Page Count: 288
Published on: February 13, 2017
Published by: First Second
Genre(s): Graphic Novel, YA, LGBTQAI+, Historical, Romance, Comics
Source: purchased for book club
Age Rating: all ages
Where to Find it: Amazon // Goodreads // Book Depository
My Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads synopsis:
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
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Hey, guys!
During the month of May, the Liv the Book Club chose The Prince and the Dressmaker as our book of the month. This is a full color graphic novel that takes place in Paris, France during the dawn of the modern age. The novel follows the young seamstress Frances. After creating a unique dress for a noblewoman, France's talent is noticed by the Crown Prince of Belgium: Sebastian. Sebastian hires Frances to become his personal seamstress and enlists her in aiding him in maintaining his secret identity as Lady Crystallia. The two grow close and soon are best friends. Though Frances adores being Sebastian's secret weapon, she longs to live her dream and become a famous fashion designer.
This novel was absolutely beautiful. I absolutely adored every bit of it. The characters were so well thought out, their stories were fantastic. The plot was so wonderful and the pace was so addicting. I didn't want it to end. The art style was beyond perfect for the vibe of this book. The writing was phenomenal and stirred up every emotion. The colors and line work were just stunning. I cannot stress the perfection of this book enough.
There was a fantastic focus on acceptance and unconditional love in this book. The discussion on gender norms was done so well. This story is going to be one of those influential stories that will brilliantly inform the uninformed reader. Often times, those who are considered different often are dehumanized and forced into a label that does not accurately portray or define who they are. There is a trend lately where people will just make assumptions about people, specific group of people, etc. I think this book has the capability to enable readers to begin to accept people for who they are or even just understand why people are who they are.
Overall, this graphic novel is an absolute treat. I highly recommend it to everyone. Happiness is imminent when reading this beautiful story. This is going to be one of my all time favorite books of the year and probably ever. Everyone needs to pick it up.
Happy reading!
Olivia
