Reviews with content warning for Classism - One for All

My best friend lives with POTS so to read a book with a MC who also lives with POTS is surreal and not something I'd ever expect to read.

Writing: good enough? don't get too distracted by bad writing or weird moments. That being said there were a lot of moments where I was like "wait what's happening and who's here now?" There is French italicized throughout, but either immediately translated or we are given enough context clues. It is weird that the English and French is alternated, but I was able to get past it. Others might get hung up on the weirdness of them speaking in English and translating French when they're all French lol.

Plot: Even though I kind of expected some of it, I'm glad it ended the way it did because I feel it helps the final development of Tania's character. It is slightly predictable and therefore wasn't too exciting but I wasn't reading for the actual plot - rather more intrigued with Tania's journey.

Thoughts: A YA book with a little bit of queer representation, disability representation, and a book based on female empowerment? I'd recommend to all of my students. There is a bit of romance as well but I didn't mind it BC it didnt go too far. It's not an amazing stand out novel in the sense of a spine-tingling page turner. However, I believe that any younger girls or womxn who live with chronic illness would definitely appreciate this telling.

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bookforthought's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I picked up One for All, but a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers sounded like something I would enjoy, and I was entirely right in that!

This book had everything I could have wanted: spies and court intrigue, balls and swordfights, a school that isn't at all what it seems, and a delightful found family. The story starts off a bit slow as we're introduced to Tania and her struggles to live a normal life. She suffers from a condition that causes her to have frequent dizzy spells and fainting, which we know to be POTS but in 17th-century France causes her to be dismissed as a "sick girl" who'll never amount to anything. That is, from everyone except her father. Tania's relationship with her father was beautiful, and the way he always believed in her and pushed her to defy other people's expectations and labels was heartwarming. Until he was murdered.

The pace picks up when Tania arrives in Paris to join a mysterious finishing school as her father's last wish. Between training, fencing, learning high-society etiquette and uncovering a potential assassination plot, Tania will need to learn whom to trust: her newfound sisters-in-arms or the charming Étienne?

I loved the way the author handled this work compared to the original. Unlike some other retellings, this isn't a scene-by-scene replay of the original with female characters. Rather, she took the essence of the story and weaved something new and original from it, so much so that at times I felt as though this could almost be a companion novel to The Three Musketeers rather than simply a retelling. I also liked the inclusion of French words and phrases throughout the novel, as it helped to bring the setting to life for me, although sometimes there were a few needless repetitions in translation.

Reading about this time period was also very interesting, as I realised I knew hardly anything about La Fronde and the following years (as always, thank you Wikipedia for helping me fill in the gaps!), and I love a book that pushes me to do some research and learn something new! The plot was captivating enough, although I had guessed most of the surprises (as many avid, adult readers will probably also do), but it does a good job for a YA novel and a debut at that.

The representation in this was also a major plus point for me. The book is OwnVoices, as the author herself shares Tania's chronic health problems and is a fencer. This was really cool and shown through the writing, making it all feel more authentic. As a former fencer myself, I particularly loved those scenes and how real they felt. Alongside the disability rep, there are also discussions on women's rights and social expectations, as well as a lovely LGBT rep. This last one I particularly appreciated because it was handled so delicately and not used as a conflict point. There was also a bit of social commentary, with references being made to the poorest and most marginalised in society, and how they are often exploited and used as scapegoats by the higher classes - again, one of my favourite themes (as you may have gathered if you're a regular around here!).

The dynamics between the characters were probably my favourite thing. I adore the found family trope, and this was one of the best I read recently. Every interaction between Tania and her newfound sisters Portia, Théa and Aria was an absolute joy, and I loved every moment spent together. The individual character development wasn't quite as strong for me. This is a YA novel and the characters mostly act their age, which I'm fine with, but it felt as though there was something missing in their characterisation and growth. Tania especially was a little bit of a disappointment in this sense: I loved the fact that she grew more confident as the novel progressed, but she seemed to continue to lack common sense and maturity by the end.

I accompanied this with the audiobook, which is narrated by Mara Wilson (forever Matilda in my mind). She does a wonderful job of it, both with the English and the French lines. Definitely worth it if you like audiobooks.

Overall, this was an extremely pleasant read, expertly mixing adventure with a number of social issues and some great representation. I had a few minor issues with it, but they didn't take much away from my enjoyment of this book and are very likely things that will be ironed out in future works. If this is Lainoff's debut, I'm really curious to see what she'll write next!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book really grew on me! I’m not going to lie, the start was super slow. I was pretty worried because I was like 60 pages in and still not feeling gripped, questioning why we were spending so much time in this beginning phase. But once the plot kicked off I got into it and ended up really enjoying the story!

First and foremost, this book has some fantastic disability rep. MC Tania has POTS, and her character development is centred on unlearning her internalised ableism, and growing her self-worth which has been persistently undermined by societal ableism. I loved being able to relate to Tania’s worries and beliefs as a chronically ill person myself. I also liked the exploration of what it’s like to have a disability that doesn’t even have a name yet; Tania feels so incredibly isolated because of that fact. It really drove home the need for visibility to me, as seeing there are other people with your disability can alleviate some of the isolation that comes with having that disability. Which is another reason why I like this book, because it is providing that visibility. Honestly, disability books like this make me so happy!

Another thing this story has going for it is that it is essentially about historical spies. The historical setting gives a real sense of time and place to the narrative, especially as the plot is woven into real historical events. The spy part provides all the action, as the girls carry out training, codebreaking, sidling up to suspects, mini-heists, fencing and more, all undercover as noble ladies. It was just a lot of fun, but also intriguing enough of a mystery for it to have substance.

I also liked the sisterhood aspect of the Musketeers. Lainoff makes sure to include the small and everyday interactions between the girls as well as stuff that moves the plot forward, and she also takes care that Tania forms a connection with all three other girls, so their bond is totally believable. I loved that they provided such reliable, caring support to Tania and just automatically accommodated her without question. Also, each of the girls were distinct from one another, although I wish we had gotten to know Portia more.

Unfortunately I did have a large criticism of the book, leading me to dock one star, and that was the writing style. I found it to be pretty clumsy, like I knew what it was trying to say but it could have said it in a more eloquent or expressive way. The sentence structure could be super clunky at times, and the dialogue a little confusing. I also wish it had been more concise in areas, and that some scenes had been removed entirely. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to put me off the book, as I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others, but I can see why this might be a problem for other readers!

Rep: MC with POTS, sapphic SCs, potentially aro SC

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mattyb's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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bookishflower's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

There are rare occasions when you read a book at the perfect time and feel as though the author has peered into your soul and written a book just for you. This is one of those books for me.
As a chronically ill ex-fencer with the same symptoms as Tania (if less extreme), this book means so much to me. Seeing Tania struggle, fight, make friends, be loved and exist was incredibly validating: to be able to know I’m not alone or exaggerating, that other people relate, that I could just be. This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didn’t disappoint.
The political intrigue, balls and ball gowns, women supporting women, musketeers, and women with swords and razor sharp wit was the icing on the cake. Please go support this book and author! ❤️🥄

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the nods to the original - and thoroughly appreciated the nod to The Princess Bride 😅 I feel fiercely protective of these characters, like I want to join the Order! I loved the writing and it was just a thoroughly enjoyable Musketeers story!!

I did predict the twist, and found one piece a little repetitive but thoroughly enjoyed!

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