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A review by bookishmillennial
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was such a beautiful young adult story about modiste/designer Frances, who is chosen to be the young prince Sebastian’s personal stylist. She discovers he sometimes likes to wear dresses and wears a disguise at night so no one will recognize him as the prince. Sebastian explores his gender expression not only when he is dressed as Lady Crystallia (the name he eventually chooses during a night out), but also in the clothes he wears during the day as he completes his royal duties. It is not named but I felt their experience aligned with gender fluidity, bigender and/or gender queerness. I loved this arc & though one scene in particular was hard for me (because non-consensual outing scenes are so painful), I ultimately thought this was such a hopeful exploration!
France’s, on the other hand, is seemingly working from the bottom up - when she is hired as the young royal’s personal stylist, she is thrilled with the opportunities it could bring her. She is finally able to make a name for herself, but she quickly realizes that as long as Lady Crystallia has to stay hidden, so does she. Frances does not force the young royal to come out and tell everyone, but she also confronts the fact that she wants more than secret nights out. I was proud of both of these young adults, who obviously were scared and anxious about this new chapter in their lives, but still moved with courage and hope.
I loved the illustrations too, and I will seek out more books from Jen Wang in the future!
I read this for the #TransRightsReadathon (you can find more info at transrightsreadathon.carrd.co) & it also fits a prompt for “graphic novel” for the #TransReadingChallenge hosted by @readwithrhys 🩷🩵🤍
This was such a beautiful young adult story about modiste/designer Frances, who is chosen to be the young prince Sebastian’s personal stylist. She discovers he sometimes likes to wear dresses and wears a disguise at night so no one will recognize him as the prince. Sebastian explores his gender expression not only when he is dressed as Lady Crystallia (the name he eventually chooses during a night out), but also in the clothes he wears during the day as he completes his royal duties. It is not named but I felt their experience aligned with gender fluidity, bigender and/or gender queerness. I loved this arc & though one scene in particular was hard for me (because non-consensual outing scenes are so painful), I ultimately thought this was such a hopeful exploration!
France’s, on the other hand, is seemingly working from the bottom up - when she is hired as the young royal’s personal stylist, she is thrilled with the opportunities it could bring her. She is finally able to make a name for herself, but she quickly realizes that as long as Lady Crystallia has to stay hidden, so does she. Frances does not force the young royal to come out and tell everyone, but she also confronts the fact that she wants more than secret nights out. I was proud of both of these young adults, who obviously were scared and anxious about this new chapter in their lives, but still moved with courage and hope.
I loved the illustrations too, and I will seek out more books from Jen Wang in the future!
I read this for the #TransRightsReadathon (you can find more info at transrightsreadathon.carrd.co) & it also fits a prompt for “graphic novel” for the #TransReadingChallenge hosted by @readwithrhys 🩷🩵🤍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual harassment