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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I judged a book by its cover for this one in determining my decision to borrow it from my local Library. I love the title and I thought this would be a good YA book with a bit of romance and quirky characters that provides escapism into a story... it didn't disappoint!
Really enjoyable read about a girl who wants to be promoted from wench (I know but it is a job title at her medieval restaurant - as a side note I was surprised that it took until later on in the book for another character to raise the job title term issue, but anyway...) to a knight. And perform jousts, sword fighting, etc. like her brother. So in a Twelfth Night-esque moment, minus the brother being presumed dead, she takes her brother's place and then in a moment of victory-induced euphoria shouts Eowyn's line (from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) "I am no man!" and reveals her identity. Cue backlash from the restaurant conglomerate, Kit's Uncle and a few backwards men, that she should not be a "knight" because only men can be knights. So she decides, with the help of her friends, to change the culture at the restaurant through media and staging their own "female knights" event.
Intermingled with this, is a romantic love interest, Jett, and also family issues and money problems, and then her brother getting hurt... there are a few things so it is quite a packed story. But I do love that it is like this. The family dynamic and secondary characters are very well done, and Kit is an exceptionally interesting and fun character to read about.
In terms of the writing style, it is quirky and there are a few pop culture references thrown in (i.e. Eowyn's line above) and of course a Season 7/8 spoiler from Game of Thrones (important death from GOT mentioned so be warned...), and a few other things like this. But it kind of adds to it. I would also say (just in terms of something that could have been improved) is that sometimes the expression in the book could have been looked at a bit further. A few times I was stumped at trying to figure out the meaning of a too-long sentence and that can interrupt the flow of the reading. But this is a minimal issue, compared the story (interesting and fun, if just a little predictable).
It was a powerful story of a person fighting back against something that she believes and knows is not right. No surprise here, but there is a happy ending which is just how it should be!
Really enjoyable read about a girl who wants to be promoted from wench (I know but it is a job title at her medieval restaurant - as a side note I was surprised that it took until later on in the book for another character to raise the job title term issue, but anyway...) to a knight. And perform jousts, sword fighting, etc. like her brother. So in a Twelfth Night-esque moment, minus the brother being presumed dead, she takes her brother's place and then in a moment of victory-induced euphoria shouts Eowyn's line (from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) "I am no man!" and reveals her identity. Cue backlash from the restaurant conglomerate, Kit's Uncle and a few backwards men, that she should not be a "knight" because only men can be knights. So she decides, with the help of her friends, to change the culture at the restaurant through media and staging their own "female knights" event.
Intermingled with this, is a romantic love interest, Jett, and also family issues and money problems, and then her brother getting hurt... there are a few things so it is quite a packed story. But I do love that it is like this. The family dynamic and secondary characters are very well done, and Kit is an exceptionally interesting and fun character to read about.
In terms of the writing style, it is quirky and there are a few pop culture references thrown in (i.e. Eowyn's line above) and of course a Season 7/8 spoiler from Game of Thrones (important death from GOT mentioned so be warned...), and a few other things like this. But it kind of adds to it. I would also say (just in terms of something that could have been improved) is that sometimes the expression in the book could have been looked at a bit further. A few times I was stumped at trying to figure out the meaning of a too-long sentence and that can interrupt the flow of the reading. But this is a minimal issue, compared the story (interesting and fun, if just a little predictable).
It was a powerful story of a person fighting back against something that she believes and knows is not right. No surprise here, but there is a happy ending which is just how it should be!
This was delightful! I loved the entire crew from Kit to her brother Chris, to all of the Knights (except Dalton, because screw that guy). I just want to give her mother a hug and her dad a kick in the teeth. This was the perfect read to get me out of a reading slump during *waves hands wildly in 2020*. I have been anticipating its release for awhile and GIRL, it didn't disappoint. the Girl Knight is inspiring and brave and lovely all around. Now I want to go back to Medieval Times for another show, darn it.
Joust like a girl!
Joust like a girl!
the entire book takes placen two weeks which means it moves at a glacial pace. i liked all the diverse rep but also it felt a bit too tidy.
Cute, quick, and exactly what I was hoping for from this book.
This medieval-themed, coming of age story is for all you Renaissance Faire fans out there who love a main character that champions gender equality, fights for her right to fight (more on that in a second), and empowers everyone around her with her huge heart all before eating her pancakes. Kit is a breakfast-loving wench (aka waitress) at a medieval themed restaurant in Chicago. Although she loves her job, what she really wants to do is move up the ranks and become a knight both for the fun of it and for the pay raise that will get her to the college of her dreams. Unfortunately, company policy states that only men are allowed to joust in the arena and so begins Kit's crusade against an outdated policy as she fights for her right to fight in an arena.
I really enjoyed all the diversity in this story and commend the author for fitting in characters so seamlessly that represented all walks of life. This book included characters all across the gender and sexual orientation spectrum and even threw in different backgrounds, races, and financial situations. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Kit, her friends, and her brother. It made the story more fun to read because I had characters about whom I enjoyed reading. The ending left me feeling sentimental and gushy with the sweet reminder that sometimes all we need is to be around the ones we love.
The beginning started with a bang and throws the reader in the middle of Castle action, yet the middle dragged on a little bit and even though things were happening, I feel like we could have spent a little less time on the "Kit Sweetly Plan." I really wanted to be absolutely stoked when I finished this book and fired up about gender equality; however, I don't feel that way after having finished so I will say that while the book was satisfying and tied up all loose ends, it did not leave me feeling empowered like I was hoping.
**Reviewed for Net Galley
I really enjoyed all the diversity in this story and commend the author for fitting in characters so seamlessly that represented all walks of life. This book included characters all across the gender and sexual orientation spectrum and even threw in different backgrounds, races, and financial situations. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Kit, her friends, and her brother. It made the story more fun to read because I had characters about whom I enjoyed reading. The ending left me feeling sentimental and gushy with the sweet reminder that sometimes all we need is to be around the ones we love.
The beginning started with a bang and throws the reader in the middle of Castle action, yet the middle dragged on a little bit and even though things were happening, I feel like we could have spent a little less time on the "Kit Sweetly Plan." I really wanted to be absolutely stoked when I finished this book and fired up about gender equality; however, I don't feel that way after having finished so I will say that while the book was satisfying and tied up all loose ends, it did not leave me feeling empowered like I was hoping.
**Reviewed for Net Galley
Cute. Not a lot of character development and one person used they they/the, pronouns so I lost some ground trying to figure out if references were for one or more people. There were some pretty obvious “lessons learned” spots as well as “I’ve learned a bunch about the Middle Ages” that felt more elementary than YA.
I just finished The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly. Its my favorite kind of contemporary YA. Any story with ALL that fantasy nerd culture with hat tips and Easter eggs is a win in my book. If you love that ren faire vibe, hard core, stand up for themselves, lady knights, most excellent LOR movie references, and a sweet love story, then this "Knight's Tale" is for you.
Read this if you like:
~Feminist books!
~Friends-to-lovers!
~Medieval times (duh)!
~Friend groups working together!
~Feminist books!
~Friends-to-lovers!
~Medieval times (duh)!
~Friend groups working together!