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A review by jillselwyn
One for All by Lillie Lainoff
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Going into this book, all I knew was that clearly, from just the title alone that at the very least it was inspired by the three musketeers. The only thing of note that I knew apart from this fact was that the main character (Tania) had a chronic illness of some sort that included fainting (Also, pretty cover, with pretty girl on cover, like come on). This was a debut novel, and Lillie Lainoff really made this book sing. The difference between Tania's parents was clear, but that did not mean she was loved any less by her mother, simply that she couldn't fully understand her child.
I rather enjoyed the pacing of the chapters, and the story as a whole. The "inciting incident"didn't feel rushed like many debuts tend to feel, which was honestly wonderful. I felt that I'd seen just the right amount of Tania and her parents' everyday lives before launching into the story. This part of the story - like all the others, never overstayed its welcome, and, instead, smoothly transitioned into the next arc of the plot.
When Tania's father has her sent to a "finishing school" upon his untimely (and brutal) death, I was shocked. Of course, I hadn't read a single word of the synopsis (a quite common decision of mine, though it doesn't usually end in a good experience like this one), so I had not seen what the "finishing school" really was until I read the book. I had no clue that the school was a cover for a secret training academy for a select few girls to become socialite musketeers.
Rather quickly, I caught a number of similarities to this book, and, well, Barbie and the Three Musketeers (in fact, I reached out to the author, and she told me that, while she indeed gets that comment a lot, she has never actually seen that particular Barbie installment). Of course, One For All did things that an animated, 2009 film made for children, was able - and willing - to do (despite the notoriously queer coded Diamond Castle which actually came out a year prior but you're not here for a history of Barbie movies).
The main element that certainly stood out to me, is the sapphic hints in the background between two of the four girls, subtle at first, until, if you are a hopeless sapphic like myself, you're screaming for the reveal. Yes, a reveal of information that you clearly already know, but sometimes you just want or need the confirmation and validation of someone coming out "publicly" on the page.
Aria was probably the character that fascinated and intrigued me the most, while getting strong ADHD vibes from Théa (example, I was nearly put off by the exclamations used in her dialogue, but then the more time we spent with her the more I started to wonder if there was some neurodivergency - specifically ADHD, but that's also coming from someone who does have ADHD among other things). Throughout it all, I was a serious sucker for the gown descriptions, the way the girls soon got along as a chosen family bantering, teasing, looking after each other, the atmosphere.
As far as the twist or reveal, the author did a wonderful job of reverse red herring the reader as far as the culprit, to the point that upon looking over my reading notes to write this review, I almost laughed at myself and some of the things I had jotted down about this. While this beauty of a novel wraps up neatly, there is so much potential for more books in this world that has been masterfully created. There is one more thing I'd like to mention before I list my favorite quotes.
The author's note at the end. Roughly two pages, and the only post book author's note I believe I've ever read. Explaining the diagnosis and the personal experience and point of view of the author, I believe made this book much more concrete and applicable to the real world. That's what did me in. It was enough to personally connect via my own very different chronic illness.
Remembering the struggle with finding doctors willing to do tests, to diagnose (luckily third time was the charm), as well as trying to hide the pain I was in - at school, with previous romantic partners, etc. (my diagnosis is Adenomyosis)
This novel is amazing on its own, but that last bit was truly the cherry on top.
Quotes:
"We will not let you fall."
"Everything was too much: the sound, the sight, the world one caliginous golden pool."
"I don't think of things in terms of such labels."
"...how certain twists and turns in a left or right hand could mean flirtation, rejection, a warning to a paramour of being watched..."
"Étienne was thoughtful, but he was still a man."
I rather enjoyed the pacing of the chapters, and the story as a whole. The "inciting incident"didn't feel rushed like many debuts tend to feel, which was honestly wonderful. I felt that I'd seen just the right amount of Tania and her parents' everyday lives before launching into the story. This part of the story - like all the others, never overstayed its welcome, and, instead, smoothly transitioned into the next arc of the plot.
When Tania's father has her sent to a "finishing school" upon his untimely (and brutal) death, I was shocked. Of course, I hadn't read a single word of the synopsis (a quite common decision of mine, though it doesn't usually end in a good experience like this one), so I had not seen what the "finishing school" really was until I read the book. I had no clue that the school was a cover for a secret training academy for a select few girls to become socialite musketeers.
Rather quickly, I caught a number of similarities to this book, and, well, Barbie and the Three Musketeers (in fact, I reached out to the author, and she told me that, while she indeed gets that comment a lot, she has never actually seen that particular Barbie installment). Of course, One For All did things that an animated, 2009 film made for children, was able - and willing - to do (despite the notoriously queer coded Diamond Castle which actually came out a year prior but you're not here for a history of Barbie movies).
The main element that certainly stood out to me, is the sapphic hints in the background between two of the four girls, subtle at first, until, if you are a hopeless sapphic like myself, you're screaming for the reveal. Yes, a reveal of information that you clearly already know, but sometimes you just want or need the confirmation and validation of someone coming out "publicly" on the page.
Aria was probably the character that fascinated and intrigued me the most, while getting strong ADHD vibes from Théa (example, I was nearly put off by the exclamations used in her dialogue, but then the more time we spent with her the more I started to wonder if there was some neurodivergency - specifically ADHD, but that's also coming from someone who does have ADHD among other things). Throughout it all, I was a serious sucker for the gown descriptions, the way the girls soon got along as a chosen family bantering, teasing, looking after each other, the atmosphere.
As far as the twist or reveal, the author did a wonderful job of reverse red herring the reader as far as the culprit, to the point that upon looking over my reading notes to write this review, I almost laughed at myself and some of the things I had jotted down about this. While this beauty of a novel wraps up neatly, there is so much potential for more books in this world that has been masterfully created. There is one more thing I'd like to mention before I list my favorite quotes.
The author's note at the end. Roughly two pages, and the only post book author's note I believe I've ever read. Explaining the diagnosis and the personal experience and point of view of the author, I believe made this book much more concrete and applicable to the real world. That's what did me in. It was enough to personally connect via my own very different chronic illness.
Remembering the struggle with finding doctors willing to do tests, to diagnose (luckily third time was the charm), as well as trying to hide the pain I was in - at school, with previous romantic partners, etc. (my diagnosis is Adenomyosis)
This novel is amazing on its own, but that last bit was truly the cherry on top.
Quotes:
"We will not let you fall."
"Everything was too much: the sound, the sight, the world one caliginous golden pool."
"I don't think of things in terms of such labels."
"...how certain twists and turns in a left or right hand could mean flirtation, rejection, a warning to a paramour of being watched..."
"Étienne was thoughtful, but he was still a man."