Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

16 reviews

thebookpaiges's review

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adventurous funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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abookandaspotoftea's review

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adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I preface this review by stating that I am not typically driven to write a review in rage, but this book and the author have received so much praise despite being extremely problematic. I appreciate that the author centered an ace (or asexual) lead character. I also understand that this book is a historical fantasy and should be treated with a grain of salt.

Things that I loathe about this book:

the normalization of white feminism
the overt racism and Islamophobia
the colonization fangirling

To @Mackenzi Lee and those who praised this book:

Removing a person's ḥijāb without consent is a gross violation and should NEVER be normalized.
Casually dropping the "N" word is NEVER okay. Also, get it through your daft head: the immediate assumption that black people are thieves and criminals is NOT okay. A half-hearted apology does not make up for this ridiculous shit. Stop using this as a trope.
The idea that it is okay to plunder another nation for its resources is NOT okay. And sit your white feminist ass down with your holier-than-thou attitude that colonizers will use these looted resources to "heal" the world.

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Much like the first book, it was enjoyable but not super memorable. I really liked some parts like when Johanna (Joanna?) called out Felicity about Felicity judging her intelligence by how she presents herself and acting superior because she doesn't like being hyper femme. I also liked how Felicity was on the asexual spectrum (with some attraction to women I think). Loved the smart girls kicking butt, adventuring, and just doing the damn thing but it wasn't anything stand out for me. I sort of glazed over/tuned out in some parts of the audiobook as it didn't hold my interest consistently like other books I've listened to.

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honeyfangs's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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caidyn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This review can also be found her!

This is an ARC of the book! Any quotes that I use are subject to change by publication!

TW: sexism, aphobia, racism, character injury

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue – 3/5.
Chantel’s review

So, this book wasn’t gotten through “normal” channels. A wonderful, wonderful blogger on here named Em friended me on Goodreads and when I said how much I’ve been looking forward to this book, she helped me get one. So, fucking thank you, Em! My heart is full and her review is here!

I do not need reasons to exist. I do not need to justify the space I take up in this world.

This was the book I was hyping most for this year. And, God, it did not fail me. Definitely my favorite read of this year. I mean, damn. Mackenzi Lee, you outdid yourself with this book.

It takes place after the events of Gentleman’s Guide, starting in Edinburgh. After returning to England, Felicity goes there to see if she can convince medical schools to allow her to start their program. Being the sexists asses they were in the past, she wasn’t. Returning to London, she tries again and, well, begins her adventure, ranging from England to Switzerland to islands, began. And it was a wild ride that I ate up every second.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers for the book, so I’m sorry for being vague about it!

This time, there’s an amazing gang of girls who love and hate each other.

In the company of women like this — sharp-edged as raw diamonds but with soft hands and hearts, not strong in spite of anything but powerful because of everything — I feel invincible.

Johanna Hoffman, a friend from Felicity’s past that ended on a bad note. Sim, a black Muslim woman who decides to help Felicity on her journey.

It was just wonderful.

I loved reading the complex female relationships! One of my favorite things was Johanna telling Felicity off for hating women who are “stereotypical” for the period. As in, they want frills and to look pretty and on and on. She doesn’t understand that girls can like many different things, including things that seem complete opposites like pretty dresses and bugs.

Sim was also a great character because, again, we had that hint of 18th-century racism and sexism. Talk about intersectionality right there. She was rough and fun and just great to read because I found her so complex.

Not only that, but this book confronted the realities of aphobia, something that made my little ace heart fill with love.

And then there’s me, an island all my own.

I adored everything about how Lee handled the topic. Not many books out there featuring ace characters are ones I loved. Really, I don’t usually enjoy books with ace characters because I don’t feel represented. But, because Felicity has been identified as an aro/ace, I really felt represented by it all. It made me feel at home because what Felicity described feeling — wanting to have friends and books and people that she loves, but not someone to be romantic with — fits me perfectly.

And people realizing that about her, without making her feel wrong or horrible, gave me hope that people out there could understand that about me, too.

In short, this is an amazing book. Everything about it was wonderful. This is definitely one of my top 2018 reads so far and I don’t know if anything else will top it!

Original review

I have zero chill with this book. A huge, huge, HUGE thank you to Em for helping us get a copy! You're seriously the best. (You can see her review here on her blog!

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briely's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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