Book Review: A Song For Summer

Well, since I really enjoy reading, and once I've read a book I would like to discuss it, and I haven't started a book club yet, I have decided to review the books here on my blog. So ....

A Song For Summer, Eva Ibbotson

This book is set in Europe during WWII. The lead character, Ellen, is a girl who grows up in England with her suffragist aunts and mother. She is expected, when she is older, to be independent, have a career, and not just get married and have children. However, Ellen doesn't want to be a doctor or professor. She actually loves cooking and taking care of a home, much to the chagrin of her aunts and mother. It's pretty funny actually .... they are shocked and appalled that she wants to cook, and bring over all their friends who try to convince Ellen that she is not destined to take care of a home.

Eventually Ellen gets to go to a cooking college, and graduates at the top of her class. (where her mother finally admits that Ellen is really a good cook) She then gets a job in Austria working at a school in the woods. While at this school, she takes care of all the unruly children, who learn to love her. She also meets Marek, the groundskeeper/archery teacher. Of course, in a book like this, Marek is young and handsome and chivalrous and Ellen ends up falling for him. There are Nazis and genius children, famous composers, and twists and turns that are completely unexpected. The story is going really good, then turns horrifying, then good again in a weird sort of way. (I can't give away the best parts here, you'll have to read it, or just wonder) In the end it's good, although it didn't come in the way you had expected.

I would recommend this book, however, it's not as good or riveting as Twilight, and Eva Ibbotson tends to "word up" some of the paragraphs. It's almost like you're thinking, "get to the point..." But in general it's a good love and adventurey mysterious kind of story.