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A review by gemstonejasper
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This story follows Felicity, a young woman in the 18th century who wants nothing more than to go to medical school. But no matter how many education boards she petitions, she isn't accepted solely based on her gender. The harder she fights for a place at these schools, the more she is criticized for being hysterical. She learns of a doctor who has worked with women in the past, so she goes on an adventure to meet and get close to him while learning valuable lessons about society and being a woman along the way.
I love this story as much as I loved the first. I can't wait to read the third. Even though the story takes place in the 18th century, the topics it discusses are still relevant to this day.
I think Mackenzie Lee has this way of giving each main character one glaring fatal flaw while making them still likable. Because they are likable, you want to follow their story. But you want them to overcome that one fatal flaw so bad that it almost hurts when they fall back to their old way of thinking. In the first book, Monty was so self-absorbed that he struggled to relate with his best friend/love interest and sister. Felicity despises her womanhood and rejects traditional notions of femininity so much so that she looks down on anyone who engages in these feminine aspects. Mackenzie Lee is a master at character arcs in my opinion.
I love the lesson Felicity learns about respecting other women. All of them are affected by society in their own way. They can be strong women who are crushed by society regardless of whether they like dresses and make-up. I find "pick me" girls so annoying in stories. Characters who "aren't like other girls" can be so frustrating because it implies that other girls are wrong in what they like and who they are. But this book twists that and shows Felicity that her type of womanhood is no more or less valid than any other's type of womanhood. She starts as a "pick me" girl, but grows and changes during the story.
Okay, so this is just my opinion. But I truly believe that Felicity has ADHD and is asexual/aromantic. Hear me out. In the first book, it is clear to me, as someone with ADHD, that Monty shows many signs and symptoms. ADHD is genetic, so it wouldn't be a stretch that Felicity could have also inherited it. But, just like many mental and physical health conditions, it often presents differently in girls. Girls are more likely to have internal symptoms. She is pretty equal to Monty in impulsivity, but her impulsiveness often isn't as publicly and socially noticeable. I mean, sailing the ocean to meet a guy who might just take you on as a student, then sneaking into his wedding party, etc. are all very risky things that she chooses to do without much time to think through the actual potential consequences.
The asexual bit is pretty self-explanatory towards the end of the book. Sim seems to have feelings for her, but Felicity doesn't have feelings for anyone. She's never felt anything while kissing a boy. When she kisses Sim, she still doesn't feel anything. She talks about wanting to live alone with a community of friends, it seems clear to me. Not everyone has to agree on all of this, but this is how I personally interpret the book and character.
I love this story as much as I loved the first. I can't wait to read the third. Even though the story takes place in the 18th century, the topics it discusses are still relevant to this day.
I think Mackenzie Lee has this way of giving each main character one glaring fatal flaw while making them still likable. Because they are likable, you want to follow their story. But you want them to overcome that one fatal flaw so bad that it almost hurts when they fall back to their old way of thinking. In the first book, Monty was so self-absorbed that he struggled to relate with his best friend/love interest and sister. Felicity despises her womanhood and rejects traditional notions of femininity so much so that she looks down on anyone who engages in these feminine aspects. Mackenzie Lee is a master at character arcs in my opinion.
The asexual bit is pretty self-explanatory towards the end of the book. Sim seems to have feelings for her, but Felicity doesn't have feelings for anyone. She's never felt anything while kissing a boy. When she kisses Sim, she still doesn't feel anything. She talks about wanting to live alone with a community of friends, it seems clear to me. Not everyone has to agree on all of this, but this is how I personally interpret the book and character.