Book Review: A Song for Summer

Author:  Eva Ibbotson
Title: A Song for Summer
Genre: Romance, YA , Historical Fiction
Pages: 288
First Published: 1997
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from local library


"Ellen never expected the Hallendorf school to be quite so unusual. Her life back in England with her suffragette mother and liberated aunts certainly couldn't be called normal, but buried deep in the beautiful Austrian countryside, Ellen discovers an eccentric world occupied by wild children and even wilder teachers, experimental dancers and a tortoise on wheels. And then there is the particularly intriguing, enigmatic, and very handsome Marek, part-time gardener and fencing teacher. Ellen is instantly attracted to the mysterious gardener, but Hitler's Reich is already threatening their peaceful world, and only when she discovers Marek's true identity and his dangerous mission does Ellen realize the depth of her feelings for him - and the danger their newfound love faces in the shadow of war."


This is the first novel by Eva Ibbotson I've read. 


Okay...I really, REALLY wanted to like this novel. I was dying to have this in my hands and read it. I tried so hard, but it fell short for me. I'll admit it, I did a lot throughout this one. I couldn't really keep focused at certain points. I'll give a quick summary:


-There were so many fragmented sentences I thought my head was going to implode
-The characters were very 1D...they had no dimensions. I felt like they were made out of cardboard
-Ellen, the heroine, was so perfect and  had not one flaw I wanted to punch her
-Ellen and her POV was rather boring, because all she cared about was cleaning and being amazing. I couldn't wait for the POV to switch.


My favorite thing about the entire novel was Eva Ibbotson's descriptions and how she made the setting come to life. I could see the old castle turned into a school. I could smell the flowers in the fields while the wind was blowing. It was lovely. I really do applaud Eva Ibbotson and her way with words.  However, it would get rather annoying because she would give all these strong details on the setting, but she would skip over the action parts and then give a quick, little sum up of what happened. 


I wish I could say more, buuut that's all I got. I really wanted to love this book, but it wasn't my cup of tea.  I'll give this author another chance. Perhaps this was just a low-point in her writing. We shall see, won't we? 


Anyways, even though I wasn't a huge fan of this, don't let this sway you away. One man's trash is another man's treasure. I really did enjoy the descriptions on the setting and etc. She has such great potential to be a wonderful author! Maybe a little more editing should be installed. I have no choice to but to grant this one 1 star. :(


Favorite Character(s): Marek, I guess?
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Tamara (she was annoying)

PS - I won't be around much this week...I'm going to Oklahoma to visit family. I'm leaving Wednesday morning and I won't be back until Monday night. ^.^ 

===============================

<3CaroleRae