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jasmyn9's review against another edition
5.0
A look into the life of the notorious queen Marie Antoinette. The story, told in a journal format, begins when Marie is very young and still living in Austria. It follows her life as she prepares to marry and become the dauphine of France...eventually becoming the Queen. The story follows her blunders and misconceptions, her disappointments and her few joys. We follow her through the end of her life at the guillotine.
This fictional account of what Marie Antoinette's life may have been like gives a new look into the infamous queen. It portrays her in different light, a confused child forced into the world of adults in a culture she not only doesn't understand, but one she wants to change for the better. The story was engaging and captivating. My heart went out to her and the entire royal family and the rebellion overtook their lives. While their decisions may have led to their downfall, we see how they may have known no better.
This fictional account of what Marie Antoinette's life may have been like gives a new look into the infamous queen. It portrays her in different light, a confused child forced into the world of adults in a culture she not only doesn't understand, but one she wants to change for the better. The story was engaging and captivating. My heart went out to her and the entire royal family and the rebellion overtook their lives. While their decisions may have led to their downfall, we see how they may have known no better.
ninedaysaqueen's review against another edition
5.0
Ever wanted to read a competently written, sympathetic novel that throughly examines the human condition of one Maria Antoinette? Yeah... read this book. Based on Sofia Coppola's award-winning film, Meyer proves herself to be the master of European, historical fiction, I've come to recognize her as, in this biographical novel.
Everyone is vaguely familiar with the infamous Maria Antoinette, whose grave has long been haunted by the phrase, "Let them eat cake." Heralded as she-devil who spent all of France's money on fancy dresses and extravagant parties, Meyer unwinds all the historical red-tape that has surrounded Marie Antoinette for generations and gives the poor woman a chance to tell the world the story of her tragic life. Whisked away from her home at fourteen, Marie grew up as an outsider in a hostile court, fighting suffocating traditions and shrinking under ever-watchful eyes. Made the scapegoat for France's growing debt, Marie arrises in this story as brave monarch, who stood by her family and her country even as her world exploded into chaos, mob rule, and the devastating violence of the French revolution.
Compelling, historically detailed, and as griping as super-glue, The Bad Queen is a must read for fans of Meyer's pervious books, and for anyone who wants to learn the unbiased truth about the infamous Marie Antoinette, queen of France.
Everyone is vaguely familiar with the infamous Maria Antoinette, whose grave has long been haunted by the phrase, "Let them eat cake." Heralded as she-devil who spent all of France's money on fancy dresses and extravagant parties, Meyer unwinds all the historical red-tape that has surrounded Marie Antoinette for generations and gives the poor woman a chance to tell the world the story of her tragic life. Whisked away from her home at fourteen, Marie grew up as an outsider in a hostile court, fighting suffocating traditions and shrinking under ever-watchful eyes. Made the scapegoat for France's growing debt, Marie arrises in this story as brave monarch, who stood by her family and her country even as her world exploded into chaos, mob rule, and the devastating violence of the French revolution.
Compelling, historically detailed, and as griping as super-glue, The Bad Queen is a must read for fans of Meyer's pervious books, and for anyone who wants to learn the unbiased truth about the infamous Marie Antoinette, queen of France.
vsobaka05's review against another edition
5.0
This book is marketed as a young adult novel, but don't let that stop you from reading it! As a child, I was in love with the Royal Diaries series, especially the book on Marie Antoinette, and I've looked for a book about her that would enchant me the same way.
This is that book.
I loved Carolyn Meyer's Royal Diaries books and read the Young Royals ones about the Tudors ones several times, but was somehow unaware she had written a book on Marie Antoinette. She does a wonderful job at making historical characters come to life. The Author's Note at the end is very worthwhile as well and shows how dedicated Meyer is at making her characters seem human. I was definitely teary-eyed at the end.
This is that book.
I loved Carolyn Meyer's Royal Diaries books and read the Young Royals ones about the Tudors ones several times, but was somehow unaware she had written a book on Marie Antoinette. She does a wonderful job at making historical characters come to life. The Author's Note at the end is very worthwhile as well and shows how dedicated Meyer is at making her characters seem human. I was definitely teary-eyed at the end.
audra_etta's review
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
kfarrell's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Rating: 88%
lesliedianeg's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't anything to rave about, but it was cute. If you're just beginning with Historical Fiction as a Teen, and you like royalty readings, this is a good book to begin with.
caribbeanprncss's review against another edition
5.0
Another wonderful Marie Antoinette book to add to my collection. Though this is obviously written for a much younger audience and doesn't go into detail about the sexual issues between Marie, Louis and Fersen like Juliet Grey's Becoming Marie Antoinette series does, this novel presents a different way of narration that makes us sympathize a lot more with the young queen and even her daughter towards the end.
librarykristin's review against another edition
4.0
I usually struggle with reading historical fiction about actual historical people...but either Marie Antoinette had a life with a good story arc...or Carolyn Meyer can build a story arc out of a life. Will need to check out some other titles in the "Young Royals" series.
flyingsails's review against another edition
3.0
Though I was much more pleased with this than I was Meyer's most recent work, [b:In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story|2437748|In Mozart's Shadow His Sister's Story|Carolyn Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266823506s/2437748.jpg|2444936], The Bad Queen did not capture my interest. And I generally like history and enjoy reading about historical figures.
maddness22's review against another edition
2.0
This was only fractionally more exciting than a textbook. Interesting plot points and storylines would be introduced and then dismissed quickly. The author should've committed to either writing a fictional novel or an accurate historical piece. The inability to decide results in an overall unsatisfying story that makes me wish I just took a history class at the local college instead.