My sister bought a hardcover copy from Barnes & Noble.
Summary:
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
My Review:
I was immediately intrigued by the cover itself to see the two main characters along with Sebastian’s alias the center of attention, yet in the background. I thought the cover was well done and says a lot about the contents of the book.
I have read a graphic novel by this author before. My sister found this book first and both of us were intrigued, so she bought it.
This is not your typical “fairy-tale” as Prince Sebastian is looking more for a seamstress than a princess. Sebastian’s secret and hobby is dressing up in dresses and feeling pretty though he can’t announce it to his kingdom. Frances is his seamstress and her dream is to become famous with her sewing and have her work out into the fashion world. The problem is, no one can know she’s the one making dresses for “Lady Crystallia,” Prince Sebastian.
The plot conveyed the struggles of both characters very well through both the dialogue and the pictures drawn. There was enough tension, happy moments, and sad moments throughout. This is a page-turner and not just because it’s a quick read due to it being a graphic novel.
Sebastian and Frances were strong characters. Both were likable and easy to relate to. They had their own unique personalities and struggles just like everyone else. I’d love to see this pair in another book.
Emile, Sebastian’s servant, was awesome too. He was the only one who knew Sebastian’s secret and he kept it and cared for Sebastian as his own.
The king and queen were annoying at first – though I think that was the point. They were still good characters, just thinking of the kingdom as well as their son.
This is a graphic novel and it had a good balance of dialogue and pictures. There were a good amount of pages that just had pictures showing the time pass and expressions. There were no words needed. It was very well done.
This was a wonderful read with an important message for all. It’s fast paced being a graphic novel, but it worked. The characters were great and I’m looking forward to more from this author.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang gets…
5 out of 5 cups
Favorite Quote:
“When I first learned the truth, I thought Sebastian’s life would be ruined. But seeing you, I realized everything would be fine. Because someone still loved him.” –Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker
Buy the book:
Read my review of IRL: In Real Life by Jen Wang!
Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you enjoyed this post, please share it around! Also, check out the other Book Reviews I’ve done!
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