Book Review: When Marnie Was There

Title: When Marnie Was There
Author: Joan G. Robinson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5
Reviewer: Julia

Anna is using her "ordinary face" more and more often, and is told by her teachers at school that she is not-even-trying. She doesn't have any friends, and is on the outside of an imaginary social circle. Her foster parents, worried about her, send her away to the Peggs, some family friends, to get better. There, she is free to wander about the land around her, and starts to feel a strange connection with the old marsh house that seems to be empty. Or is it?

Soon she meets Marnie, who lives at the house, and the two become friends, bonding and sharing their secrets. But soon Marnie vanishes and a new family is at the house, and Anna begins to question what's real and what's not.

The plot would definitely be interesting, had I not already known what had happened because I had seen the movie adaptation first. Luckily, there were some changes, so I was able to still enjoy the book a bit. Although I didn't really find it too interesting, whether that be because of the writing style or because I had seen the movie first I cannot really say.

I did like the idea behind the book, though. There's a theme of forgiveness in the book that I like, although I wish it was shown more. Love was definitely a concept that was covered, and I think that that was nice as well.

I wasn't all too fond of how the book ended. It felt a bit rushed to me.

Still, the book was nice. I think I might just be viewing it in this way because I saw the movie first. Perhaps I'll try reading it again.

Comments

This Month's Popular Posts

2017 Reading Goals - Update

Now that we're more or less halfway through 2017, I decided that it's about time to do a little update on how well Em and I are doing with the reading goals we made for ourselves at the beginning of 2017. We didn't make our goals extremely specific. All we did was choose a number based on how much we wanted to read and what seemed reasonable based on how much we knew we had read in 2016. And now it's time to reflect on those goals... oh boy.

I honestly don't think things are going well for Em. When I asked her if she remembered her original goal, she had no clue. (It was 50 books!) But, after a few months with only one book finished at the end of each one, she had lessened her goal to a more reasonable 30. (She couldn't remember this number, either!) Drawing knowledge from my experience with my monthly goals for Reading is Inevitable, I don't think that you can do all too well if you don't remember your goals. And it looks like this is true for Em as w…

Denik's New Layflat Softcover Notebooks - Review

Hey there everyone! If you've seen our bookstagram recently, you would know that we got some amazing new Denik notebooks! Now if you've never heard the name "Denik" before then I think it's time that you know, and after you read this post go check out their website, okay? (They actually came out with a new website design, too. It's amazing.)

Denik is so much more than just a notebook/sketchbook-selling company. The word Denik describes the whole community and cause that surrounds the company, a "grassroots, artsy-eclectic bunch", as it is so beautifully described on their website. The designs displayed on the covers of their products are made by artists around the world, no matter who they are or where they come from. With the income from the notebooks and sketchbooks they sell, Denik gives some to support these artists and to build schools for children around the world. The whole idea that Denik is built upon is that, together, art and people can …

All the Books I Own But Have Not Read (Part 1)

As of Wednesday, June 21st, summer is officially here. Ah: summer. That season when the sun comes out and kids get off from school. And, yes, while this does sound nice, this also means that it's going to be really hot and you're going to have so much time on your hands that you won't know what to do with it. Lucky for me, however, I also happen to own a whole bunch of books that I haven't yet read.

That's reasonable, though, right? Us bookworms find it a little hard to buy just one book when going to the bookstore, and since you kinda have a reputation for loving books, there's a good chance that you'll receive two or three books around holidays and birthdays. And you don't even want to get me started about book sales. Therefore, the books just start to pile up a bit. And while you'd love to read them, school and/or work and just life in general gets in the way.

However, the school year ended quite a bit ago. Summer vacation has begun. I finally h…

Quotes: Audacity

As some of you may know by looking at my posts on our social media page (@readingisinevitable on Instagram), I am currently reading Audacity by Melanie Crowder. It is a beautiful book written in free verse, and follows the life of Clara Lemlich, a female Jewish immigrant who came to America in the early 1900s. (For the full summary of the book, click here.) I absolutely love books written in free verse, or any type of poetry, in fact! This book is so lovely that I have decided to dedicate a whole post to some of my favorite quotes or parts! (Note: I am only on page 294, and there are 366 pages, not including the extra content at the end of my local library's copy.)

Reading is Inevitable

Search This Blog