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A review by daumari
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
4.0
While I have been making good on my plan to read more LGBTQ+ stories this year (2019), I am pleasantly surprised to stumble upon ace (asexual) spectrum characters/leads in some of my reads (which, for one demonstrates I have a ways to go in broadening my reads but also secondly, shows that young adult lit is pretty lit in terms of having a range of characters).
I'm not sure what else I could say given that other reviews are so thorough in why this is really good- strong (and by this, I mean solidly built in their personalities, memorable) female characters that have different strengths/aren't carbon copies of one another, flaws in our heroine (Felicity is understandably upset about not being able to pursue her dream of medicine through traditional means, but it's ~fascinating~ to see it gradually dawn on her that she *is* afforded certain privileges that others don't have in fictional 1700s Western society). Also also, parts of this are DEFINITELY inspired by 1700 naturalists, and in particular Maria Sibylla Merian, who with her daughter Dorothea, illustrated intricate plates of entomology from field expeditions to Suriname. Women have been involved in science for a LONG time, and it's nice to see [fictional] acknowledgement of real world work.
also! Dogs. and dragons. Animals are girls' best friends.
I'm not sure what else I could say given that other reviews are so thorough in why this is really good- strong (and by this, I mean solidly built in their personalities, memorable) female characters that have different strengths/aren't carbon copies of one another, flaws in our heroine (Felicity is understandably upset about not being able to pursue her dream of medicine through traditional means, but it's ~fascinating~ to see it gradually dawn on her that she *is* afforded certain privileges that others don't have in fictional 1700s Western society). Also also, parts of this are DEFINITELY inspired by 1700 naturalists, and in particular Maria Sibylla Merian, who with her daughter Dorothea, illustrated intricate plates of entomology from field expeditions to Suriname. Women have been involved in science for a LONG time, and it's nice to see [fictional] acknowledgement of real world work.
also! Dogs. and dragons. Animals are girls' best friends.