A review by lolajh
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I think this story could be viewed in so many different ways but the thing that it absolutely is is queer. Sebastian’s gender identity and Frances’ sexuality are anything other than cis and straight. I do however not feel fully satisfied with the result. Queer historical fiction is something I never really like, as it more often than not has far too much representation of outing and trauma and trans/homophobia in order to make moments not like this appear happy. This book was very dark for a middle-grade book, and I guess I just so much prefer books full of queer joy than books like this, which still had a happy ending, but at what cost?
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