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American Girl: Felicity #7
Very Funny, Elizabeth
This companion book to the Felicity series features Felicity's best friend, Elizabeth Cole, an English girl from a prominent Loyalist family. The girls' favorite pastime is teasing Elizabeth's annoying sister, Annabelle. When Annabelle becomes engaged, Felicity and Elizabeth prove that they are the merriest mischief-makers in Virginia. The book includes a nonfiction "Looking Back" essay focusing on courtship and marriage customs of the eighteenth century.
81 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2005
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601 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
272 books447 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
September 29, 2018
1.5 stars
This was not a "bad" book, but it certainly wasn't good either. The only part I really liked was the "Looking Back" section at the end of the book.
Reasons I didn't like it:
1. Elizabeth's personality was completely changed!
2. The "teasing" she and Felicity did was not kind. Even though it says they agreed to do "nothing unkind or mean-spirited" I would consider everything they did unkind.
3. The girls acted more modern than from the 1700s.
4. Miss Priscilla never called Annabelle by her real name which seems rather unlikely for someone bred as she was.
The entire book was just not something I enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend it.
This was not a "bad" book, but it certainly wasn't good either. The only part I really liked was the "Looking Back" section at the end of the book.
Reasons I didn't like it:
1. Elizabeth's personality was completely changed!
2. The "teasing" she and Felicity did was not kind. Even though it says they agreed to do "nothing unkind or mean-spirited" I would consider everything they did unkind.
3. The girls acted more modern than from the 1700s.
4. Miss Priscilla never called Annabelle by her real name which seems rather unlikely for someone bred as she was.
The entire book was just not something I enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend it.
April 12, 2020
This addition to the Felicity series, which came out after the movie, is over-the-top, farcical, and completely unrealistic. When it came out, my sister and I borrowed the book from some friends, and I was unimpressed and uneasy with it. Now that I have read it again, I see how valid that was. I had very good taste! But then again, this book is so monumentally bad that I'm not sure I get any credit for my discernment.
From the beginning of this book, there are glaring continuity issues, because Elizabeth has a different hair color, a wildly different personality, and a different friendship dynamic with Felicity than in any of the other books. The hair color issue is explained easily enough, since the movie actress for Elizabeth had blond hair, but the rest of the differences are mystifying. Valerie Tripp, the original series author, engaged in random and inexplicable character assassination in this book, turning Elizabeth into an immature, impulsive, and mean-spirited prankster who behaves in ways that no Colonial child could ever imagine getting away with.
Elizabeth also has a completely different friendship dynamic with Felicity than she did in the other books. Previously, Elizabeth was the reserved, level-headed counterpart to Felicity's feisty nature, but in this book, to borrow a phrase from a friend, "they egg each other on to dastardly deeds against humanity." These girls suddenly become pranksters devoted to making Elizabeth's older sister's life miserable, and even though they claim that they have agreed to never do anything truly hurtful to Annabelle, their behavior is excessive and wrong.
Also, for whatever reason, Elizabeth and Felicity have developed a random code where they will hit their feet together under tables to communicate what they are current thinking about regarding Annabelle. This is RIDICULOUS, and it gets even worse. In one scene, when Elizabeth goes to visit Felicity and share some news, the scene ends with them tapping their feet together under the table, and I was jarred and surprised, because I hadn't realized that they had sat down together. I went back to the beginning of the scene and read it again to find what I had missed, but it never even said that they had sat down at a table, and I was right to imagine them standing during this conversation! Also, why tap your feet together if you're in private, and not trying to communicate without Annabelle noticing? The writing is so lazy and terrible that I don't even know what to say about it.
This book is designed to teach about Colonial courtship dynamics, and it does that tolerably well, but the only real value of the book comes from the "peek into the past" section, not the farcical story of a suitor and his sister coming from England to pursue Annabelle's hand in marriage. Elizabeth's behavior during this process is embarrassing to twenty-first century eyes, and it is unimaginable that she would have behaved this way as a well-bred Colonial child from a high-class family. Similarly, it is unimaginable that the suitor's sister would behave in the way that she did.
I cringed and suffered through these scenes, and couldn't even begin to imagine why a successful, talented author like Valerie Tripp would write something this clunky, unrealistic, and farcical. The only way to deal with this book is to pretend that it's someone's horrible fan fiction, or that the author is lampooning history through a ridiculous comedy. It is impossible to believe that any of these characters are real people who take themselves seriously. Also, the book concludes absurdly.
The multi-page historical section in the back is well-written and highly educational, and I appreciate the photo and artwork reproductions, primary source quotations, and explanations of courtship and marriage dynamics from this era. One interesting thing that I learned was that pressures to marry did not only exist for women at this time, but that unmarried men were also considered unsuccessful and lazy, and were rarely elected to public office. Also, in the Colony of Maryland, bachelors were required to pay higher taxes. That's interesting, and the fact that even I learned something from this historical note shows that it's very substantial, not just comparing basic cultural details to the present. This is the one good thing about the book.
Last year, I got a used copy of this book very cheaply when a friend's parents were downsizing, because even though I remembered not liking it, I wanted to complete my set and was curious to read it again. It's fun to have a copy that belonged to my friend, and I'll keep this around to have a complete set and to have access to this out-of-print book, but it is genuinely so much more terrible than I had remembered. It was worth reading again for the entertainment value of hating it, and the historical section is great, but I would never encourage someone to read this unless they're either committed to reading all of the American Girl books or want to pretend that this is a comedy skit making fun of the Felicity series.
From the beginning of this book, there are glaring continuity issues, because Elizabeth has a different hair color, a wildly different personality, and a different friendship dynamic with Felicity than in any of the other books. The hair color issue is explained easily enough, since the movie actress for Elizabeth had blond hair, but the rest of the differences are mystifying. Valerie Tripp, the original series author, engaged in random and inexplicable character assassination in this book, turning Elizabeth into an immature, impulsive, and mean-spirited prankster who behaves in ways that no Colonial child could ever imagine getting away with.
Elizabeth also has a completely different friendship dynamic with Felicity than she did in the other books. Previously, Elizabeth was the reserved, level-headed counterpart to Felicity's feisty nature, but in this book, to borrow a phrase from a friend, "they egg each other on to dastardly deeds against humanity." These girls suddenly become pranksters devoted to making Elizabeth's older sister's life miserable, and even though they claim that they have agreed to never do anything truly hurtful to Annabelle, their behavior is excessive and wrong.
Also, for whatever reason, Elizabeth and Felicity have developed a random code where they will hit their feet together under tables to communicate what they are current thinking about regarding Annabelle. This is RIDICULOUS, and it gets even worse. In one scene, when Elizabeth goes to visit Felicity and share some news, the scene ends with them tapping their feet together under the table, and I was jarred and surprised, because I hadn't realized that they had sat down together. I went back to the beginning of the scene and read it again to find what I had missed, but it never even said that they had sat down at a table, and I was right to imagine them standing during this conversation! Also, why tap your feet together if you're in private, and not trying to communicate without Annabelle noticing? The writing is so lazy and terrible that I don't even know what to say about it.
This book is designed to teach about Colonial courtship dynamics, and it does that tolerably well, but the only real value of the book comes from the "peek into the past" section, not the farcical story of a suitor and his sister coming from England to pursue Annabelle's hand in marriage. Elizabeth's behavior during this process is embarrassing to twenty-first century eyes, and it is unimaginable that she would have behaved this way as a well-bred Colonial child from a high-class family. Similarly, it is unimaginable that the suitor's sister would behave in the way that she did.
I cringed and suffered through these scenes, and couldn't even begin to imagine why a successful, talented author like Valerie Tripp would write something this clunky, unrealistic, and farcical. The only way to deal with this book is to pretend that it's someone's horrible fan fiction, or that the author is lampooning history through a ridiculous comedy. It is impossible to believe that any of these characters are real people who take themselves seriously. Also, the book concludes absurdly.
The multi-page historical section in the back is well-written and highly educational, and I appreciate the photo and artwork reproductions, primary source quotations, and explanations of courtship and marriage dynamics from this era. One interesting thing that I learned was that pressures to marry did not only exist for women at this time, but that unmarried men were also considered unsuccessful and lazy, and were rarely elected to public office. Also, in the Colony of Maryland, bachelors were required to pay higher taxes. That's interesting, and the fact that even I learned something from this historical note shows that it's very substantial, not just comparing basic cultural details to the present. This is the one good thing about the book.
Last year, I got a used copy of this book very cheaply when a friend's parents were downsizing, because even though I remembered not liking it, I wanted to complete my set and was curious to read it again. It's fun to have a copy that belonged to my friend, and I'll keep this around to have a complete set and to have access to this out-of-print book, but it is genuinely so much more terrible than I had remembered. It was worth reading again for the entertainment value of hating it, and the historical section is great, but I would never encourage someone to read this unless they're either committed to reading all of the American Girl books or want to pretend that this is a comedy skit making fun of the Felicity series.
June 26, 2024
Fair warning: I only just read this as an adult. No nostalgia bonus.
Where to start with this mess?
First, just as a flag, there's a scene where a new character chides Elizabeth and Annabelle for their healthy appetites, saying that fine ladies in England are dainty eaters. Priscilla is an absolute, unredeemed gorgon, but STILL - no other character disagrees with her - you have to make the leap from "Priscilla is awful" to "anything Priscilla says is garbage" all on your own. Valerie, you are writing for children, kindly do not encourage disordered eating.
Since we've introduced Priscilla, let's talk about one dimensional characters in Felicity and Elizabeth's world. In the original Felicity books, Annabelle is a very consistently drawn caricature who never gets the chance to breathe and be a real person. Here she breaks out of that for all of one scene. I would have hoped that Elizabeth might show us a more fully realized picture of her sister than this tiny flicker of sisterly support, but apparently it's too much fun to write Annabelle Bananabelle.
But if Annabelle is bad, Priscilla is Annabelle turned up to eleven. Through the Felicity books, Annabelle occasionally gets reminded by adults to be civil to the younger girls, but no adult here seems to bat an eye at Priscilla's awfulness. Are the Cole parents so cowed by an English title they never correct her about Annabelle's name? This all plays at the level of a farce, which is not usually the mode American Girl operates in.
Then there are all the tricks Elizabeth and Felicity play. The narrative wants you to feel okay about them because Annabelle - and later Priscilla - are so awful, but the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable. The girls justify it to themselves by insisting that they're trying to shake Annabelle out of being such a snob - and the narrative goes along with this rationale - but I can't imagine a person for whom that would actually work as presented. Plus, we're told that the girls have agreed on limits - nothing harmful or mean-spirited - but I'm not convinced that the tricks we see follow those rules. This feels a lot less ha-ha funny and a lot closer to bullying than this book is ready to grapple with.
Not funny, Elizabeth. Not funny at all.
More Felicity babble
Meet Felicity | Felicity Learns a Lesson | Felicity’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Felicity | Felicity Saves the Day | Changes for Felicity
Very Funny, Elizabeth
Felicity’s New Sister | Felicity’s Dancing Shoes | Felicity Takes a Dare | Felicity Discovers a Secret | Felicity’s Short Story Collection
Peril at King’s Creek | Traitor in Williamsburg | Lady Margaret’s Ghost
Where to start with this mess?
First, just as a flag, there's a scene where a new character chides Elizabeth and Annabelle for their healthy appetites, saying that fine ladies in England are dainty eaters. Priscilla is an absolute, unredeemed gorgon, but STILL - no other character disagrees with her - you have to make the leap from "Priscilla is awful" to "anything Priscilla says is garbage" all on your own. Valerie, you are writing for children, kindly do not encourage disordered eating.
Since we've introduced Priscilla, let's talk about one dimensional characters in Felicity and Elizabeth's world. In the original Felicity books, Annabelle is a very consistently drawn caricature who never gets the chance to breathe and be a real person. Here she breaks out of that for all of one scene. I would have hoped that Elizabeth might show us a more fully realized picture of her sister than this tiny flicker of sisterly support, but apparently it's too much fun to write Annabelle Bananabelle.
But if Annabelle is bad, Priscilla is Annabelle turned up to eleven. Through the Felicity books, Annabelle occasionally gets reminded by adults to be civil to the younger girls, but no adult here seems to bat an eye at Priscilla's awfulness. Are the Cole parents so cowed by an English title they never correct her about Annabelle's name? This all plays at the level of a farce, which is not usually the mode American Girl operates in.
Then there are all the tricks Elizabeth and Felicity play. The narrative wants you to feel okay about them because Annabelle - and later Priscilla - are so awful, but the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable. The girls justify it to themselves by insisting that they're trying to shake Annabelle out of being such a snob - and the narrative goes along with this rationale - but I can't imagine a person for whom that would actually work as presented. Plus, we're told that the girls have agreed on limits - nothing harmful or mean-spirited - but I'm not convinced that the tricks we see follow those rules. This feels a lot less ha-ha funny and a lot closer to bullying than this book is ready to grapple with.
Not funny, Elizabeth. Not funny at all.
More Felicity babble
Meet Felicity | Felicity Learns a Lesson | Felicity’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Felicity | Felicity Saves the Day | Changes for Felicity
Very Funny, Elizabeth
Felicity’s New Sister | Felicity’s Dancing Shoes | Felicity Takes a Dare | Felicity Discovers a Secret | Felicity’s Short Story Collection
Peril at King’s Creek | Traitor in Williamsburg | Lady Margaret’s Ghost
August 13, 2024
Did I remember this story at all besides the fact that it exists? Nope. Did I still love reading it? Yup!
I loved seeing Elizabeth take the stage in this book, and her and Bananabelle's relationship was absolutely wonderful! I kind of wish Felicity was in it more, but it was still very fun!
I loved seeing Elizabeth take the stage in this book, and her and Bananabelle's relationship was absolutely wonderful! I kind of wish Felicity was in it more, but it was still very fun!
January 14, 2021
One of the least successful American Girl books to me. Felicity and Elizabeth's tricks are far more cruel than funny. And although I liked that this book chose to focus on marriage (not exactly common in this line), I thought the status quo restoring ending was unrealistic. The Looking Back section was good, though.
ETA 2021: On a second read, my thoughts remain much the same. The narration seemed to take a weirdly modern view of Annabelle's impending marriage, and the reset button is far too easy.
ETA 2021: On a second read, my thoughts remain much the same. The narration seemed to take a weirdly modern view of Annabelle's impending marriage, and the reset button is far too easy.
May 1, 2020
I read this book for the podcast I’m currently listening to called “American Girls” by Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney.
Honestly, don’t have too much to say about this book except that I did very much enjoy being in Elizabeth’s perspective for once and seeing how different her life was compared to Felicity’s (like she will curtsy after speaking with her parents!). Elizabeth has grown in her own curious way by speaking up for herself more (even though it might get her in trouble). I read a lot of reviews of people saying that they felt Elizabeth completely changed in this book, but I personally disagree. The tricks Elizabeth and Felicity do in this book I felt like were similar to ones that I had seen before in the series. Although I do not approve of either’s behavior (they claim in this book that the tricks are not mean - spirited, but I believe some involving Ben are and it is not either child’s job to trick and be mean to Annabelle to teach her ‘daily lessons’... Futhermore, this will not teach her anything, but just resent your actions!), it did feel on par to things they had done in other novels and who each girl was/is. I feel like through the course of the series, they’ve traded a lot in personally. Felicity had become more thoughtful and calm like Elizabeth and Elizabeth has chosen to stand up for herself and get more into trouble like Felicity. They schemed multiple times in the series, this honestly did not feel much different. What I also like the premise of the book (of Annabelle being engaged) even though marriage in 1774 makes me so sad and I ultimately would not be able to survive in it if I lived during that time. The fact that one’s happiness “depends on marrying well” is a crazy concept to me and the way women are expected to me married off by sixteen is even more wild. Granted, in the Looking Back section, it does say some few woman lived like Miss Manderly (independent and unwed), but I imagine that was still very unlike from what the Looking Back section is even claiming. The fact that “once you are married, you are married forever” is also just a lot for me as well. Personally, for me, I am very glad that I did grow up in this time because I, like Felicity, am far too rebellious for these traditional standards. It also makes me sad that in 1774, if you were an unwed woman than you were automatically a “cranky, ill - natured, maggoty, peevish... good for nothing creatures” because I just find that so far from the truth. Just because I want to (and other women too) provide for myself and find happiness within that life/ourselves doesn’t mean we are worth for nothing hags that want to be looked down upon in society. Men can better themselves and their lives, so women can too and they don’t have to marry someone to do so if so that is what they choose.
Honestly, don’t have too much to say about this book except that I did very much enjoy being in Elizabeth’s perspective for once and seeing how different her life was compared to Felicity’s (like she will curtsy after speaking with her parents!). Elizabeth has grown in her own curious way by speaking up for herself more (even though it might get her in trouble). I read a lot of reviews of people saying that they felt Elizabeth completely changed in this book, but I personally disagree. The tricks Elizabeth and Felicity do in this book I felt like were similar to ones that I had seen before in the series. Although I do not approve of either’s behavior (they claim in this book that the tricks are not mean - spirited, but I believe some involving Ben are and it is not either child’s job to trick and be mean to Annabelle to teach her ‘daily lessons’... Futhermore, this will not teach her anything, but just resent your actions!), it did feel on par to things they had done in other novels and who each girl was/is. I feel like through the course of the series, they’ve traded a lot in personally. Felicity had become more thoughtful and calm like Elizabeth and Elizabeth has chosen to stand up for herself and get more into trouble like Felicity. They schemed multiple times in the series, this honestly did not feel much different. What I also like the premise of the book (of Annabelle being engaged) even though marriage in 1774 makes me so sad and I ultimately would not be able to survive in it if I lived during that time. The fact that one’s happiness “depends on marrying well” is a crazy concept to me and the way women are expected to me married off by sixteen is even more wild. Granted, in the Looking Back section, it does say some few woman lived like Miss Manderly (independent and unwed), but I imagine that was still very unlike from what the Looking Back section is even claiming. The fact that “once you are married, you are married forever” is also just a lot for me as well. Personally, for me, I am very glad that I did grow up in this time because I, like Felicity, am far too rebellious for these traditional standards. It also makes me sad that in 1774, if you were an unwed woman than you were automatically a “cranky, ill - natured, maggoty, peevish... good for nothing creatures” because I just find that so far from the truth. Just because I want to (and other women too) provide for myself and find happiness within that life/ourselves doesn’t mean we are worth for nothing hags that want to be looked down upon in society. Men can better themselves and their lives, so women can too and they don’t have to marry someone to do so if so that is what they choose.
May 20, 2021
Still one of my favorites
March 21, 2022
This book is wildly out of pocket. It's as if Val Tripp was trying to create a Jane Austen novel for children, and decided the best way to do that was to make it incredibly campy.
I'm baffled by the complete change in character Elizabeth has gone through, as if a dye job would change her entire personality as well. Once the reserved rule-follower, she has become more rambunctious and thoughtless than Felicity herself.
She even gaslights Felicity, telling her that the pranks she is pulling on Annabelle aren't harmful, but are instead meant to teach her a lesson. This couldn't be further from the truth. Also, the things she pulled while they had visitors should have wound up in some sort of punishment, but it seems as if there are no consequences for her actions.
Appallingly bad.
I'm baffled by the complete change in character Elizabeth has gone through, as if a dye job would change her entire personality as well. Once the reserved rule-follower, she has become more rambunctious and thoughtless than Felicity herself.
She even gaslights Felicity, telling her that the pranks she is pulling on Annabelle aren't harmful, but are instead meant to teach her a lesson. This couldn't be further from the truth. Also, the things she pulled while they had visitors should have wound up in some sort of punishment, but it seems as if there are no consequences for her actions.
Appallingly bad.
July 21, 2019
Very cute! I worry about a book that focuses on tricking other people, but I AM glad that it explicitly stated that the tricks that Felicity and Elizabeth do don’t harm anyone or anything. This was a cute, fun read and it was actually nice to see something from the point of view of a Loyalist family as well.
June 19, 2022
I enjoyed getting to see life from Elizabeth's point of view, and to see her embracing her prankster side.
December 12, 2025
These AG books are such good historical fiction stories for young girls. I’m so grateful that I grew up on these books.
A couple things:
• the “looking back” section in the back of the book (which talks about what life was really like in early america) is age-appropriate and interesting for young readers. However, when describing “women’s” experiences, they are specially talking about white women. Black women’s experiences were very different at this time (obviously), and this may be unclear for young girls of color.
• Elizabeth is spunky, thoughtful, and a prankster. She’s for the girls who do not politically align with their family/loved ones. She values friendship and making the best out of frustrating situations. She’s an underrated American girl.
A couple things:
• the “looking back” section in the back of the book (which talks about what life was really like in early america) is age-appropriate and interesting for young readers. However, when describing “women’s” experiences, they are specially talking about white women. Black women’s experiences were very different at this time (obviously), and this may be unclear for young girls of color.
• Elizabeth is spunky, thoughtful, and a prankster. She’s for the girls who do not politically align with their family/loved ones. She values friendship and making the best out of frustrating situations. She’s an underrated American girl.
November 5, 2024
fascinatingly bad book. this just. isn't the same character. this is not who elizabeth cole was. you just made up a brand new girl. and for what...? a book set between books 5 and 6.... which has these big stakes which never matter because THOSE BOOKS WERE OUT FOR A DECADE BY THE TIME THIS BOOK WAS RELEASED. we know the status quo wasnt changing!!
December 1, 2023
I’m conflicted. I enjoyed the look at courtship in the time period but at the same time I didn’t enjoy how mean spirited Elizabeth and Felicity were. I also hate how they changed the image of Elizabeth from the original Felicity books. AG has enough blonde dolls!
March 22, 2019
It was good...not one of my favorite in the series
June 6, 2025
Who would have seen an Annabelle redemption arc coming? I really liked this as an addition to the main Felicity series.
May 25, 2021
Me and my Mommy think four stars because Annabelle was not a nice character!
July 5, 2022
This is a silly one in the grand scheme of American Girl books but I won't lie and say it didn't make me giggle
September 12, 2024
I’d like to defend this book somewhat. It has an interesting premise with the potential to be great, and in fact, parts of it were. Others have already aptly described why it’s one of the worst AG books, but I think with a little tweaking it could have been one of the best. So here’s what I would change:
1. Make it take place AFTER Changes for Felicity. For those who have read the whole Felicity series, they might remember that Mr. Cole was run out of Virginia and the Cole women were left on their own. At the beginning of this book, Mr. Cole is obviously still around, so we know that Annabelle will not actually marry Lord Harry and he’ll go back to England. This lowers the stakes significantly. Like Nellie’s Promise, it would have been nice to get a continuation of the series and see what happens to the characters: where they’re going and what they’ll be doing. The Coles in particular seemed like they were left hanging at the end. This could have been the perfect opportunity to flesh out their motives and backstory (we never did quite find out why they moved to Virginia.)
2. Retain Elizabeth’s kind, gentle spirit, and help her repair her bond with Annabelle. Elizabeth is known for being one of the most compassionate and selfless characters in AG. However, she can also be timid and cowardly. Elizabeth overcomes her fear of Annabelle in the Felicity series, but they’re still at odds with each other. I have a hard time believing that Elizabeth wouldn’t have felt bad for her sister after the way Miss Priscilla was treating her. Instead, she decides to torture her further, and doesn’t grow as a character at all. The pranking was also wildly out of character, but I won’t bother to get into that.
3. Let Annabelle actually marry Lord Harry. The peek into colonial marriage is fascinating, as is the insight into the Cole household. Annabelle has a good setup at the beginning to be humbled and brought down to earth with what marriage will truly bring. And the way Miss Priscilla mistreated her was a nice echo to how Annabelle mistreated Elizabeth early on. This could have provided some great character development, historical context, and a conclusion to the series. There’s a bit of Felicity fanfic out there. Annabelle is often depicted as marrying someone in England. It makes sense for her and could have made way, again, for her to make amends with Elizabeth and Felicity (which doesn’t happen in the OG series.)
4. Tone down Miss Priscilla a bit. She could have value as a character, but she is so cartoonishly mean and obnoxious that it’s hard to see why she even wanted Annabelle to join her family. Also, don’t ruin the marriage match just because of her. Annabelle and Lord Harry are actually cute together; Annabelle should’ve learned to stand up for herself without putting English nobility on a pedestal. Also, more Lord Harry! I genuinely enjoyed him!
This book has a glimmer of good pacing, good ideas, and good characters. But it manages to botch all of them so terribly. I really don’t know what Valerie Tripp and her team were thinking; I know this was published 13 years after the Felicity books concluded, but it’s like no one bothered to reread them. If I could go back in time and ask for any one AG book to be rewritten, it would be this one, because the whole thing is a big missed opportunity in so many ways.
1. Make it take place AFTER Changes for Felicity. For those who have read the whole Felicity series, they might remember that Mr. Cole was run out of Virginia and the Cole women were left on their own. At the beginning of this book, Mr. Cole is obviously still around, so we know that Annabelle will not actually marry Lord Harry and he’ll go back to England. This lowers the stakes significantly. Like Nellie’s Promise, it would have been nice to get a continuation of the series and see what happens to the characters: where they’re going and what they’ll be doing. The Coles in particular seemed like they were left hanging at the end. This could have been the perfect opportunity to flesh out their motives and backstory (we never did quite find out why they moved to Virginia.)
2. Retain Elizabeth’s kind, gentle spirit, and help her repair her bond with Annabelle. Elizabeth is known for being one of the most compassionate and selfless characters in AG. However, she can also be timid and cowardly. Elizabeth overcomes her fear of Annabelle in the Felicity series, but they’re still at odds with each other. I have a hard time believing that Elizabeth wouldn’t have felt bad for her sister after the way Miss Priscilla was treating her. Instead, she decides to torture her further, and doesn’t grow as a character at all. The pranking was also wildly out of character, but I won’t bother to get into that.
3. Let Annabelle actually marry Lord Harry. The peek into colonial marriage is fascinating, as is the insight into the Cole household. Annabelle has a good setup at the beginning to be humbled and brought down to earth with what marriage will truly bring. And the way Miss Priscilla mistreated her was a nice echo to how Annabelle mistreated Elizabeth early on. This could have provided some great character development, historical context, and a conclusion to the series. There’s a bit of Felicity fanfic out there. Annabelle is often depicted as marrying someone in England. It makes sense for her and could have made way, again, for her to make amends with Elizabeth and Felicity (which doesn’t happen in the OG series.)
4. Tone down Miss Priscilla a bit. She could have value as a character, but she is so cartoonishly mean and obnoxious that it’s hard to see why she even wanted Annabelle to join her family. Also, don’t ruin the marriage match just because of her. Annabelle and Lord Harry are actually cute together; Annabelle should’ve learned to stand up for herself without putting English nobility on a pedestal. Also, more Lord Harry! I genuinely enjoyed him!
This book has a glimmer of good pacing, good ideas, and good characters. But it manages to botch all of them so terribly. I really don’t know what Valerie Tripp and her team were thinking; I know this was published 13 years after the Felicity books concluded, but it’s like no one bothered to reread them. If I could go back in time and ask for any one AG book to be rewritten, it would be this one, because the whole thing is a big missed opportunity in so many ways.
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January 18, 2022lol
February 24, 2022
Whoops, I somehow missed "Very Funny, Elizabeth" when I was reading the Felicity books. So I am going a little out of order here.
I didn't really like this book, mainly because everyone in it was so unlikable. Annabelle is always unlikable, but Elizabeth and Felicity were almost as bad. Their teasing seemed relentless and just a tad too mean. Ignore Annabelle and move on, girls. Then, Miss Priscilla comes along and she's worse than everyone combined. The only one who isn't a little bit nasty is Lord Harry and he comes off as a big rube. Annabelle is lucky things work out the way they did in the end. And why would Mr. and Mrs. Cole send their daughters off with someone so nasty? At the very least, I have to think they heard the woman calling Annabelle by an incorrect name every time she spoke to her.
To top it off, the artwork isn't the best. Felicity's face looks unsymmetrical on the cover. Weird because it's the same illustrator who's done excellent work on other American Girl books.
Just an overall unpleasant experience. (Normally) sweet Elizabeth deserved better.
I didn't really like this book, mainly because everyone in it was so unlikable. Annabelle is always unlikable, but Elizabeth and Felicity were almost as bad. Their teasing seemed relentless and just a tad too mean. Ignore Annabelle and move on, girls. Then, Miss Priscilla comes along and she's worse than everyone combined. The only one who isn't a little bit nasty is Lord Harry and he comes off as a big rube. Annabelle is lucky things work out the way they did in the end. And why would Mr. and Mrs. Cole send their daughters off with someone so nasty? At the very least, I have to think they heard the woman calling Annabelle by an incorrect name every time she spoke to her.
To top it off, the artwork isn't the best. Felicity's face looks unsymmetrical on the cover. Weird because it's the same illustrator who's done excellent work on other American Girl books.
Just an overall unpleasant experience. (Normally) sweet Elizabeth deserved better.
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March 31, 2022Miss Priscilla is a bitch and the worst character from any of the AG books I have read (so far).
May 9, 2023
This book was terrible. By far the worst of the American girl books I’ve read - I’ve read all the originals, are the newer ones all like this?! The entire book consisted of Elizabeth and Felicity playing cruel tricks on Annabelle. And while I’ve never been a fan of Annabelle’s character, it’s TOO MUCH. My 8-year-old daughter and I were reading this book together and she didn’t even want to finish it because she didn’t like how mean Elizabeth and Felicity were being. I finished the book myself out of curiosity. It’s kind of shocking that this is the same author who wrote the other Felicity books because Elizabeth and Felicity aren’t even the same girls in this book. Very disappointing story - what a way to teach little girls to be cruel and to bully one another, under the guise of an “American Girl” story.
February 13, 2022
True rating 2.5
The ending saved it. I felt this book was kind of out of character for Elizabeth.
The ending saved it. I felt this book was kind of out of character for Elizabeth.
October 19, 2020
If I knew nothing about how rank, class, and marriage in 18th century British society works, I would have enjoyed this a lot. Since I love and have taught Austen, I struggled to suspend my disbelief that Elizabeth could be best friends with a shopkeeper's daughter and the sister-in-law of a lord. Like if the Gardiners aren't good enough for Darcy, why would a lord EVER deign below a baronet, much less pay any attention to an untitled, unmonied commoner? But then again, Felicity's parents' marriage doesn't make very much sense either. #ValerieBeTrippin
July 29, 2025
Very Funny, Elizabeth! was written as a companion to Valerie Tripp’s Felicity series fourteen years later, and while it’s not awful, it certainly is dismal compared to the excellent quality of the Felicity series as a whole. I loved this book as a kid and actually read it long before I had the Felicity books, but looking back as an adult, Very Funny, Elizabeth! is unrealistic, promotes some very questionable morals, and is inconsistent with the source material.
Christmas of 1775 brings unexpected fun for ten-year-old Elizabeth Cole, whose greatest joy is playing pranks on her snobby, self-absorbed older sister Annabelle. Prominent Lord Harry Lacey and his sister Priscilla arrive in Williamsburg with the proposition of an arranged marriage between Harry and Annabelle, who is delighted at the thought of marrying nobility and begins gloating about her good fortune to anyone who will listen. Elizabeth and her best friend Felicity Merriman, however, take it upon themselves to show Annabelle how silly she is being by foiling her chances at impressing the overbearing Priscilla. The stakes grow higher when Elizabeth learns that she may be sent to live with the Lacey family to escape the danger in Williamsburg, forcing her to act fast to convince Priscilla that she and Annabelle are not suited for English life.
Tripp seems to have forgotten everything she wrote in the original Felicity books concerning Elizabeth Cole. It’s normal for the American Girl series to be followed by a “best friend” book featuring the American Girl’s best friend as the protagonist, but Elizabeth’s behavior in Very Funny, Elizabeth! is radically different from her character in any of the Felicity books. Originally, she was a quiet, underconfident, thoughtful girl who relied on Felicity for courage to speak up to Annabelle and always brought out the best in her more headstrong friend. Here, however, Elizabeth has transformed into a mischievous, immature little prankster-mastermind whose one joy in life is tormenting her sister with “harmless jokes that will ultimately show Annabelle how silly she is being.” In what world is Elizabeth Cole the one making Annabelle ruin the tea table, scaring her with spiders, and filling a noblewoman’s wig with snow? Her characterization is incredibly off-kilter, which really makes Very Funny, Elizabeth! feel like a piece of weird fanfiction by someone other than Valerie Tripp.
The plot mostly revolves around the idea of courtship and marriage, which are topics not often discussed in the American Girl books. Tripp does show some realistic aspects to the themes of the story, such as Annabelle’s feeling that she must have an advantageous marriage to be successful as a woman. However, Tripp’s depiction of Harry and Annabelle’s arranged marriage is unrealistic, especially as it comes to a close. Equally unrealistic is Elizabeth’s impish behavior being so casually overlooked by her strict colonial parents; I know the Felicity series takes a few liberties (hehe) with its realism, but Tripp always strove for historical accuracy. As other reviewers have pointed out, Very Funny, Elizabeth! reads a lot like a farcical comedy, a sort of retelling of a Jane Austen novel without any character development. This book would have been an awesome opportunity for Tripp to expand on Elizabeth’s complicated relationship with Annabelle, her fears about the danger Loyalists are in, or the dealings that land her father in prison in Changes for Felicity, but instead we get silly hijinks and an ending that provides no conclusion or character growth for anyone.
The tone of Very Funny, Elizabeth! is childish and campy, which contradicts the very serious issues going on at the time of the book: the increasingly dangerous tension between the Patriots and the Loyalists. Very Funny, Elizabeth! actually takes place between the last two Felicity books — Felicity Saves the Day and Changes for Felicity — at a time that is really critical for the Cole family. All the interesting political and social (and even Christmas!) drama is fully set aside so we can have silly adventures with Elizabeth and Annabelle, minimizing the dramatic impact. Tripp also makes a really unusual choice: to have both Elizabeth and Annabelle express slightly Patriot leanings at different points, which contradicts how we have always viewed them in what I suppose was an effort at making them more relatable. I think it would have been a lot more interesting for Tripp to have set the story following Mr. Cole’s exile from Williamsburg, when the Revolutionary War was in full swing and the Loyalists were trying to find their place in the colonies.
All the characters in this book behave in very stereotyped, ridiculous ways. Annabelle has always been a little one-sided in the Felicity series, and Very Funny, Elizabeth! would have been a chance to see some depth in her. Instead, Annabelle is almost inhumanly vapid, frivolous, and unwise; she has one moment where it looks like there’s some sister solidarity and some genuine self-respect, but Tripp negates all that by having Annabelle go back to her old snobbish ways. Lord Harry is pretty lovable as a clumsy young nobleman harried (hahaha) by his obnoxious older sister, and it’s nice to see him stand up for himself at the end of the book, thanks to Elizabeth and Ben’s influence. Priscilla Lacey is a one-sided villainess, vain and incisive with her veiled insults and purposeful dressing-downs, but I would have liked to see a little more depth to her character even if she wasn’t supposed to be sympathetic. Felicity’s inclusion in the story is negligible and honestly could have been left out… or interchanged for Elizabeth, who now apparently has an identical personality to Felicity.
There’s a huge lack of applicable values in Very Funny, Elizabeth!, which again is contrary to Tripp’s usual high standards. I appreciate Elizabeth and Felicity’s promise that their tricks on Annabelle must never be mean-spirited or cruel, but some of the pranks they pull are just straight-up bullying, not far off from how Annabelle treated Elizabeth in Felicity Learns a Lesson. They justify this by claiming that they just want to show Annabelle that her snobbishness and rudeness is wrong, but I have some serious problems with that. First, the pranks Elizabeth pulls in this book are not harmless and could have led to some serious humiliation for Annabelle at a critical time in her life. A woman like Priscilla Lacey could destroy Annabelle’s reputation and prevent her from ever marrying or having good social standing, so Elizabeth’s “harmless” pranks are anything but. Second, no one ever became a better person because they were teased constantly for their flaws. I think Tripp meant well, but teaching little girls that they should play embarrassing public jokes on people for their own good is not a positive message.
I’ve made this book sound like an atrocious mess — I guess it sort of is, but I was entertained by it as a child, and I think as long as parents can identify the rights and wrongs of Elizabeth and Felicity’s actions, it can still be enjoyed by kids who love the Felicity series. I know Very Funny, Elizabeth! was written to be a comical companion to the more serious Felicity books, but Tripp’s narrative feels completely off in almost every way — continuity, lessons learned, historical context, plot resolution, etc. — like she was trying to cater to fans of the 2005 Felicity movie instead of honoring her original vision.
Christmas of 1775 brings unexpected fun for ten-year-old Elizabeth Cole, whose greatest joy is playing pranks on her snobby, self-absorbed older sister Annabelle. Prominent Lord Harry Lacey and his sister Priscilla arrive in Williamsburg with the proposition of an arranged marriage between Harry and Annabelle, who is delighted at the thought of marrying nobility and begins gloating about her good fortune to anyone who will listen. Elizabeth and her best friend Felicity Merriman, however, take it upon themselves to show Annabelle how silly she is being by foiling her chances at impressing the overbearing Priscilla. The stakes grow higher when Elizabeth learns that she may be sent to live with the Lacey family to escape the danger in Williamsburg, forcing her to act fast to convince Priscilla that she and Annabelle are not suited for English life.
Tripp seems to have forgotten everything she wrote in the original Felicity books concerning Elizabeth Cole. It’s normal for the American Girl series to be followed by a “best friend” book featuring the American Girl’s best friend as the protagonist, but Elizabeth’s behavior in Very Funny, Elizabeth! is radically different from her character in any of the Felicity books. Originally, she was a quiet, underconfident, thoughtful girl who relied on Felicity for courage to speak up to Annabelle and always brought out the best in her more headstrong friend. Here, however, Elizabeth has transformed into a mischievous, immature little prankster-mastermind whose one joy in life is tormenting her sister with “harmless jokes that will ultimately show Annabelle how silly she is being.” In what world is Elizabeth Cole the one making Annabelle ruin the tea table, scaring her with spiders, and filling a noblewoman’s wig with snow? Her characterization is incredibly off-kilter, which really makes Very Funny, Elizabeth! feel like a piece of weird fanfiction by someone other than Valerie Tripp.
The plot mostly revolves around the idea of courtship and marriage, which are topics not often discussed in the American Girl books. Tripp does show some realistic aspects to the themes of the story, such as Annabelle’s feeling that she must have an advantageous marriage to be successful as a woman. However, Tripp’s depiction of Harry and Annabelle’s arranged marriage is unrealistic, especially as it comes to a close. Equally unrealistic is Elizabeth’s impish behavior being so casually overlooked by her strict colonial parents; I know the Felicity series takes a few liberties (hehe) with its realism, but Tripp always strove for historical accuracy. As other reviewers have pointed out, Very Funny, Elizabeth! reads a lot like a farcical comedy, a sort of retelling of a Jane Austen novel without any character development. This book would have been an awesome opportunity for Tripp to expand on Elizabeth’s complicated relationship with Annabelle, her fears about the danger Loyalists are in, or the dealings that land her father in prison in Changes for Felicity, but instead we get silly hijinks and an ending that provides no conclusion or character growth for anyone.
The tone of Very Funny, Elizabeth! is childish and campy, which contradicts the very serious issues going on at the time of the book: the increasingly dangerous tension between the Patriots and the Loyalists. Very Funny, Elizabeth! actually takes place between the last two Felicity books — Felicity Saves the Day and Changes for Felicity — at a time that is really critical for the Cole family. All the interesting political and social (and even Christmas!) drama is fully set aside so we can have silly adventures with Elizabeth and Annabelle, minimizing the dramatic impact. Tripp also makes a really unusual choice: to have both Elizabeth and Annabelle express slightly Patriot leanings at different points, which contradicts how we have always viewed them in what I suppose was an effort at making them more relatable. I think it would have been a lot more interesting for Tripp to have set the story following Mr. Cole’s exile from Williamsburg, when the Revolutionary War was in full swing and the Loyalists were trying to find their place in the colonies.
All the characters in this book behave in very stereotyped, ridiculous ways. Annabelle has always been a little one-sided in the Felicity series, and Very Funny, Elizabeth! would have been a chance to see some depth in her. Instead, Annabelle is almost inhumanly vapid, frivolous, and unwise; she has one moment where it looks like there’s some sister solidarity and some genuine self-respect, but Tripp negates all that by having Annabelle go back to her old snobbish ways. Lord Harry is pretty lovable as a clumsy young nobleman harried (hahaha) by his obnoxious older sister, and it’s nice to see him stand up for himself at the end of the book, thanks to Elizabeth and Ben’s influence. Priscilla Lacey is a one-sided villainess, vain and incisive with her veiled insults and purposeful dressing-downs, but I would have liked to see a little more depth to her character even if she wasn’t supposed to be sympathetic. Felicity’s inclusion in the story is negligible and honestly could have been left out… or interchanged for Elizabeth, who now apparently has an identical personality to Felicity.
There’s a huge lack of applicable values in Very Funny, Elizabeth!, which again is contrary to Tripp’s usual high standards. I appreciate Elizabeth and Felicity’s promise that their tricks on Annabelle must never be mean-spirited or cruel, but some of the pranks they pull are just straight-up bullying, not far off from how Annabelle treated Elizabeth in Felicity Learns a Lesson. They justify this by claiming that they just want to show Annabelle that her snobbishness and rudeness is wrong, but I have some serious problems with that. First, the pranks Elizabeth pulls in this book are not harmless and could have led to some serious humiliation for Annabelle at a critical time in her life. A woman like Priscilla Lacey could destroy Annabelle’s reputation and prevent her from ever marrying or having good social standing, so Elizabeth’s “harmless” pranks are anything but. Second, no one ever became a better person because they were teased constantly for their flaws. I think Tripp meant well, but teaching little girls that they should play embarrassing public jokes on people for their own good is not a positive message.
I’ve made this book sound like an atrocious mess — I guess it sort of is, but I was entertained by it as a child, and I think as long as parents can identify the rights and wrongs of Elizabeth and Felicity’s actions, it can still be enjoyed by kids who love the Felicity series. I know Very Funny, Elizabeth! was written to be a comical companion to the more serious Felicity books, but Tripp’s narrative feels completely off in almost every way — continuity, lessons learned, historical context, plot resolution, etc. — like she was trying to cater to fans of the 2005 Felicity movie instead of honoring her original vision.
January 1, 2018
This is a cute quick read. It definitely shows what could’ve happened during the Colonial Era and how marriages of the day worked. I’m just glad Elizabeth and Felicity didn’t get into too much trouble after all their shenanigans
May 17, 2025
A lighthearted read that mixed things up by having Elizabeth as the main character. A little less heartwarming and descriptive in the way I usually find with Felicity books, but I can probably blame that on lack of nostalgia.
October 29, 2011
It was terribly horrible! Tooo prissy!!!!!!!!! This book is to me said in 3 words. I. HATED. IT!!!!And heres a piece of advice... NEVER READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 16, 2024
Is anyone else pretty sure Ben and Lord Harry hooked up
February 27, 2018
Well, I don't hate it. And it's certainly not the worst thing I've read. But I didn't fancy it much, either.
I have to say that it's in part because it wasn't what I expected. I had just skimmed through Felicity's original series,* so as to get the picture of what Elizabeth as a character was in there. And I found her interesting, complex. I like in that.
Then I went to this. And it's like somebody else's interpretation of her. Like it was written off of a memory of what the character was like the Felicity's series. I don't recall her being this mischievous, or messing with her sister so much and in such a way. The book does mention that it's due to Felicity's influence, and I can see it. And I imagine that this could be showing more of things that the original series, and in a different way. Still, I feel like I'm readying about a slight different character.
I also have trouble with some of how Felicity is portrayed.
Seriously. I feel like I am reading about the original characters. Just different versions that, as I said, were based of a vague memory. At times even Annabelle seems off.
I do like that it shows the relationship between Elizabeth and Annabelle. They are so often at each other's throats, but this shows how the sisters can have their moments of care for each other. I always like things like that.
I must also say, I can relate to Elizabeth with her feeling about Miss Priscilla. I'm tired of her from just reading about her. She's horrible. The author captured how miserable Priscilla very well. And the sad part is, I can see her as realistic character. I can see someone being like her in real life. Which, I don't know how to feel about...
I wish I could give this a 2.5. Two stars seems too low, but three seems too high. So I'll go with two, as it seems better suited for here.
*Reviews to come. Eventually. Maybe.
I have to say that it's in part because it wasn't what I expected. I had just skimmed through Felicity's original series,* so as to get the picture of what Elizabeth as a character was in there. And I found her interesting, complex. I like in that.
Then I went to this. And it's like somebody else's interpretation of her. Like it was written off of a memory of what the character was like the Felicity's series. I don't recall her being this mischievous, or messing with her sister so much and in such a way. The book does mention that it's due to Felicity's influence, and I can see it. And I imagine that this could be showing more of things that the original series, and in a different way. Still, I feel like I'm readying about a slight different character.
I also have trouble with some of how Felicity is portrayed.
Seriously. I feel like I am reading about the original characters. Just different versions that, as I said, were based of a vague memory. At times even Annabelle seems off.
I do like that it shows the relationship between Elizabeth and Annabelle. They are so often at each other's throats, but this shows how the sisters can have their moments of care for each other. I always like things like that.
I must also say, I can relate to Elizabeth with her feeling about Miss Priscilla. I'm tired of her from just reading about her. She's horrible. The author captured how miserable Priscilla very well. And the sad part is, I can see her as realistic character. I can see someone being like her in real life. Which, I don't know how to feel about...
I wish I could give this a 2.5. Two stars seems too low, but three seems too high. So I'll go with two, as it seems better suited for here.
*Reviews to come. Eventually. Maybe.
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