popped up everywhere and provided the characters with faster resolutions to problems in some cases and brand new conflicts in others. As I said earlier, this is equally accessible for brand new and longtime fans of these characters, but I did have a wonderful time taking note of everything Ms. Weir changed in the plot order to better suit twenty-first century culture and technology. Some of her tweaks were quite clever, and nearly all of them suited the storyline beautifully. On a related note, I was quite puzzled to see this tale set in West Philly as the original Anne Shirley never so much as visited the United States. I wish the author had gone into more detail about why she made this choice and how she thought it would affect the characters. If she simply wanted to choose a more diverse setting, why not pick one of Canada’s big cities instead? If L.M. Montgomery had some special connection to Philadelphia that most readers are unaware of, why wouldn’t that be made known in a preface? I so desperately wanted to give this five stars and would have if this hadn’t been a point of confusion for me. Families come in all shapes and sizes. I love seeing how the characters reacted to Anne’s new placement and what she thought when she learned that her foster parents were siblings instead of a married couple. This acceptance of others and appreciation of diversity was repeated as Anne got to know other people in their neighborhood and settled into her new life. It was especially cool to see the nods to some long-standing fan theories about the sexual orientation of a certain character that was finally discussed openly here. Anne of West Philly was a heartwarming read. originally posted at long and short reviews
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
exceptional retelling
ANNE OF WEST PHILLY is an exceptional middle grade graphic novel that transports the essence of Anne-with-an-E to modern day Philadelphia. Anne is 13 years old and in the foster care system. Although they usually only host younger boys, siblings Matthew and Marilla are willing to give the young girl Anne a try. Anne is thrilled and full of enthusiasm over the new placement, but her vociferous nature is tough for the siblings at first - but they are soon won over by her spirit and heart. As Anne meets her BFF Diana and learns from her mistakes and missteps at school and at home, she begins to thrive, particularly excelling in coding and STEM lessons. As she joins the robotics club, she finds herself frequently butting heads with Gilbert. When they get a chance to compete as a team for a scholarship to a prestigious STEM high school, their only chance of winning is to work together. What I loved: This was a really excellent read on its own, but will definitely hold great appeal for fans of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Anne's spirit, happiness, and enthusiasm is all beautifully captured as well as the magic of her connection with Matthew and Marilla, who also come to life in this telling. The characters were all so compelling and fully constructed, leaping off the pages, including Gilbert, Diana, and Diana's family. The key events in the original story are transformed into something more modern here, but still so full of life, mistakes, and lessons (even the cordials scene). This retelling manages to stay true to the essence of the original while creating something fresh, unique, and just as wonderful. There are some really fantastic themes in the story around friendship, competition, creativity (and when to be creative), familial love, making mistakes and learning from them, the values of integrity and honesty, the burden of healthcare costs, prejudices around foster kids, generosity, and the awesomeness of coding and STEM. There is a lot to consider and unpack in this fabulous story, making it a great choice for book clubs or classrooms. Heavier and lighter topics will all resonate with readers and echo those timeless themes of the past books along with important updates for the modern world. While great for middle grade audiences, I also think this will work for a wide range of ages and could be great for older readers as well. The graphic novel format is really well done here. The characters are beautifully drawn and captured, with emotions that come off the page and the right amount of background detail to keep the reader in the story. Vivid colors and clever paneling make this a consuming read. The dialogue was also easy to read and follow throughout, ensuring that the reader is never lost or confused as to the direction of the story or which characters are speaking. While Anne can be wordy in places, this remains balanced across panels, not having anything seeming too much - it is really just right and conveys it all beautifully. Final verdict: An exceptional graphic novel with thought-provoking themes and timeless characters, ANNE OF WEST PHILLY is a brilliant middle grade retelling that is sure to charm readers. Highly recommend picking up this gem whether already a fan of Anne-with-an-E or new to the characters! Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com