Ellen Foster

Rating:
Summary: I found this book extraordinarily strong
Review: Ellen Foster is the abused and neglected child we all hope really doesn't exist somewhere. Yet she comes to life in this heartwarming, tender, funny, and tragic story of a young girl facing impossible odds. Her determination and strength in the face of incredible adversity spurs the reader on. By the book's end, the reader has gone through every possible range of emotions, but is still left smiling. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this down
Review: I just finished Ellen Foster, in spite of the fact that we've had houseguests all week. What a remarkable story - a compelling read. I am an elementary school reading specialist and work with children who, sadly, come from similarly abusive and disjointed backgrounds. I was struck by how clearly and realistically Gibbons captured Ellen's voice. Children dealt this hand by life so seldom rise above it, but the ones who do exhibit the resilience, intelligence, and resoursefulness that Ellen manifests. We know she is going to make it in life! An excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: To Thine Own Self Be True!
Review: What a powerful story of the strength of the human spirit! Little Ellen Foster was not dealt an easy hand, and yet, she knew who she was, and she knew what she wanted. This book is a great reminder that even though we aren't always given what we want out of life, we CAN go and get it! She wasn't a victim, she was an overcomer, and she did not listen to what the world told her was right, wrong, and proper, she was true to herself and her feelings, even her love and friendship with her little black friend Starletta at a most unpopular time in history. Hooray for Ellen! We should all be like her!

Rating:
Summary: an ok book
Review: I read the book, and didn't like it. the author needs to dig deeper into society, and reasearch the concept. I wouldn't suggest reading it.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book to read
Review: I just finished reading Ellen, because I had to for school. It was a touching story about a girl who had true courage. She did this because she had to, and these things happen all the time in our society so the concept wasn't new to be;however the writing helped express this lifestyle from the girl's point of view. It was the inside feeling of Ellen, which the Kaye expressed that I liked most about the book. It is a book I would encourage people to read.

Rating:
Summary: A touching story, a must read for all Southern lit. fans!
Review: Touching, witty, and poignant, Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is a definite read for Faulkner fans. Gibbons weave's the story of young Ellen Foster in and out of time beginning with Ellen's memories of always wanting to kill her father. The reader is drawn through a set of impressions and left to puzzle out the actual sequence of events. ¶Ellen Foster is a survivor of the stereotypical south. After being abused by both her father and aunt, Ellen finds hope with her new mother, a woman she mistakenly thinks is named Foster. Ellen thus changes her last name out of respect and love for her new family. Can you imagine being so desperate? ¶Ellen Foster is honest, innocent, and naive; in Walker Percy's words she is "the real thing". Her truthful story will move you to laughter and tears. It is without reservation that I wholeheartedly recommend this novel.

Rating:
Summary: THIS ONE YOUNG LADY WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM
Review: I began reading this novel with the notion that it would be a slow page turner.In all actuality, I finished this novel in 3 days. I read with this book with the uttmost repect for this 11-year-old girl. Ellen endured more pain and suffering in her mere 11 years on this earth than most of us will in our lifetime. No matter what came her way, Ellen still managed to walk away with pride and dignity. She proved to have more common sense than most of the adults in her environment. I felt no sympathy for Ellen; rather I felt that she is one tough young woman who will not let anyone shatter her dreams, spirit, and determination. Every woman who has endured family neglect should be able to relate to Ellen, but yet understand that you cannot resort to being a victim, but rather a survivor- JUST LIKE ELLEN FOSTER!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Role Model
Review: As a senior in a very demanding high school I lead a very busy life. I never have much time to spend relaxing but I make time for Kaye Gibbons, Ellen Foster. I could not put this book down after I read the first line. It is a book that made me laugh, cry, and think about the real world. It portrays a girl who lives in a society where child abuse is not as pervasive as it is today. Ellen Foster is living in a very harsh environment. Not only does her mother die while she is a young girl but her only parent left is an alcoholic, abusive father. Ellen is forced to grow up and become an adult at her young age. Ellen knows what is best for herself and she strives to achieve it. Leaving her father, she hopes to find a better home, a better environment, and, most importantly, a new mother. Living in a time of discrimination does not bother Ellen, either. She learns to love her best friend Starletta for who she really is inside instead of hating her for the color of her skin. Ellen ignores society and lives her life as she wants to live it instead of how she is told to live it. She does not listen to what other people say nor does she do what they want her to. She does what she believes to be the right thing in her heart, saving herself from years of abuse that could even kill her as it did her mother. I believe Ellen Foster is a role model for any little girl who lives a similar life to Ellen. In today's society abuse from a parent is all too familiar. It takes a great deal of strength for a young child to get out of an abusive household. Ellen overcomes her weaknesses to do what is best for her. Ellen never wants to be someone else. She only dreams of being a better "Ellen" and this is what other abuse victims need to do. I would definitely recommend this book to any person. It has a way of captivating any heart and taking it along throughout the story of one little girl who overcomes her fears and harsh reality. Kaye Gibbons does a great job. She expresses true reality though Ellen and has a way to reach out to people of all ages and either sex. I thank Kaye Gibbons.

Rating:
Summary: Rescued from being a maudlin tearjerker through sheer talent
Review: How can a story be so harrowing and yet so endearing? Kaye Gibbons has told such a tale in her first novel about a little girl who is so strong, both emotionally and physically, as to boggle the mind. And yet Gibbons hasn't overdone the character, but crafted her into someone extraordinary, not super human. It is the child's humanity that captures your soul when reading about her. It is almost as if eleven-year-old Ellen is, in reality, a grownup who wished that she could go back to childhood knowing all she does right now-and got her wish--forgetting all the trauma and heartbreak of that childhood. Ellen's family is like a modern-day version of the Borgias; horrendous, evil people. How she manages to get past them; their cruelty, their prejudices; and ahead with her own life is provided by the child's pure need for survival and love. This is an incredible book.

Rating:
Summary: It was real to life
Review: When i read this book i was 15. I felt as though someone had taken a part of my life ( that at that time no one knew about ) and wrote it down. I was not alone. I was not the only one that thought of ways to hurt my father. This book may be fiction, but to a lot of people it is close to reality