When I was in London last year, I found this book in the bookstore. I love Queen Victoria, so I was intrigued by this book. Then, when I found out it was being published in North America, I was so excited to get a review copy!

This book was great. I could imagine so many of the places described. Kensington Palace was my favourite attraction in London. I especially loved the room that had a plaque that marked the birth of Princess Victoria in that room! They also went to Windsor castle in this story, which has been all over the news because of Harry and Meghan's wedding.

Victoria is such an interesting character in this story. She doesn't fit the image of Queen Victoria at all. I have read other books about her, and as Queen she was fantastic. She wanted to help her people. But in this story, she often behaved like a spoiled little girl. This kept me reading because I was curious to see how she would grow as a character.

There were some twists through the story, especially pertaining to the relationships between characters. I always find that I am googling things when I read historical fiction to see what is real and what is fiction. I had to look up some facts, but I could tell that there was some liberty taken with the story. One thing that I didn't realize was that Sir John had a wife and family. He has been in other stories I've read, but they didn't focus on his family outside of Kensington, unlike this one which was narrated by his daughter.

This was a rather accurate and engaging historical novel that delved into the Kensington system. What I really enjoyed was the friendship between the two Victorias. It was a solid, good read, and was what I would expect from Lucy Worsley. I will definitely recommend this to patrons who are interested in female-led historical fiction.

I knew very little about Queen Victoria outside of her being a minor character in books that take place while she was The Queen of England. I knew that she was a long-reigning monarch and got to the throne at eighteen. But outside of that, I didn’t know anything. So when I stumbled onto this book on NetGalley, I was interested to see what a young Queen Victoria would look like.

This book was extremely interesting and well-written. I found myself highlighting passages on my kindle version because they were just beautiful lines of prose. Worsely is very talented, and clearly did an immense amount of research to create a lifelike, believable world for Miss V and Princess Victoria to grow up.

Before starting this book, I skimmed the “early life” section of Queen Victoria’s Wikipedia page to get a sense of the characters that I would encounter because I felt like most people reading this book would know who the main players were. From what I got from that quick read, the characterization was close to what I would imagine. John Conroy is shown to be manipulative and cunning, the Duchesses reads as aloof and distant, and Princess Victoria herself reads as impulsive and reckless in a way.

This book is targeted to the younger spectrum of the YA readership, it’s not exactly middle grade, but to me, it reads like exactly the kind of book I would have loved when I was in late middle school early high school, but as an adult, I wanted a little bit more. The book walks right up to the edge was what could be amazing scenes and then cuts them short. I think if they were expanded a little, especially chapters toward the end of the book, I would have given it a higher rating.

Overall, I found this book to be a quick, light read. It’s a very character driven book, so if you’re looking for something with a lot of action, this won’t hit the right buttons for you, but if you like books that explore characters and go in-depth different people, this is a cute well-written story.

Here's the thing, I really don't like reading about Queen Victoria. There are certain historical figures I adore and just click with (Marie Antoinette, Mary I, Cleopatra), and others that I have a really hard time getting on board with. Victoria falls solidly in the latter camp. Even Carolyn Meyer couldn't get me to like her.

So Lucy Worsley has done what I had previously believed was impossible and made me actually like Victoria. Or, well, not quiet. But she wrote a book about Victoria that I was able to really like. I still don't like Victoria.

How did she pull it off? In part because of a narrative approach I usually dislike: the "through the eyes of a servant" narration. More points to you, Ms. Worsley. In this case it really worked. Victoria's irritating personality was tempered by the fact that she wasn't the main character and that Miss V is fully aware of how annoying Victoria can be.

And, finally, for the third "usually I hate this, but Lucy Worsley made me like it" thing that happened...well, I can't tell you about it. It would be a spoiler. I'll say there's a historical twist that isn't true, but gosh do I wish it was. I imagine this is something that readers are either going to love or hate. Usually I would hate it because It's Not Real, but I wish it was real so much that I'm giving it a pass.

Anyway, chapters are short, the narrative is easy breezy, and the characters are sufficiently real that I cared about them. Miss V slowly comes to realize and come to terms with the people surrounding her and all their shades of grey. I really enjoyed this aspect and my heart broke for her as the people around her were hurt by the system or orchestrated the system. Miss V's shifting feelings regarding her father, his role, and his character was devastating.

I appreciated the small details that were added in that gave the story depth and a sense of place and people. I didn't know until after I had finished the book that Lucy Worsley is a historian, and a fun one at that. A ton of her documentaries are available on Youtube and I've since spent many happy hours watching them.

Miss V. Conroy is proper and dull. However, to her father this makes her the perfect person for a job. John Conroy is dedicated to the Princess and Duchess, mainly keeping forth with the Kensington System. Made to ensure that Princess Victoria makes it to the throne she is next in line for. With a lot of twists and secrets will Miss V. Figure out the truth? Is the Kensington System a lie? Is her father a lie? What will Miss V do with the truths she learned and the girl she has befriended, Princess Victoria? This single point of view story has a lot of political intrigue. As it takes you through the inner workings of Royal family, the secrets and the deaths and etc. Also the impact it has on the other characters. I also enjoyed the witty comments throughout the story. Miss V.s' life is flipped around and stolen from under her feet. I had profound feelings while reading this novel, and even though it seemed a bit wordy at times it made it all the better. A gem this novel is!! I not enjoyed this read but full on recommend it!!

I love Lucy Worsely’s documentaries on British history. She’s such an engaging speaker and I devour them whenever I can find them online (I wish I lived in the UK so I could actually watch them when they air on TV). So, I jumped at the chance to review her middle grade novel My Name is Victoria when it was posted on NetGalley.

My Name is Victoria tells the story of a young Queen Victoria and what her life was like living in seclusion in Kensington Palace. The young princesses’ life is highly controlled by which makes her feel sad and lonely. Her life changes when she meets Miss V. Conroy, another girl around the same age as her. Things get off to a rocky start, but soon they are close and inseparable companions. While much of the book is historically accurate, it does deviate to a “what if” plot that allowed the author to take a different route and get creative. I thought it was interesting and it totally took me by surprise. I thought the book would be a straight up review of history due to the author’s academic background. I do have to say that I liked it! It kept things interesting!

What I enjoyed most about the book was seeing Victoria as a young girl. Every movie or TV show that I’ve seen has been based on her life once she’s ascended to the throne. At first I honestly had a difficult time imagining her as a young girl but it got easier as her story was unveiled. I totally felt for her, how could I not? I can’t imagine being so restricted, overly guarded and unhappy all of the time. I thought the story was well paced and interesting, although not much really happens. It’s just Victoria’s life and her budding friendship with Miss V. in the palace. So, while the setting doesn’t change a lot, the focus and drama of the book is created through the relationship between the two girls. I thought their friendship developed naturally. They initially weren’t sure what to do with each other, but as time went on, they became close as sisters...loyal and willing to put their own needs aside for each other.

Overall, this book was a fun, quick read with a twist. I think this book is great for middle grade readers and especially those interested in historical fiction. I will definitely be picking up Worsely’s other books in the near future!

**I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**
This book is a twist in the actual life events of Queen Victoria. The author did her research into the Queen's history in order to include both real facts as well as twists to the facts in order to create a story of alternate possible events that could have happened. The research that was done and the story that came out of it was really good.
I don't really know a whole lot of information on Queen Victoria even though history has always been something I've had an interest in. Some things just never peaked my interest as much as others. This story, however, has peaked some interest and I think, just from reading this, I'd be interested in learning more about Queen Victoria.
I do have to point out, some of the wording, at times, seemed to be more for a younger child than that of a young adult. Some of the wording felt as though it was pulled straight out of a storybook while the rest felt mature.
The story also felt somewhat predictable. I guess if someone who knew all about Queen Victoria's history had read this, they might actually know more about what would happen that I would. But for someone who hardly knew a thing about the Queen to say this book was predictable then, well....
I'm not complaining because liked how the story ended. There are one or two things about the end that I would have changed, but only small things of no important significance.
Overall, great book. The wording was confusing in a lot of places and switched between maturity levels in a way. The ending seemed a bit predictable as the story progress, but that didn't upset me in any way.

This book was surprisingly engaging showing a different side of the Kensington System, and the life that soon-to-be Queen Victoria lived prior to her reign. This is the fictional story of another Victoria, the daughter of a Victoria's advisor who is brought in to be a playmate for the young royal. Through her eyes we see what is happening in the royal family, the political intrigue that goes into protecting the heir to the throne as well as the power plays that people are willing to make. The book's author is intimately acquainted with the royal family's history and tells a richer story because of that. Additionally, the historical facts in the novel allow the reader to wonder about the ending? Is it what really happened? How would we know?

I recommend this easy read for anyone interested in the time period, Queen Victoria, the royal family, the show Victoria, or just a good story about two girls from different worlds and how they can find friendship in even the strangest ways.

Despite the fact that I studied history in university and have a keen personal interest in royalty, I know very little about the reign of Queen Victoria. I knew she grew up isolated, and because of this was likely unprepared for what ruling would consist of. I knew about the Kensington system, and how she was so far down the line of succession it is almost comical that she made it to the throne at all. But that's about how much I knew, in a nutshell.

I have to admit, this book didn't seem all that special at first, The writing was okay, but nothing phenomenal. It promised an interesting story though, so I stuck with it. I got super frustrated with a lot of the characters rather quickly however. Miss V. Conroy seemed so daft, and every time she got frustrated with Victoria for not understanding that Sir Conroy and the Duchess of Kent had everyone's best interests at heart, I wanted to shake her by her shoulders. But, I have an entirely different perspective, one that is a) over 150 years later, and b) not that of an easily manipulated child. But I also got upset that Victoria was not all the princess I had made her out to be in my head. She seemed boring and ungrateful and hateful and I could never tell if she even wanted to be friends with Miss V. Conroy in the first place. I had to remind myself that this is only a story, and only one person's interpretation of what may (or may not have) happened.

The best part of this book is definitely the twist at the end, hands down. I found myself getting frustrated with the author, who was having Miss V. Conroy fall in love with Albert instead of the princess. What is the point of having these two characters be perfect for each other, only to rip them away from each other because we are bound to the laws of history? In another way, it also was simultaneously intriguing because I couldn't figure out where the story was going from there. In the end, the twist of having the two girls switch places made absolute perfect sense. Miss V. Conroy was way more regal than Victoria ever was, with the addition of actually wanting to be in the position, and having fallen in love with the man set aside for the princess to boot! In the end, it made the rest of the mediocre book make sense - everything that I had a problem with funneled nicely into the story of having the much more suited Victoria take her place on the throne. And it makes the book worthwhile, because as I mentioned, it wasn't really anything special before then. I'm still not sure I would consider this a good book, however, but definitely decent, if only because it dared to present a solution to a dilemma that veers away from historical precedent. It's unique because of its twisted story line, but not necessarily because the writing offers a special experience. Nevertheless, it would probably do for a reader that isn't too bothered by fantastic writing, but yearns for an simple, enjoyable read. I certainly don't regret picking it up.

This was a pretty good YA historical fiction book! I loved the era and I really enjoyed learning more about the Kensington system. I appreciated that there were true facts throughout this story while still being entertaining and showing the friendship between our two characters. It was definitely a lot slower than the other books I have been reading lately in this genre so it was a little harder for me to get into, but would be a great book for younger readers or readers looking for a slower, more factual book. Thank you very much to Candlewick Press.

“My name is Victoria” by Lucy Worsley.
Enjoying it so much. Love Lucy Worsley ’s writing, her wittiness and delightful way of depicting British History. The story is about the friendship between young Victoria and her lifelong companion Victoria Conroy. Here is an enjoyable way, we learn about the girl who was going to be Queen of England during the 19th century. Her life in captivity for the sake of security and how her friend gave her comfort and advice during her childhood and adolescence. Lucy Worsley way of writing is so whimsical, funny that reading is easy and vivid.
Thank you Candlewick Press for sending me this ARC for an honest review.
Published May 8th, 2018.

My Name Is Victoria

by Lucy Worsley

Candlewick Press

Candlewick

Teens & YA

Pub Date 08 May 2018

I am reviewing a copy of My Name is Victoria through Candlewick Press and Netgalley:

I found My Name is Victoria to be engaging as well.

Miss V Conroy likes to sit as quiet as a mouse, both neat and discreet. She is also good at keeping secrets, but when her father sends her to Kensington Palace to become the companion to Princess Victoria. Miss v finds that she can no longer remain in the shadows. Her Father is the confidant and financial advisor to Victoria’s Father, her Father is Sir John Conroy.

Miss V finds herself torn between the loyalty between her and her father and her growing friendship between the willful as well as passionate princess.

I give My Name is Victoria four out of five stars

My Name is Victoria is a YA novel written by Lucy Worsley. I was excited about the opportunity to read this book because 19th century England is my favorite era in history. I also enjoyed the Victoria television series, as well as Daisy Goodwin’s companion novel and Julia Baird’s biography of Queen Victoria.

The story is told from the perspective of “Miss V”, the daughter of John Conrad, who oversaw the future Queen Victoria’s upbringing. The young Victoria was kept in isolation, and V is one of Victoria’s first friends. Victoria has been told that she needs to be kept apart from society because of her scheming uncles and cousins who might wish to harm her because of her proximity to the throne. Whether there is any merit to this claim, or whether this is intended to instill a sense of paranoia remains to be seen.

There is not very much that happens in this book because Victoria is not allowed to go anywhere. It’s easy to empathize with the girl, who wants nothing more than to have a life of her own, but is constantly scrutinized and overanalyzed. V tries to be a good friend to Victoria, but she ultimately realizes that she cannot be loyal to both her father and her friend. She needs to make a choice, and her decision will have permanent consequences.

I think that this book may be more thrilling to readers who are unfamiliar with Victoria’s childhood and the Kensington System. When Conroy started up with his machinations, I just saw Conroy being Conroy. I’d imagine that if this was new information, the scheming might be more melodramatic. I will say, however, that the plot twist is quite well done, and I didn’t see it coming at all!

I would recommend My Name Is Victoria to fans of YA books. As far as YA historical fiction goes, this book is exceptionally well done. It’s clear that Lucy Worsley knows what she’s talking about; this book has been impeccably researched. It’s slower paced than many of the other titles I’ve read recently, but every moment is just crammed with period details and tidbits. This is the first book I have read by Worsley, but I am definitely going to check out more of her nonfiction titles in the future!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book.

This one was a bit disappointing to me. Last month I read a similar book from Worsley, but about Queen Mary, which I had (mostly) the same problems with as this one, so I guess Worsley's books are just not for me? Because I love lists let's sum up these problems

- Not much happens?? This is the biggest problem with both this one and Lady Mary: there isn't much of a plot. I mean, there technically is, but it doesn't feel like it because barely anything happens. There's just a lot of talking?

- Because of this it's just a bit boring? I feel like this book could've been so much more interesting given the concept and the historical people it focues on. I mean there's so much political intrigue, but because we see everything through the eyes Miss V. we barely know anything about it

- That plot twist was not to my liking. This is a very personal thing which led to my two star rating instead of three, and shouldn't keep you from not reading this book. The plot twist itself was well-written as there were enough hints for it to not be entirely out of the blue, but not that many that it was predictable (though I did see it coming) and Worsley explains that this is an alternative history, just her exploring a 'what if', it's not some conspiracy theory haha, I just personally didn't like it?

- I feel like the characters were just not that interesting either? Worsley knows her stuff, especially when it comes to Queen Victoria, so it's not a lack of research, but the characters were kinda flat and while we follow both girls through childhood to their teenage years, I just don't feel they changed much? Also Miss V.'s voice was just so lack-luster?

But!! There were definitely things I liked. Like I said, if it weren't for the plot twist I would've given this three stars

- The friendship between the girls!! They were probably not such great friends in reality, but Worsley wanted to explore this what if and honestly it was lovely. At first they didn't really know what to make of each other of course, but in the end they love and support each other, want what's best for the other, would risk anything and everything, know each other like the back of their hand, were willing to give up their own happiness for the other's... It was so great to see, even though Queen Victoria probably hated Miss V. in reality

- Despite not much happening and the characters feeling a bit flat, it's clear that Worsley knows what she's talking about. It really does feel like you're transferred to the 1800s

- While Miss. V didn't change that much, I do like how she eventually stood up to her father

- Queen Victoria's support system! Of course she was isolated, but she still had a small group (including Miss V.) that would do anything for her and loved her with all their heart

- Not much is known about Miss V. Conroy, so it's nice to see more about her

- Dash!!

I don't think Worsley's books are for me, but if you love historical fiction than I do recommend checking them out. There's a good chance you won't have these problems after all!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a really solid 3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the focus of this book being on the Kensington System! It's always something that has fascinated me and it always is mentioned in passing in historical fictions but never really used. I had never even thought of what it was like for those being monitored and forced to enforce the System so I really enjoyed this perspective. In addition, Worsley did a great job of painting how dark and out of touch the palace was with the rest of the world from the start! It made the renovation of Kensington effect me by perking up.

The Young Victoria is one of my all-time favourite movies so I always imagine Victoria as a 20-30 something year old proper strong put together woman...while I think my default is still that, it was incredibly enjoyable to watch the soon to be iconic Queen, throw tantrums and play the System.

I found the ending "twist" to be incredibly predictable. I never guess ANY twists in books and I picked up on what was happening by like chapter 4. That being said, I don't think the book took itself particularly serious as a mystery--rather, it was a fun fluffy historical fiction where the villain gets his just desserts and our Victorias' get their own happily ever after.

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Miss V Conroy doesn’t want to move to Kensington Palace to be the companion of the eleven year old Princess Victoria. She especially doesn’t want to give away her beloved dog Dash to the Princess, who has been promised a canine companion by Miss V’s father, Sir John Conroy, comptroller of Victoria’s household and friend of her mother. After arriving at Kensington, Miss V’s worst fears are confirmed - the Princess is rude, unfriendly, and rather peculiar. Further complicating matters is Sir John, who instructs Miss V to spy on the young Princess and to report back to him each night on what she says.

Princess Victoria, bound by the “Kensington System,” which prevents her from leaving the palace or from visiting with other people in order to keep her safe, feels that she is being held prisoner inside the walls of Kensington. As Miss V spends more time with the Princess, she begins to see how isolated Victoria’s life is, and starts to feel sorry for her. Over time, Miss V gains affection for the uncouth & flighty Princess, and comes to enjoy her time spent with her at Kensington. The two become fast friends as they learn how to outsmart Miss V’s father, begin to notice boys, and finally venture out of the palace into the great wide world.

“My Name is Victoria” by Lucy Worsley follows the relationship of Princess Victoria and Miss V from pre-adolescence to young adulthood when Victoria ultimately ascends the throne. Miss V is a rather dull narrator, and considering that Victoria was locked inside Kensington for much of her childhood, the novel lacks the drama, spice, and flair typically associated with life as a royal. Young readers may find it difficult and tiresome to plod through the tedious & uneventful life of the young Princess; however, adult readers will appreciate this rare glimpse into the childhood of one of England’s most celebrated Queens.

Note: Told in four parts from Miss V’s POV, readers should be advised that this novel is an alternate history, and that the author has taken some liberties in twisting the facts for speculation’s sake. Readers will either love or hate the surprise that awaits them at the end of this novel, but regardless of your feelings for it, the prospect is still interesting to consider.

<i>Thank you to NetGallery for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Two girls named Victoria. One is the princess and is held under the thumb of Sir John Conroy, and the other is the companion of the princess placed there by her father to keep an eye on the princess. With the strict living arrangement, the girls find comfort in each other even though they are not completely satisfied with their lives.

I first want to state that this book comes out (again?) on 05/08 and if you like historical fiction books, this book will probably be right up your alley! I like some historical fiction, like The Infernal Devices, The Dark Days Club, and some others but I am not someone who goes out looking for historical fiction. I say that because I want you to go into my review knowing that I am not a big H-Fiction fan and this was written by someone who just thinks they are okay and not the best thing to happen to man-kind.

So, anyway, this book was dragging for me. I am not sure if it was because there wasn’t a lot of action and that the plot was lacking some for me, but for some reason I found myself enjoying it enough to keep going, but had to force myself to pick it up each time instead of reading one of my other books. I take complete blame for that though. I went into this book knowing it wasn’t going to have huge fight scenes and such, but for some reason I was still waiting for them.

The characters weren’t very three-dimensional, but felt as if they had a lot of potential to be so. I found myself caring for the girls and hoping things would turn around for them, but it was more of how an acquaintance feels for someone, and not how a friend would feel, if that makes sense to anyone but me.

I believe this is based off of real-historical events and settings. I’m not a huge history-buff, so I know very little about Queen/Princess Victoria and what all happened during her life. This was very enlightening on what could have happened though. The author, of course, has creative liberties and might have changed a few things, but I believe she tried to stick to the main story as much as she could.

To conclude, I think if I was a bigger fan of historical fiction, I would have enjoyed it more. So I will give this an even three star rating to show how on the fence I am about it.

Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces treats readers to a peek into a version of Queen Victoria’s teen years in her historical YA novel, My Name Is Victoria.

Much of Queen Victoria’s childhood was spent in relative isolation at Kensington Palace. Her mother, the dowager Duchess of Kent along with her advisor and Comptroller, Sir John Conroy devised the Kensington System. It was a means of keeping Victoria under their control and secluded from society. They hoped to eventually rule as Regent. Luckily, Victoria became queen after her eighteenth birthday.

Worsley takes a spin on history and imagines Victoria’s life with Sir John’s daughter as a companion. This was indeed the case but what if they had become dear friends? What mischief and plans would they have dreamt up?

My Name Is Victoria is an easy to read novel particularly suited to younger YA readers. It is sure to please and delight readers of historical fiction. Overall, an extremely satisfying read.

My name is Victoria was captivating from the very first page. The characters were real and flawed and perhaps at times predictable. This was not the story of Queen Victoria as you’d expect but the story of two young girls and the friendship between them. I think the author either with or without realizing it showed Queen Victoria in a new light splitting her true personality between two girls who were both her in a sense, leading up to an alternate but not impossible twist in history. This book was fun, easy to read, and most enjoyable.
Thank you.

I've always found Queen Victoria to be the most interesting of subjects. This book, though woefully misguided, and not 100 percent historically accurate, is quite decent. Is it the most fascinating of all Queen V's stories? No. But it does hit home with a new good voice in the mix.

Victoria has a nice again less than great relationship with her mother or John Conroy. She fights against the rigid restrictions of "The Kensington System." And dreams of the day she will surpass her uncle, be queen.

Miss V is torn between obeying her father and obeying Victoria. She soon sees herself as a protector of sorts to Victoria. It remains that way for the rest of the book.