Scan barcode
ateliphobia's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First book I've ever read with POTS rep and it was wonderful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Death
Minor: Ableism
bookishflower's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
There are rare occasions when you read a book at the perfect time and feel as though the author has peered into your soul and written a book just for you. This is one of those books for me.
As a chronically ill ex-fencer with the same symptoms as Tania (if less extreme), this book means so much to me. Seeing Tania struggle, fight, make friends, be loved and exist was incredibly validating: to be able to know I’m not alone or exaggerating, that other people relate, that I could just be. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didn’t disappoint.
The political intrigue, balls and ball gowns, women supporting women, musketeers, and women with swords and razor sharp wit was the icing on the cake. Please go support this book and author! ❤️🥄
As a chronically ill ex-fencer with the same symptoms as Tania (if less extreme), this book means so much to me. Seeing Tania struggle, fight, make friends, be loved and exist was incredibly validating: to be able to know I’m not alone or exaggerating, that other people relate, that I could just be. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didn’t disappoint.
The political intrigue, balls and ball gowns, women supporting women, musketeers, and women with swords and razor sharp wit was the icing on the cake. Please go support this book and author! ❤️🥄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Death, Bullying, Sexism, and Ableism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Classism
Minor: Blood and Medical trauma
sunlit_music's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? N/A
4.5
Plot: Tania, the heroine of the story, has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Tania's father, a renowned musketeer, is tragically killed. Tania suspects he is murdered, and takes a chance to attend a finishing school to find her father's murderer and carry out justice. Soon, she is surrounded by supportive friends and a teacher who will help her find out who is trying to destroy the monarchy. Will she be able to prevent bloodshed and war, and save those she loves?
Characters: Reading this book was an emotional roller coaster for me. I loved the protagonist Tania de Batz. She's brave, kind, and loyal, and her friends are delightful. Her father was so lovely, and it was so sad to see her mother worn down by society's ableism and sexism. I did not expect a certain someone to be the antagonist - the plot twist was heart breaking but so clever! The romance is really sweet too.
There are two love interests - one is the antagonist (think lovers to enemies), and the other is on the protagonist's side (friends to lovers).
World building: world building and setting was realistic and well researched. I was so immersed in the world I barely noticed my own surroundings while reading the book! The intrigue and spy craft is realistic and detailed, and so believable. I really did feel transported to another time.
Ending: The ending was emotionally satisfying, made sense, and felt uplifting. Tania and her friends deserved their happy ending. They worked hard for it!
Diversity - the story is diverse, with several strong and likable women characters, great lgbt+ representation and amazing disabled characters. Like the author said on goodreads, one musketeer loves women, another one is a demi bisexual, and a main character is asexual.
Prose: prose flowed naturally and beautifully, without being too flowery.
I would recommend this book for: people who love great stories about friendship, family, disability, self esteem and women's rights. This is historical Young Adult fiction with intrigue, suspense, and adventure.
Characters: Reading this book was an emotional roller coaster for me. I loved the protagonist Tania de Batz. She's brave, kind, and loyal, and her friends are delightful. Her father was so lovely, and it was so sad to see her mother worn down by society's ableism and sexism. I did not expect a certain someone to be the antagonist - the plot twist was heart breaking but so clever! The romance is really sweet too.
There are two love interests - one is the antagonist (think lovers to enemies), and the other is on the protagonist's side (friends to lovers).
World building: world building and setting was realistic and well researched. I was so immersed in the world I barely noticed my own surroundings while reading the book! The intrigue and spy craft is realistic and detailed, and so believable. I really did feel transported to another time.
Ending: The ending was emotionally satisfying, made sense, and felt uplifting. Tania and her friends deserved their happy ending. They worked hard for it!
Diversity - the story is diverse, with several strong and likable women characters, great lgbt+ representation and amazing disabled characters. Like the author said on goodreads, one musketeer loves women, another one is a demi bisexual, and a main character is asexual.
Prose: prose flowed naturally and beautifully, without being too flowery.
I would recommend this book for: people who love great stories about friendship, family, disability, self esteem and women's rights. This is historical Young Adult fiction with intrigue, suspense, and adventure.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
fromjuliereads's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the nods to the original - and thoroughly appreciated the nod to The Princess Bride 😅 I feel fiercely protective of these characters, like I want to join the Order! I loved the writing and it was just a thoroughly enjoyable Musketeers story!!
I did predict the twist, and found one piece a little repetitive but thoroughly enjoyed!
I did predict the twist, and found one piece a little repetitive but thoroughly enjoyed!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Ableism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexism
Minor: Murder, Death, Sexual harassment, Blood, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
There's so much to love about this book! Not only does it have great disability rep in terms of POTS, but the characters and the action are both great, too. I loved Tania and her musketeers. They worked so well together, in a time period where a lot of people underestimated women. Though let's be honest, people still underestimate women.
Anyway, some of the plot elements felt a bit predictable to me, but I didn't mind. The pacing was pretty spot on, and the action sequences with the fencing were fun to read. Or listen to, in my case! The audiobook is well done, really helping to bring the story to life.
Anyway, some of the plot elements felt a bit predictable to me, but I didn't mind. The pacing was pretty spot on, and the action sequences with the fencing were fun to read. Or listen to, in my case! The audiobook is well done, really helping to bring the story to life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Gore, and Sexual violence
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks to FSG Books for the free copy of this book.
- ONE FOR ALL is a gender bent Three Musketeers retelling, with swashbuckling girls, fancy parties and mysterious machinations.
- Tania's chronic illness is central to her life, and I loved that this wasn't a story about "fixing" her, but learning how to both manage it herself and ask for help when she needs it.
- ONE FOR ALL is a gender bent Three Musketeers retelling, with swashbuckling girls, fancy parties and mysterious machinations.
- Tania's chronic illness is central to her life, and I loved that this wasn't a story about "fixing" her, but learning how to both manage it herself and ask for help when she needs it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Alcohol, Murder, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Grief, Death, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
plumpaperbacks's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
[Early copy from Netgalley. This doesn’t affect my opinions/review.]
This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases—a historical fantasy with a chronically ill protagonist? Sign me the hell up. And I’m thrilled to say that it did NOT disappoint. I loved everything about One for All, from cover to cover, and it’s undoubtedly one of my favorite books not just of the year, but of all time.
Although we don’t have the same conditions, I can’t begin to describe what it meant to me, a disabled girl, to see a another disabled girl as the badass main character of a book. I saw so much of myself in Tania and related to so many of her struggles. Her determination and strength are admirable, and honestly, I want to be like her when I grow up. 🤩🤩
And the other Musketeers? Ohmygod. Icons, all of them. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite because that would be literally impossible. Théa is the biggest sweetheart, Aria is impressively clever, Portia is absolutely hilarious, and they’re all totally badass. Seeing all the ways they rallied around Tania and supported her without hesitation was heartwarming. I love their little found family more than I can say. ❤️❤️❤️
Also, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Henri. I think he might actually be the biggest cinnamon roll I’ve ever encountered and I adore him. His awkwardness is endearing and he’s so adorably thoughtful; he must be protected AT ALL COSTS. 🥺🥺
I’m not really gonna say anything about the romance elements in this book because the main one is tied heavily to the plot, and the side one is so deliciously slow-burn you don’t actually know if it’s going to happen until it does. The only teaser I’ll give is that, for like 200 pages, I had VERY STRONG suspicions that two characters were very much ~not straight~ and was immensely happy when I ended up being right. We gays can sense each other. 😎I can’t help it, I have to scream somewhere—PORTIA AND ARIA??? PORTIA AND ARIA!!! I first started to suspect when the four girls were practicing seduction prior to the first ball, and these two were paired up for a demonstration. I was like 👀 and then the more I read, the more they seemed to be flirting 👀 and then they KISSED and I swear I nearly SHRIEKED love this for my girls!!! 🌈✨💕
(New spoiler tag because it’s time for me to fangirl about the other ship lol.) All we got was an inkling, really, but TANIA AND HENRI!!! Badass girl with sword x total cinnamon roll is one of my absolute ship dynamics, and even though all we got were a few crumbs, I know in my heart that that’s going to end up being a DELICIOUS cake. (Is that a weird analogy? Maybe, but I’m sticking with it. 🍰) I loved Henri from the beginning, but didn’t initially ship them because I thought he fancied Théa and knew Tania was supposed to get a love interest of her own. Enter Étienne, who at first I loved because he was so similar to my sweet boy Thomas Cresswell, and then I had to hate him, because even though I was really hoping he wouldn’t be an asshole, I had a feeling that he would be and then he was, which is rather unfortunate. But then, in the end, Théa told Tania that she saw Henri as more of a brother than anything else, which my hopeless romantic heart is going to take and run with and imagine Tania and Henri as the most adorable Musketeer couple. 🥺💕🤩
Okay, now that I got that out of my system, I have one other thing to say. Yes, the story’s pacing is slower, and yes, I ultimately did predict the big bad guy’s identity, but neither of those ruined it for me. I think the reason that these can ruin some books for me while not fazing me in others has a lot to do with how attached I am to the characters and how invested I am in the story. In this case, where the answer to both is “very much,” I’m more lenient. (Does this make sense? It does in my head.)
I think I’ve done all the rambling that I can, at least for now. Honestly, I’m sad that it’s over; I finished reading One for All two hours ago and I’m still thinking about it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking about it for a while, and rereading it soon enough. In the meantime, add it to the list of books I shout about from the virtual rooftop constantly. Add it to my list of personality traits. Its spot is wholeheartedly deserved.
Representation
This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases—a historical fantasy with a chronically ill protagonist? Sign me the hell up. And I’m thrilled to say that it did NOT disappoint. I loved everything about One for All, from cover to cover, and it’s undoubtedly one of my favorite books not just of the year, but of all time.
Although we don’t have the same conditions, I can’t begin to describe what it meant to me, a disabled girl, to see a another disabled girl as the badass main character of a book. I saw so much of myself in Tania and related to so many of her struggles. Her determination and strength are admirable, and honestly, I want to be like her when I grow up. 🤩🤩
And the other Musketeers? Ohmygod. Icons, all of them. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite because that would be literally impossible. Théa is the biggest sweetheart, Aria is impressively clever, Portia is absolutely hilarious, and they’re all totally badass. Seeing all the ways they rallied around Tania and supported her without hesitation was heartwarming. I love their little found family more than I can say. ❤️❤️❤️
Also, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Henri. I think he might actually be the biggest cinnamon roll I’ve ever encountered and I adore him. His awkwardness is endearing and he’s so adorably thoughtful; he must be protected AT ALL COSTS. 🥺🥺
I’m not really gonna say anything about the romance elements in this book because the main one is tied heavily to the plot, and the side one is so deliciously slow-burn you don’t actually know if it’s going to happen until it does. The only teaser I’ll give is that, for like 200 pages, I had VERY STRONG suspicions that two characters were very much ~not straight~ and was immensely happy when I ended up being right. We gays can sense each other. 😎
Okay, now that I got that out of my system, I have one other thing to say. Yes, the story’s pacing is slower, and yes, I ultimately did predict the big bad guy’s identity, but neither of those ruined it for me. I think the reason that these can ruin some books for me while not fazing me in others has a lot to do with how attached I am to the characters and how invested I am in the story. In this case, where the answer to both is “very much,” I’m more lenient. (Does this make sense? It does in my head.)
I think I’ve done all the rambling that I can, at least for now. Honestly, I’m sad that it’s over; I finished reading One for All two hours ago and I’m still thinking about it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking about it for a while, and rereading it soon enough. In the meantime, add it to the list of books I shout about from the virtual rooftop constantly. Add it to my list of personality traits. Its spot is wholeheartedly deserved.
Representation
- chronically ill protagonist (POTS)
- sapphic side couple
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Death, and Murder
Mentions of murdered side characters and an attempted murder plot. No death on-page.foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book and I want to see more disabled stories like this one!!
One for All is a genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers. It follows Tania de Batz, the daughter of a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Tania has chronic dizziness (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), but regardless of what everyone else thinks, Tania knows she's might to become a Musketeer. When her father is brutally murdered she thinks her dreams will fade to nothing. But when she arrives at L’Académie des Mariées, she finds something unexpected.
This was such a fun book. I can't speak much to the retelling aspect, because I know basically nothing about the Three Musketeers, but I really loved the sisterhood of the Academie! I came to love the other girls of the Academie so quickly. It was just the best girl gang I've read about in a while! I loved how the other girls gave Tania accommodations when she needed them, but refused to let her believe she's weak or a burden.
Tania was such a strong character and I really loved her. She's spent a lot of her life isolated and seeing her befriend the other girls and begin to make a home for herself was such an empowering storyline. I loved all of the fencing practice, and I definitely could've used more of it. More duels too! More swords are always a good idea.
Both Tania and I have invisible disabilities. Seeing how that impacts every part of your life is so validating. Tania's hesitancy around doctors and strangers is something all too familiar. It's so easy to believe what people tell you about being lazy or faking it or not actually in that amount of pain. And it just hurts. No matter how "well meaning" some of these comments can be.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and I hope we see more MC's with chronic illnesses and disabilities take center stage across all genres and age categories.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book and I want to see more disabled stories like this one!!
One for All is a genderbent retelling of the Three Musketeers. It follows Tania de Batz, the daughter of a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Tania has chronic dizziness (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), but regardless of what everyone else thinks, Tania knows she's might to become a Musketeer. When her father is brutally murdered she thinks her dreams will fade to nothing. But when she arrives at L’Académie des Mariées, she finds something unexpected.
This was such a fun book. I can't speak much to the retelling aspect, because I know basically nothing about the Three Musketeers, but I really loved the sisterhood of the Academie! I came to love the other girls of the Academie so quickly. It was just the best girl gang I've read about in a while! I loved how the other girls gave Tania accommodations when she needed them, but refused to let her believe she's weak or a burden.
Tania was such a strong character and I really loved her. She's spent a lot of her life isolated and seeing her befriend the other girls and begin to make a home for herself was such an empowering storyline. I loved all of the fencing practice, and I definitely could've used more of it. More duels too! More swords are always a good idea.
Both Tania and I have invisible disabilities. Seeing how that impacts every part of your life is so validating. Tania's hesitancy around doctors and strangers is something all too familiar. It's so easy to believe what people tell you about being lazy or faking it or not actually in that amount of pain. And it just hurts. No matter how "well meaning" some of these comments can be.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and I hope we see more MC's with chronic illnesses and disabilities take center stage across all genres and age categories.
Rep: white Russian-French cishet female MC with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sapphic cis female side characters, aroace cis female side character.
CWs: Ableism, chronic illness, death of parent, death, murder. Moderate: Sexual assault (of side character), blood, gore, violence, emotional abuse, medical trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Gore
melaniereadsbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and RB media for an ALC of this book.
In this feminist and genderbent Three Musketeeers retelling, Tania joins a secret band of female musketeers and finds sisterhood and love in the midst of struggling with her father's murder and her chronic illness.
I LOVE the chronic illness rep in this book. I don't have the same type of chronic illness as Tania, but the way others treated her like she was fragile or lazy or faking it--I just related so hard to so much of it. I love the character development with this and how Tania learns that the way others treat her isn't because of her but them, and the explanations about what her body can and can't do and that isn't her fault and AH! It's so good.
I also really like the mystery and secrecy in this! And the BA group of female musketeers is also great!
There is some side queer rep in this book. I believe the author has said that there is a lesbian girl and a demi-bi girl, as well as an Ace adult. After having read the book, I can tell which character is which, but none of that rep is explicit. There is some coding in there, but nothing is very obvious except that two of the characters are sapphic.
Anyway, this is a really good one, and I definitely recommend the audio!
In this feminist and genderbent Three Musketeeers retelling, Tania joins a secret band of female musketeers and finds sisterhood and love in the midst of struggling with her father's murder and her chronic illness.
I LOVE the chronic illness rep in this book. I don't have the same type of chronic illness as Tania, but the way others treated her like she was fragile or lazy or faking it--I just related so hard to so much of it. I love the character development with this and how Tania learns that the way others treat her isn't because of her but them, and the explanations about what her body can and can't do and that isn't her fault and AH! It's so good.
I also really like the mystery and secrecy in this! And the BA group of female musketeers is also great!
There is some side queer rep in this book. I believe the author has said that there is a lesbian girl and a demi-bi girl, as well as an Ace adult. After having read the book, I can tell which character is which, but none of that rep is explicit. There is some coding in there, but nothing is very obvious except that two of the characters are sapphic.
Anyway, this is a really good one, and I definitely recommend the audio!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, and Death
Minor: Blood
chronicallybookish's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 12+
Over All: 5 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 10/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
TW: blood, gore (minor), death of a parent, murder, sexual assault (off page), attempted sexual assault
None of these are graphically depicted, but they are present in the book.
I finished this book months ago, and I have sat down to write this review countless times since then. I still don’t know what to say. How to I put into words what this book meant to me? How do I convince you to read it?
One For All is a historical fiction/fantasy novel, following Tania, a teenage girl with POTS as she attends a finishing school in Paris that is secretly training its students to become Musketeers. There is female friendship, romance, mystery, action, and sword fighting in ball gowns. The author herself is a fencer, so there is an accuracy to the fight scenes that YA fantasies often lack.
I was about Tania’s age when I was diagnosed with POTS, a few years ago. 1% of teenagers—which may not seem like a lot, but for a chronic illness, 1% is quite a lot—have POTS, and yet this is the first traditionally published YA book to feature the illness. Never before have I seen myself in a character in the way I see myself in Tania. Lillie Lainoff’s #ownvoices portrayal of POTS put into words emotions and experiences I’ve never been able to express. From page one I was crying. I don’t think I managed to go more than a few chapters without crying because of how much it meant for me to read a book where I was so fully represented, written by an author who truly understands what it is like to be in my shoes.
One for All is a promising debut, though on the technical side it does suffer from a common issue that I see in debut novels—especially fantasy ones. There were more than a couple instances, especially in the middle of the novel, where the pacing was lacking, and I found myself having a hard time engaging in the plot. It was predictable at times, as well.
However, the rest of the book: the relationships, the fight scenes, and the majority of the plot were thoroughly enjoyable. And the representation was, as I’ve already expressed, life changing.
I think One for All will especially appeal to younger YA readers, those aged 11-14, but I definitely encourage older readers to pick up the book as well. Just expect a younger writing style and characters that will appeal more to pre- and early teens.
This was (and remains) my most anticipated release of 2022, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for its official release, when I can hold a copy in my hands and annotate it and take pictures of it and stare at it. I’m going to end up with way too many copies of this book. I’m obsessed. Prepare for my Instagram feed to be nothing but pictures of One for All.
Anyway! Pre-order One for All right now! You won’t regret it! Plus it has an incredible preorder campaign sooooooooo ;)
Age Rating: 12+
Over All: 5 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 10/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
TW: blood, gore (minor), death of a parent, murder, sexual assault (off page), attempted sexual assault
None of these are graphically depicted, but they are present in the book.
I finished this book months ago, and I have sat down to write this review countless times since then. I still don’t know what to say. How to I put into words what this book meant to me? How do I convince you to read it?
One For All is a historical fiction/fantasy novel, following Tania, a teenage girl with POTS as she attends a finishing school in Paris that is secretly training its students to become Musketeers. There is female friendship, romance, mystery, action, and sword fighting in ball gowns. The author herself is a fencer, so there is an accuracy to the fight scenes that YA fantasies often lack.
I was about Tania’s age when I was diagnosed with POTS, a few years ago. 1% of teenagers—which may not seem like a lot, but for a chronic illness, 1% is quite a lot—have POTS, and yet this is the first traditionally published YA book to feature the illness. Never before have I seen myself in a character in the way I see myself in Tania. Lillie Lainoff’s #ownvoices portrayal of POTS put into words emotions and experiences I’ve never been able to express. From page one I was crying. I don’t think I managed to go more than a few chapters without crying because of how much it meant for me to read a book where I was so fully represented, written by an author who truly understands what it is like to be in my shoes.
One for All is a promising debut, though on the technical side it does suffer from a common issue that I see in debut novels—especially fantasy ones. There were more than a couple instances, especially in the middle of the novel, where the pacing was lacking, and I found myself having a hard time engaging in the plot. It was predictable at times, as well.
However, the rest of the book: the relationships, the fight scenes, and the majority of the plot were thoroughly enjoyable. And the representation was, as I’ve already expressed, life changing.
I think One for All will especially appeal to younger YA readers, those aged 11-14, but I definitely encourage older readers to pick up the book as well. Just expect a younger writing style and characters that will appeal more to pre- and early teens.
This was (and remains) my most anticipated release of 2022, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for its official release, when I can hold a copy in my hands and annotate it and take pictures of it and stare at it. I’m going to end up with way too many copies of this book. I’m obsessed. Prepare for my Instagram feed to be nothing but pictures of One for All.
Anyway! Pre-order One for All right now! You won’t regret it! Plus it has an incredible preorder campaign sooooooooo ;)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
Minor: Gore and Blood
More...