Anna

by Laura Guthrie

Every cloud has a silver lining. Doesn’t it?

Anna is thirteen years old, lives in London with her father, and has Asperger’s syndrome. When her father dies she travels up to the Scottish Central Belt to live with her estranged, reclusive mother. With little support to help her fit in, she must use everything her father taught her – especially her ‘Happy Game’ – to integrate into her new community, connect with her mother, discover her past, and cope with the challenges along the way.

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2020

About the author

Laura Guthrie is a Scottish writer. She is a Creative Writing PhD graduate from the University of Glasgow, researching Eleanor H. Porter’s Pollyanna and the representation of Asperger's syndrome in children's fiction. She is the winner of the 2005 Urquhart and Glen Moriston Arts Medal, and 2016 Exeter Story Prize. She writes short and long fiction, poetry, songs and stage plays.

Reviews

[* ✧ ･ﾟcara ･ﾟ✧ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heart-warming and uplifting book about re-gaining important relationships, coming to terms with the past and being brave when faced with new challenges.

This is such a sweet story full of hope and love. This book had simplicity, which I loved as it was easy to follow Anna’s story but also to empathise with her and understand what she was going through.

[Lydia (Readerofrivendell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. YA contemporary is not normally my thing but I was so intrigued by the synopsis I just knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. Told through the eyes of Anna, a 13 year old girl with Asperger’s, this story was full of hope, love and joy. Anna doesn’t completely understand the full story and everything that is going on and so this story is all about Anna piecing things together and learning how to deal with her new life in Scotland. Honestly the book is so well written and I love each character! The gaps of information and lack of understanding fits so well with Anna’s understanding of the situation and is cleverly written. I wasn’t a huge fan of the last section of the book, as it felt a bit unnecessary to the story and there was suddenly so much happening but I still loved this book overall! In fact I stayed up till 4am reading it 🙈 would highly recommend for a wholesome book full of hope 🌈

[StaceyWare19 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Anna. 🌈
Thank you to @lovebookstours for inviting me on the tour, @catherinespark the author and @cranachanbooks for a #gifted copy of the book.
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Every cloud has a silver lining, dosen’t it...Anna is thirteen years old, lives in London with her father, and has Asperger’s syndrome.
When her father dies , she moves to Scotland to live with her estranged, reclusive mother.
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With little support to help her for in, she must use every coping strategy her father taught her - especially her ‘Happy Game’ - as she tried to connect with her mother, discover her past, and deal with the challenges of being thrown into a brand new life along the way.
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First of all I need to comment on the stunning cover, with its gorgeous sky blue backing and the beautiful wording and rainbow! Simple but striking! 🌈
This author is new to me, and I will be reading more of her books.
I like the simplicity of the writing style and how easy it is to pick up and read.
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This book is the first book I have read without chapters which took a little getting used to at first.
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Anna is a wonderful character who brings sunshine to everybody’s day, she looks at the world literally due to her Aspergers and has a whole case full of coping strategies that she has learnt to help her to get through many challenging situations.
Her mum is slightly harder to like at first and get to know as she comes across as very reserved but once you get to know her you completely understand why she has her barriers put up.
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This is very heart warming and certainly gives you an insight into the world of someone who has Aspergers. #blogtour

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative follows thirteen year old Anna Whitear. She has recently moved from London to Scotland to live with her estranged mother after the sudden death of her father. Anna has Asperger’s syndrome and struggles to understand social situations. Now faced with a new way of life she tries to connect with her mother and understand more about her past. We watch her adjust to her surroundings, meeting a mixture of characters along the way.

Anna is an intriguing character to read. To view the world through her eyes is a surreal experience that makes you appreciate all the little things in life. She takes in all the tiny details of her surroundings that we all often overlook. She likes how her mother’s neighbourhood is a lot quieter than London and the wallpaper has imprints. Guthrie’s writing heightens your senses and brings the scenes to life, fresh off the page dancing into your mind. I loved every second and couldn’t get enough.

It was interesting and also enjoyable to read a first person narrative where the character has Asperger’s syndrome. I learned a lot that I was priorly oblivious to. Anna would often clench and unclench her hands in stressful situations. Loud sudden noises made her put her fingers in her ears and so she anticipates anytime this could possibly happen such as toast popping out the toaster. People don’t always understand her and that can be frustrating as she doesn’t get why people can’t see what she sees. She notices that the park is littered with rubbish and makes it her mission to clean it up. The blind man at the library forgot his dog and she makes sure that they are reunited. She notices that the next door neighbour always has the curtains drawn and wonders how she can make them happy. Anna has nothing but good intentions and is drawn to help people. It is infectious to read as the good deeds she carries out are second nature to her. Guthrie has written a truly likeable and much loved character that makes us all wish we had a friend like Anna in our lives.

A variety of characters encounter Anna almost daily. The person she met on the bus and played noughts and crosses with turns out to be Ben, a doctor at the local Gp. The Skeleton Man that lives in the big manor house that threatened to skin her alive has a sad backstory. Mrs. No the next door neighbour who shuts herself away from the world starts to enjoy life again after Anna visits her with a homemade broth. At the solicitors the receptionist is also called Anna and they both fill up the tea and coffee machine naming it Garry. These are just to name a few. I loved watching Anna interact with people and was always curious how she would bewitch the next person she meets. There is something magical about her as everyone she meets remarks on her witchy ways, putting people under a spell. Guthrie’s characters have tragic, unfortunate backgrounds that force them to put on the façade of being a grump, annoyed at the world and its problems. Many of us would not waste our time in finding out why these people are the way they are but Anna is different. She only sees ways to make them smile, be happy and enjoy life again. It’s mesmerising to watch her enchant the community and its residents, bringing everyone together and showing nothing but love. It’s remarkable writing. Guthrie has strongly bonded these characters together, all because a curious thirteen year old walked into their lives.

The relationship between Anna and her mother Patty, is tense. There is little communication as Patty is often working and even when at home she distances herself. It’s a long, slow process as these two characters tiptoe around the details of the past which only adds to the awkward atmosphere. However there are points where Patty attempts to form a bond with Anna and even takes her shopping for a new coat. The whole experience is a strange one with Patty not understanding why Anna prefers the men’s section and wants a flowerpot hat. Patty herself is a complex character fighting her own demons, she shuts herself off from people whereas Anna just wants to help. Much like the stray cat that Anna feeds bits of food to, Patty is scared and feels cornered which causes instincts to take over and attack when the hand of affection is offered. We watch with anticipation as the relationship slowly mends throughout the narrative while remaining protective of Anna. It’s difficult to not form an attachment to her. You want her to reconnect and have that mother-daughter relationship with Patty but at the same time you remain wary and on edge. Guthrie pulls you in, makes you feel deeply for the characters and you are compelled to watch the story unfold.

I give Anna By Laura Guthrie a Five out of Five paw rating.

An extraordinary coming of age story about a strong, enchanting woman who captivates all that she meets while dealing with her own personal struggles. Anna combines the good and the bad together, like the sun and the rain creating a spectacular ray of colours that fill and dazzle the sky.

Heartwarming and uplifting, Anna will find her way into your heart. She brings a ray of sunshine to everyone she meets, reminding us all to be kind to each other, enjoy and love life.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I knew this should have been a happy thing. Maybe happiness just didn’t feel like how I thought it ought to feel. It certainly seemed a small reward for such a lot of chasing by so many people in so many different times and places. But if Dad seemed to think it was worth chasing as hard as he did, for as long as he did, and in the many different ways that he did, then there must be something to it.

Anna is a thirteen-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder (she identifies as Asperger's syndrome), we meet her on a bus bound for her mother's house in Scotland. Her father has recently died (under circumstances it takes us a while to learn), and after a brief period in Foster Care, she's on her way to live with her mother—a woman she has had no contact with for over a decade.

It takes no time at all for the reader to see that Mom wasn't ready to take custody—in any sense. Anna's confused by her new reality—as anyone would be, exasperated by ASD. She wanders around the neighborhood meeting people. There's a varied and colorful cast of characters that we're introduced to—of various ages, social levels, professions. Anna's interactions with them tell us plenty about her as well as them all.

Anna's a delightful girl with her own particular way of looking at the world. It's a pleasure to see things through her eyes and watch the way her mind works. The people she surrounds herself with—both by circumstance and choice—are almost as fun and rewarding to read about. For example, her mother learns how to be a mother—actually, she learns how to be Anna's mother—and finds some healing for the circumstances that led to her separation from Anna and her father.

Happiness is the theme—and not a subtle one—of the book. Anna's focus on it is one of the first things we encounter when we meet her and she doesn't let us lose sight of it. She sees a lot of different ways that happiness can be found/expressed, but her goal (something her father taught her) is to find it in all circumstances. This perspective is catching, and her new friends and family start to do it—I think I spent a bit more time looking for it while I read the book, too.

An unexpected highlight for me was the way Guthrie used Christians and Anna's mother's church in this book. This is not Christian Fiction—and bears none of its hallmarks. But it is filled with solid, believing, Church-going people. Not morally perfect, hypocritical or judgmental, or any of the too typical ways that Christians are generally depicted. But people of faith, who've made mistakes, sinned against each other, and have found/are finding restoration—and along the way, are aided by the others in the church. I also liked the church services—the way Anna's mother explains them to her brought a huge smile to my face. There's no preaching to the reader involved, but we get to see faith in action and its effects.

I have two, related, complaints with the book. The first is that the book is just too short—this is really more of a backhanded compliment. I think each member of her extended family could've used more time, more character development. Maybe it's just because I enjoyed spending time with all of them—and it's clear that we only get the highlights of the relationships in the novel. But I think it's a little more. If scenes had been given just a little more space to develop, I think it'd have been a little stronger of a novel.

The second complaint is along the same lines—it was too rushed, too compact. It felt like Guthrie knew where all the plotlines were supposed to resolve and didn't want the book to go beyond a certain page count. So, the material we get in the last 10% of the book feels like it should've been given at least twice (maybe three times) the number of pages.

This is a charming read, full of heart, humor and love. It's not what I typically read—but when I find this kind of book, it makes me happy. I hope this sounds like the compliment it's supposed to be, but Anna feels like it'd be the kind of thing to introduce to your older MG/younger YA reader if you want them to grow up into a Fredrik Backman reader—the same kind of collection of interesting characters, an idiosyncratic protagonist, and a heartwarming feel. Guthrie's not in Backman's league—yet—but I can see her getting there. I'd enjoy reading more by her in the future, and in the meantime, I'm glad I got to read this—and recommend it to anyone else.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t the type of book I normally review. However, the synopsis of this book intrigued me. My son was diagnosed with Asperger’s almost a year ago at the age of 8, although from the age of 3 he was showing traits of being on the Autistic Spectrum.

I’ve only read one other book where the main character has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I was really interested to see how it would be portrayed.

The story

The book is told in first person from Anna’s point of view. She has lived all her life with her dad, after an accident at their flat her dad passes away. She is moved from the only life she has ever known to Scotland, to live with a mum, who hasn’t, until that point, been in her life.

This is massively traumatic for any child (Anna is 13) but having Asperger’s makes an awful situation that much worse. Anna has to draw on all the coping mechanisms she has been taught. As she finds out what really happened with her mum and dad all those years ago and secrets from the community bubble to the surface. She has to readjust her expectations and learn to navigate a whole new way of being.

I have to be honest the story itself didn’t completely grab me, but it is not my normal genre. There were a couple of continuity issues that bothered me a little. In one scene they are taking about playing a CD in the car, two pages later it is a cassette. It only happened a couple of times but I do feel that should have been picked up.

Representation

The representation of Asperger’s in this book is spot on. If you want to know how someone with Asperger’s manages day to day then you need to read this. I saw my son in so many of Anna’s behaviours.

As it is told in first person you see the world through her eyes. Anna focuses on the tiny little details most of us just pass over, it makes some sections wordy but it is exactly as it should be. Her interactions with people using scripts she has learned and trying to interpret facial expressions is something we are currently doing with my son.

There were so many relatable experiences, the social masking, the uncontrolled build of anger, coping mechanisms and the literal thinking. This last one made me smile. Anna is told that someone has skeletons in their closet and she wonders why anyone would want to keep a skeleton. We’ve had a very similar experience.

Final Thoughts

Laura has written a book that, in my opinion, really represents what it is like to live with Asperger’s. I don’t know her background but Laura must have personal experience. It was so spot on to what we, as a family, deal with day to day.

If you want to educate yourself on what it is like to live with Asperger’s, I highly recommend you pick up this book.

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although aimed at the YA market I'd recommend this wonderful book to anyone.  

Laura Guthrie nailed the character of Anna perfectly and writing a first person account of Anna's adventures really put you in the shoes of the character.  Anna is 13 and has Asperger's syndrome and sees and experiences the world in a different way to many.  The struggles and thoughts that some people with Asperger's may go through are really brought to life in this book and I'm so pleased that the perspective is generally a positive one.  As a parent of a child with autism I'd say the representation is realistic and brilliantly representative.  It's such a difficult characteristic to capture as no two people are the same but I think Laura has done a wonderfully accurate job.   

Anna is a delightful character and I love the little tricks and strategies she has for dealing with a variety of situations. The author takes us through Anna's adjustment to her new life, her thoughts, reactions and the little things she comes across.  Adventures that may seem mundane and everyday to most of us become interesting and wonderful when witnessed through Anna's eyes.

The other characters in the book really come to life too as Anna gets to know them.  Unlike most novels we aren't rushed into learning about them.  The reader gets to know them in the same time and manner that Anna does.  I loved this way of discovering characters through the eyes of another (child) character. 

This is an adorable and uplifting novel told form a unique perspective and I loved it.  

[Annemarie Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Guthrie’s impressive debut novel ‘Anna’ is a beautifully lyrical account of a young girl’s struggle to deal with a life turned upside down by the death of her beloved father. It is a story that tugs at the heart, but is never sentimental.
After her father’s death Anna is sent to live with strangers, far from the only home she can remember. The new world that awaits her seems harsh and uncaring, but Anna’s indomitable spirit refuses to be crushed. Anna has autism and her struggle to read other people and understand what motivates them makes her life challenging – but at other times her ability to look straight into the heart of things forces the people around her to question themselves and the way they behave.
The ‘happy game’ invented by her father helps Anna maintain a positive outlook in sometimes overwhelmingly difficult circumstances and for most of the time, she succeeds, despite moments of grief when she is forced to confront harsh truths about her past. Anna knows that it doesn’t matter what cards you are dealt in life, what matters is how you play them. As she learns to adjust to her new world, other people are learning from her. Poignant, sad and funny, Anna’s life is a tribute to the resilience and determination of youth.

[Siobhán♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her father dies Anna is sent to live with her mother. Things aren't as easy as Anna hopes.
She plays this 'Happy Game' that helps her cope and meets a friend along the way.
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I really really enjoyed this book! Anna's character was so well presented and thought of. Anna is a thirteen year old girl who has Aspergers. She is kind, caring and loving. Anna connects with anyone she talks to and has a way of making you smile. Even though she herself is confused, Anna still chooses to help others and care for others before herself. She is such an inspiring character and one who could become a role model for younger readers.
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When I first read the description, I'll admit I was expecting Anna to perhaps be a bit aggressive as every book I've read that has someone with Aspergers in it is aggressive. Anna helped me understand Aspergers more and helped me realise that not everyone with Aspergers is aggressive, you can come across some really beautiful people, inside and out. And this message is a beautiful one.
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Laura's writing style was also fab! Her way of writing made the book a fast-paced and beautifully heart-warming story to be shared with all. I would highly recommend reading this book! You won't regret it, trust me! 🥰

[Kirsti Ferguson (MrsFegFiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, sweet story that follows 13 year old Anna as she navigates her way through the loss of her Father and has to make a big move to Scotland to live with her estranged Mother. 
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Anna has Asperger's syndrome and she has a number of tactics she uses to help her in everyday situations. She plays "The Happy Game" where she takes a moment of happiness out of everything she experiences, and this resonated with me as something we could all try to do more of. 

I love how Anna sees everything so literal and she made me laugh out loud many times, especially during her times with Mrs No, and when she would believe sayings to be true such as "he'll skin you alive" She's a sweet soul that sees the good wherever she can and she touches many characters in the book for the better.
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Having lost my parents at the same age as Anna in the book, i found some of it to be very close to the bone, but that just means that the book is written well. I could really empathise with Anna and her conflicting feelings towards both her parents. 
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The last 50 pages or so took a different turn, and personally I would have been happy for the novel to finish before this section. However, it did hammer home Anna's resilience and that a winning attitude can help overcome many obstacles. 

This book also has no chapters!! Say what?! I found it odd at first, but actually it's a great metaphor for how Anna's brain is constantly moving and the fact that life doesn't stop!
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4 Stars from me
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Thank you @cranachanbooks and @lovebookstours for the #gifted copies

[Kerry-louise Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of 13 year old Anna who’s has lost her father and so has to move to Scotland to live with her estranged mother. Anna has Aspergers* and finds very little support in her new home as she tries to fit in and understand her past.⁣
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What can I say other than I love this book! Anna was so so sweet and loving and I absolutely love that. I think a lot of the time in literature characters with Aspergers* are shown as quiet cold and hard to get on with and I loved that it wasn’t the case in this book.⁣
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There were quiet a few parts that reminded me of Pollyanna and I enjoyed meeting the grumpy bed bound old woman and the old man who had skeletons in his closet and all in between.⁣
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This is a fantastic debut from Laura Guthrie and I can’t wait to see what she writes in the future.⁣
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Thank you so much to @lovebookstours and @cranachanbooks for my #gifted copy in exchanged for a review

*I am aware the term Aspergers was changed to Autistic Spectrum Disorder in 2013, as is the author but the character, Anna, was diagnosed pre-change and thus uses the older term is why I have used it in my review.⁣
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[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic debut. A beautiful story that touched me. It left me with a warm , happy feeling.

I adored Anna, she was such a wise, caring girl. I loved reading the story from her perspective, she made everything seem so carefree.
I was wary of her mum at first, it felt like she was hiding something and this made me worry for Anna’s well-being.
Skeleton man reminded me of the old man in Home Alone who everyone is scared of.

There was a great quote in this book that I will remember and use with my daughter and that was ‘Never make a sticking point out of anything that isn’t glue’, this indeed made me realise that I shouldn’t worry about things that are out of my control.

This book didn’t have chapters, something I was unsure of at first as I like chapters, they feel like a check point but I soon forgot about this as I got stuck into the book.

This book should be in all school libraries. Thank you Cranachan books for the review copy.

[Susanna Janner]

Don’t waste your time reading this, badly written, stilted, projects the thoughts of the main character which don’t ring true; its as if the writer is trying to make Anna express thoughts and feelings which to the reader, don’t add up or make for a realistic, believable character. Bad fortune plagues Anna, including family breakup, an autism diagnosis, the death of her father following a house fire, a weird mother (whose character is also inconsistent) and then at the end, Anna has an accident leaving her permanently disabled and it’s supposed to be a good thing. Plenty of other good books out there, but not this one.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a few books now which explore autism and my problem with them is that they are usually about autism. The character is never really a full person, they are autistic and being autistic consumes their characterisation. Anna is a rich, lovely, relatable, likeable, complete character - who had autism. The language in this book is gorgeous. I love the unusual metaphors and common turn of phrase used in quirky places. Several times I read sections again and just pictured then in my head. A great read.

[Barbara Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An uplifting, thought-provoking and all-round satisfying debut! I flew through Anna, propelled by her defiantly positive outlook on everything life throws at her. A modern take on Polyanna, it echoes some of the plot without ever feeling stale. The most remarkable thing it gave me is an insight into the mind of a character on the autistic spectrum, characterised by possibilities rather than limitations. Excellent.

[india ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, even though the ending was quite confusing. My favourite character was John, Anna's grandpa (who she called the Skeleton Man). The characters were good, the plot was interesting but in my opinion it could've been executed better.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy at all. I liked the narrator and her interactions but the overall plot just got a little much. Also the last 40 pages are weird and I’m still not sure what happened. It all seems a bit like a first novel by someone who didn’t quite know what to do with narrative structure.

[Jane Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful, cheering and compelling

I devoured this book in a single day - it’s warm, wonderful and very readable. Anna will win your heart.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely. Lots of sad moments but also lots of happy moments!

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good took a while to read

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the first half of this book, however found the second half of the book was a bit rushed. (Needed more information)

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about a girl with Aspergers Syndrome but makes it known that although she has certain differences, she is unique and special in her own way. Recommend for 11+