A review by alongreader
The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman

5.0

I love A Little Princess. It's one of my favourite children's books. I hadn't realised before I started this that it's influenced by that classic, but it quickly becomes obvious. Emma, the main character, is brought to a boarding school by her doting, rich father, where she's to be given everything she wants. When he abruptly dies - in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, rather than jungle fever - Emma is promptly made a servant in the school.

The major difference between this story and the original is the presence of magic. I won't go into detail on the subplot, but it's nicely thought out and makes a lot of sense. Izzy is brilliant, as is Emma herself. The ending is fabulous and I really enjoyed watching it unfold.

There's a lovely tone and feeling, and I loved watching Emma gather a group around her to help her out. (Also, yes, I may have welled up right at the end there.) I'm really excited to see what Alyssa comes up with next. I think it'll be great.