everthereader's review against another edition
4.0
Review Posted On: Marvelous Eden of Books
Spoiler Free Review:
A Tyranny of Petticoats is an empowering anthology focusing on women in history that most seem to forget about. Women of color and different sexualities, women forced into marriage. Each and every one of these short stories highlighted a significant part of history. I came to appreciate every single story for highlighting different parts of history, some forgotten and others unknown.
Mother Carey's Table By J. Anderson Coats:
This story follows a pirate ship and an African American girl forced to disguise herself as a boy. This focuses on the topic of females in disguise on a pirate ship. It was a pretty strange start to the book, but entertaining and had a great message behind it.
Rating: 3/5
The Journey By Marie Lu:
Marie Lu's story is actually inspired off of Jean Craighead George's famous Julie of the Wolves. Lu researched Inuit folklore and brought a really interesting story.
Rating: 3.5/5
Madeleine's Choice By Jessica Spotswood:
This story follows a biracial teenager living in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1826. Maddie is trying to choose between marrying a white man or her childhood friend who is black. The story itself is quite predictable, but it's mostly the background behind it that made it interesting. In New Orleans, there was a term, gens de couleur libres meaning free people of color. I do think there could have been more to the story and it lacked a little bit of depth, but I enjoyed it.
Rating: 3/5
El Destinos By Leslye Walton:
I've heard nothing but phenomenal praise about Walton's debut, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. As many have said, her writing is truly beautiful and lyrical. However the story itself was very confusing. I was again happy to see that the main character was Mexican American. But I couldn't seem to grasp the concept until I read the background information. None the less, the topic was interesting and I am looking forward to reading more of Leslye Walton.
Rating: 3/5
High Stakes By Andrea Cremer:
Now this story has more of a paranormal twist. The whole concept was very interesting and still held a historical element to it. It touched on slavery and The Civil War. I will say the ending took a very creepy turn and it would be fitting to call this a horror story.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Red Raven Ball By Caroline Tung Richmond:
This story is the typical rich white people balls in the mid 1800s. The Civil War is going on and there's The Confederates and The Union and some spying. It was entertaining, to say the least though not my favorite.
Rating: 2.5/5
Pearls By Beth Revis:
This story touched on a few important issues that are still prominent today. The first being abusive relationships and the second being equal pay for women. It's very sad to say that the issue of equal pay for women still has not been resolved. The story follows a teacher who receives half the salary than a male teacher. It was a wonderful story in the collection.
Rating: 4/5
Gold in the Roots of the Grass By Marissa Meyer:
I was interested to see how Marissa Meyer would take on historical fiction, since she has only written fantasy and sci-fi so far. She brought up the topic of the Gold Rush and the main character was Chinese American. It had a paranormal aspect to it as well which was pretty confusing. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and different than any of the other stories.
Rating: 3.25/5
The Legendary Garrett Girls By Y.S. Lee
This story follows two sisters who run a bar together. It touches on Klondike gold rush which I knew nothing about so it was an interesting learning experience. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two sisters as well. However, the ending was pretty abrupt.
Rating: 3.75/5
The Color of the Sky By Elizabeth Wein:
This story was one of my favorites. It brings up sexism and racism and was actually based off of Elizabeth Wein's Black Dove,White Raven which was one of my favorites of last year. Bessie Coleman was the first black woman to receive a pilot's license and the first American to receive an international pilot's license. It's sad that history teachers don't ever bring up an inspiring woman in American history, especially someone that inspired so many African American girls. The story follows an African American girl named Antonia whose role model is Bessie Coleman. This was one of my favorite stories and it was really inspiring.
Rating: 4.5/5
Bonnie & Clyde By Saundra Mitchell:
As I was reading I was wondering when the female bankrobber would come up. I love the trope of a female dressed up as a male, it's always interesting to see the journey, especially in a historical fiction setting. People treat you very different, especially back then and it was definitely the case. It was an interesting story and I really liked it.
Rating: 3.75/5
Hard Times By Katherine Longshore:
The Great Depression was a hard time for all Americans and in this story the topic of teenagers on the run via train jumping. Apparently, during the Great Depression jumped on railroad trains to get to certain places. Reminded of Divergent, when the Dauntless had to jump onto trains. I really enjoyed learning about the topic. The story followed the experience of a teenage girl, a train jumper herself. It was intriguing following her experience, since it's quite different for a female.
Rating: 4/5
City of Angels By Lindsay Smith:
So when World War II began and the men all went to war, the women took charge and began taking over their work. Rosie the Riveter was an iconic image back then, encouraging women to contribute during the war. This story follows two women working in a factory and their friendship that blossoms into something more. It has an LGBT element which I really appreciated, especially in historical fiction. The main character really did struggle with her sexuality and in the end, she came to accept herself.
Rating: 4/5
Pulse of the Panthers By Kekla Magoon:
This was another one of my favorite stories. It follows a young African American girl living on a farm who's not exposed to the racism and discrimination that many blacks had faced at the time. A group called The Panthers come to her home and she learns more about the civil rights movement and The Panthers fight for equality. The author actually has more works surrounding The Panthers and I'm very excited to learn more about them.
Rating: 4.75/5
The Whole World is Watching By Robin Talley:
This story was the perfect way to end the book. It takes place in Chicago and follows a freshman in college who attends Barnard College in Manhattan. I actually used to live in New York and my dream college was Barnard College. The main character is black and is at a huge protest at the Democratic National Convention. It brings up feminism, sexuality, and the many riots that took place in 1968. This was by far my favorite story in the collection.
Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Spoiler Free Review:
A Tyranny of Petticoats is an empowering anthology focusing on women in history that most seem to forget about. Women of color and different sexualities, women forced into marriage. Each and every one of these short stories highlighted a significant part of history. I came to appreciate every single story for highlighting different parts of history, some forgotten and others unknown.
Mother Carey's Table By J. Anderson Coats:
This story follows a pirate ship and an African American girl forced to disguise herself as a boy. This focuses on the topic of females in disguise on a pirate ship. It was a pretty strange start to the book, but entertaining and had a great message behind it.
Rating: 3/5
The Journey By Marie Lu:
Marie Lu's story is actually inspired off of Jean Craighead George's famous Julie of the Wolves. Lu researched Inuit folklore and brought a really interesting story.
Rating: 3.5/5
Madeleine's Choice By Jessica Spotswood:
This story follows a biracial teenager living in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1826. Maddie is trying to choose between marrying a white man or her childhood friend who is black. The story itself is quite predictable, but it's mostly the background behind it that made it interesting. In New Orleans, there was a term, gens de couleur libres meaning free people of color. I do think there could have been more to the story and it lacked a little bit of depth, but I enjoyed it.
Rating: 3/5
El Destinos By Leslye Walton:
I've heard nothing but phenomenal praise about Walton's debut, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. As many have said, her writing is truly beautiful and lyrical. However the story itself was very confusing. I was again happy to see that the main character was Mexican American. But I couldn't seem to grasp the concept until I read the background information. None the less, the topic was interesting and I am looking forward to reading more of Leslye Walton.
Rating: 3/5
High Stakes By Andrea Cremer:
Now this story has more of a paranormal twist. The whole concept was very interesting and still held a historical element to it. It touched on slavery and The Civil War. I will say the ending took a very creepy turn and it would be fitting to call this a horror story.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Red Raven Ball By Caroline Tung Richmond:
This story is the typical rich white people balls in the mid 1800s. The Civil War is going on and there's The Confederates and The Union and some spying. It was entertaining, to say the least though not my favorite.
Rating: 2.5/5
Pearls By Beth Revis:
This story touched on a few important issues that are still prominent today. The first being abusive relationships and the second being equal pay for women. It's very sad to say that the issue of equal pay for women still has not been resolved. The story follows a teacher who receives half the salary than a male teacher. It was a wonderful story in the collection.
Rating: 4/5
Gold in the Roots of the Grass By Marissa Meyer:
I was interested to see how Marissa Meyer would take on historical fiction, since she has only written fantasy and sci-fi so far. She brought up the topic of the Gold Rush and the main character was Chinese American. It had a paranormal aspect to it as well which was pretty confusing. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and different than any of the other stories.
Rating: 3.25/5
The Legendary Garrett Girls By Y.S. Lee
This story follows two sisters who run a bar together. It touches on Klondike gold rush which I knew nothing about so it was an interesting learning experience. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two sisters as well. However, the ending was pretty abrupt.
Rating: 3.75/5
The Color of the Sky By Elizabeth Wein:
This story was one of my favorites. It brings up sexism and racism and was actually based off of Elizabeth Wein's Black Dove,White Raven which was one of my favorites of last year. Bessie Coleman was the first black woman to receive a pilot's license and the first American to receive an international pilot's license. It's sad that history teachers don't ever bring up an inspiring woman in American history, especially someone that inspired so many African American girls. The story follows an African American girl named Antonia whose role model is Bessie Coleman. This was one of my favorite stories and it was really inspiring.
Rating: 4.5/5
Bonnie & Clyde By Saundra Mitchell:
As I was reading I was wondering when the female bankrobber would come up. I love the trope of a female dressed up as a male, it's always interesting to see the journey, especially in a historical fiction setting. People treat you very different, especially back then and it was definitely the case. It was an interesting story and I really liked it.
Rating: 3.75/5
Hard Times By Katherine Longshore:
The Great Depression was a hard time for all Americans and in this story the topic of teenagers on the run via train jumping. Apparently, during the Great Depression jumped on railroad trains to get to certain places. Reminded of Divergent, when the Dauntless had to jump onto trains. I really enjoyed learning about the topic. The story followed the experience of a teenage girl, a train jumper herself. It was intriguing following her experience, since it's quite different for a female.
Rating: 4/5
City of Angels By Lindsay Smith:
So when World War II began and the men all went to war, the women took charge and began taking over their work. Rosie the Riveter was an iconic image back then, encouraging women to contribute during the war. This story follows two women working in a factory and their friendship that blossoms into something more. It has an LGBT element which I really appreciated, especially in historical fiction. The main character really did struggle with her sexuality and in the end, she came to accept herself.
Rating: 4/5
Pulse of the Panthers By Kekla Magoon:
This was another one of my favorite stories. It follows a young African American girl living on a farm who's not exposed to the racism and discrimination that many blacks had faced at the time. A group called The Panthers come to her home and she learns more about the civil rights movement and The Panthers fight for equality. The author actually has more works surrounding The Panthers and I'm very excited to learn more about them.
Rating: 4.75/5
The Whole World is Watching By Robin Talley:
This story was the perfect way to end the book. It takes place in Chicago and follows a freshman in college who attends Barnard College in Manhattan. I actually used to live in New York and my dream college was Barnard College. The main character is black and is at a huge protest at the Democratic National Convention. It brings up feminism, sexuality, and the many riots that took place in 1968. This was by far my favorite story in the collection.
Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
sarahjolioli's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
jadziadax's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this! Historical fiction about strong young women? Yes please!
elisabethd8a's review against another edition
I loved this collection, even though it leaned so heavily on fantasy elements in the beginning. I'm a huge Marissa Meyer fan, but my favorite story was Bonnie and Clyde. But this wasn't marked as LGBTQ+ fiction and contained a lesbian romance (City of Angels) and a bisexual romance (The Who e World is Watching), so I didn't finish the book.
savetris's review against another edition
4.0
Like any anthology, there were parts I liked and parts I didn't like. Some of my favorites were "El Destinos", "Pearls", "The Legendary Garrett Girls", and "The Whole World is Watching."
pearlagcalo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars with so much promise. These heroines are pretty badass and the various historical settings bring you to a magical new place with each story. But I felt like each short story left me hanging... It teases you, leaves you frustrated, and ends up taking you a lot longer to finish the book then you planned for. My favorite stand out pieces were by Jessica Spotswood and Leslye Walton. And now I want to go visit haunted places and read all about the South.
trin_ney18's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5
Writing this in my Religions class while we're talking about Deadpool
Really loved and will be picking up the next collection. There were some that I liked more than others but that is to be expected. One day I'll reread it and mark my favorite ones.
Writing this in my Religions class while we're talking about Deadpool
Really loved and will be picking up the next collection. There were some that I liked more than others but that is to be expected. One day I'll reread it and mark my favorite ones.
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book was absolutely incredible. I'm actually interested in historical fiction now and I can't wait to read more anthologies!
girlreading's review against another edition
4.0
4.75/5*
This was fantastic and without a doubt one of my favourite anthologies I have now read. I loved the diversity within it. There was not only a diverse collection of stories and settings but also races, cultures and sexualities, it was so refreshing to read! I enjoyed each and every story and the little pieces of insight into the characters and lives whose stories were told. I hadn't previously read anything from many of the authors included in this collection but after reading it, I am very excited to check out more of their work!
There wasn't really a single story I didn't enjoy but I think my top favourites were: 'Pearls' by Beth Revis, 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee, 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein and 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell.
My only 'criticism' of this, which I honestly mean mostly as a compliment, is that a lot of these stories felt like tasters for a novel. I finished a large majority of them simply wanting more because they were fantastic, the characters were great and the stories captivated me. I would absolutely love to be able to see a lot of these stories made into full length novels, they were all so different from the books I've seen being released recently! If any of these stories ever did get made into novels, I have no doubt I would run to my nearest bookshop to buy it asap!!
Here are my mini reviews for each individual story...
3.5/5* - 'Mother Carey's Table' by J. Anderson Coats ~ A great start to the anthology. A story about a women of colour, pirates and magical realism elements, what more could you want?!
This was fast paced and interesting, although a little *too* short. I felt the ending was slightly rushed and confusing but other than that, this was a fun read and made me so excited to continue reading more of the stories in this anthology!
4/5* 'The Journey' by Marie Lu.
This was fantastic. I've not read anything featuring Inuit culture or folklore before and I now really want to find some. It was interesting, captivating, magical and intriguing all at the same time.
I loved the cold, icy Alaskan setting. It was painted beautifully and so clearly in such a short amount of time! I really enjoyed how different it was to the usual settings for books I've read! I would have loved this to have been a full length novel! This is the first I've read from Marie Lu but I'm now even more excited to read more from her, as I've wanted to for a long time!
3.75/5* 'Madeline's Choice' by Jessica Spotswood.
I really loved the setting and time period for this story and I learnt something as well which is always a wonderful bonus after reading! Although I liked the ending, it was a little rushed (although I've found that's often common in the short stories I've read!) I would have loved to have found out what happened before and after and delved deeper into the setting and story but overall this was definitely a really enjoyable read!
3.5/5* 'El Destinos' by Leslye Walton. A really interesting concept, with beautifully descriptive writing.
3/5* 'High Stakes' by Andrea Cremer ~ I feel as though there was possibly a little too much going on in this for such a short story as it was quite confusing at times but nonetheless a fun read! I think this could have been such an awesome full length novel, as I think I needed a little more explanation!
3.75/5* 'The Red Raven Ball' by Caroline Tung Richmond ~ I really enjoyed the setting of this, it definitely had a Downton Abby feel to it and I love anything to do with spies, so it's definitely made me realise I need to read more books featuring spies. :') The ending felt a little dramatic and rushed but it was definitely a fun read!
4.75/5* 'Pearls' by Beth Revis ~ I loved this so much. The pacing was brilliant, with a fully rounded story in such a short amount of time. I loved the plot and setting and the fact that it was largely inspired by Annie Oakley. Once again, I would love to have read this as a full length novel, it was fantastic. Definitely the kind of story I was hoping to read when I picked this anthology up.
4/5* 'Gold in the Roots of the Grass' by Marissa Meyer ~ I really enjoyed the 'Wild West' setting for this and the concept for the plot was so interesting. I've not read many books or stories featuring medium's, so this was very intriguing. Marissa Meyer creates fantastic characters and this was no exception to that. I just want to know what happens next. :')
4.75/5* 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee ~ I loved this a lot, it was so much fun! The story was perfectly paced and the ending wasn't rushed (which I've found quite common in short stories?) I found the setting really interesting and loved the characters. I'm definitely going to have to check out more of Y.S. Lee's writing! Once again, I'd love a full length novel of this!
5/5* 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein ~ I absolutely adored this. The story was gorgeous, I warmed to the characters instantly and essentially loved everything about it. I want to know what happened next, what happens in Tony's future?! I loved that it was based on real people from history, and people I haven't heard of (but feel like I definitely should have?!) I've heard so many amazing things about Elizabeth Wein's books and have wanted to read them for so long and am now even more excited to do so. This was utterly fantastic.
4.5/5* 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell ~ This was SO much fun!! It had an awesome 'Mulan' mixed with 'Robin Hood' kind of vibe to it which I LOVED! It was fast paced with an awesome main character, I loved it! I'm struggling so much with these stories and simply wanting more from them, I'd LOVE a full length novel of this, it was brilliant!!
3.75/5* 'Hard Times' by Katherine Longshore ~ This was a quick, interesting read! I enjoyed the characters, Rosie and Billy slightly more so than Lloyd. I liked the plot, although the characters and storyline could have done with a little more depth as it felt a tad rushed but it's definitely made me want to learn more about the time period. I'm going to have to check out the movies and documentaries the author recommended!
3.5/5* 'City of Angels' by Lindsay Smith. ~ I love reading about Hollywood in historical settings, it fascinates me and this story was no exception! City of Angels was an interesting story exploring women's rights, sexuality and women's roles during WW2 in Hollywood!
3.75/5* 'Pulse of the Panthers' by Kekla Magoon ~ this was really interesting! I would have loved it to have gone into a little more depth and I wasn't too satisfied with the ending but I think that's simply because I was so intrigued and pulled into the story, that I just wanted more!!
3.75/5* 'The World Is Watching' by Robin Talley ~ This was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I really want to read more about this time, it always interests me so much. This was such an interesting read, terrifying in many ways due to the violence and how truthful it was to the time, but so interesting. It's definitely reminded me that I need to read more into this time in history!
This was fantastic and without a doubt one of my favourite anthologies I have now read. I loved the diversity within it. There was not only a diverse collection of stories and settings but also races, cultures and sexualities, it was so refreshing to read! I enjoyed each and every story and the little pieces of insight into the characters and lives whose stories were told. I hadn't previously read anything from many of the authors included in this collection but after reading it, I am very excited to check out more of their work!
There wasn't really a single story I didn't enjoy but I think my top favourites were: 'Pearls' by Beth Revis, 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee, 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein and 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell.
My only 'criticism' of this, which I honestly mean mostly as a compliment, is that a lot of these stories felt like tasters for a novel. I finished a large majority of them simply wanting more because they were fantastic, the characters were great and the stories captivated me. I would absolutely love to be able to see a lot of these stories made into full length novels, they were all so different from the books I've seen being released recently! If any of these stories ever did get made into novels, I have no doubt I would run to my nearest bookshop to buy it asap!!
Here are my mini reviews for each individual story...
3.5/5* - 'Mother Carey's Table' by J. Anderson Coats ~ A great start to the anthology. A story about a women of colour, pirates and magical realism elements, what more could you want?!
This was fast paced and interesting, although a little *too* short. I felt the ending was slightly rushed and confusing but other than that, this was a fun read and made me so excited to continue reading more of the stories in this anthology!
4/5* 'The Journey' by Marie Lu.
This was fantastic. I've not read anything featuring Inuit culture or folklore before and I now really want to find some. It was interesting, captivating, magical and intriguing all at the same time.
I loved the cold, icy Alaskan setting. It was painted beautifully and so clearly in such a short amount of time! I really enjoyed how different it was to the usual settings for books I've read! I would have loved this to have been a full length novel! This is the first I've read from Marie Lu but I'm now even more excited to read more from her, as I've wanted to for a long time!
3.75/5* 'Madeline's Choice' by Jessica Spotswood.
I really loved the setting and time period for this story and I learnt something as well which is always a wonderful bonus after reading! Although I liked the ending, it was a little rushed (although I've found that's often common in the short stories I've read!) I would have loved to have found out what happened before and after and delved deeper into the setting and story but overall this was definitely a really enjoyable read!
3.5/5* 'El Destinos' by Leslye Walton. A really interesting concept, with beautifully descriptive writing.
3/5* 'High Stakes' by Andrea Cremer ~ I feel as though there was possibly a little too much going on in this for such a short story as it was quite confusing at times but nonetheless a fun read! I think this could have been such an awesome full length novel, as I think I needed a little more explanation!
3.75/5* 'The Red Raven Ball' by Caroline Tung Richmond ~ I really enjoyed the setting of this, it definitely had a Downton Abby feel to it and I love anything to do with spies, so it's definitely made me realise I need to read more books featuring spies. :') The ending felt a little dramatic and rushed but it was definitely a fun read!
4.75/5* 'Pearls' by Beth Revis ~ I loved this so much. The pacing was brilliant, with a fully rounded story in such a short amount of time. I loved the plot and setting and the fact that it was largely inspired by Annie Oakley. Once again, I would love to have read this as a full length novel, it was fantastic. Definitely the kind of story I was hoping to read when I picked this anthology up.
4/5* 'Gold in the Roots of the Grass' by Marissa Meyer ~ I really enjoyed the 'Wild West' setting for this and the concept for the plot was so interesting. I've not read many books or stories featuring medium's, so this was very intriguing. Marissa Meyer creates fantastic characters and this was no exception to that. I just want to know what happens next. :')
4.75/5* 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee ~ I loved this a lot, it was so much fun! The story was perfectly paced and the ending wasn't rushed (which I've found quite common in short stories?) I found the setting really interesting and loved the characters. I'm definitely going to have to check out more of Y.S. Lee's writing! Once again, I'd love a full length novel of this!
5/5* 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein ~ I absolutely adored this. The story was gorgeous, I warmed to the characters instantly and essentially loved everything about it. I want to know what happened next, what happens in Tony's future?! I loved that it was based on real people from history, and people I haven't heard of (but feel like I definitely should have?!) I've heard so many amazing things about Elizabeth Wein's books and have wanted to read them for so long and am now even more excited to do so. This was utterly fantastic.
4.5/5* 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell ~ This was SO much fun!! It had an awesome 'Mulan' mixed with 'Robin Hood' kind of vibe to it which I LOVED! It was fast paced with an awesome main character, I loved it! I'm struggling so much with these stories and simply wanting more from them, I'd LOVE a full length novel of this, it was brilliant!!
3.75/5* 'Hard Times' by Katherine Longshore ~ This was a quick, interesting read! I enjoyed the characters, Rosie and Billy slightly more so than Lloyd. I liked the plot, although the characters and storyline could have done with a little more depth as it felt a tad rushed but it's definitely made me want to learn more about the time period. I'm going to have to check out the movies and documentaries the author recommended!
3.5/5* 'City of Angels' by Lindsay Smith. ~ I love reading about Hollywood in historical settings, it fascinates me and this story was no exception! City of Angels was an interesting story exploring women's rights, sexuality and women's roles during WW2 in Hollywood!
3.75/5* 'Pulse of the Panthers' by Kekla Magoon ~ this was really interesting! I would have loved it to have gone into a little more depth and I wasn't too satisfied with the ending but I think that's simply because I was so intrigued and pulled into the story, that I just wanted more!!
3.75/5* 'The World Is Watching' by Robin Talley ~ This was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I really want to read more about this time, it always interests me so much. This was such an interesting read, terrifying in many ways due to the violence and how truthful it was to the time, but so interesting. It's definitely reminded me that I need to read more into this time in history!