The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables/Anne with an E)

By Sonnet_Hardcover77

This past year I got really into the amazing Emily of New Moon books, and I posted about it here. Someone told me to try The Blue Castle by the same author, and honestly I’m so grateful to that person because I think I found a new favorite book (sorry Jane Eyre, your spot is in danger). I’m planning to read the whole Lucy M. M. collection now because I just love everything she wrote. Her style feels so different, and I absolutely love how much nature is part of it. I remember starting this book and being kind of thrown off that there wasn’t much nature stuff at first, but then once Valancy gets to Blue Castle, oh my god. It felt like a dream. I loved Valancy and I loved basically all the characters in this one. The family gatherings were really fun to read because they felt so well done. The people in this book just feel so real. I think this is one of Lucy’s books where even the side characters have a lot of depth. I saw some negative takes on Goodreads about the plot being unrealistic and giving young women the wrong expectations, but I mean, this is a STORY. It’s not real life, and obviously there are some risks when you decide to leave your house lol. Valancy was such a refreshing heroine to me. She gave me big Fanny Price vibes, but I liked her even more. And that part where she starts putting people in their place? Oh my god, I was living for it. So yeah, what Lucy M. book should I read next? I’ve read the Emily trilogy, the first Anne book, and this one :)