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Summary: The story of a strong women in the making
Review: When I began this novel I was a little put off by its childlike method of narration and lack of punctuation or consistent timeline. Fortunately I kept reading and was able to get to know the little hero of the novel and to be in almost awe of her strength and intelligence. What is most in need of commending is Ellen's persistence in maintaining her sanity and not falling prey to those who try and tear apart her spirit. She manages to stay strong though out losing her loved parent, being bounced from abusive households, and being verbally and sexually abused. Never once does Ellen stop and feel sorry for herself, she only gears herself up and creates a plan for her next move. The ending will truly touch your heart as it did mine. The book reads almost like a young girl's diary, and lets the reader fully focus on the main characters without being sidetracked by insignificant details that do not add to building the personality of Ellen. Very rarely do we get to read the story of a young girl who is in the process of becoming a strong and intelligent women. This book is a strong recommend!
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Summary: Doesn't hold the title of being an Oprah book
Review: I was really disappointed with ELLEN FOSTER! I love Oprah's books, but this one just wasn't like the others. First of all, the book was very tiny, and it shouldn't be considered a novel. Also, Kaye Gibbons writes odd. ELLEN FOSTER was written in past tense, so there were no quotation marks to notify dialogue, so it was hard to tell who/when/and what was being said. Also, Ellen is very two dimensional, and isn't someone you'll remember for a while. This book does have a good message, which you'll understand when you've finished it :)
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Summary: Ellen Foster is one savvy girl.
Review: In her first novel, Kaye Gibbons has unerringly created anindependent, candid & humorous voice of a rural Carolinian girlrecounting how she got herself a new mother. Ellen introduces us to her best friend, Starletta, a younger colored girl whom she is finally having over for the weekend in her new mom's home. Ellen introduces us to her prejudices too & we witness her feelings for Starletta & her family surmount those fears. Ellen chats with us in a knowing irony about how she sees the world, about the adults in her life, the way they control each other and her plans for her new life. A marvelous read!...
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Summary: SLOW GOING
Review: I STARTED READING 'ELLEN FOSTER' A FEW DAYS AGO..I THINK IT IS VERY SLOW AND HARD TO KEEP UP WITH...I THOUGHT THAT AS I GOT INTO THE BOOK IT WOULD EVENTUALLY SPEED UP, BUT IT DID NOT..I MAY TRY AGAIN LATER. THIS IS NOT THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE...I READ CONSTANTLY
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Summary: Read Ellen Foster!
Review: For an english assigment, we chose to read the book Ellen Foster. We found it to be interesting and it held our attention. The story of this young girl, Ellen, shows how tough it can be to grow up in this world. You see how she learns to deal with the problems that she is faced with. You will be impressed with the courage that she maintains throughout the novel. By reading this book you learn a very valuble lesson. You learn to appreciate what you have and take less things for granted.
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Summary: LIfe of a troubled eleven year old
Review: This book started out slow, but as I continued to read it, I could not put it down. Poor Ellen Foster, to go through what that eleven year old girl had gone through was amazing. It was so lifelike, and at times actually brought tears to my eyes. Being shifted from one home to another. The only part of this book that was a little disapointing to me was, I would of liked to of known what happened to Ellen. Yes she finally found a home, but what happened to her later on? Could there be a Ellen Foster #2?
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Summary: Old Ellen
Review: I started this book with great expectations, and Mrs. Gibbons delivered quite well. Some parts were confusing, but soon I grew accustomed to the unique voice of the tough child-woman, Ellen. She had a beautiful name, but an ugly life. Her father killed her mother emotionally. Ellen cleverly avoided him, but was inevitably bounced from uncaring relative to uncaring relative. In some ways, these family members were crueler than her dad. Despite her trials, the brave girl(really more of an old woman than a child) never gave up the search for love. She found it in unconventional but kind people like a black friend named Starletta, a hippie couple, and finally a foster family. She kept her grit and was more concerned about others than herself. Many of the events are disturbing, but you survive them as Ellen did: through hope and black humor. Overall, the book is uplifting. I reccomend it to almost anyone.
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Summary: Beautifully Melodious
Review: It begins like a song--Slow, lilting, rising and falling on thecrests of a young girl's voice. She is painfully honest in herdiscourse, simultaneously marking the events of her past with her current life. From the first sentence, the reader is swept away by Ellen's sincerity. Ellen Foster speaks with wisdom, the kind of wisdom acquired by earning, rather than learning. ELLEN FOSTER is an intensely visual book, painting a colorful landscape of faces, expressions, sun-bleached roads and loneliness. The texture of the characters is amazingly realistic, completely absorbing the reader. Ellen seems to embrace this trait, even in her dissertation. Behind Ellen's words lies her motivation: To make amends for failing her mother. I read this book in one sitting, and while it is chided for being short, I scoff at such criticism. How can one judge the merit of a book by its length? Are we to be judged by our height alone? Of course not, and both propositions are ludicrous. Its modest length only adds to the appropriateness of the book. In no part of it do you feel Kaye Gibbons is rushing to get finished, or to "tie up loose ends." Ellen takes her time, at her own pace, slowly knocking out the words of her life in one long breath. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone. It captures perfectly the essence of a life, the beauty therein and the lessons learned from our brief glimpse of it.
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Summary: Nothing special
Review: I heard a lot of hype about this book about how moving it was, but generally I found that this book was extremely boring and slow-moving. If your teacher assigns this for school, try to pick another book because even though it's a short book I had to struggle to stay awake.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: If you're looking for a short, but excellent read to take along on your Spring Break vacation, this is it! It is a touching story that is also full of laughs, and I totally recommend it!
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