Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of)

Sort Of Adaptations #1

by Kathleen Gros

Inspired by Anne of Green Gables, contemporary middle grade graphic novel Anne follows feisty red-haired Anne, who finally finds the perfect foster family and confronts her perhaps more-than-platonic feelings for her new best friend Diana.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, LGBT, Comics, Fiction, Retellings, Childrens

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally the queer Anne of Green Gables retelling we all deserve! Anne from author/illustrator Kathleen Gros is an adorable modern adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s classic story that takes Anne (with an E) from the foster home into the Avonlea Apartment building to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. They originally hoped to adopt a young child (instead of just a boy as in the original) but clerical errors landed them with Anne and the three grow to become a family while Anne’s feelings for her friend Diana might be blossoming into something more than friends. Kathleen Gros has previously adapted Little Women into a queer retelling, Jo: A Graphic Novel, which was also quite lovely and fun and her artwork and storytelling are quite charming here again. Set in the present day, we see Anne go through many of the events you’d expect, such as the disastrous hair dye (though the cherry cordial scene is missing), along with fun new directions like Anne being part of a zine making group (and it gives directions on how to make your own zine!). This is a really cute retelling and we finally get the Anne/Diana romance we deserve.

[Tiana Hadnt · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. No. And no. Write your own doggone stories, and leave beloved characters alone. Or do you have such a small amount of creativity that you have to be a hack and steal a better piece of work? Why is it that you have such a desire to force on young children (both boys and girls) that you can’t have a best friend without having to question your sexuality? Why is it no longer allowed to love a friend ONLY as a friend. It has to be turned into something more, when - SURPRISE!!!!! - many people have best friends that they love like a brother or sister AND NOTHING MORE. Or do you only have the ability to comprehend romantic love and no other kind? If you want a lesbian romance, make up your own lesbian characters and write about them. But don’t bastardize one of the most quintessential female friendships in children’s lit history, one that taught a lot of us what friendship could look like. It’s lazy, it’s insulting, and it’s in extremely poor taste.

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I very quickly and cursively skimmed through some of Kathleen Gros' Anne: An Adaption of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of), her 2022 graphic novel adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (and which is one of my all time favourite novels) at a local bookstore, and with very much personal annoyance and angry frustration decided to both not purchase Anne: An Adaption of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) and to also do something that I in fact only very very rarely do, to rate Anne: An Adaption of Anne of Green Gables (Sort of) with but one star even though I only managed to read very little of the presented text, before giving up on Kathleen Gros' featured storyline. But yes indeed, what I did read in Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of), I absolutely and totally vehemently have totally despised, and while I did manage to somewhat grudgingly enjoy Gros' graphic novel adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women), I could not (and will not) do the same regarding Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort of) (and that I also totally and utterly stand by this and equally by my one star rating). For honestly, the entire premise of Anne: An Adaption of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) (and even though Kathleen Gros does claim her book is only "sort of" an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables), it really and massively does rub me the wrong proverbial way that Gros has taken the beautiful, lovely and oh so rewarding and sweet friendship between Anne Shirley and Diana Barry and has turned this not into a friendship but into something romantic, Lesbian, into a same sex type of romance.

But just to be perfectly clear here, I actually do not AT ALL have issues with same sex relationships and with homosexual and Lesbian characters (both in adult and in children's literature). But indeed, I do utterly and totally have humongous reading issues with authors like Kathleen Gros taking a classic novel of friendship between two girls (like what Lucy Maud Montgomery shows and depicts between Anne Shirley and Diana Barry in Anne of Green Gables) and retelling the original narrative by altering it from a friendship story into a same sex romance relationship account. I mean, Ms. Gros, why do you not simply write your own pieces of fiction, and leave beloved characters like Anne Shirley (and also Jo March) alone? Therefore yes, and totally unapologetically, I also must admit that I definitely and actively rather resent and despise Kathleen Gros for turning Anne Shirley into a Lesbian in Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) and considerably more so than when Gros basically did basically pretty much the same with Louisa May Alcott's Jo March in Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (and against my better judgment, I am also left wondering if Kathleen Gros actually does have some kind of ridiculous agenda here and seems intent on adapting and changing more and more classic children's books into same sex relationship accounts, and come on, why should close friendships between two girls, like is the case with Anne and Diana in Anne of Green Gables have to be rendered into possible or probable Lesbianism in far too many "modern" adaptations). And combined with the fact that Kathleen Gros' Anne Shirley also in my opinion majorly lacks the spark, imagination and quirky wittiness that make her so textually appealing and lovable in Anne of Green Gables, no, I am not wasting any more of my precious reading time with Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, and I frankly also think that Kathleen Gros turning Anne Shirley into a potential Lesbian is an insult to both Anne of Green Gables and to Lucy Maud Montgomery.

[aarya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet Anne/Diana graphic novel adaptation set in the Avon-Lea apartment complex, but the artwork wasn’t my favorite. Also: it was a missed opportunity to omit the raspberry cordial disaster because it could’ve added interesting angst to the burgeoning Anne/Diana romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[sana ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars <3
i love this author’s work because she always includes such great diversity and inclusivity. i also enjoy how she includes stating pronouns like she did in her book about jo. i’ve also always wanted to see anne and diana together, so this was great <3 i’m really excited to see more from this author in this future. i think this was really wonderful and i liked it even more than her book about jo. the characterization of anne was lovely. while the artwork isn’t my favorite style (especially in terms of the way the characters are drawn), it’s very unique. i wasn’t very fond of gilbert at first, but he had his redemption !!
thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for this ARC !

[Sarah Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

ITS ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (which i haven't read) BUT ANNE AND DIANNA ARE GAY like what more do you want???

full rtc 💗

[Anya Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome queer adaptation of a childhood favourite of mine 🥰

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey Alexa, play “Lucky” by Malinda

I don’t know how to describe it but reading this felt extremely healing for my inner tween. I saw a lot of my younger self just in the way Anne talked. (Most of) The adults around her were so emotionally mature and healthy and made her home so safe and ACKKK—warm fuzzies everywhere. I love that we got a sweet, happy, queer coming-of-age story. Honestly, everyone should read this for the lessons on emotional intelligence alone. I’ll have to sift through this in the morning and share some of the profound quotes!
I’m giving this five stars for the characters, the plot, the relationships, and to spite all of the butthurt purist homophobes who rated this one star. 🙄
Apparently this hit a tender spot for me because I feel so weepy. This is going on the same shelf as “Heartstopper” and my other comfort reads

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟 Wasn't a fan of the artwork at first but it grew on me. This was a cute read and a nice way to spend an evening. Would have loved to see more of everyone and to see more of the romance.

The romance was a small part of the story, it was cute :)

I haven't read the original yet (it's on the list) but I will get to it soon ish:)

Some touching moments, some laughs, one instance in particular of holding my breath, and some tearing up.

Would recommend 👌

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anne Shirley has grown up in the foster care system and has lived in more places than she wants to remember. However, things seem to be looking up when she’s placed with Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla. Despite the Cuthberts hoping for a little kid, they’re happy with the sweet, creative, thoughtful, and friendly pre-teen that has been placed with them. Now that Anne has made friends and started school, she hopes her placement with the Cuthberts will last a long time.

I grew up with Anne of Green Gables because my mom was a huge fan, so I was excited when I saw this modern retelling of the story. We follow Anne in a modern setting as she’s placed in the care of the Cuthberts due to a glitch in the system saying they don’t have a preference about who gets placed with them. Combine that with Anne’s lifelong experiences in the foster care system, she’s terrified that she’ll be moved any time she’s less than perfect. Thankfully, the Cuthberts don’t mind and instead work with her to make things right as well as learn important lessons.

I loved watching Anne grow and flourish in this new setting. There are characters and incidents kept from the original, but overall, this retelling does wonders while staying true to the original content. The artwork is fun and colorful and the characters are fun to follow. I found myself getting more and more absorbed into the story the longer I read it. I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings, and while Anne’s story was never a fairytale, it was so much fun to see it retold in a new setting with the author’s take on it. We watch Anne make friends, settle into a reliable and solid life, and see her realize that she’s developed a crush on her best friend. I especially loved the Cuthberts because they’re such kind and caring people who are perfect guardians teaching lessons and open to learning themselves.

All in all, this was a wonderful read that also teaches important lessons to its target audience. It’s also a great way to introduce younger generations to Anne of Green Gables before diving into the original story as well as all the live action adaptations that have been made over the years.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the appeal for me of Anne of Green Gables is the big, exaggerated personalities of all the characters and their often ridiculous antics. This retelling that moves the people and events of the original novel to the present day, while fairly good, unfortunately chooses to soften everyone and everything just a bit too much.

The orphaned Anne Shirley isn't quite as voluble, choosing to express herself almost as much in a diary/sketchbook. Foster parent Matthew Cuthbert isn't quite as introverted, and his sister Marilla Cuthbert isn't nearly so rigid (seeing her with a hip haircut and stylish glasses reminds me of my shock as long-time comic book fan at the casting of Marisa Tomei as Aunt May Parker in the most recent Spider-Man films).

Even the setting is softened. Is it still Prince Edward Island? Or is it even in Canada? Vancouver is mentioned once, but the Avon-Lea apartment building could easily be in any mid-sized city in Canada or the United States.

Some of the modernizing is more successful than other parts. For instance, Anne gets involved in making zines with a school club, and the book maybe goes a little overboard on the actual production of zines. But on the other hand, a favorite fan theory about Anne Shirley is delightfully brought to fruition here.

This is my third graphic novel adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. I'd say this ties with Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden and Brenna Thummler, but my favorite remains the energetic Manga Classics: Anne of Green Gables> by Crystal Chan and Kuma Chan.

[rachel, x · Rating 4 out of 5]

➸ Trigger warnings for coming out scenes, foster care system, and bullying.

▷ Representation: Anne & Diana (mc/li) are sapphic; BIPOC scs.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[Reading with Yolandas Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book / graphic novels👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so precious. anne shirley was a character i loved growing up, and as an adult, i see that that’s because she read as queer to me. so lovely and special to read a queer retelling of this story i loved growing up!

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't for me. I felt that the spark and everything that I enjoyed in the original was missing. Perhaps, if I hadn't expected that I would have liked it more.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a graphic novel adaptation of “Anne of Green Gables”. It’s also set in a more current time period. Most of the characters are in it, and many of the events, but not all. There is more diversity in this one.

The characters had pretty much the same personalities (as in the original), but it was a bit odd to have Matthew and Marilla living in an apartment (called the Avon-Lea) in a city. It was good, but it’s just so hard to live up to the original. That being said, it’s probably not the original book in my mind (I have read it twice, but it’s been a while), but the CBC miniseries from the mid-80s, which remains one of my all-time favourite movies. I liked the artwork.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like adaptations or "continuations" of classics that are set in the same time as the original, but I consistently enjoy when they are modernized. Anne is a fantastic example of this! The characters felt so true to the original and the modern day updates were a graceful fit. The art and story is very obviously meant for a middle grade audience but I loved reading it too.

[apryl-rose carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

sapphic anne of green gables?? everything my twelve year old little queer heart could’ve ever dreamed of.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Beth Given · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute modern adaptation of a classic. Loved seeing familiar scenes from Anne of Green Gables that were updated: Matthew brings Anne home to the Avon-Lea apartment building; truth-or-dare with Josie and Ruby and Diana leads to walking a balcony railing; Anne borrows hair dye which turns her red hair green; Anne spies a beautiful, fancy dress at a thrift store that Matthew and Marilla buy for her. I think a lot of the charm of this book is because I love the original, though I also enjoyed the strong theme of belonging, which is something a lot of twelve-year-olds (and adults!) can relate to.

The most notable departure from the original is Anne's discovering of her sexuality and beginning a romantic relationship with her best friend Diana. The physical relationship depicted is very tame: hand-holding and a chaste kiss on the dance floor. The relationship reinforces the theme of Anne seeking to belong, as herself, and I appreciated that this was a positive experience for Anne and Diana.

[Harley Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although pretty different from the original story I think this is the perfect modern adaptation 💖 I love how much the author highlighted that Anne is painted to be too sensitive but in reality is just always standing up for herself, I love you Anne 😭

[Lydia Doble · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parents beware - I bought for my 7 and 8 year old thinking it was the great Anne of green gables classic made into a graphic novel. It is not. It’s turned into a lgtb story. Wouldn’t recommend for younger children.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this. For anyone who always thought Anne and Diana were meant to be, then this is an Anne of Green Gables graphic adaptation you need to read.

[haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[amelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily carr illustration grad…. I must meet her.

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Anne of Green Gables (specifically the movie starring Megan Follows). This felt like such a great modernization. All the best parts of the original (movie at least) are there but all the updates needed to bring it into 2024. A queer Anne of Green Gables is just the sort of character I can’t wait to introduce my daughter to!

[Dramapuppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, great ending

[丰春苹༄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

v cute and gay retelling 🥰

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive a digital ARC of this graphic novel from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. As someone who has been a fan of Anne of Green Gables since she was a little kid, I found it to be an enjoyable modern retelling of the story.

Anne is a child who has been shuffled from foster home to foster home and it seems that things are finally moving in the right direction when she moves in with the Cuthberts. The story is one that teaches important life lessons without being too preachy. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and story lines enriches the story and allows for Anne with an E to reach even wider modern day audiences.

Overall I enjoyed it. A quick read for an adult, I can see myself recommending, or even buying, a copy of this graphic novel for my nieces when it’s released in October.

I would definitely recommend this to my family, friends and students as a book that can help broaden horizons and give a sense of belonging that I missed out on since books like this weren’t readily available when I was a kid.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.