I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith, takes place in a worn down English castle, occupied by the Mortmains. The main character, Cassandra Mortmain, has a diary, and she chronicles her experiences there. Her father is a known writer, but their family is poor and has to sell the furniture to stay well. Later on, though, a wealthier family, the Cottons, becomes the landlord to the castle, and the daughters of the Mortmains and the sons of the Cottons fall in love with each other. from there, we hear the story of how Cassandra manages all of the relationships.

This book was ok. I did not find anything special about it, but it was a good read. There were humorous moments, and I smiled there. The most interesting part of the book was seeing how Cassandra matured. Earlier in the story, she acted like a teenager, but towards the end of the story, she was more mature and behaved more carefully. The relationship network between the sons and daughters was amusing to observe as well.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8

Grandview Library