Member Reviews
I would like to thank Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Net galley for the chance to read and review this book.
This book, while considered to be YA and is indeed YA Appropriate, was a book that I would recommend to everyone. It is a retelling of the classic , The Three Musketeers. It is a re imagining, more than retelling, as the protagonists are female.They are all young women, who are being trained in the art of spying, and fencing, to serve and protect their King- Louis XIV.
Tania's father was a Musketeer, and he left the service when he married . He has been training her in fencing for years. Tania has an illness, which manifests itself in dizziness, weakness and blackouts. The author, as it is stated in a postscript at the end, had Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and has "shared " it with her heroine.
Tania's father is killed and Tania sent to a "finishing school "in Paris. But it is no ordinary finishing school. It is run by Madame de Treville and is a school for female Musketeers. Tania is joined by Aria, Portia and Thea. They go to balls, flirt and engage men to conversation to extract information, and duel with them if necessary.
This is a thoroughly engaging, fascinating book. It is unsparing in its look at life in Paris in the 1650's, it is fun , it is honest and it is inspiring. I highly recommend it.
As someone who is in the process of getting diagnosed with POTS (and regardless, someone who passes out frequently), this story touched me. From that standpoint, the way Tania was treated (both good and bad) made me tear up. The representation here was fantastic and realistic. This is understandable, as our author also has this condition.
The story itself was intriguing, politically fueled without being too complex and overwhelming. I adored our various girls who helped Tania, and their relationships as well. While I've never read the original musketeers, I have seen movies and the like, and this still had that same air of adventure.
I suppose my only takeaways, and the reason for this being 4 stars instead of 5, was a mix of the pacing and the consistent use of untranslated French. The French wasn't necessarily an issue for me personally, as I have studied the basics of it, but at times I did still find it irritating to have to look for context clues for translation. The pacing felt a bit choppy, and it made it difficult to stay in the story.
This book made me feel whole. I’ve never read a book that explains what I’ve gone through so well. I read it at the perfect moment I was ready to give up hope of ever feeling better but this book gave me hope. I’ve never felt more connected to a book in my life. The writing was amazing and it really is a beautiful story about inclusivity. A story about hope and happiness.
what an adventure! i wish there were more swashbuckling, sword fighting, truly daring stories out there. really thoughtful and considered representation for the disabled and chronically ill as well. super fun
Let me introduce you to my most anticipated release of 2021 and one of my favorite reads of all time: ONE FOR ALL by Lillie Lainoff. I have been screaming about this book since I first knew of its existence and I almost died of excitement when I was approved for an ARC. Than you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for making my year with this review copy!
ONE FOR ALL is the book I’ve been wishing for: a gender bent classic retelling with a chronically ill heroine! Let me say it again: AN OWNVOICES CLASSIC RETELLING ABOUT CHRONIC ILLNESS! Not only that, but it contains even more of my favorite things:
- Swordfighting!!!
- Found family
- Powerful female relationships
- Epic fight scenes
- Wonderfully detailed historical setting
- Did I mention the heroine is chronically ill? And never gets magically cured?
I was terrified that this book wouldn’t live up to my expectations but I’m happy to say that it is just as wonderful and heartfelt as I could’ve wished! The portrayal of chronic illness was simply amazing. I found it deeply relatable, the kind of representation I’ve been longing for all my life.
I admit, I was a little disappointed with how the mystery played out, but it did end with one of the best fight scenes I’ve ever read. The romantic elements were also not completely satisfying to me. However, I absolutely loved the writing and the characters. ONE FOR ALL is a standalone read, but I’m ready for six sequels and a movie!
Long story short: this book is amazing and it deserves all the sword bouquets in the world. I need you all to add it to your TBR lists immediately! Watch out, in March of 2022 this book is going to rock your world!!!
Wow, I loved this book! And, I'll be honest, I'm usually not one for historical fiction. But I absolutely couldn't stop reading Tania's journey, feeling like she was the teen, chronically ill Inigo Montoya of my dreams. I rooted for her throughout the whole book to get her revenge and also for her to settle into her new found family.
A note about Tania: the main character has POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and boy did the authentic viewpoint shine through. As a chronically ill person myself, I was delighted to see a character written from a first person viewpoint, rather than from a family member who feels burdened by that person's illness. Such representation is sorely needed, and this book pulls it off and more!
It wasn't only Tania that caught my attention, however. The whole concept of secret girl musketeers had me cheering for everyone in L'Academie. I adored Thea, Portia, and Aria, who all had their own distinctive voices and stories.
Buckle up, fans of YA books and strong girl characters--this one is NOT to be missed.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! I am sorry to say that I appear to be in the minority of reviewers: this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
Here was the best part of the book for me: I really appreciated reading a (non-contemporary) YA book with a protagonist with a disability, written by an author with the same disability. As a pre-teen, I read [book:The Phoenix Dance|740744], which was my first introduction to bipolar disorder (written by an author with the disorder) It provided me with a compassionate, nuanced introduction to mental health and the challenges of treatment, packaged within fairy tale trappings. (Sadly, I haven't come across many other fantasy or historical or sci-fi YA books since with protagonists with disabilities.) Lainoff's book will have a similar real-world impact, both on those longing to see themselves better represented in fiction, and those who can learn to be better allies of people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, most other things about the book just didn't "gel" for me personally. My biggest issue was that the attitudes of all the characters felt distinctly modern in a way that really took me out of the story. It was "history lite," and to be fair, it's an adventure novel first and historical fiction second, but I wished there was a better sense of time and place.
To Lainoff's credit, Tania's fellow Musketeers were all very distinctive from one another, but the downside is that they seemed slightly one-note: the flighty one, the quiet one, the audacious one.
If you are looking for subtlety, you won't find it here: it's a "message book" that wants to make sure you don't miss the point that feminism is good, rape culture is bad, and it's okay to eschew embroidery in favor of swordplay. I suspect the target audience won't mind that a bit.
I loved ONE FOR ALL! This is a gender-bent Three Musketeers-inspired story, packed full of fencing, betrayal, revenge, court intrigue and fancy balls - so good!
And I especially loved Tania, the fierce, loyal and clever MC with POTS, and her found family, Aria, Théa and Portia 🖤
Oh my god!! I loved this story so much. It was so nice to see chronic illness represented in this story as someone who is also chronically ill. It makes me feel incredibly seen. This book is so much fun, I got through it in just 3 days. Its based on the original Three Musketeer’s story but genderbent. I loved Tania so much as a main character, her journey and emotions felt so real. I loved the sisterhood the other characters had with her as well. This story is gripping and I felt like I was with these girls every second I read this book. One of my favorites for 2022 already and I cannot wait to preorder a physical copy and make all of my friends read this when it comes out. Thank you so much to the publishers and netgalley for providing me an E-Arc for an honest review!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!
All I can write at this moment is that I cried. This book is so good, it made me cry because it is amazing and because I have never felt this way about a book. This is, undoubtedly, my most favourite read of 2021. I cannot wait for more readers to read this phenomenal book about spies, found family, female friendships and women with swords!🗡 This is a story about a disabled girl Tania with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) who is intent on finding the killer of her dear and loving father. We need more books with disability rep written by disabled people because many authors who don't have the particular disability they're writing about tend to get a few things wrong. I absolutely adored Tania and her process of accepting herself and fighting for what's right. The found family trope was amazingly written and yes, I want more! I loved the way Tania didn't end up with Étienne given his cruelties because many authors nowadays promote toxic relationships with the excuse that the love interest has "a tragic backstory". Everything was amazing!! Many, many thanks to the author for writing the story of my heart! This is a powerful and strong debut! My new fave author guys!
5 stars!💖(and more if I could)
This was such a fun Three Musketeers retelling! I really enjoyed the storytelling, the writing style, and the way the characters were all developed throughout the narrative.
Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
One for All is an amazing book with a feminist outlook and possibly one of the best main characters. Tania is a young girl set in 17th century France, with a love of swordsmanship and a chronic illness; as Tania is sent to L’Académie des Mariées after the death of her father, she is introduced to the people who will help her to uncover a nefarious plot and solve the mystery surrounding her father's death.
Tania is an incredible main character; she is determined, fierce, and doesn't let POTS hold her back from anything. Her disability is written flawlessly, with an emphasis on how it's a part of who she is, but it doesn't mean she shouldn't get everything she deserves: a sweet romance with Etienne and a found family among her Musketeers. It's especially heartwarming after reading the Author's Note and about Lillie Lainoff's struggle with the same disability.
During the book, there were slower moments and I would like to see some of the side characters have their own books in the future, but overall it was an incredible read. I'd suggest this book for all ages.
This book was AMAZING!! It was the perfect feminist Musketeer retelling, and I couldn't put it down! Tania is my role model and this book educated me on her illness. I loved the plot twist and the found family, and I will be recommending this to all of my friends and followers!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of ONE FOR ALL in exchange for an honest review.
I was very drawn to the premise of this story. A gender-bent retelling of the 3 musketeers with disabled representation? YES PLEASE! I loved the main character Tania, her sass and her fierce attitude. I didn't know too much about POTS prior to reading this novel, but the author's own experience with chronic illness made the character feel even more realistic. Even the struggle with navigating ableism (internal and otherwise) felt really well done. The author did an excellent job of showing how disability can be part of someone's identity and lived experience without defining who they are. Overall, this was a fun read with great characters and inclusive writing. The historical setting was an added bonus. :)
Tons of fun, with a strong focus on female friendships and a young heroine's journey toward believing in her own self worth despite the negative messages that surround her. Tania (a clever twist on D'Artagnan) joins a group of fellow swordswomen as they uncover a plot to overthrow the king in a fantasy version of 17th century France. Lianoff keeps the historical elements light, with lots of anachronisms, allowing her world to feel both modern and "other," with plenty of opportunities for balls, carriage rides, festivals, and of course, sword fights! The girls also have a code to break, a murderer to track down, a weapons trade to halt, and a midnight thief to identify. Suffice to say, Lianoff keeps them busy! The romance is subtle and the politics are pretty straightforward, such that I think this would appeal to middle graders as well as the young adult audience to which it's primarily marketed. I also suspect readers of all abilities will see themselves in Tania, in her struggle redefine strength on her own terms, a struggle she succeeds at as surely as she bests an opponent in a deadly duel.
Tania is a disabled musketeer in France. She and her mother are left alone after her father mysteriously dies. Because of that Tania is sent away to a school for future Wives, where she needs to learn to disguise her "illness" and secure a husband during the season. Little does she know that she was sent there to form part of a secret Musketeer group led by Women. There she needs to show her skill to protect the king and to discover the murderer of her father.
This book was very entertaining. I loved Tania a lot, she was very relatable even though I don't have POTS. All of the secondary characters were very interesting, but I wish that there was more depth to them. I think that the idea of the feminist Musketeers could be a great idea for a longer series, rather than a standalone.
I would recommend this book to younger YA readers, but everyone can read this book.
Really enjoyed this #ownvoices gender-bent spin on 'The Three Musketeers' in which Tania, our main character, has the POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) sub-type of Dysautonomia, just as the author does. I loved the disability rep, and also the LGBTQIA+ rep and the friendships between the lady Musketeers.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review this title! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When I read this would be a gender-bent "retelling" of the Three Musketeers, I was super excited to receive the approval to read. Tania de Batz suffers from a chronic illness that makes her faint. She pushes through wanting to prove to everyone she is not weak but a strong and independent woman following in the footsteps of her father, a former Musketeer. When she finds her father murdered she joins a group of women at a secret fighting boarding school to help protect innocents.
I liked Tania as a main character and her fierce determination to prove others wrong. She is a feisty and strong character and Lillie Lainoff does a good job representing Tania's disability. There is a sense of sister-bonds and a sweet romance with Etienne, who has information about her father's death. After reading the Author Note, letting us know of her own personal struggles with the same disability as Tania, it really made the book feel more personal and knowledgeable.
The setting of Paris was nice and the story's world is done well. There are a few slower moments which hurt the pacing just a tad but otherwise an overall enjoyable read.
4 stars.
I feel so honored to have been sent this ARC where I got to read about a strong female character with POTS. My sister and my best friend both have POTS and representation is so important. I was so excited to read this book knowing they’ll get to see a character they can relate with, be a hero of the story. Tania's battle with ableism and her own chronic illness was represented so accurately and she reclaimed her illness in a way that was really powerful.
Not only did I adore Tania, but I loved the female friendships that were portrayed. I think oftentimes female friendships are portrayed poorly in literature, so it was a breath of fresh air to read about the four musketeers and their bond.
One For All is a beautiful debut that is a fast-paced, easy read, and will leave you smiling and feeling refreshed by the time you reach the end!
Thank you endlessly Lillie Lainoff, Macmillan Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of One For All in exchange for my honest opinion.
One for All is a gender bent musketeers story of a young girl Tania who admires her father more than anything. She also is considered broken and cursed and unmarriableby her mother because she has a chronic illness. When she her father is murdered she is sent for a school for girls who were being trained as housewives turns out she sent to learn how to be musketeers and will help save the king. Because who will ever suspect a girl to be a badass fencer?
This book was great. The topics of chronic illness were my favorite parts, quickly followed by how close the girls became. The chronic illness representation was 100% accurate, and fit into the story well.
The pacing was a little slow which did affect how quickly I got through the book. The other reason is for my personal taste I need a tad more romance.