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A review by scampneoroxy
The Madness Blooms (unpublished) by Mackenzi Lee
4.0
EDIT: When I first wrote this review, I followed the lead of the book copy in using she/her pronouns to refer to the main character. In light of the discussion surrounding why this is bad and harmful, I've edited my review to use they/them pronouns and their chosen name to hopefully reflect the ongoing development of the MC's gender identity through the story! I apologize for any harm I have done with this error.
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I had been waiting to read THE MADNESS BLOOMS since Lee first mentioned it at an event promoting The Lady's Guide. I feel ridiculously lucky to have had access to a digital galley because this book is an utter gem.
Set against the weirdest and most fascinating financial bubble I never heard of are: A glorious queer romance, a vivid picture of Holland in the 1630s, a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful portrayal of gender dysphoria, and a gentle look at how family 'responsibility' becomes toxicity. There is so much in this story, but it just flies by, and my fingers were left grasping for more pages.
The main character - who in the story chooses to be called Pim - is a very compelling protagonist. Their rebellious nature is driven to the surface by the desperate necessity of escaping poverty, and in hatching a plan to sell a fake Semper Augustus bulb, Pim inadvertently gives themself the space to explore their identity and desires. It is easy to imagine, heartbreakingly, a 17th century Holland where Pim never gets the chance to explore who they want to be.
In this way, I felt that THE MADNESS BLOOMS both pays homage to all the Dutch queer and trans young people who never had a chance to bloom into their fullest beautiful selves, and gives us a hopeful story highlighting the fact that there were likely many young lgbtq people who found a way.
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disclaimer: I am both cisgendered and straight-passing, and can only provide this perspective. I encourage readers of this review to seek out #ownvoices reviewers to get their perspectives!
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I had been waiting to read THE MADNESS BLOOMS since Lee first mentioned it at an event promoting The Lady's Guide. I feel ridiculously lucky to have had access to a digital galley because this book is an utter gem.
Set against the weirdest and most fascinating financial bubble I never heard of are: A glorious queer romance, a vivid picture of Holland in the 1630s, a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful portrayal of gender dysphoria, and a gentle look at how family 'responsibility' becomes toxicity. There is so much in this story, but it just flies by, and my fingers were left grasping for more pages.
The main character - who in the story chooses to be called Pim - is a very compelling protagonist. Their rebellious nature is driven to the surface by the desperate necessity of escaping poverty, and in hatching a plan to sell a fake Semper Augustus bulb, Pim inadvertently gives themself the space to explore their identity and desires. It is easy to imagine, heartbreakingly, a 17th century Holland where Pim never gets the chance to explore who they want to be.
In this way, I felt that THE MADNESS BLOOMS both pays homage to all the Dutch queer and trans young people who never had a chance to bloom into their fullest beautiful selves, and gives us a hopeful story highlighting the fact that there were likely many young lgbtq people who found a way.
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disclaimer: I am both cisgendered and straight-passing, and can only provide this perspective. I encourage readers of this review to seek out #ownvoices reviewers to get their perspectives!