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worldsunlikeourown 's review for:
One for All
by Lillie Lainoff
Read more reviews on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
This book was a last minute addition to my TBR after I saw a couple of great reviews for it. The concept of a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers was so fascinating that I couldn’t help but pick it up. I liked that it wasn’t a full retelling per se, but rather a story inspired by it that puts an intriguing spin on the original.
Tania was a wonderful main character. She has been sidelined her whole life as ‘the sick girl’ due to a chronic health problem she suffers from, but at L’Academie, she feels accepted for the first time and finds a sense of purpose with her new sisters-in-arms. Tania’s arc was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed following her journey as she works towards her dream of becoming a Musketeer, albeit in a very different way than she expected. The dynamic between the four girls was great and it was wonderful to see the bond of trust and friendship that develops between them as they grow into a strong team.
There was a lot of French dialogue added, which could have lent a more authentic feel to things, but the way it was used ended up being more annoying than anything. Words and phrases were often translated immediately within the same sentence, making it sound jarring, and in other places, where crucial words in a sentence were in French, there was no translation in sight. Having some knowledge of the language, I found this to be highly irritating. A few expressions or exclamations here and there would have been fine, but this didn’t do anything other than distract from the narrative.
The mystery aspect was an interesting thread and while it became a little predictable after a while, things came together rather well and I liked how the story ended. Overall, it was a very entertaining read and excellent for a debut novel. Highly recommended!
This book was a last minute addition to my TBR after I saw a couple of great reviews for it. The concept of a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers was so fascinating that I couldn’t help but pick it up. I liked that it wasn’t a full retelling per se, but rather a story inspired by it that puts an intriguing spin on the original.
Tania was a wonderful main character. She has been sidelined her whole life as ‘the sick girl’ due to a chronic health problem she suffers from, but at L’Academie, she feels accepted for the first time and finds a sense of purpose with her new sisters-in-arms. Tania’s arc was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed following her journey as she works towards her dream of becoming a Musketeer, albeit in a very different way than she expected. The dynamic between the four girls was great and it was wonderful to see the bond of trust and friendship that develops between them as they grow into a strong team.
There was a lot of French dialogue added, which could have lent a more authentic feel to things, but the way it was used ended up being more annoying than anything. Words and phrases were often translated immediately within the same sentence, making it sound jarring, and in other places, where crucial words in a sentence were in French, there was no translation in sight. Having some knowledge of the language, I found this to be highly irritating. A few expressions or exclamations here and there would have been fine, but this didn’t do anything other than distract from the narrative.
The mystery aspect was an interesting thread and while it became a little predictable after a while, things came together rather well and I liked how the story ended. Overall, it was a very entertaining read and excellent for a debut novel. Highly recommended!