This books. My word, what can I even say.... More racism, more absurdly controlling parents, more destroying the spirits of a perfect child, and well, lets just say it, more grooming of the creepy paedophilic uncle figure she eventually marries. Please do not let your daughters read this. ( )

Elsie is a young teenager when this book begins, established as a wealthy young lady, now living with her much-loved father. This book follows her friendships and her maturing, as she falls in love for the first time.

There are some poignant moments as well as some that made me roll my eyes somewhat. I did feel that the story was a little more realistic than the first, and that Elsie felt a bit more believable, although the chasm between the 'good' and the 'bad' people is a little too big to be true.

A strong Christian theme underlies the story, but it wasn't quite as overt as in the first book, and Elsie wasn't so irritating as she was as a young child; she no longer keeps dissolving into tears, and while she's hardly a typical teenager, she does seem rather more likeable.

Three and a half stars, really. ( )