Saffy's Angel: Book 1 (Casson Family)

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The plotting is solid, but it's the characters that make this book such a fantastic read. This is the story of adopted Saffy finding her place in her family, sure, but it's also an introduction to the nice, but nutty, Cassons. Saffy's family members are flawed but also creative and loyal, including mother Eve, who forgets things like dinner, and who is overly permissive because she believes her kids "were in every way more talented, intelligent, and wise than she would ever be." I'm ringing the hospital!" said the health visitor in a voice of controlled calm. "Wrap her up in something warm! Don't give her anything to drink! We'll go straight to Emergency...." Saffy’s Angel won the 2002 Whitbread Award. The Casson family story continued in five further books, Indigo’s Star, Permanent Rose, Caddy Ever After, Forever Rose and Caddy’s World. The Casson children have several friends -- Sarah, Tom, and David -- who come to be like members of the family. How did each of these friendships begin? Is this the "normal" way to become friends with someone? Do these strange beginnings affect the quality of the friendships? Runaway Bride: Subverted. Caddy agrees to marry Alex instead of Darling Michael, but he now doesn't want to marry her. Later, Caddy steals all of Rose's postcards from Micheal and runs off in search of him instead.

Meet Sarah: "I will say I want to take my beanbag," said Sarah, ignoring Saffron's squeaks on the phone. "I often take my beanbag on car trips. It's enormous and you're not very big. I'll empty it out and cover you in the cover and pile a lot of stuff around, and they'll never notice. They're used to me having a lot of stuff. As you know. What do you say?" Deadpan Snarker: Rose, Indigo, Saffron, Sarah, Tom... pretty much all of the main characters tend to be pretty snarky. Saffron makes a call home and talks to her mother. Caddy is still revising to beat Michael's girlfriend, Rose is doing her art and Indigo is conquering more fears of his. Saffron and Sarah try again and again, until on the last day they find Saffron's ex-neighbour. The neighbour tells Saffron that her grandfather took the stone angel away long ago, when he took Saffron. Meanwhile, Caddy takes her driving test. Rose and Indigo decide to look in the Banana House for Saffy's angel. Eve, the children's mother, would always look pleased. She never protested that there might be more than one thing that she was good at, because she never thought there was. Choose a novel or short story in which you feel sympathy with one of the main characters because of the difficulties or injustices or hardships she or he has to face.

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Caddy's bed was close enough to touch. Saffy could tell by the feel of the darkness that Caddy was awake. She said, "Caddy, how long ago can you remember?"

Saffy's Angel starts off a bit harrowing as the author drives you immediately into the world of a family afflicted with artism and associated dysfunctions. Fortunately, that first scene includes a walk-on by a woman who can be used to represent your every-day sensibilities and if you let her carry your own quibbles and expectations as she leaves, you'll be just fine. If you can't do this, there's no way to enjoy the book so you'd best stop there. Saffron was not listening. She looked at the picture of her mother again and said, "Anyway, she's dead." Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards". Hbook.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2008 . Retrieved 7 May 2011.

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Meanwhile, nineteen year old Caddy is drooling over her super hot driving instructor, eleven year old Indigo is trying to get over his fear of heights, and Rose is busy annoying her farther Bill Casson… the outcomes are hilarious. The Cassons are an amazing family, who you could call bohemian, except for Bill who is as neat as a pin.

The Ditz: Eve Casson. She has her moments of Genius Ditz, though, notably in naming her children, which even Bill commends her for in the first book. This makes you sympathetic to Saffron, but it was a little selfish anyway. Sarah’s mother thinks Saffron is a bad influence and is very angry when Sarah and Saffron both get nose studs, which Sarah pressures Saffron to do. Sarah formulates a plan so she and her parents go to Saffron’s hometown in Italy and she plans for Saffron to come too, which her mother is reluctant to allow after the nose stud incident, and blames Saffron for giving Sarah ideas. You feel sympathy for Saffron because it seems once again that she will not find her angel. And once I was into the story, I got really into Saffron's quest. I liked her friendship with Sarah - I enjoyed Sarah's parents tremendously more, particularly her fountain-fixing father - and I felt for her, loved but still lonely. The whole Sienna trip was really enjoyable and I enjoyed the ultimate denouement.Oblivious to Love: Rose in Permanent Rose, who at least is unaware herself the own feelings she is harbouring for Indigo's friend Tom Levin. It doesn't stop her family from teasing her about it though. A Justified trope though because Rose is only almost nine and merely is distraught by how "incomplete" she feels at the absence of Tom. Averted when she fully comprehends her feelings for him as she matures. Go to an art supply store and find a paint chart like the one that hangs in the Casson kitchen. Which colors do you think would make good names?