A review by achindris
Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

2.0

Before I began reading Victoria, I did not set high expectations due to sifting through reviews that made clear the book would have some historical foundations but would come across as superficial. After reading the book, I agree with said reviews. I know this story is a companion to the PBS series which I haven’t seen yet, but I’m encouraged now to watch the show. The writing has all the details of a TV script which made it easy to picture the scenery and the character interactions; however, the inner dialogue of the characters was incredibly cheesy. I really did enjoy the beginning of the story when Victoria is exercising her new authority and establishing relationships. The coming-of-age scenes were relatable because even though she is a queen, she is still an eighteen-year-old girl. My main frustration is the scenes with Albert. They were rushed “fluff, lacking major plot substance.

As for a class library, this book does not exactly encourage the historical fiction I want my students to be reading. Again, there are true historic events, and Victoria wanting her freedom from overbearing guardians is very relatable, but I can’t get over certain dramatizations. I would want my students to walk away with more historical accuracies and this does not make the cut. Sticking to the PBS show would probably be the better idea!