Review: The Sisters of Versailles

{on Goodreads}

Before I begin to tell you how this book completely pulled me in and left me dreaming of life at Versailles, let's take a minute to appreciate that cover. A little mysterious, beautifully colorful, and perfect for displaying on your bookshelf. The Sisters of Versailles isn't just pretty on the outside though-- the story inside is captivating, enticing, and full of strong female characters. The Sisters of Versailles also just happens to be a true story: of the five Nesle girls-- sisters who grew up in the early 18th century. Four would become mistress to a king, causing scandalous shockwaves to rip the kingdom of France, the citizens of which believed their king to be a pious and faithful man. This historical fiction account puts the reader alongside the family as the Nesle sisters grow from innocent young girls to powerful figures behind the throne, and as King Louis XV's reign blossoms, we see the sisters' campaigns against the citizens, members of the court, and each other.

The book has a frame narrative from the perspective of Hortense, now an old woman, but once the most beautiful of the five sisters. The story that Hortense tells, of her four sisters and how they each became the mistress to the king of France, begins when the five girls were all young -- innocent of the ways of the court and eager to be included in its luxury. I liked that we got to glimpse each of the sisters before she discovered what the world was truly like, this made them relatable as they navigated their new positions at court and found influence in the king's bed. One by one, the sisters find their way to Versailles, and in each case, they catch they eye of King Louis XV, one of the most beloved kings of France. This is where the book had the potential to turn into a terrible romance, but Christie took the relationships between the sisters, and between each sister and King Louis XV, and shaped them in a way that made them more meaningful to the reader. 

Whether or not you like romance novels (I do not, by the way), you will fall for the romance in this book. As a reader, I found the triumphs and heartbreaks easy to connect with, and I came away with a unique sense of empathy for each of the sisters. The story comes to us through the perspective of each sister and through the sisters' correspondence, and Christie did an excellent job of giving each sister her own voice so that the authors of letters were immediately recognizable. The different relationships between the sisters -- from reverence to tension -- came to be an integral part of their motivations and actions at court, and I found those dynamics to be both interesting and not so different from sibling relationships in modern times. That the story is true only made it more compelling, and although I felt like there was a certain sense of finality at the end of this book (it could certainly stand alone), I am quite curious to find out what comes next in the trilogy. If you're a fan of Marie Antoinette, this period in historical fiction, or if you liked this book, I'd keep my eye out for this one when it hits bookstores tomorrow!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Sisters of Versailles (Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy)

Author: Sally Christie

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected publication date: September 1, 2015

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ISBN: 1501102966

Format: E-book

Source: Advanced Review Copy provided by Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Children's Review: The Day the Mustache Took Over

{on Goodreads}

When I first saw the cover and premise for this book, I was so excited. Finally! A book for boys that's goofy, funny, and full of mischief. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've been seeking suggestions for "boy" books to add to my classroom library collection, and I thought that this was going to be a winner for sure. However, after struggling to get through this book (honestly, I had to talk myself into finishing it!), I can say that it is full of mischief, but I didn't find it the least bit funny. I normally don't like to publish negative reviews on here (after all, it seems silly to tell you all about a book and advise you not to buy it) but I decided to share it for a few reasons: first, I want to be fully transparent, because I don't actually love every single book that I read (although I have to say I do love the majority), and second because if I were in a bookstore, I would definitely be motivated to buy this book for a young reader.

I connected with the premise because I've worked so many years as a nanny, and I find that caring for children is way more fun and easy when I can put on my silliest of hats (figuratively speaking) and let fun guide our way. In The Day the Mustache Took Over, which makes its debut on September 1st, twin boys Nathan and David are faced with yet another new nanny to take care of them. The boys are so terribly behaved that they've left a trail of nannies in their wake and their parents are out of options. That is, until Martin Healey Discount shows up at the door. Martin becomes the boys' new "manny," and though he puts on a stern face for their parents' sake, it turns out that Martin is more trouble than even the boys. In the end, he tricks the boys into doing their chores by pretending that they're defying their parents.

While the premise was of interest to me, the biggest problem for me in reading this book was the writing style. I could not follow anything that was going on, and I felt like the dialogue was so fast and disconnected that nothing made sense. It almost felt like I was hyped up on sugar while reading it (if that makes sense) because everything was disjointed and the whole premise turned from funny to outrageous in the space of the first chapter. Though I understood why the parents played minor roles, I also felt like their lack of discipline and boundaries for the boys was completely unrealistic, and I felt unsure about how the message in this book would translate to young readers. Would they find it funny? Would they try to follow the footsteps of Nathan, David, and their crazy manny? The latter possibility had me flinching from the trouble that could ensue in real life. From a teacher perspective, at times the language that was employed by the manny character could also have been out of reach for some young readers-- the character used unusual vocabulary in order to convey silliness, but I could see some of the language being inaccessible for some audiences. Though I certainly wouldn't stop a young reader from picking up this book of their own volition (after all, what they're reading is less important than the fact that they are reading), I won't be buying this for my classroom library and I don't see myself recommending it to parents.

Bottom-Line Rating: 1/5

Title: The Day the Mustache Took Over

Author: Alan Katz

Illustrator: Kris Easler

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Expected Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Price: $13.99

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ISBN: 1619635585

Format: E-book

Source: Advanced Reader Copy provided by Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!