Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Ellen Foster
Book Review: A touching story
Summary: 4 Stars
A touching story with wonderful humor. I had never heard of this book before and just recently read it for a book club. I really enjoyed it. Ellen is a strong, yet sensitive girl who wants to get away from her abusive, alcoholic father. After her mother dies, she realizes she must get out of the house and ends up with relatives that are as cold as ice. Even though the story is short page-wise, there is a lot of important, heartwarming and heartwrenching content. I felt the broken grammar was an important addition to the story as it allowed you to fully enter Ellen's world and invision the lifestyle around her.I also liked the ending which I won't ruin for everyone! I loved this book!
Book Review: A touching story, a must read for all Southern lit. fans!
Summary: 5 Stars
Touching, witty, and poignant, Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is a definite read for Faulkner fans. Gibbons weave's the story of young Ellen Foster in and out of time beginning with Ellen's memories of always wanting to kill her father. The reader is drawn through a set of impressions and left to puzzle out the actual sequence of events. ¶Ellen Foster is a survivor of the stereotypical south. After being abused by both her father and aunt, Ellen finds hope with her new mother, a woman she mistakenly thinks is named Foster. Ellen thus changes her last name out of respect and love for her new family. Can you imagine being so desperate? ¶Ellen Foster is honest, innocent, and naive; in Walker Percy's words she is "the real thing". Her truthful story will move you to laughter and tears. It is without reservation that I wholeheartedly recommend this novel.Book Review: A true to life story that hooks readers after opening line.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a freshman at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. My first thought upon being assigned to read this book was, great, another boring English novel assigned by the University to waste my time. When I opened the book to the first page and began reading I was shocked to find that I was hooked by the opening sentance. This novel is a must read. I encourage all young readers to check out this novel even if you are not assigned to. It will help you to become not only more thoughtful and inspirational in writing your college papers, but will help you to rekindle some thoughts about childhood and growing up yourself. Most of you will realize that you may not have had it as bad as you thought you did.Book Review: A wonderful and engaging narrator makes up for some story shortcomings
Summary: 4 Stars
There are several reviews of Ellen Foster that try to position the book as Catcher in the Rye for girls, and I suppose I understand that. After all, here's a book with a smart, funny female narrator with little tolerance for the foolishness and stupidity she sees in the world around her, as well as the fact that the book is about her journey (albeit one to find a family). But really, apart from that point, the comparison falls short. Ellen feels closer to a blend of Scout and Huck Finn - not all that well educated, but equally blunt and honest and frequently hilarious. What sets Ellen Foster apart, then, is the fact that Ellen's emotional history and evolution is so complex and heartbreaking. While the story may be simple - Ellen bounces from family to family in an effort to find one in which she belongs - her observations, interactions, and evolution in her beliefs all combine to give the story more heft than its plot would suggest. Yes, some of the characters (as we're shown them) are one-dimensional to a fault, but as limited to Ellen's small worldview, the reduction makes a little more sense, especially once Ellen's painful family history is taken into account. Really, this is a book more enjoyable for its main character than its story, but the great writing and engaging emotional arc make up for some of the cliched aspects of the plotting.Book Review: A wonderful narrator
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book to be absolutely stunning, primarily because of the point of view! Ellen is the narrator, and we so clearly see the world, people, and events around her through her ten-year-old eyes--and they are very special eyes! The child has a way of interpreting events that helps her survive a childhood that may have defeated many more ordinary girls.
She is unforgettable.