Customer Reviews

Scones and Sensibility

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kiwi Magazine Review:

I remember as a young girl that I adopted the prairie vernacular of Laura Ingalls; my family tolerated it, my friends teased me and my teachers were appalled. The protagonist in this tween book speaks like her favorite characters in Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, although she lapses into normal teen speak when she is with her friends sometimes. Inspired by these books, Polly sets out to be the town matchmaker with very mixed results including one arrest, one tumble off of a pier (complete with jellyfish stings) and an angry suitor. This book is a fun remix of the two classics but we'd nudge the age recommendation to 11-15.

I am a 14 year old bookworm who got this book from my aunt's bookstore. I was a little nervous that this book would be too young for me, but I ended up really liking it. It was one of those books that made you slap your forehead in frusteration at the main character's actions, and feel those pangs of "oh no" because you felt so much like you were right next to Polly all the way. I read this book during any spare time I could find, and was really sad when it was over because I wanted to keep reading!!! I really hope that Lindsey Eland comes out with another book!

AWESOME BOOK FOR 10-14 YEAR OLDS :-)

Polly has such good intentions, oh my! With her head filled with romantic dreams of matchmaking, and her bicycle-basket filled with pastries from her parents' bakery, she embarks on a summer delivering parcels. Sometimes the parcels have been ordered--and sometimes they haven't! Polly delights in taking on the role of go-between for couples she wants to match up, pretending each has ordered treats for the other. The havoc that ensues is simply delicious, for Polly is so busy listening to her own ideas about what love *should* be that she fails, again and again, to listen to what people are telling her in plain English. In the end, she learns that she's been leaving out an important ingredient in her recipe for love, namely reality. Humbled, but still believing in true love, she delivers a fresh perspective. This book is a delicacy, delightful to ingest.

I was expecting this book to be good, but I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it after only the first chapter. Though I was sometimes annoyed with Polly, the main character, I still found the book so absolutely wonderful. In fact, it may be one of my favorites of the year, but I'm sure not everyone will love it as much as I do.

My absolute favorite thing about this book was the writing. Polly speaks and narrates in an "old timey" voice, like the characters in her favorite book Pride and Prejudice. (Example of this: the first line of the description.) I thought it was simultaneously hilarious and adorable. I know it may bother some people, but the voice fit Polly completely. It's mature, and yet a bit over the top, just like Polly is. I know many will not agree with me on the language bit and may find it distracting, but I'm weird and find it amusing.

I also adored Polly. In a weird way, she reminds me of Georgia Nicolson (from the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series)- she's hilarious, ridiculous, has her own way of speaking, and is totally unique, just like Georgia, but not as extreme. Though I wish she would have not been so stubborn and oblivious, I loved how she was determined to do what she thought was right. Her antics were highly amusing; they kept me smiling and wondering about what trouble she would get in next. Whether she was ruining someone's love life or just visiting some of her neighbors, I was completely interested and never tired of the admittedly repetitive events.

Though I wish some of the more minor characters and plotlines were explored more- Polly's potential romance, for example-, I am completely enamored with Scones and Sensibility. I think it's absolutely adorable, and I totally wish I was as cool as Polly when I was 12. Highly recommended, but perhaps best for the fans of Jane Austen and Anne of Green Gables.

To be perfectly honest, I picked up this book because I loved the cover...that and I like Jane Austen. It was a cute, fun, silly, and quick read. I enjoyed it.

12 year old Polly Madessa has just finished reading "Pride and Prejudice" and has decided that she has a new goal for the summer...to make people fall in love. In between delivering pastries for her parents' bakery she works to push people together and pull people apart (when she doesn't think they are well suited). In general she makes one heck of a mess out of people's lives with her good intentions. In the end she learns that maybe love in real life is different from a book.

The story is delivered from the viewpoint of Polly. Polly delivers the whole story in "Pride and Prejudice" like flowery language. Polly also speaks to everyone one in this descriptive, beautiful, and yet out-dated way. Her parents take it in stride, as does her best friend, and it drives her older sister crazy. I thought the way the book was written was okay. At points Polly's language is beautiful and her descriptions of walks on the beach really made me yearn for summer; at other points Polly is just plain silly.

Polly's silliness is part of the charm of the book. I can see where some people might find her annoying, yet, if you approach the story with a sense of whimsy and humor...Polly is just a silly and cute twelve year old girl that is trying to match people's lives to the romantic fantasy she has pictured in her head.

Neither the writing style nor the content of this book is ground-breaking or amazing; at times the writing style is a bit immature (remember it is supposed to be a 12 year old writing it). Yet, the book has a certain charm to it and makes for a fun quick, light read. This is definitely a girly book and is cutesy and funny. Not something I would read all the time, but it was a fun bit of fluff to break up more serious reads. This book is suited for a younger female audience; older teens and adults might also enjoy it.

If you are looking for something a bit silly, kind of cute, sugary and fun this book meets all those requirements and has a sort of charm to it that makes it a fun read. If you are looking for something of Jane Austen proportions, then this book might be a bit immature for you. Still it is a quick read and is a bit of girly fun, so check it out if that appeals to you.

As a big Jane Austen and Anne of Green Gables fan, I was immediately intrigued by the description of Lindsay Eland's Scones and Sensibility and wanted to read it. Eland tells the story of 12 year old Polly who is a hopeless romantic and the quintessential present day embodiment of a Jane Austen character. Polly's parents own a local bakery and during her summer break they ask her to deliver baked goods to local businesses and customers. Since Polly can't get out of this job, she begins to see this as an opportunity to do some matchmaking. The targets of her matchmaking are her sixteen year old sister, Clementine; her best friend's father; and a local widower and the town's curmudgeon. With Polly on the job of Cupid, the fun begins.

In starting the story, I was impressed at how well Eland was able to capture the language and rhythm of an Austen novel or the voice of Anne (Green Gables). When reading Polly's dialogue, I could easily imagine that I was reading Austen or L.M. Montgomery. However, I was surprised that after awhile, Polly's constant use of this manner of speech was somewhat exasperating. Though Polly slips into modern vernacular on occasion, she remains true to the language of her literary idols. Surprisingly her parents, and neighbors seem to accept this archaic dialect from Polly and it isn't until almost the end that her sister and best friend really express their frustration with her speech and of course her behavior.

Unfortunately, Polly's speech wasn't the only thing that wore on me but her interfering and meddling in the lives of other felt a little excessive. I found that somewhere in the middle of the book I wanted to shake Polly and tell her to "listen" and "wake up". I gave Polly's sister, Clementine and her best friend, Fran kudos for accepting Polly's eccentric manner as well as they did. However at this point in the story, I was pretty committed to seeing what happened with all of her matchmaking, and I kept reading. My persistence was rewarded with some of the best scenes of the book, and I found myself laughing out loud in several places. When I came to the conclusion, I felt that Eland had done a nice job of wrapping up the story and helping Polly learn some important life lessons.

I can imagine middle grade girls who do love Anne of Green Gables or Elizabeth Bennett thoroughly enjoying Polly's story. Though this book may have a specific niche - pre-teen or early teen girls who are fans of 19th century romance novels, I plan on sharing it with my students. I would like to gather their thoughts about the book since many of them are not familiar with the stories that this novel ties into. I am hoping that as they read the story it may prompt them to seek out one of the stories referred to in the novel.

Overall, Scones and Sensibility is an enjoyable read and a solid debut novel by Lindsay Eland and I look forward to future offerings from this author.

The narrator of the story, Polly, is a charming girl who enjoys classic stuff. In the summer the story's narrated, Polly finds herself at a new job; making deliveries for her parent's bakery while remembering her matchmaking gift at a singular situation she decides to find an "true love" to her Dearest Fran father. This is where the adventure starts since Polly already feels confident about her gift that she decides to take her town's romantic interests into her own hands with her plan: "Love is In The Making". What Polly's ignoring is that she also has an admirer. One of the most admirable aspects of the story is how Eland drives her characters; through Polly's eyes we'll have a clear idea on the lives of secondary characters. The reader will grow fond of them throughout the story and will want the same as Polly; seeing them happy. Experiences also seem real and according to each character's age. The biggest credit I can give the author is how she managed parents and authority figures without taking the spark off the book. Scones and Sensibility possesses a singular charm, its plot is surrounded by sweetness and one of the most charming main characters I've read about in a long time. No lack of deepness and gives the reader one than another lesson in the process. Scones and Sensibilities is really one of those titles I wish moves from generation to generation because of the beauty of its content.

Why I read this: It's an Egmont debut.. and I love Egmont books.. seriously :-D.

Plot: A cute plot that parallels with Austen's Sense and Sensibility plot. I love how Polly is obsessed with Austen and LM Montgomery's books and I always cracked up when she reverted back to normal teenage speak (always just momentarily, of course). Definitely a fun story full of sweet intentions and consequences that Polly innocently does not anticipate.

Characters: Polly loves Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. So, she dresses and acts like the characters she so loves. She even takes on matchmaking, thinking that is her sole purpose in life - to match people up together. Of course, not everything goes right - even in her own romantic life.

Relatability: I can definitely relate to being a dreamy young girl and imagining myself as a character in a book. I never went as far to dress and act like them for longer than a few hours, but I can definitely relate.

Cover Commentary: Very cute and fitting to the book.

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland is a modern Middle Grade book and not set in England at all. Scones and Sensibility is actually set along the New Jersey shoreline. Twelve-year old Polly Madassa is a crazed fan of all things Austen, even speaking to her patient family and friends in the manner and voice as a character in an Austen novel might speak. During the summer months, Polly delivers baked goods to customers around town, but actually Polly has romance on her mind and spends most of the summer as a devoted, though inept, matchmaker.

For the most part, Scones and Sensibility is a fun novel that any parent could feel comfortable giving to a 'tween/young teen. The book does not contain foul language, violence or sparkling vampires. On the contrary, Polly must come to grips with her best friend's mother abandoning the family to live with a guy she met on the internet. Polly and her friend are appalled, giving the book a great not-so-subtle internet safety message too.

The author, Lindsay Eland, did a fabulous job of maintaining the Jane Austen aspect of Polly's demeanor and speech. Like any precocious 12-year old, at times Polly's Austen-isms became annoying, both to other characters in the book as well as to me as the reader. Polly does drop the Austen act at time, which wonderfully made the character of Polly that much more real.

The Austen-style of speech might pose a problem to struggling young readers, however. Here is a random example of Polly's Austen-isms (page 134):

"The sun beat down upon our shoulders as we strolled along the sidewalk. Delicious happiness seeped from my skin like lavender perfume over such a wonderful meeting with Miss Lucy Penny. Love was indeed invigorating to the spirit, mind, and body."

Charming writing, indeed. But something that an 11-year struggling reader would endure? I doubt it. Scones and Sensibility is a fun, clean book that girls would enjoy but the language is quite possibly above their reading level. However by the time a girl can probably read this writing style, the good clean storyline will seem young and cheesy through teen eyes.

Scones and Sensibility is a book I can recommend, if you have young teen that's a great reader and has a more innocent and sweet taste in books. That might be a narrow marketing niche, but for that reader, this book would be a PERFECT fit.

Granted I am much older than the intended audience for this book, but I could not put it down while I was reading it because i actually wanted to find out what happens in the end! A very cute read.