So, I'm a mess. No really.

For a long while I wasn't planning on reading this book because I'll be honest Rilla was my least favourite of all the Ingleside children. Not because she was the youngest but because honestly, she was very annoying and whiny. But as I am working on a project about the Anne of Green Gables as a whole, I couldn't just put off this book forever.

It was heart-aching. Seriously. I teared up all through it! It was of course filled with war propaganda, but since it was being told from the perspective of Canadian families whose boys actually fought and died in World War I, it made sense.

What I was most impressed with, however, is Rilla's character development. I started out not liking her at all, but by the end of the books, I found myself not just liking her but actually adoring her. It was impressive and gradual and I applaud L. M. Montgomery for that. 

So much so that this was shaping to be a 5-star read. Until the last couple chapters. Why? 

Spoiler-free version: No one is safe in this book.
Spoiler-version:

Why in the world does L. M. Montgomery hate cats?? Huh? We get two cat deaths at the very end of the book while the dog comes out as a loyal loveable hero. And one of the two deaths was especially brutal!

Overall, I would still recommend reading the book (but especially give the version narrated by Barbara Caruso a try because she's phenomenal) but make sure to check out trigger warnings first!