Information
Goodreads: Anne
Series: None
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Library
Published: 2022
Summary
Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, residents of the Avon-Lea apartment complex, asked to foster a baby. But a computer glitch sends them feisty teenage Anne Shirley instead. But soon Anne is winning over their hearts–and losing hers to her best friend Diana Barry.
Review
Anne of Green Gables meets the modern world in this graphic novel adaptation from the author of Jo. Anne Shirley arrives at the apartment complex the Avon-Lea, where she enchants Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, and falls in love with her best friend Diana Barry. Though the artwork is not the most appealing I have seen for the tween crowd, the story is heartwarming, and I think readers will fall in love with Anne all over again.
Anne reminds me strongly of Anne of West Philly, another recent contemporary graphic novel adaptation of L. M. Montgomery’s classic work. Both works feature Anne at school, working on trending STEM projects, and crushing on Diana instead of Gilbert. In this version, however, Anne does not consider herself good at science (which made me sad) and contributes more to the artistic angle of her school project. Additionally, Gilbert comes off rather badly–kind of like a bully who just will not understand why it is not funny to tease Anne when she asked him to stop. Most notably, however, this version features a lot of talks from the adult figures in Anne’s life, which help her with her social-emotional learning. She has some anger issues, but she learns to deal with her emotions in a mature way instead of lashing out.
The colors are a bit muted and the artwork is not altogether to my taste. However, I think the storyline is enough to carry the book. And, though I tend to favor a different art style, I recognize that my tastes are not universal. Plenty of readers might like the illustrations more than I! At any rate, I do think Anne is worth reading for this fun contemporary take on a beloved children’s book.
Pick this one up if you are a fan of middle grade graphic novels, or if you love seeing how authors put new spins on old tales. Or, of course, if you are an Anne fan and just can’t get enough of the beloved redhead!
Pages Unbound | Book Reviews & Discussions 
Close to classic and set in modern world? I’m definitely in. It sounds amazing.
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It’s a fun read! And pretty quick since it’s a graphic novel!
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If Hoopla or my library has this, I’ll give it a go. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 📙
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I am very curious why so many Anne adaptations came out around the same time. I know of at least three. But I love Anne so I guess I’ll eventually read them all, anyway!
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Great review! I personally am not a huge fan of ‘modern adaptations’ of classics – the nostalgic feeling isn’t really there. I’m also not a huge fan of how Anne and Diana are falling in love in the modern versions – I loved them platonically and the Anne + Gilbert ship will always be one of my favorites (especially as Diana ends up marrying someone else whose name I can’t recall in the later books). I guess this could be because we need books to be keeping with the times, but I don’t know…I don’t think I’ll ever want to read a newer ‘modernized’ version of a classic I love. I guess it’s a matter of opinion!
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I think I read modern adaptations of classics because it’s interesting to me to see how an author thinks a contemporary audience would want the story to go. I like seeing what aspects they change or emphasize because it’s a reflection of their understanding of the current culture.
But I admit that no contemporary adaptation has replaced my love for the original. I think it’s hard to redo a work and make it seem both unique and amazing. I’m always comparing the two in my head, and usually the classic wins out.
And, yeah, I’m Anne and Gilbert forever! They’re one of my favorite literary couples, so it is disappointing to see Gilbert get sidelined, even though I understand many authors are wanting to give readers a different kind of relationship that wouldn’t likely have been published when Montgomery was writing.
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Those are all really good points!
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