DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Listeners will be gratified that Christian Coulson has returned to narrate this satisfying conclusion to the Montague Siblings trilogy. Obsessed with his mother’s death and with the mystery of the broken spyglass she left for him, Adrian discovers the older brother and sister he never knew he had. The close first-person point of view puts listeners in Adrian’s head as he copes with debilitating anxiety and a constant barrage of catastrophizing thoughts, and Coulson’s performance ensures that we feel what Adrian’s feeling and that we feel for him, too. Coulson also hits every funny note just right, capturing the siblings’ personalities and their growing connection as they travel to Morocco, Portugal, and beyond. Fans won’t want to miss this final voyage in a grand adventure. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Lee’s writing is as exquisite as ever, in both the nuanced rendering of Adrian’s emotional landscape and the gritty world surrounding him. Fans and newcomers to Lee’s trilogy will delight in a swashbuckling tale grounded in compassion and love.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Packed with political intrigue, romance (gay and straight), angry pirates, ghost stories and more powerful female leaders than you can shake a cutlass at." — ShelfAwareness (starred review)
"Series fans can expect another wonderful round of exciting journeys, unique personalities, surprising historical details, beautiful romance, and scrutiny of social-justice issues." — Booklist (starred review)
“Lee crafts an absorbing adventure with dangerous stakes, dynamic character growth, sharp social and political commentary, and a storm of emotion... An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY: ★ “[Lee] develops a world rich in historical detail, crafts a plot wild with unexpected turns, and explores complex topics like colonization and identity. An empowering and energetic adventure that celebrates friendship between women.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★“An incredible, must-have follow-up full of old characters and new, blood and guts, and a delightful barrage of sarcasm.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “This action-driven adventure is a joy.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“A beautifully brilliant story about feminism, female friendship, privilege, sexism in the 17th century, and doing all you can to fulfill your passion and dreams.” — Buzzfeed
“A feminist feast that challenges societal norms and forgoes all romance, which is unconventional, albeit refreshing, in young adult literature.” — BookPage
“[A] strong feminist credo.” — The Horn Book
“The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is fun while still being thoughtful, feminist, and an ode to female friendship.” — Bustle
Praise for THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE: ★ “Tongue-in-cheek, wildly entertaining, and anachronistic in only the most delightful ways, this is a gleeful romp through history. Monty is a hero worthy of Oscar Wilde.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
★ “The book’s exquisite, bygone meter and vernacular sit comfortably on a contemporary shelf. And the friction of racism, tyrannical entitled politicians, and misguided disapproval of homosexuality also have a relevance rooted in current culture’s xeno- and homophobia. Austen, Wilde, and Indiana Jones converge in this deliciously anachronistic bonbon.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “This is a witty, romantic, and exceedingly smart look at discovering one’s place in the world. A stunning powerhouse of a story for every collection.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “A gloriously swashbuckling affair.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★Mackenzi Lee (This Monstrous Thing) combines her knowledge of European history with a contemporary, comic sensibility to create an over-the-top romantic adventure complete with cliff-hanging chapter endings and sometimes outrageous narration. Monty is a licentious, flawed and engaging 18th-century hero. — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is the queer teen historical you didn’t know was missing from your life.” — Teen Vogue (“Best Queer Books to Celebrate Pride 2017”)
“A rollicking ride that also turns a keen eye to issues like class, racism, homosexuality, and identity.” — Brightly
“Careening from fete to fiasco on a Grand Tour of 18th century Europe, THE GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE is a dizzying, dazzling, and roguishly romantic romp. This book makes me want to unrequite my own love so I can requite him all over again.” — Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl From Everywhere
“Don’t read this book unless you like adventure, hijinks, and forbidden romance, and if you do, then read it twice.” — Stacey Lee, author of The Secret of a Heart Note and Under a Painted Sky
“An outrageously fun, witty, fascinating, and romantic adventure, starring a memorable trio I’d happily travel with for ages. Lee is a definite force in diverse historical YA.” — Dahlia Adler, founder of LGBTQ Reads and author of Under the Lights
“A swashbuckling, fantastical coming-of-age adventure that quite simply swallowed me whole.” — Audible Editor’s Pick
Buzzfeed
A beautifully brilliant story about feminism, female friendship, privilege, sexism in the 17th century, and doing all you can to fulfill your passion and dreams.
BookPage
A feminist feast that challenges societal norms and forgoes all romance, which is unconventional, albeit refreshing, in young adult literature.”
The Horn Book
[A] strong feminist credo.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
★ “This action-driven adventure is a joy.
Booklist (starred review)
"Series fans can expect another wonderful round of exciting journeys, unique personalities, surprising historical details, beautiful romance, and scrutiny of social-justice issues."
ShelfAwareness (starred review)
"Packed with political intrigue, romance (gay and straight), angry pirates, ghost stories and more powerful female leaders than you can shake a cutlass at."
Bustle
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is fun while still being thoughtful, feminist, and an ode to female friendship.
Dahlia Adler
An outrageously fun, witty, fascinating, and romantic adventure, starring a memorable trio I’d happily travel with for ages. Lee is a definite force in diverse historical YA.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
★Mackenzi Lee (This Monstrous Thing) combines her knowledge of European history with a contemporary, comic sensibility to create an over-the-top romantic adventure complete with cliff-hanging chapter endings and sometimes outrageous narration. Monty is a licentious, flawed and engaging 18th-century hero.
Stacey Lee
Don’t read this book unless you like adventure, hijinks, and forbidden romance, and if you do, then read it twice.
Teen Vogue (“Best Queer Books to Celebrate Pride 2017”)
Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is the queer teen historical you didn’t know was missing from your life.”
Audible Editor’s Pick
A swashbuckling, fantastical coming-of-age adventure that quite simply swallowed me whole.”
Heidi Heilig
Careening from fete to fiasco on a Grand Tour of 18th century Europe, THE GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE is a dizzying, dazzling, and roguishly romantic romp. This book makes me want to unrequite my own love so I can requite him all over again.
Brightly
A rollicking ride that also turns a keen eye to issues like class, racism, homosexuality, and identity.
Audible Editor’s Pick
A swashbuckling, fantastical coming-of-age adventure that quite simply swallowed me whole.”
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Listeners will be gratified that Christian Coulson has returned to narrate this satisfying conclusion to the Montague Siblings trilogy. Obsessed with his mother’s death and with the mystery of the broken spyglass she left for him, Adrian discovers the older brother and sister he never knew he had. The close first-person point of view puts listeners in Adrian’s head as he copes with debilitating anxiety and a constant barrage of catastrophizing thoughts, and Coulson’s performance ensures that we feel what Adrian’s feeling and that we feel for him, too. Coulson also hits every funny note just right, capturing the siblings’ personalities and their growing connection as they travel to Morocco, Portugal, and beyond. Fans won’t want to miss this final voyage in a grand adventure. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-09-01
Adrian, the youngest of the Montague siblings, sails into tumultuous waters in search of answers about himself, the sudden death of his mother, and her mysterious, cracked spyglass.
On the summer solstice less than a year ago, Caroline Montague fell off a cliff in Aberdeen into the sea. When the Scottish hostel where she was staying sends a box of her left-behind belongings to London, Adrian—an anxious, White nobleman on the cusp of joining Parliament—discovers one of his mother’s most treasured possessions, an antique spyglass. She acquired it when she was the sole survivor of a shipwreck many years earlier. His mother always carried that spyglass with her, but on the day of her death, she had left it behind in her room. Although he never knew its full significance, Adrian is haunted by new questions and is certain the spyglass will lead him to the truth. Once again, Lee crafts an absorbing adventure with dangerous stakes, dynamic character growth, sharp social and political commentary, and a storm of emotion. Inseparable from his external search for answers about his mother, Adrian seeks a solution for himself, an end to his struggle with mental illness—a journey handled with hopeful, gentle honesty that validates the experiences of both good and bad days. Characters from the first two books play significant secondary roles, and the resolution ties up their loose ends. Humorous antics provide a well-measured balance with the heavier themes.
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage. (Historical fiction. 14-18)
