disconightwing's review
3.0
This was basically "Meet Marie-Grace" from Cécile's perspective. Cute, and I liked Cécé, but I would have liked to have seen a little more originality.
thewordwitch's review
4.0
I enjoyed Cecile's "Meet" book far more than Marie-Grace's. I'm not sure if it's her personality, which has a little more snap to it, or her life-style, which is far more interesting to me. It's not a perspective I've ever learned a lot about.
I wish her story wasn't a repeat of Marie-Grace's, only told from a different perspective. There wasn't enough difference to really warrant a second book, particularly at the ball scene. And don't even get me started on the poor illustrations. I already aired my complaints in my "Meet Marie-Grace" review, so I'll spare you here.
It's unfortunate that these girls did so poorly to warrant a quick retirement in the AG vault. I think what had been a money grab to sell two dolls at once would have been served better by focusing on one girl for a six girl series, like we've grown used to. Even if they did both as a six-book series with their lives intertwining would have been better.
I wish her story wasn't a repeat of Marie-Grace's, only told from a different perspective. There wasn't enough difference to really warrant a second book, particularly at the ball scene. And don't even get me started on the poor illustrations. I already aired my complaints in my "Meet Marie-Grace" review, so I'll spare you here.
It's unfortunate that these girls did so poorly to warrant a quick retirement in the AG vault. I think what had been a money grab to sell two dolls at once would have been served better by focusing on one girl for a six girl series, like we've grown used to. Even if they did both as a six-book series with their lives intertwining would have been better.
julieannie0729's review
3.0
If you've read Meet Marie-Grace, you've read half this story. It is a bit interesting to see the same interactions through another character's eyes but not too much was added to the story of the friendship that way. I think this book benefited from the author's New Orleans knowledge and connections. I also appreciated the family element to the story compared to the book's counterpart. With two books into the series, I don't feel very connected to either girl or their stories.
panda_incognito's review
3.0
This book rehashes the boring first book from another POV. Fortunately, even though it covers the same ground, Cecile is a more interesting character with a more engaging life situation, and the book at least has a semblance of a story arc, instead of just being a series of stitched-together episodes. Also, the key plot points of the Marie Grace book have more significance here, because Cecile's POV provided context, tension, and interest that the other book lacked.
This book also has better subplots, and provides an interesting look into the challenges that wealthy and privileged "free people of color" experienced as New Orleans attracted more white people from the rest of America, who treated them like slaves and second-class citizens. This book, which is set about a decade prior to the Civil War, has an interesting and educational portrayal of how unique New Orleans's racial makeup and culture were in the country at that time. The "peek into the past" covers some of the very same information that was already printed in the preceding book, but also shares more details about black history. These elements make it a three-star book for me, instead of the two stars that I gave the exceedingly dull first book.
This book also has better subplots, and provides an interesting look into the challenges that wealthy and privileged "free people of color" experienced as New Orleans attracted more white people from the rest of America, who treated them like slaves and second-class citizens. This book, which is set about a decade prior to the Civil War, has an interesting and educational portrayal of how unique New Orleans's racial makeup and culture were in the country at that time. The "peek into the past" covers some of the very same information that was already printed in the preceding book, but also shares more details about black history. These elements make it a three-star book for me, instead of the two stars that I gave the exceedingly dull first book.
cmw119's review
2.0
I don't think 1800s New Orleans is a place or time period I'm very interested in either. Some of the history was interesting because I actually know nothing about this part of the country and it was fun to learn about the French immigration and the freedoms that free persons of color had in New Orleans at the time when the rest of the south was consumed with slavery, but I didn't find the actual story to be compelling or engaging.
smoothas_sylk's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rbccmrstrltz's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bookdragon04's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0