I enjoyed Anne of Avonlea but I did not find it as engaging as Anne of Green Gables. Here's why.

Anne of Green Gables gave the reader lots to look forward to. Will Marilla let Anne stay? When will Anne meet Diana? Will she ever forgive Gilbert?

While reading Anne of Avonlea, I didn't find myself asking any such questions or looking forward to anything. The book didn't seem to be leading up to anything as far as Anne was concerned. It read more like a series of situations involving Anne while the actual "story" was happening to another character named Miss Lavender. Marilla adoped twins in this one and Montgomery focused so much on the boy, Davy, that I couldn't help but wonder why she bothered to write in his twin sister Dora at all.

Anne of Avonlea basically felt like a "passing of time" for Anne. I kept waiting for something to happen to her but it just didn't. I'd still like to continue with the series to see how things progress. Even though Anne of Avonlea didn't quite meet my expectations I found it a charming read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Anne of Green Gables. It was nice to visit the old beloved characters again.

This isn't as good as the first, in my opinion. I was hoping for more interaction with Anne and Gilbert. Though they are both members of the Avonlea Village Improvement Society, the two of them actually do not have many scenes together since he teaches at a school that is further away and is only home on weekends (I think?) and during summer break.

The addition of the troublemaking orphan Davy to the story nearly ruined this book for me. He has a twin sister named Dora who is a total angel, but Anne plainly states (and Marilla feels the same way) that she loves Davy more. I didn't find him charming, adorable, funny, precious, etc. I wish I could erase his existence in these pages. I hated how Anne was around him: she would feel guilty for punishing his bad behavior and she would give in whenever he turned on the charm around her. Everything I loved about Anne would disappear when she's around this boy. You can't even argue that Anne prefers him because he was a troublemaker like she was when she was a child, because while Anne did get into crazy predicaments, she always had good intentions behind her actions. Davy does not. He makes mischief because he can, because he's bored. I hated how poor Dora would be ignored, but I guess that's really the author's fault since she didn't think of her as much of a character.

I still plan on reading at least the third book in the series, but I really, really hope Davy is nowhere to be found in it.

“One can't get over the habit of being a little girl all at once.”

I think this quote from Anne of Avonlea beautifully captures the essence of this book. Anne, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, is a teacher and an adult - mostly.

Anne of Avonlea (1909, L. C. Page & Co.), second in the n   Anne of Green Gablesnseries by  L. M. Montgomery, is (according to Wikipedia - see my comments below), a children's novel set in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I'd say that the novel can stand alone decently well, but I don't recommend reading the series out of order. There are a couple of remember-when's that give away events from the previous book. I think most fans of Lucy Maud would adamantly suggest reading Anne of Green Gables first.

I recently enjoyed rereading Anne of Green Gables (click here to see my review) and Chronicles of Avonlea (click here to see my review) so much that I've decided to alternate between L.M. Montgomery and  Jane Austen for my audio book selections! These authors are familiar (and dear) to me, so their books make good audio choices for my deaf ears!

I think the classification of Anne of Avonlea as a children's novel on Wikipedia is flawed. Anne's age is sixteen at the beginning of the book and eighteen at the end. (Scroll down on the Wikipedia page to see a chart that shows Anne's age throughout the series.) The book definitely has an innocence that many YA (young adult) books don't have these days. But Anne is considered an adult at 16, and the book clearly delineates her transition from more to less-childlike. So I'd say it's a classic young adult book, and Goodreads members seem to agree! As of the writing of this review, 1300+ users have shelved it as young adult, while only 500+ readers have shelved it as a children's novel.

Rating: 5 stars
Narration: 5 stars

Shelly Frasier, the narrator of the version I listened to, did a most excellent job.

The plot: Anne Shirley is now the teacher of the Avonlea school. And of course she has adventures! "'Having adventures comes natural to some people,' said Anne serenely. 'You just have a gift for them or you haven't.'" I really don't think I need to say anything more. :-) I recommend against reading the blurb on Goodreads before reading this book.

Christian elements: Anne and her family are church-going people, but this isn't Christian fiction. There's a scene in her church that's quite humorous.

Is it clean/chaste? Of course!

***********

The bottom line: I loved L.M. Montgomery's stories as a teen, and I still do at 41. The books are perfectly lovely. I would recommend that EVERYONE read Anne of Green Gables (and/or watch the Megan Follows movie - I haven't tried the newer one yet). If you love that first book, you'll likely enjoy Montgomery's other works. I look forward to continuing my audio book journey with Anne Shirley!