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A review by ashjreads
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
3.0
3.5/5
“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”
This book was good, honestly. It was funny, witty, and entertaining all while talking serious subject matter and discussing it. This touches on some serious stuff and probably needs some trigger warnings, so here they are!
Trigger Warnings: homophobia, epilepsy stereotypes relevant to the time period, racism and racial slurs, ableism, PTSD, alcoholism, parental abuse, mentions of suicidal thoughts.
Was a lot of it anachronistic (a new word I learned reading The Infernal Devices)? Maybe? I am not a professional of this time period. But honestly, I think it was intentional on the author's part as reading the Author's Note in the back made me realize this.
I don't have a lot to say on the portrayal of racism in this book as I am a white person. I am not sure if it's great tbh but... I will let other people speak on that. But I WILL say, I don't love how the epilepsy rep is handled. Monty really wants to "cure" Percy of his illness because it inconveniences him? Instead of just being there for him and supporting/loving him despite it? Even though Percy doesn't WANT a cure? Yoinks. Didn't love that... a little ableist if we are being honest. It also had a throwaway joke at the end regarding self harm that rubs me the wrong way considering the whole "Monty felt suicidal" discussion.
Did some digging and apparently this author has done some bad stuff... oopsies? Do we need to start screening book authors more closely before we pick them for bookclub?
Well overall, I enjoyed most of this book. Even if bits and pieces were rough.
Colin, we did it Joe! We picked a decent bookclub book!
“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”
This book was good, honestly. It was funny, witty, and entertaining all while talking serious subject matter and discussing it. This touches on some serious stuff and probably needs some trigger warnings, so here they are!
Trigger Warnings: homophobia, epilepsy stereotypes relevant to the time period, racism and racial slurs, ableism, PTSD, alcoholism, parental abuse, mentions of suicidal thoughts.
Was a lot of it anachronistic (a new word I learned reading The Infernal Devices)? Maybe? I am not a professional of this time period. But honestly, I think it was intentional on the author's part as reading the Author's Note in the back made me realize this.
I don't have a lot to say on the portrayal of racism in this book as I am a white person. I am not sure if it's great tbh but... I will let other people speak on that. But I WILL say, I don't love how the epilepsy rep is handled. Monty really wants to "cure" Percy of his illness because it inconveniences him? Instead of just being there for him and supporting/loving him despite it? Even though Percy doesn't WANT a cure? Yoinks. Didn't love that... a little ableist if we are being honest. It also had a throwaway joke at the end regarding self harm that rubs me the wrong way considering the whole "Monty felt suicidal" discussion.
Did some digging and apparently this author has done some bad stuff... oopsies? Do we need to start screening book authors more closely before we pick them for bookclub?
Well overall, I enjoyed most of this book. Even if bits and pieces were rough.
Colin, we did it Joe! We picked a decent bookclub book!