Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I do not have anxiety. I do not WANT to have anxiety, but this is (probablie... i asked some anxious people) a great portrayal. I did enjoy it. Although I wish there'd been more vindication for this sibling's magical quest.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
Vibes - Good Time
Piracy and panic attacks
This focuses heavily on Adrien's mental health, (he had generalised anxiety disorder and OCD) which is portrayed really well. I'm glad Felicity and Monty are so prevalent in this. Not that Adrien isn't but Monty and Percy are my favourites. The sibling dynamic was a lot of fun, although I find it odd that Adrien didn't know they existed. (Adrien was an infant when Monty left) It was a fun, campy, adventure story and a good way to finish the series.
Tropes
Piracy and panic attacks
This focuses heavily on Adrien's mental health, (he had generalised anxiety disorder and OCD) which is portrayed really well. I'm glad Felicity and Monty are so prevalent in this. Not that Adrien isn't but Monty and Percy are my favourites. The sibling dynamic was a lot of fun, although I find it odd that Adrien didn't know they existed. (Adrien was an infant when Monty left) It was a fun, campy, adventure story and a good way to finish the series.
Tropes
- Found Family (literal)
- Journey/Voyage
I received a free copy from Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review.
Frightened by the world, aspiring political writer and activist Adrian Montague finds himself in a unique position to enter Parliament when his father Henri resigns his seat. Even as Adrian prepares himself to take on this role, he still grapples with the grief of his mother’s unexpected death nearly a year earlier. When artifacts from her final trip are discovered, Adrian finds himself in possession of a broken spyglass that his mother carried with her at all times. As Adrian undertakes a journey to discover the truth behind the spyglass, he finds himself face-to-face with a brother and sister he never knew.
After going on voyages with Monty and Felicity, it’s Adrian’s turn. And Adrian’s journey doesn’t disappoint. Mackenzi Lee uniquely captures a third Montague voice that is much more raw than Monty and Felicity. Even without the author’s note, it’s clear that Adrian suffers from anxiety with OCD compulsions, and given that the novel is written from his perspective, it makes certain scenes painful as a reader, mostly due to the ability to empathize with his spiraling thoughts. Even though the novel is centered on Adrian, the reader still receives an infusion of the voices we know and love, Monty’s devil-may-care sarcasm and Felicity’s stoic realism.
Most of the novel revolves around the theme of found family. Though Monty and Felicity discovered families beyond their own blood, Adrian has the unique opportunity to not only learn of his siblings' existence but connect with them throughout the novel. And though Monty and Felicity may initially be shy to acknowledge Adrian and the bonds they share, Lee convincingly offers readers an intimate portrait of the complex relationship of siblings. Given that a great deal of the novel is spent around this relationship, the supernatural quest to discover the mystery behind their mother’s spyglass takes a backseat; however, given that one of the common themes of the Montague Siblings series has been finding oneself and connecting to others, this does not harm Adrian’s journey.
With so many characters introduced in the first two novels, it would be difficult to dedicate significant page time to all of them. Though I recognized that this was Adrian’s story, I was a little disappointed that Johanna and Percy received little space, though patient readers are rewarded with a full endgame chapter dedicated to Monty and Percy. Sadly, Scipio was absent due to circumstances that are briefly described in the novel. Sim receives the greatest amount of space given that the secondary plot revolves around the Crown and Cleaver. A few new characters are introduced to the drama, specifically Louisa and Saad, and have their own contributions to add to Adrian’s story.
Overall, I loved Adrian as a character, even in his raw and painful moments, and I felt that his entry into the Montague siblings series was an excellent final entry that wrapped up the quest of all three siblings to find peace and love within themselves and among their blood and found family.
Frightened by the world, aspiring political writer and activist Adrian Montague finds himself in a unique position to enter Parliament when his father Henri resigns his seat. Even as Adrian prepares himself to take on this role, he still grapples with the grief of his mother’s unexpected death nearly a year earlier. When artifacts from her final trip are discovered, Adrian finds himself in possession of a broken spyglass that his mother carried with her at all times. As Adrian undertakes a journey to discover the truth behind the spyglass, he finds himself face-to-face with a brother and sister he never knew.
After going on voyages with Monty and Felicity, it’s Adrian’s turn. And Adrian’s journey doesn’t disappoint. Mackenzi Lee uniquely captures a third Montague voice that is much more raw than Monty and Felicity. Even without the author’s note, it’s clear that Adrian suffers from anxiety with OCD compulsions, and given that the novel is written from his perspective, it makes certain scenes painful as a reader, mostly due to the ability to empathize with his spiraling thoughts. Even though the novel is centered on Adrian, the reader still receives an infusion of the voices we know and love, Monty’s devil-may-care sarcasm and Felicity’s stoic realism.
Most of the novel revolves around the theme of found family. Though Monty and Felicity discovered families beyond their own blood, Adrian has the unique opportunity to not only learn of his siblings' existence but connect with them throughout the novel. And though Monty and Felicity may initially be shy to acknowledge Adrian and the bonds they share, Lee convincingly offers readers an intimate portrait of the complex relationship of siblings. Given that a great deal of the novel is spent around this relationship, the supernatural quest to discover the mystery behind their mother’s spyglass takes a backseat; however, given that one of the common themes of the Montague Siblings series has been finding oneself and connecting to others, this does not harm Adrian’s journey.
With so many characters introduced in the first two novels, it would be difficult to dedicate significant page time to all of them. Though I recognized that this was Adrian’s story, I was a little disappointed that Johanna and Percy received little space, though patient readers are rewarded with a full endgame chapter dedicated to Monty and Percy. Sadly, Scipio was absent due to circumstances that are briefly described in the novel. Sim receives the greatest amount of space given that the secondary plot revolves around the Crown and Cleaver. A few new characters are introduced to the drama, specifically Louisa and Saad, and have their own contributions to add to Adrian’s story.
Overall, I loved Adrian as a character, even in his raw and painful moments, and I felt that his entry into the Montague siblings series was an excellent final entry that wrapped up the quest of all three siblings to find peace and love within themselves and among their blood and found family.
Excellent book, especially for its enlightening dive inside the POV of someone with anxiety disorder (and a bit of OCD). This book is much more about character development than plot, which is curious given that there are storms, ghost ships, pirate attacks, etc. Adrian Montague, no longer a baby but now a young man coming into his own, is trying to figure out what happened to cause his Mother's death, and what's the nature of the curious things she left behind. He discovers that there's a lot more to his family than he realizes, and embarks on an epic adventure to several different countries in search of answers, despite his nearly debilitating insecurities. It takes a while to get to the sparks of humor and snark that filled the earlier books, but that makes them all the more enjoyable. And the ending - tying up loose ends after the climax of the book, as it were, is absolutely fabulous.
How I absolutely adore this series.
If you have the chance to listen to these as an audiobook, I highly recommend it.
✌
If you have the chance to listen to these as an audiobook, I highly recommend it.
✌
This was the exact book I needed at this time in my life. While my own issues are quite different from Adrian, I still feel so seen by reading a book with a protagonist who deals with mental health issues. And they are still capable and loved and learn and grow.
Like in the other books in this series, neither character development nor story line are sacrificed for the sake of the other. Lee writes both with equal skill.
I highly recommend this series as a whole and dearly loved this one. Though, after finishing [b:The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue|29283884|The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1)|Mackenzi Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492601464l/29283884._SY75_.jpg|49527118], I couldn't have imagined liking another book in this series more. But I just might love this one most.
Like in the other books in this series, neither character development nor story line are sacrificed for the sake of the other. Lee writes both with equal skill.
I highly recommend this series as a whole and dearly loved this one. Though, after finishing [b:The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue|29283884|The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1)|Mackenzi Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492601464l/29283884._SY75_.jpg|49527118], I couldn't have imagined liking another book in this series more. But I just might love this one most.
More like 2.5 stars. This one was difficult for me. In a lot of ways, I empathize with Adrian and his mental health struggles, and I thought that they were well-drawn in a lot of the book, but the entire focus of the first "Act" if you will was on them, which made it much more difficult to get to know Adrian's personality outside of his illness--I also felt like they were swept under the rug too easily when it suited the storyline.
The story to this one is the weakest of the three, to me, but I enjoyed the relationship building between the siblings, and I liked that it was so far removed time-wise from the previous books because we got to see how relationships had progressed over the years. Overall, not my favorite, but not bad.
The story to this one is the weakest of the three, to me, but I enjoyed the relationship building between the siblings, and I liked that it was so far removed time-wise from the previous books because we got to see how relationships had progressed over the years. Overall, not my favorite, but not bad.
Every therapist needs to read this book. The depiction of Adrian's anxiety is spot on. I have felt just as manic as he was when he put leeches on himself. I just love this book so much for it, showing the ugly side of anxiety and not romanticizing it made me clap for this book. Because of how real it was. It called me out in the most relatable way. Thank you, Ms. Lee.
I cannot say enough good things about this book or series. It’s an anachronism, an accessible look at 18th century life that shows things as they should be, not possibly how they are. It’s deeply hopeful and deeply empowering tale of acceptance, friendship and I love. Disabilities are part of who we are, and mental illness need not define your capacity. Monty, Felicity and Adrian are no different from us. They are in a position where they must lead the way, and so are we.
Wonderful stuff.
Wonderful stuff.
