Rating: 9/10
Let me begin by saying that the cover of this book is stunning. Usually I don't like it very much when there are real people on the cover of books. This book though, it was done really right. On a totally different note, why does it seem like there have been a lot of YA books lately that have been based during the French Revolution? Is it because of the deplorable state of politics in this day and age? It makes sense, I'm just curious. Eat the rich and all that, vivá la revolućion (I know that I butchered that please forgive me).
Summary from the back of the book:
"1792 France
A teenage alchemist is on the verge of a life-changing discovery. But the cost may be her own mind...
With Europe in the throes of revolution, Thea Hope has never been closer to uncovering the ultimate prize-- the Philosopher's Stone-- which would allow her to transform lead into gold and heal all wounds. But something so powerful could never go unnoticed. Ominous forces will stop at nothing to gain the Stone's power. Thea must risk everything she knows and loves in a deadly race to make history."
I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but not nearly as much as I did. This book is YA for people that don't like YA. It is very mature for what it is. When I say that it's mature, I don't mean that it's explicit. I mean that the content doesn't lean juvenile like YA books tend to do. The characters, especially Thea, felt very mature for their ages. This is a huge plus for me, I didn't find myself cringing over the characters' actions. There is also a touch of a feminist perspective of women who give up so much for the worthless men around them. This conversation felt like an important contribution; young women in YA novels are always very quick to give up everything for the love interest. This is the first YA book that I've ever read that ever thought to ask "why?" This means that, while there is somewhat of a "love" plot line, it doesn't overwhelm the story. You know the whole time that there is something else going on with the love interest, but it isn't until the end of the book that we get our answers. In terms of originality, this book was also very creative in its' content. I have never read a book where the topic was alchemy and it made for a very interesting read!
Once the action in this book really got started (which was pretty early on), it read very quickly. Things just kept on happening, I had trouble putting it down. This was seriously such a good book, the more I think about it, the more that I realize how much I like it. The way that madness was portrayed was fascinating and it felt very real. It was such a cool concept in the way that it unfolded. Like, there was a point in the book that it felt almost as if it had bled into the horror genre, Cohoe really wasn't afraid to go there, which I really respect. This book is a standalone, but I sure would love a sequel. I really felt the book hangover from this one. It was just so engrossing and fascinating to read. Cohoe really has a way with words and let me say that her tone and the content of the book felt very true to the time in which the book was placed. Her wording and her recognition of the culture of the time period (regarding high society/what behavior was considered appropriate) felt very on-point. I'm not a historian, but it all felt very true to form. I feel like so much research went into the creation of this book and it all paid off. Let me also say that I enjoyed how strong all of the women were in this book. The women were the ones who ran things, the men all felt like simpering idiots in one way or another (except for Dominic, he was pleasant). The men were just not the focus, which was refreshing. Quite frankly, most of the men, except for Dominic (who we love), were just cumbersome. They were the ones that were in need of rescue. Gone was the "damsel in distress" trope that seems to be rife in YA fiction.
I did not really have any marked problems with the book, the ending felt kind of abrupt. I think that I would've preferred if it had been a little longer. Also some of the secondary characters felt kind of shallow/one-dimensional. I wish that we had gotten more from her dad. Or that maybe we had gotten a bit more vulnerability from her mother. Like, I know that Marguerite was, by nature, a cold woman. I just think that there was more to her and I would have liked to have seen it. Some more about how her struggle to get by as a woman in a man's world ultimately turned her into this cynical woman. I don't know, they just both felt a little under developed. (Personally, underdeveloped side characters never really bother me very much, but it's worth mentioning in case others care more about it. I think that as long as the main character displayed a lot of depth, which Thea did, then I don't really care way too much about what the other characters have going on).
In short, I think this is a pivotal YA book that improves upon the genre. Cohoe created a wonderful, strong, smart female protagonist. Thea is exactly the kind of character that young girls should emulate. Even when she was doing something that was ultimately for the gain of her male counterparts, there was the question of "why?" within the same story. Most books wouldn't breach that question, I thought it was very important to ask (even if it was Rahel asking and she was kind of a jerk). This was a fantastic book, I'm very grateful that I was able to read an advanced copy. If you like historical fiction that centers around a strong, female protagonist and the study of alchemy, you should really check this one out. Thank you so much Wednesday Books for sending me the ARC! I really appreciate it. The book came out yesterday, October 13th, and is now available to read!