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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5, rounded up. This book follows Kit Sweetly, a high school senior working at a Medieval Times-like place (which makes sense, given its setting somewhere in the greater Chicago area—I grew up around there, and we spent our fair share of Saturdays at Medieval Times) who spends much of the novel protesting the Castle’s policy that only cis men can be knights.
Things I liked:
-the book isn’t afraid to outline poverty in an unromanticized way
-representation was on point
-I actually enjoyed how her relationship with Jett progressed—it was a cute slow burn
Things I didn’t like:
-Kit wasn’t a very sympathetic character—the way she handled the tournament at the end in relation to her friends was strange
-Len and Kit’s dad were both terrible and didn’t get the comeuppance I anticipated
-The ending fell a little flat
3.5, rounded up. This book follows Kit Sweetly, a high school senior working at a Medieval Times-like place (which makes sense, given its setting somewhere in the greater Chicago area—I grew up around there, and we spent our fair share of Saturdays at Medieval Times) who spends much of the novel protesting the Castle’s policy that only cis men can be knights.
Things I liked:
-the book isn’t afraid to outline poverty in an unromanticized way
-representation was on point
-I actually enjoyed how her relationship with Jett progressed—it was a cute slow burn
Things I didn’t like:
-Kit wasn’t a very sympathetic character—the way she handled the tournament at the end in relation to her friends was strange
-Len and Kit’s dad were both terrible and didn’t get the comeuppance I anticipated
-The ending fell a little flat
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book more, but I really didn't like Kit. She's a good candidate for my evergreen complaint that most protagonists need to go to therapy and that would go a long way to solving a lot of their problems. Obviously that's not possible for Kit because of her family's money problems, but I found that to be jarring too because of how lighthearted the rest of the book was trying to be. I loved the setting though—as a Medieval Times enthusiast in my youth, it was right up my alley!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
A great book about female empowerment and women kicking ass. A great story with fun characters and a unique storyline! Everyone should read it!
3.5 stars - I wanted to like this more than I did. The concept is right up my alley - Kit is fighting the patriarchy/capitalist system for gender equality, the story is set at a Medieval Times-esque chain, and there's nerdy references galore. In addition to its strong feminism, the book also has great LGBTQ+ representation, racial diversity, and a powerful message about socio-economic pressures. However, I felt like the characters and relationships were fairly weakly developed, especially Kit's relationships uncle/manager Len and love interest/best friend Jett. I also wish Kit had a direct conversation with her friends about her family's poverty and her fears about being able to attend college, though it's clear they had an inkling of her circumstances. The book simultaneously had too much going on but not enough depth on any of the topics to fulfill my expectations.
This one was good and made me really want to go to another medieval show lol.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After secretly playing the Red Knight during a production at the Medieval show she works at, Kitt becomes internet famous for playing a girl knight. This makes Corporate mad, but she’s determined to fight the patriarchy by having a tournament that’s not only cis-men. Overall, a fun concept, but slow in a lot of areas.
really fun protagonist. good portrayal of the working poor. important things happen off-page which had me scratching my head, and things wrap up too neatly. overall, though, a fun read!
This was such a fun, quick feel good book with a strong thread about the realities of the working poor running through it. A pump your fist and get a little teary at the end kind of book.
Great on audio! Great for 8th grade and up I think. Characters drink , smoke and have sex unabashedly, so give to your mature 8-9th graders and older.
Great on audio! Great for 8th grade and up I think. Characters drink , smoke and have sex unabashedly, so give to your mature 8-9th graders and older.
I enjoy the Medieval times both in history and as a cheesy dinner and show venue, so I had some familiarity of the background for this. The writing flowed well, but the constant miscommunication between Kit and basically everyone in her life was extremely frustrating. Decent LGBTQ rep too.
I enjoyed this one. Kind of reminded me of hotdog girl.