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A review by chronicallybookish
One for All by Lillie Lainoff
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 12+
Over All: 5 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 10/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
TW: blood, gore (minor), death of a parent, murder, sexual assault (off page), attempted sexual assault
None of these are graphically depicted, but they are present in the book.
I finished this book months ago, and I have sat down to write this review countless times since then. I still don’t know what to say. How to I put into words what this book meant to me? How do I convince you to read it?
One For All is a historical fiction/fantasy novel, following Tania, a teenage girl with POTS as she attends a finishing school in Paris that is secretly training its students to become Musketeers. There is female friendship, romance, mystery, action, and sword fighting in ball gowns. The author herself is a fencer, so there is an accuracy to the fight scenes that YA fantasies often lack.
I was about Tania’s age when I was diagnosed with POTS, a few years ago. 1% of teenagers—which may not seem like a lot, but for a chronic illness, 1% is quite a lot—have POTS, and yet this is the first traditionally published YA book to feature the illness. Never before have I seen myself in a character in the way I see myself in Tania. Lillie Lainoff’s #ownvoices portrayal of POTS put into words emotions and experiences I’ve never been able to express. From page one I was crying. I don’t think I managed to go more than a few chapters without crying because of how much it meant for me to read a book where I was so fully represented, written by an author who truly understands what it is like to be in my shoes.
One for All is a promising debut, though on the technical side it does suffer from a common issue that I see in debut novels—especially fantasy ones. There were more than a couple instances, especially in the middle of the novel, where the pacing was lacking, and I found myself having a hard time engaging in the plot. It was predictable at times, as well.
However, the rest of the book: the relationships, the fight scenes, and the majority of the plot were thoroughly enjoyable. And the representation was, as I’ve already expressed, life changing.
I think One for All will especially appeal to younger YA readers, those aged 11-14, but I definitely encourage older readers to pick up the book as well. Just expect a younger writing style and characters that will appeal more to pre- and early teens.
This was (and remains) my most anticipated release of 2022, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for its official release, when I can hold a copy in my hands and annotate it and take pictures of it and stare at it. I’m going to end up with way too many copies of this book. I’m obsessed. Prepare for my Instagram feed to be nothing but pictures of One for All.
Anyway! Pre-order One for All right now! You won’t regret it! Plus it has an incredible preorder campaign sooooooooo ;)
Age Rating: 12+
Over All: 5 stars
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Disability Rep: 10/5
Special thanks to FierceReads and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
TW: blood, gore (minor), death of a parent, murder, sexual assault (off page), attempted sexual assault
None of these are graphically depicted, but they are present in the book.
I finished this book months ago, and I have sat down to write this review countless times since then. I still don’t know what to say. How to I put into words what this book meant to me? How do I convince you to read it?
One For All is a historical fiction/fantasy novel, following Tania, a teenage girl with POTS as she attends a finishing school in Paris that is secretly training its students to become Musketeers. There is female friendship, romance, mystery, action, and sword fighting in ball gowns. The author herself is a fencer, so there is an accuracy to the fight scenes that YA fantasies often lack.
I was about Tania’s age when I was diagnosed with POTS, a few years ago. 1% of teenagers—which may not seem like a lot, but for a chronic illness, 1% is quite a lot—have POTS, and yet this is the first traditionally published YA book to feature the illness. Never before have I seen myself in a character in the way I see myself in Tania. Lillie Lainoff’s #ownvoices portrayal of POTS put into words emotions and experiences I’ve never been able to express. From page one I was crying. I don’t think I managed to go more than a few chapters without crying because of how much it meant for me to read a book where I was so fully represented, written by an author who truly understands what it is like to be in my shoes.
One for All is a promising debut, though on the technical side it does suffer from a common issue that I see in debut novels—especially fantasy ones. There were more than a couple instances, especially in the middle of the novel, where the pacing was lacking, and I found myself having a hard time engaging in the plot. It was predictable at times, as well.
However, the rest of the book: the relationships, the fight scenes, and the majority of the plot were thoroughly enjoyable. And the representation was, as I’ve already expressed, life changing.
I think One for All will especially appeal to younger YA readers, those aged 11-14, but I definitely encourage older readers to pick up the book as well. Just expect a younger writing style and characters that will appeal more to pre- and early teens.
This was (and remains) my most anticipated release of 2022, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait for its official release, when I can hold a copy in my hands and annotate it and take pictures of it and stare at it. I’m going to end up with way too many copies of this book. I’m obsessed. Prepare for my Instagram feed to be nothing but pictures of One for All.
Anyway! Pre-order One for All right now! You won’t regret it! Plus it has an incredible preorder campaign sooooooooo ;)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Minor: Gore and Blood