SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, Lindsay Eland's debut novel, introduces to us a quirky yet endearing heroine who will probably remind us all too well of ourselves, especially if you are, too, a fan of Anne Shirley and Elizabeth Bronte. Its romantic affectations may make it appeal more to older readers instead of its intended middle-grade audience, but readers of all age will be able to laugh at Polly's misconceptions and mistakes, and smile as she grows up and discovers the difference between fiction and reality.
Polly's voice and narration--so influenced by what she feels is a more romantic way of talking--is the make-it-or-break-it element of this book. I can certainly recall many moments when I wish my life were like Anne Shirley's. On the other hand, I also never actually allowed myself to talk in the way Polly does. Polly's overuse of "indeeds," "trulys," and other words may get on readers' nerves, even those who liked Montgomery and Austen's writing.
In a way, Polly exists in her own little world thats difficult to place in a contemporary setting. She's a 12-year-old growing up in 21st-century America, but her speech and her social concerns aren't anything like what I remember thinking about when I was 12. Polly's romantic imagination makes her sound younger than her age, and yet the language of the book may be slightly more sophisticated than the age of readers who'd perhaps find Polly the most entertaining.
SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, then, is most fun in a retrospective sort of way. Readers who will be able to best enjoy Polly's adventures will be the ones who can still remember the magic that Green Gables and Regency England held for them, but are old enough to have some distance from their childhood infatuations. It's a challenging book to market as a result, but if mothers buy this book for their daughters, they'll surely be able to enjoy it themselves as well.
Polly's voice and narration--so influenced by what she feels is a more romantic way of talking--is the make-it-or-break-it element of this book. I can certainly recall many moments when I wish my life were like Anne Shirley's. On the other hand, I also never actually allowed myself to talk in the way Polly does. Polly's overuse of "indeeds," "trulys," and other words may get on readers' nerves, even those who liked Montgomery and Austen's writing.
In a way, Polly exists in her own little world thats difficult to place in a contemporary setting. She's a 12-year-old growing up in 21st-century America, but her speech and her social concerns aren't anything like what I remember thinking about when I was 12. Polly's romantic imagination makes her sound younger than her age, and yet the language of the book may be slightly more sophisticated than the age of readers who'd perhaps find Polly the most entertaining.
SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, then, is most fun in a retrospective sort of way. Readers who will be able to best enjoy Polly's adventures will be the ones who can still remember the magic that Green Gables and Regency England held for them, but are old enough to have some distance from their childhood infatuations. It's a challenging book to market as a result, but if mothers buy this book for their daughters, they'll surely be able to enjoy it themselves as well.
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