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missamandamae's review against another edition
3.0
Totally passed by this at B&N, and decided to get it because of the title. I'm a sucker for Civil War YA novels, even if this isn't strictly Civil War, but Civil War reenactment. When I flipped through it at the store, one of the characters references Dr. Thomas Lowry's book The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell, and that was the moment I tucked it under my arm and headed to the register!
This is a bubble gum book. It's not heavy at all. It's a sweet YA novel about boyfriends and gay friends, with a little history thrown in. I settled in this evening with my vinyl copy of the soundtrack to Gone With the Wind (following up with the soundtracks to The Great Gatsby and Black Orpheus) and just marathon read this one. I was glad the writing wasn't ridiculously bad. It was light and fun! (I've chanced on some YA novels with interesting premises that were *horribly* written to the point that I gagged.) The gay friend Dev wasn't nearly as annoyingly stereotypical as some gay characters I've read. And the boys our (thankfully) not-Mary Sue encounters are just sweet and charming. This book is something you might pick up at an airport and enjoy for the flight.
A nice indulgence for this Civil War buff!!
This is a bubble gum book. It's not heavy at all. It's a sweet YA novel about boyfriends and gay friends, with a little history thrown in. I settled in this evening with my vinyl copy of the soundtrack to Gone With the Wind (following up with the soundtracks to The Great Gatsby and Black Orpheus) and just marathon read this one. I was glad the writing wasn't ridiculously bad. It was light and fun! (I've chanced on some YA novels with interesting premises that were *horribly* written to the point that I gagged.) The gay friend Dev wasn't nearly as annoyingly stereotypical as some gay characters I've read. And the boys our (thankfully) not-Mary Sue encounters are just sweet and charming. This book is something you might pick up at an airport and enjoy for the flight.
A nice indulgence for this Civil War buff!!
sshuherk's review against another edition
5.0
I love love loved this book! I read "Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink" and loved it now this one! I'm a big history geek so I loved the history side of it and the ending was so sweet! Somebody PLEASE tell me that Stephanie Kate Strohm is writing a third!
ksd1441's review against another edition
4.0
Another fun story from Stephanie Strohm. This is my new guilty pleasure series, and I hope a new one comes out sooner than soon. The story may not be terribly complicated, but these characters are fantastic and each is a geek in his or her own way. A rom-com that proves you can be a total geek about whatever you want and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Yay.
akmargie's review against another edition
3.0
A sweet book with a somewhat convoluted plot. There were a few too many elements going one, historical reenactments, ghosts, love triangle (kind of) and even capitalist real estate development.
wistyallgood's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable and pretty funny sequel!
This was obviously fluff and full of miscommunication, but I liked it a lot. The only thing was, there was always an uncomfortable tugging feeling somewhere inside at the occasional glorification of the TOTALLY wrong side of the Civil War. How can I feel for anyone pretending to be a Confederate when they were supporters of something despicable?
But the author did mention that issue a few times, which I appreciated.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I love history, especially American, so it's cool reading about a main character who shares that love and spews fun facts. I ought to have been studying for a big history exam while I was reading this, but my excuse was that this kind of WAS studying.
Dev was ridiculous, but I liked him. I also liked Garrett and Beau.
Consider my childhood mind blown at the fact that The Dukes of Hazzard (which I know is surrounded my lots of controversy, but back in the day I used to watch it every day with my dad, so there are some fond memories attached) characters are Beau and Luke Duke, as opposed to Bo, Beau being short for Beauregard. This was an epiphany, I must say.
This was obviously fluff and full of miscommunication, but I liked it a lot. The only thing was, there was always an uncomfortable tugging feeling somewhere inside at the occasional glorification of the TOTALLY wrong side of the Civil War. How can I feel for anyone pretending to be a Confederate when they were supporters of something despicable?
But the author did mention that issue a few times, which I appreciated.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I love history, especially American, so it's cool reading about a main character who shares that love and spews fun facts. I ought to have been studying for a big history exam while I was reading this, but my excuse was that this kind of WAS studying.
Dev was ridiculous, but I liked him. I also liked Garrett and Beau.
Consider my childhood mind blown at the fact that The Dukes of Hazzard (which I know is surrounded my lots of controversy, but back in the day I used to watch it every day with my dad, so there are some fond memories attached) characters are Beau and Luke Duke, as opposed to Bo, Beau being short for Beauregard. This was an epiphany, I must say.
shanbear16's review against another edition
3.0
Not as endearing as the first book. I found the characterization of Dev to be a little too stereotypical of a gay BFF. The love triangle was slightly annoying, but the resolution was really rushed. Even still, it's a bit of fun fluff.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
3.0
Last summer, Libby worked as a Revolutionary War reenactor at a living history museum. This summer, her last before heading to college, her best friend Dev has gotten himself a gig designing, sewing, and selling period clothes to Confederate Civil War reenactors, and he’s asked Libby to come along as his model. Libby is disappointed not to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Garrett, who has a journalism internship in Boston, but she can’t pass up the opportunity to combine her love of fashion with her love of history. What she doesn’t expect, though, is that a sweet Southern boy named Beau will fall for her, or that she will begin to question Garrett’s feelings for her. As the Civil War unfolds around her, Libby fights her own internal war, struggling to decide which boy is right for her.
The greatest strength of this book is its dialogue. The characters sound real, they make references to timely pop culture figures and events, and they trade witty one-liners at a pace that rivals an episode of The Gilmore Girls. Libby and Dev each have distinct voices, and their close, mutually supportive friendship, as well as their shared sense of humor is evident in their conversations. The use of occasional local color helps set the Southern scene and makes it easy to hear characters like Beau and his mom as they might really sound. I also really enjoyed the voice of Cody, a fourteen-year-old Boy Scout whose parents have forced him to join his troop as they tag along with the reenactors. I especially liked reading his exchanges with Libby, as they really highlight the difference between their ages without making Libby seem too adult, or Cody seem too much like a child.
Strangely, though, while the dialogue is strong, the characterization is very uneven. Libby and Dev are completely three-dimensional, with clear personalities, lots of believable quirks, and their friendship is really the heart of the story. Beau, too, is well-realized, and though the reader is not meant to root for him, it is still easy to connect with him and to understand why Libby could be torn between him and her boyfriend. Garrett, though, lacks the same depth as the other characters. His character was mainly developed in the first book, Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink, but it has been nearly two years since I read it, and I felt like I needed more of a refresher than was provided by this sequel. I also didn’t think Garrett was that likable a lot of the time, making it hard for me to sympathize with Libby’s feelings for him.
Like Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink, Confederates Don’t Wear Couture has a very contemporary feel and it will please teen readers who appreciate intelligent and entertaining realistic fiction. While this is largely a romance novel with a fairly predictable outcome, it is also an interesting look back at the past, an homage to Gone with the Wind, a commentary on Confederate politics, and a celebration of fashion. Recommended to teens in grades 8 to 12.
The greatest strength of this book is its dialogue. The characters sound real, they make references to timely pop culture figures and events, and they trade witty one-liners at a pace that rivals an episode of The Gilmore Girls. Libby and Dev each have distinct voices, and their close, mutually supportive friendship, as well as their shared sense of humor is evident in their conversations. The use of occasional local color helps set the Southern scene and makes it easy to hear characters like Beau and his mom as they might really sound. I also really enjoyed the voice of Cody, a fourteen-year-old Boy Scout whose parents have forced him to join his troop as they tag along with the reenactors. I especially liked reading his exchanges with Libby, as they really highlight the difference between their ages without making Libby seem too adult, or Cody seem too much like a child.
Strangely, though, while the dialogue is strong, the characterization is very uneven. Libby and Dev are completely three-dimensional, with clear personalities, lots of believable quirks, and their friendship is really the heart of the story. Beau, too, is well-realized, and though the reader is not meant to root for him, it is still easy to connect with him and to understand why Libby could be torn between him and her boyfriend. Garrett, though, lacks the same depth as the other characters. His character was mainly developed in the first book, Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink, but it has been nearly two years since I read it, and I felt like I needed more of a refresher than was provided by this sequel. I also didn’t think Garrett was that likable a lot of the time, making it hard for me to sympathize with Libby’s feelings for him.
Like Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink, Confederates Don’t Wear Couture has a very contemporary feel and it will please teen readers who appreciate intelligent and entertaining realistic fiction. While this is largely a romance novel with a fairly predictable outcome, it is also an interesting look back at the past, an homage to Gone with the Wind, a commentary on Confederate politics, and a celebration of fashion. Recommended to teens in grades 8 to 12.
samwlabb's review
4.0
I was really excited to have the opportunity to catch up with Libby, and I was excited to get to spend more time with her bestie, Dev, because he was hilarious. As always, Strohm delivered the funny, and who doesn't love culinary history? I have a special appreciation for Strohm pop culture references. When the mystery began to emerge in the story, I immediately thought it had a Scooby vibe, and then Strohm embraced it, and nods to the Scoobies began. She also referenced a song I proudly performed with my friends (Billy, Don't Be a Hero), which really put a smile on my face (and a song in my head).
This book gave me exactly what I was looking for - a fun, low drama summer read with lots of hijinks and a touch of romance, and I am happy I got to spend two summers with Libby.
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This book gave me exactly what I was looking for - a fun, low drama summer read with lots of hijinks and a touch of romance, and I am happy I got to spend two summers with Libby.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
artemishi's review
5.0
I had a lot of fun with this book. The kind of fun that makes you laugh out loud on the bus and get looked at like you're a crazy person. But I couldn't help it-- Strohm writes fun and wittastic dialogue for Libby, a main character who quickly grew dear to my heart. Apparently, Libby's adventures started in her first book; this is book 2.
Not knowing Libby from the first book was no problem- I felt like she was my long-lost little sister by the end of Chapter 1. This girl loves history and historical reenactment....clearly, she's darling. I also loved Dev, despite his unrealistically over-the-top nature. Every time I started feeling like he was a characature instead of a character, the author dropped some unexpected personality quirk in there, and I stopped being suspicious. Both teens end up on a wacky summer-long adventure of living history that had me itching to call up the Washington Civil War Reenactment HQ. Or jump right into AL.
I won't give you any spoilers, but I applaud Strohm's handling of the romantic relationships and tensions within the book. She took a topic that often has a predictable outcome and turned it on its head....realistically. At first I wanted to root for The South (well, he *is* perfect, and I didn't know Garrett or his good qualities from book 1, and I hate petty jealousy), but Libby showed rare foresight...and insight...and I like that Strohm took an adult approach to it.
I also adored the little historical reenactment details she put in there (even when she caged them in dialogue to give us readers a less-pedantic lecture on how cool history is). The whole coffee situation was hilarious to me, both as a coffee addict and a renaissance faire brat, and the ghost story mystery added just enough dialogue to interest people who, unlike me, weren't utterly delighted at the descriptions of the period gowns.
A book that makes me want to sew Victorian-era dresses is a winner, in my opinion!
I recommend this book for lovers of historical reenactment and living history, fans of emotionally mature but still rompy YA, those who enjoy a main female character with a quirky sidekick, fans of the South, book readers who like exploring the modern perspective on the Civil War, fans of young romance, and folks who like the romance of a wistful summer adventure. And, of course, fans of Strohm's first book.
Not knowing Libby from the first book was no problem- I felt like she was my long-lost little sister by the end of Chapter 1. This girl loves history and historical reenactment....clearly, she's darling. I also loved Dev, despite his unrealistically over-the-top nature. Every time I started feeling like he was a characature instead of a character, the author dropped some unexpected personality quirk in there, and I stopped being suspicious. Both teens end up on a wacky summer-long adventure of living history that had me itching to call up the Washington Civil War Reenactment HQ. Or jump right into AL.
I won't give you any spoilers, but I applaud Strohm's handling of the romantic relationships and tensions within the book. She took a topic that often has a predictable outcome and turned it on its head....realistically. At first I wanted to root for The South (well, he *is* perfect, and I didn't know Garrett or his good qualities from book 1, and I hate petty jealousy), but Libby showed rare foresight...and insight...and I like that Strohm took an adult approach to it.
I also adored the little historical reenactment details she put in there (even when she caged them in dialogue to give us readers a less-pedantic lecture on how cool history is). The whole coffee situation was hilarious to me, both as a coffee addict and a renaissance faire brat, and the ghost story mystery added just enough dialogue to interest people who, unlike me, weren't utterly delighted at the descriptions of the period gowns.
A book that makes me want to sew Victorian-era dresses is a winner, in my opinion!
I recommend this book for lovers of historical reenactment and living history, fans of emotionally mature but still rompy YA, those who enjoy a main female character with a quirky sidekick, fans of the South, book readers who like exploring the modern perspective on the Civil War, fans of young romance, and folks who like the romance of a wistful summer adventure. And, of course, fans of Strohm's first book.
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