Gilt by Katherine Longshore

This book is the perfect “happy medium” choice for young adult historical fiction. If you don’t like mushy historical fiction romances like “The Queen’s Lady”, but don’t want something quite as grimly intense as J. Anderson Coats’ “The Wicked and the Just”... well, then, “Gilt” by Katherine Longshore is the book for you.

Gilt is full of gorgeous scenery, fancy dresses, passion, lies, betrayal and blooooooood. How can there not be blood when Henry VIII’s around? The book opens with Kitty and Cat, best friends, exploring the guardian’s rooms and trying on her things. The duchess has taken in many of the extended family’s unwanted daughters (most distant relations) and uses them as servants until she eventually marries them off. Throughout the story, we see Kitty grow from a quiet girl who would do anything for her friend Cat into a young woman who finally sees the world around her for what it really is. It just takes her awhile and we, as readers, are along for the ride and once she gets drawn into Henry’s court, we hold our breaths seeing if Kitty and her friends will survive the intrigue and deceit of courtly life.

Ms. Longshore’s writing is superb. It flows quickly and while she describes the court, castles, etc, it doesn’t get bogged down with description. It’s still a book you can devour, which says a lot for Ms. Longshore’s ability to write a tight, well-paced plot. That is no easy feat in a 398 page piece of historical fiction! There is some romance, but it is a device for Kitty’s self discovery and the intrigue at court. As her friend Cat says, there is no room for love in the court of Henry VIII. So those of you who are squeamish about mushy gushy romance will be safe reading this book.

Ms. Longshore’s “Gilt” is a well paced and exciting read that could open the door to readers who are hesitant about trying historical fiction. Henry the VIII’s court is not a safe place. Read “Gilt” and see if you can finish without losing your head! ;o)

I received an ARC of “Gilt” from the publisher, Viking Juvenile (Penguin). Ms. Longshore will be joining us on the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast in the month of May. If you have any questions you’d like to ask her, please let me know!

Historical Fiction Week - the book that started it all...

Happy Historical Fiction Week!

I wasn't kidding when I mentioned that in my review of "The Wicked and the Just". It's official. I just love historical fiction. I like to imagine that these books are my very own Tardis. Who doesn't want to be a Time Lord?

Today, I want to open up the discussion to all of you. What piece of middle grade or young adult historical fiction really made an impact on your life? For me, it was Karen Cushman's "Catherine Called Birdy".

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this book, it's the diary of a girl from the 13th century who feels traps. She would rather be "crusading, swinging my sword at heathens and sleeping under starry skies on the other end of the world" rather than fishing for a husband and learning lady like things. Catherine's story gives you a taste of a young girl's life and the troubles girls faced at such a young age. She's a strong willed girl whose interests and ambition are ahead of her time.

The author, Karen Cushman, is also an incredibly sweet and humble woman, despite the many honors she's won for her incredible books! I was lucky enough to meet her at KidLitCon last September and am looking forward to interviewing her for the podcast later this year.

So tell me, what book triggered your love of historical fiction? I want to know!

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

“Madame Tussaud” by Michelle Moran was a wonderful piece of historical fiction, but incredibly overwhelming. I felt like I had to take notes throughout reading just so I wouldn’t get lost (which in turn, made me start singing “I Wish I Could Go Back to College” from the musical “Avenue Q”). I know that sounds like a bad thing, but if you love historical fiction, this is a must read. I finished it and I have the patience of a six year old most days.

Okay, so, my review. Well, you guys know I’m not known here for in-depth analysis. I’ll leave that to the reviewers who specialize in historical fiction. I’m a quirky, YA lovin’ gal and I hope my reviews reflect that. So for fun, I’m going to do something a little different today. I’m going to share with you my thoughts while reading and upon completion. These are the notes I jotted down, right before turning off the light at night.

Thoughts while reading “Madame Tussaud”:

• Wow, I really feel like I’m a part of the French revolution. I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight!
• Um... who? what? I am so confused. /rushes back to character index
• Mm. I want to be a princess. Princesse Élisabeth’s house sounds so picturesque. /happy sigh
• I am so confused right now. I think I’m starting to remember plot lines from “The Scarlet Pimpernel” musical as part of this book. Whoooopsy. Doesn’t Robespierre have a lover?
• MARRY HIM ALREADY!! There is a war on, you crazy lady.
• This girl is a ruthless business woman. I’d love to see her duke it out with the fat cats on Wall Street. (yes....fat cats)

Upon finishing:

• Huh? Did I miss something? Hrm. Interesting time transition.
• I definitely can see why the publishers think that YA fans may enjoy this. I wasn’t aware of Marie’s existence so it was interesting to be introduced to her through this part of her young adult life.

Honestly, the last portion of the book I could have totally done without. I’m not sure where a better ending would have been, but it just threw me for a loop and made my overall enjoyment greatly decrease. That’s just me though and as you guys know, I’m weird. ;)

So, yeah, it’s overwhelming, intense, but if you like historical fiction, you should definitely check it out. Marie is an incredibly ambitious girl who blossomed into a young, determined woman during an incredibly tumultuous time in her country’s history.

I received a paperback copy of this book from the publisher (Random House). “Madame Tussaud” is on shelves now, so go and grab yours today.

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Like many debut novels, I came into reading “The Girl in the Steel Corset” with low expectations. It’s not that this book isn’t well loved. It’s getting some great reviews from my fellow bloggers. I just tend to be a harsher critic than most. That being said, I really did enjoy “The Girl in the Steel Corset”. It suffers from some of the same problems that most debut authors seem to have (for example - “show, don’t tell”), but the writing and plot are solid enough to keep the flow going even through the more “tell-oriented” scenes. Ms. Cross shows promise in this debut novel to become a rising star in the world of young adult fiction.

The story follows Finley Jayne, who at the top of the book is about to be molested by her employer, a spoiled rich boy with sadistic tendencies. Being threatened unleashes Miss Jayne’s dark side, allowing her to beat the crud out of the jerk and make a run for it. While running, she crashes into a young duke named Griffin, who takes her in, realizing that her darkness is something special and a bit... familiar. Come to find out, Griffin and his band of misfits who all live on his estate are just like Finley. They’re different. They use their abilities to help protect the crown (this does take place in a Steampunk version of Victorian England after all!) and are currently investigating a series of crimes committed by a man they call the “Machinist”. There are two little love triangles, a cowboy with a dark secret, and a young man who happens to be part robot. Does it get any better than this?

I really liked our heroine, Finley Jayne, and would have loved to get to know both sides of her better. She really goes through a lot in this book and comes out of it a completely new person (and not just metaphorically!). Throughout the book, she becomes this incredibly complex character that doesn’t know what she wants or what she is yet in life. It’s something I think any YA reader can relate to. We all at some point in our life felt a little different. The secondary characters are also great and I look forward to getting to know them more in the rest of the series.

I’ve never read a Steampunk book before, but I have to say - I really enjoyed that aspect of “The Girl in the Steel Corset”. It was like sci-fi and historical fiction (two genres you know I love) having a baby! :D Due to the somewhat technical nature of the book, Ms. Cross can at times get a little detail oriented which slows down the pacing. I think this will improve in the sequel though now that she’s set up her version of the time period and explained a lot of the mechanics involved.

“The Girl in the Steel Corset” is full of lush imagery of a mechanized Victorian England, gorgeous costumes (I want some of these outfits!), and science fiction-y style action and adventure. This is the first installment in the “Steampunk Chronicles”. It is a tad slow at times, but now that all of this set up has taken place, I’m sure the rest of the series is going to move at a faster pace. I enjoyed escaping into this incredible world and am looking forward to book 2!

I was provided with a digital ARC via NetGalley.com from the publisher. “The Girl in the Steel Corset” is published by Harlequin and will be released May 24th.

Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

It’s weird for me to rate something 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads.com and have it not be a book that I absolutely devoured. “Strings Attached” by Judy Blundell seems to be an exception. It took me awhile to get through, but I enjoyed every moment of it.

The story revolves around Kit Corrigan, an Irish teenager trying to make it as a performer in post-WWII New York City. She came to the city on her own, after breaking up with her boyfriend, and is struggling to make it. She ends up getting tangled up with her ex-boyfriend’s mob attorney father in an attempt to survive in the city and she ends up learning more than her fair share about life as an adult.

“Strings Attached” is a very solid piece of historical fiction. While our heroine is 17, I actually think this book would appeal more to an older audience. Just like with “The Betrayal of Maggie Blair”, I think its appeal rests with an older crowd or with teens that specifically enjoy historical fiction. I also think that theatre types (such as myself) will really be able to connect with Kit and understand her overwhelming desire to perform.

The writing by Ms. Blundell is solid. She does a great job at getting the audience into Kit’s head so that we can feel the turmoil she’s going through as she faces tough decisions one after another. It’s an incredible story of self-discovery and strength of character set in a time period full of intrigue, deceit, and yes, muuuurrrrrrdeerrr (major points to whoever guesses what TV show I’m referencing. One clue: it’s on USA!).

If you enjoy historical fiction, then you should definitely pick this up. If not, try it anyways. Go into it with an open mind and give it the chance it deserves. It may seem slow at first, but the pace picks up and you’ll be glad you gave it a shot!

Thanks to Scholastic at the ALA Midwinter Meeting for the ARC of “Strings Attached”. It is scheduled to be released in March of this year.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

“The Betrayal of Maggie Blair” by Elizabeth Laird is set in 17th century Scotland. This is a time of great conflict and difficulty. Poverty was rampant, women were easily accused and burned for being witches, and a religious feud was escalating toward civil war. These were the times that sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair had to live in. Maggie faces adversity time and time again, with trouble always at her heels. Throughout the book she grows to become a strong, yet naïve, young woman who knows what she wants from her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would definitely not recommend it to the younger teen crowd who drools for vampires and steamy romance. Despite the fact that heroine is sixteen years old and quite innocent, I see this appealing to an older audience. The obstacles that Maggie struggles with and the history of the time period make this a bit too heavy for the younger reader. Religion plays a large role in the plot line of “The Betrayal of Maggie Blair”. It can get a tad overwhelming at times, but if you surrender yourself to being a part of this time period, you can get through it.

This story reminds me a lot of “Pillars of the Earth”. It’s obviously set centuries later and is aimed at a younger audience, but there are some general similarities. Bad things happening to good people, prejudice ruling over reason, finding the good in people no matter what the situation, and being true to yourself are just a few of the similar themes. As with “Pillars of the Earth”, there were times that I could barely stand to read on because I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing something bad happen again. I would find myself saying aloud “When will poor Maggie Blair get a break?” The supporting cast definitely helped to further develop Maggie’s character, but don’t be fooled by my mentioning them. This book is ALL Maggie. The only consistent secondary character is her grandmother’s friend, the rogue Tam. He shows Maggie that good people can come in all forms.

I think this and the denseness of the religious/historical aspect made it a slower read and again, makes me think it would be better for mature YA readers and those adults who enjoy historical fiction. Be warned. This isn’t a historical romance. It’s a tale of self-discovery and strength through great adversity. So, in the end, I’m glad I read it. Though a bit dense and harder to get through than other YA novels, I think the reader is rewarded with a satisfying ending with a heroine that is strong and REAL, a refreshing change of pace in the world of YA fiction inundated with fantastical elements and unrealistic love triangles.

"The Betrayal of Maggie Blair" is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. They provided me with an advanced reader's copy. It is scheduled to be released in April of this year.