Emily Starr was born with the desire to write. As an orphan living on New Moon Farm, writing helped her face the difficult, lonely times. But now all her friends are going away to high school in nearby Shrewsbury, and her old-fashioned, tyrannical aunt Elizabeth will only let her go if she promises to stop writing! All the same, this is the first step in Emily's climb to success.
Once in town, Emily's activities set the Shrewsbury gossips buzzing. But Emily and her friends are confident-- Ilse's a born actress, Teddy's set to be a great artist, and roguish Perry has the makings of a brilliant lawyer. When Emily has her poems published and writes for the town newspaper, success seems to be on its way-- and with it the first whispers of romance. Then Emily is offered a fabulous opportunity, and she must decide if she wants to change her life forever.
Loved
- Emily Bird Starr. Emily in this second book is not the naive little orphan that tentatively accepts her life at New Moon. This is a self-assured, ambitious, and determined teenager who is driven to become a famous writer, no matter how many rejections she receives. Emily's character really develops in this story as she becomes more refined in her blunt and straightforward nature, and develops more wisdom and understanding to accompany her starry imagination and poetic outlook. Emily is a heroine who is satisfying to root for because we can trust her to do the right thing (usually), and be honest with herself when she makes mistakes.
- The character development. Not only does Emily develop nicely in this story, but all of the characters seem to develop more understanding and maturity. Ilse's temper fizzles, Perry starts to learn manners, and even Aunt Ruth becomes likable and more sensible as the story progresses. Emily's influence seems to help those around her become wiser, softer, and more sensitive to the beauty of both nature and souls.
- Emily's writing. I talked about this in my review of Emily of New Moon, but these books are so fun because we get to really see L.M. Montgomery's writing talent shine with poems, story ideas, criticisms, and literary wisdom as Emily becomes a writer. Emily really grows as an author in this second book as she "climbs the Alpine path" and learns to accept rejections, take criticism, and discipline herself as she agrees to not write fiction for a while. Her passion for capturing beauty into words and phrases adds a charm and wonder to this story that makes it quite compelling.
- The adventures and misadventures. Just like Anne, Rilla, and all of Montgomery's heroines, Emily finds herself in the middle of some pretty hilarious and awkward scrapes. One I laughed out loud over in my car and was very cleverly written. One reason I adore Montgomery's work is her ability to enchant readers with imagination, beauty, and aesthetic, while complementing it with real life- awkward and completely relatable situations. All of us have experienced uncomfortable conversations, awkward moments, and tiresome people- and Montgomery captures all of these relatable elements so well.
- The supernatural element. Unlike the Anne books, the Emily books have a streak of supernatural that is intriguing and a little chilling. From reading Montgomery's short stories, it's clear she has a flare for the ghostly and unexplainable. This isn't a paranormal story by any means, but there are a few events that could be described as supernatural, which adds a unique flavor to this quaint world.
Didn't Love
- I loved this story! I wouldn't change a thing about it ;)
Content
Content
- Language:
- Occasional use of "ass," but in an old-fashioned way, not the contemporary usage.
- Sexual content:
- Emily and Ilse are forced to stay the night in a cabin with two boys to escape a storm. Gossip speculates that more happened and that the girls are flirtatious and seductive.
- Violence
- None.
- Other themes:
- Strong Christian themes: Emily and her friends/family talk a lot about God. She prays and addresses Him frequently, and asks a lot of questions about Him.
- Occasional use of "ass," but in an old-fashioned way, not the contemporary usage.
- Emily and Ilse are forced to stay the night in a cabin with two boys to escape a storm. Gossip speculates that more happened and that the girls are flirtatious and seductive.
- None.
- Strong Christian themes: Emily and her friends/family talk a lot about God. She prays and addresses Him frequently, and asks a lot of questions about Him.
Overall Thoughts
I definitely enjoyed Emily of New Moon, but I completely devoured Emily Climbs! Emily has always been likable, but in this second book we really get to see her grow into herself and become sensible, straightforward, brave, and ambitious. I loved seeing how her silly mishaps, shadows of romances, and aspirations of a literary career shape her character and refine her into a heroine who we not only love, but respect and admire. The other characters also grow with her, and we find ourselves loving them even more- even Aunt Ruth by the end. This story was a delight to read and although nothing can quite compare to the precious Anne books, this gave me the same delicious wonder, charm, hilarity, and endearment that I've always craved from the Montgomery's Prince Edward Island world. If you are an Anne fan, definitely treat yourself to these books- they will satisfy that craving you've had for something sweet, funny, relatable, and heart warming.
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