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novella42's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
I loved this book very very much. At times it felt a little confusing, so I took off 0.25 stars, but I loved it anyway. Seeing a chronically ill protagonist fight through the ableism in the world AND her own internalized ableism was just fantastic to witness. The afterword made me cry and inspired me to work on my own fiction and dream about my own disabled protagonist. I'm grateful for this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Chronic illness, Grief, Violence, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Chronic illness
Minor: Excrement, Grief, Violence, Classism, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
buffy87's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My best friend lives with POTS so to read a book with a MC who also lives with POTS is surreal and not something I'd ever expect to read.
Writing: good enough? don't get too distracted by bad writing or weird moments. That being said there were a lot of moments where I was like "wait what's happening and who's here now?" There is French italicized throughout, but either immediately translated or we are given enough context clues. It is weird that the English and French is alternated, but I was able to get past it. Others might get hung up on the weirdness of them speaking in English and translating French when they're all French lol.
Plot: Even though I kind of expected some of it, I'm glad it ended the way it did because I feel it helps the final development of Tania's character. It is slightly predictable and therefore wasn't too exciting but I wasn't reading for the actual plot - rather more intrigued with Tania's journey.
Thoughts: A YA book with a little bit of queer representation, disability representation, and a book based on female empowerment? I'd recommend to all of my students. There is a bit of romance as well but I didn't mind it BC it didnt go too far. It's not an amazing stand out novel in the sense of a spine-tingling page turner. However, I believe that any younger girls or womxn who live with chronic illness would definitely appreciate this telling.
Writing: good enough? don't get too distracted by bad writing or weird moments. That being said there were a lot of moments where I was like "wait what's happening and who's here now?" There is French italicized throughout, but either immediately translated or we are given enough context clues. It is weird that the English and French is alternated, but I was able to get past it. Others might get hung up on the weirdness of them speaking in English and translating French when they're all French lol.
Plot: Even though I kind of expected some of it, I'm glad it ended the way it did because I feel it helps the final development of Tania's character. It is slightly predictable and therefore wasn't too exciting but I wasn't reading for the actual plot - rather more intrigued with Tania's journey.
Thoughts: A YA book with a little bit of queer representation, disability representation, and a book based on female empowerment? I'd recommend to all of my students. There is a bit of romance as well but I didn't mind it BC it didnt go too far. It's not an amazing stand out novel in the sense of a spine-tingling page turner. However, I believe that any younger girls or womxn who live with chronic illness would definitely appreciate this telling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Sexual assault, Classism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood
emily_mh's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
This book really grew on me! I’m not going to lie, the start was super slow. I was pretty worried because I was like 60 pages in and still not feeling gripped, questioning why we were spending so much time in this beginning phase. But once the plot kicked off I got into it and ended up really enjoying the story!
First and foremost, this book has some fantastic disability rep. MC Tania has POTS, and her character development is centred on unlearning her internalised ableism, and growing her self-worth which has been persistently undermined by societal ableism. I loved being able to relate to Tania’s worries and beliefs as a chronically ill person myself. I also liked the exploration of what it’s like to have a disability that doesn’t even have a name yet; Tania feels so incredibly isolated because of that fact. It really drove home the need for visibility to me, as seeing there are other people with your disability can alleviate some of the isolation that comes with having that disability. Which is another reason why I like this book, because it is providing that visibility. Honestly, disability books like this make me so happy!
Another thing this story has going for it is that it is essentially about historical spies. The historical setting gives a real sense of time and place to the narrative, especially as the plot is woven into real historical events. The spy part provides all the action, as the girls carry out training, codebreaking, sidling up to suspects, mini-heists, fencing and more, all undercover as noble ladies. It was just a lot of fun, but also intriguing enough of a mystery for it to have substance.
I also liked the sisterhood aspect of the Musketeers. Lainoff makes sure to include the small and everyday interactions between the girls as well as stuff that moves the plot forward, and she also takes care that Tania forms a connection with all three other girls, so their bond is totally believable. I loved that they provided such reliable, caring support to Tania and just automatically accommodated her without question. Also, each of the girls were distinct from one another, although I wish we had gotten to know Portia more.
Unfortunately I did have a large criticism of the book, leading me to dock one star, and that was the writing style. I found it to be pretty clumsy, like I knew what it was trying to say but it could have said it in a more eloquent or expressive way. The sentence structure could be super clunky at times, and the dialogue a little confusing. I also wish it had been more concise in areas, and that some scenes had been removed entirely. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to put me off the book, as I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but I can see why this might be a problem for other readers!
Rep: MC with POTS, sapphic SCs, potentially aro SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Chronic illness
Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Classism, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Blood, Death, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Medical content, Terminal illness, War, and Fire/Fire injury
Major: fainting, dizziness Minor: gambling, menstruationbookcheshirecat's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
“We are not the ones who are written into history. We are the ones who ensure history exists to be written.”
➽ One for All is fun, historical Three Musketeers retelling set in France! Tania de Batz is a disabled young girl who has been learning sword fighting from her father and is devastated when a violent attack leads to his death. He was the only one who believed in her and taught her capable, while everyone else in the village looks down on her for being the ‘sick girl’. Tania gets shipped off to L’Académie des Mariées, a finishing school that secretly specialises in espionage and has a rooster of girls who are trained to infiltrate high society! I loved the bond of sisterhood between Tania and her new friends, it was lovely to see how they accepted her for who she is. I also liked seeing her gain confidence in her new ability and ignore the ableist comments that some people throw her way!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Ableism, Grief, Violence, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault
mattyb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Chronic illness, Grief, and Ableism
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
ramunepocky's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Overall, I rlly enjoyed this book, it definitely had the vibe of the musketeers that I love sm and a strong sense of found family !!! It was a good mix of plot and character too and i enjoyed the character growth and watching Tania discover her strength !!! I rlly loved all the characters, esp Aria, tho I feel like she didnt have a real part until the last third of the book, tho I loved her from her first interaction !!! the only thing that spoiled it for me was the mix of French and English as I found it very jarring, even if there was often context to help you figure out wgat the French meant or a direct translation, it still took me out of the stpry and made me question if it was necessary for it to be there at all!! However, I still rlly enjoyed this book and it was rlly refreshing to have good Chronic Illness rep in an action packed book !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Ableism, Death of parent, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault
bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
“Portia, Théa, and Aria weren't the Musketeers who populated my childhood stories. They weren't Papa's Musketeers…
But they were better, because they were mine.”
I absolutely adored One for All. From the first page, I could have sat there and read it all in one go. An all-female Three Musketeers reimagining (or continuation), with disability rep? I’ll be talking about this one for a while.
Tania was such an inspiring main character. With her chronic disability (POTS), she’s struggled to just live all her life. She battles dizziness when she stands, and fencing is the only thing that makes her feel like she’s got control over her life - no wonder she won’t give it up to just be a wife. Her chronic illness is constantly there, but it doesn’t define her.
The other characters were also a delight. I loved the female camaraderie and sisterhood that was developed through the story. The other musketeers taught Tania that her dizziness isn’t a sign of weakness, that actually she’s strong to live with it, and they provided her with friendship she so desperately needed before.
I loved the story. There was always a sense of forward progress with a sense of mystery and the need for justice.
And, I mean, how could you go wrong with sword fighting in beautiful dresses?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Ableism, and Bullying
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
**I was provided with an ARC of the book by Titan Books for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent, ableism, chronic illness, bullying, grief, sexism/misogyny, sexual assault
--
Daughter of a former Musketeer, Tania De Batz has grown up with a love for fencing and adventure. However, as a young woman with a chronic illness living within a society the openly scorns any form of disability she faces more difficulties than most. Thus her mother wants nothing more than for her to conceal who she is and to conform to societies expectations of her.
When her father is mysteriously killed on a business trip Tania is convinced foul play is involved and wants to investigate but her mother wants to hear none of it. Instead she is to be sent off to L’Academie des Mariess, a finishing school that her father secured her a place in. What she soon finds though is that what she expected to be a finishing school is actually a covert training institute for women Musketeers who are on a mission to uncover a plot that threatens the monarchy of France. Not only does this give Tanya a chance to put herself towards a higher purpose but also an opportunity to get to the bottom of her father’s murder.
“We are not the ones who are written into history. We are the ones who ensure history exists to be written.”
Now this is where I admit that my knowledge of the Musketeers comes from the Barbie version so of course I was going to come running for a book featuring sword fighting girls. The beginning of the book is a little slow but everything really gets going when Tania arrives at the L’Academie des Mariess and despite the plot being a little predictable at times, I found myself easily drawn in by all the mystery and espionage.
Tania has POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and she is one of the most empowering characters that I have ever read. Though quite stubborn as many YA protagonists tend to be, she doesn’t shy away from her emotions. She very much wears her heart on her sleeve and though this made her quite naïve it was such a refreshing trait to see on page. I really enjoyed following her on her journey of coming into her own, of not letting other people’s sentiments stop her from getting to where she wanted to be and finding a support system that accepts her for who she is.
“There are other ways to fight for someone, Mademoiselle, than merely picking up a sword.”
Which leads me on to mention the sisterhood that is the heart of this book! Found family is one of my absolute favourite tropes and the bonds that formed between Tania and her fellow Musketeers – Aria, Portia and Théa – was so heart-warming. I do find myself wishing that we could have had longer scenes from the times when they were initially bonding but their little missions and the moments of humour and camaraderie that they brought about were so fun.
Fencing is a sport that I have always wanted to try and it was so cool to learn that Lainoff herself is a fencer. I always find it so wholesome when authors are able to inform and enrich their stories with their other passions and honestly all the practice and fight scenes were so good!
A highly enjoyable and admirable spin on a well-loved classic, I can’t recommend One For All enough!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Ableism, Chronic illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Blood, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault
asparagusisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
First, I want to say thank you to the author, the publisher, NetGalley, and the FierceReads for making an e-arc copy for me to read in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: finishing school used a cover for something else, love triangle, found family,
Representation Included: POTS, a lesbian character, an ac character, a demi bi character,
Content and Trigger Warnings: ableism, implied sexual assault, death of a parent, murder, violence, blood, gore
ONE FOR ALL by LILLIE LAINOFF is an Own-Voices feminist, gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers following a female main character with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). All Tania wants is to become a musketeer like her father but when he is found dead and the circumstances sound suspicious, she sets her sights on finding who killed him and why. The next thing she knows, she is sent to a finishing school (a place to teach women to be proper ladies and wives) as part of her father's will. At first, Tania is appalled by her father's choice of school but quickly learns why. The finishing school is secretly a cover for what is really taught: how to use a sword, hide weapons underneath skirts, and how to use them, to seduce men and get secrets. Tania starts to feel like she's found where she belongs, a place where she and her illness are accepted but she has to choose where her loyalties lie when she starts to fall in love with her first target... and he might have information on who killed her father.
Before I begin my review, I read this book mostly with an audiobook because the book has been released by the time I got around to reading it. Talia is about 16 years old and that is shown by how naive she can be. Some parts of the book were a little easy to guess based on books with similar tropes and plots, but I didn't mind it. The main twist towards the end I didn't catch onto because I fully believed the twist would've involved one of the musketeers. I do not have POTS so I can not speak on the accuracy of the representation from that perspective. However, I can speak on it from what I know through research and friends that have it. Based on what I know, I think the POTS representation was done well and explored more than just the fainting spells. I liked seeing Talia's growing connection with the musketeers and the small family she found from it, how they supported her and "wouldn't let her fall." Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and anticipate reading the ebook or physical book will be even better.
My content featuring this book:
-August TBR https://youtu.be/nVPYzsM5Zfk
-September TBR https://youtu.be/GAqnZvCFdOw
Tropes: finishing school used a cover for something else, love triangle, found family,
Representation Included: POTS, a lesbian character, an ac character, a demi bi character,
Content and Trigger Warnings: ableism, implied sexual assault, death of a parent, murder, violence, blood, gore
ONE FOR ALL by LILLIE LAINOFF is an Own-Voices feminist, gender-bent retelling of the Three Musketeers following a female main character with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). All Tania wants is to become a musketeer like her father but when he is found dead and the circumstances sound suspicious, she sets her sights on finding who killed him and why. The next thing she knows, she is sent to a finishing school (a place to teach women to be proper ladies and wives) as part of her father's will. At first, Tania is appalled by her father's choice of school but quickly learns why. The finishing school is secretly a cover for what is really taught: how to use a sword, hide weapons underneath skirts, and how to use them, to seduce men and get secrets. Tania starts to feel like she's found where she belongs, a place where she and her illness are accepted but she has to choose where her loyalties lie when she starts to fall in love with her first target... and he might have information on who killed her father.
Before I begin my review, I read this book mostly with an audiobook because the book has been released by the time I got around to reading it. Talia is about 16 years old and that is shown by how naive she can be. Some parts of the book were a little easy to guess based on books with similar tropes and plots, but I didn't mind it. The main twist towards the end I didn't catch onto because I fully believed the twist would've involved one of the musketeers. I do not have POTS so I can not speak on the accuracy of the representation from that perspective. However, I can speak on it from what I know through research and friends that have it. Based on what I know, I think the POTS representation was done well and explored more than just the fainting spells. I liked seeing Talia's growing connection with the musketeers and the small family she found from it, how they supported her and "wouldn't let her fall." Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and anticipate reading the ebook or physical book will be even better.
My content featuring this book:
-August TBR https://youtu.be/nVPYzsM5Zfk
-September TBR https://youtu.be/GAqnZvCFdOw
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Ableism, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Gore