My The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly Top 3:
- Gender equality message
- Shows the realities of working-class poverty
- Interesting contemporary take (knights, fencing, a medieval re-enactments)!

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is a story about defying the odds and taking control. It has a fantastic focus on gender equality, and it offers a great sense of realism on difficult subjects, like poverty. The modern world of social media and viral videos meets medieval fencers, chain mail, horses, and knights in this fun contemporary book!

In contemporary fiction, it’s always refreshing to see an author come up with a new setting, concept, or idea, and in The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly, Pacton does just that. Main character Kit lives in the cross-section between two worlds: the now and then. By day, Kit is an impoverished teenager with to-do lists and scholarship applications to negotiate. By night, she’s a serving wench at the Castle, a medieval theatre/restaurant, and she’s striving for a more 21st century approach to gender inclusion and knighthood.

The characters of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly are friendly, likeable, and devoted to their cause. Kit’s struggles always have a strong sense realism, which makes them (and her) easy to relate to. As Kit faces mounting bills and an unpaid mortgage, clashes with her absent father, opposition from Castle management, confusing romantic feelings for her best friend, and a myriad of collage entry problems, she learns about who she is, who she wants to be, and what it will take to achieve her goals. Kit has a clear arc, which develops a little differently to what we might expect.

The key themes of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly are gender equality and poverty. Kit becomes the accidental face of a tiny revolution, fighting to let girls fight, shaking off her role as wench in favour of the knighthood she knows she deserves. Meanwhile, she does her homework at her friend’s house, where they still have electricity, and she wonders how she will be able to afford to attend college if she isn’t granted a financial aid scholarship.

I’d recommend The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly to fans of John Green’s Paper Towns and Brigid Kemmerer’s Call It What You Want.

Thanks so much for this ARC! I loved Kit and thought this was a very fun setting for a story. I loved her "viral" fight to be able to be a knight, and the story of her family and friendships. I did feel like the romance and ending wrapped up perhaps a bit too quickly at the end, but I sure did enjoy the story along the way! Good first novel, will be watching for more!

This was very cute! I liked the premise and the idea of a young woman trying to take down a sexist system and figure out her life. However, this book was simply too short and weirdly paced for me. I felt like we didn’t really stop to digest what had just happened at a lot of points and the ending was very rushed. I would also be really into the book for a bit and then something strange would happen and I’d be immediately sucked out again. The premise was cute and had my attention, the execution, not so much.

Medieval times and girl power. What more could a book want? Maybe a little romance, some angst, and family drama. This book was great.

This was a fun and moving YA that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The unique setting is balanced by universal themes that YA-age kids will relate to. Pacton does an excellent job showing the struggles that many readers deal with through Kit. They will relate to her and find someone to cheer for. Highly recommend.

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is the story of Kit Sweetly and her quest to become a Lady Knight in her local medieval-themed show/restaurant. With a host of fantasy references, feminism and a dash of romance, this book was a pretty fun read.

I was really excited by the premise of this book, and found a lot of kinship with Kit. However, while the beginning is intriguing and heads straight into the action, I was sadly left wanting more from several facets of the story. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the romance, especially with the conclusion of it. I also wish we had seen more of Kit’s group of friends to give them a more three-dimensional characterization.

The best way that I can describe this book could easily be a Disney Channel Film. It will absolutely find it’s audience and has a lot of charm to it, but was just a bit too sweet for my taste.

I fully expected to adore this book, but found it instead to be disappointingly dull. There's a great plot idea here, but it's regularly dragged into the weeds by an uninteresting romance and ongoing (and often simply unbelievable) efforts to draw distinctions between Kit's lived experience of poverty (which is very well done) and the lives of her uber rich best friends (one of whom appears to live in a property with more amenities than the white house and has a monthly allowance exceeding even wealthy families' monthly income). I experienced something akin to whiplash as I was jerked back and forth between narratives suitable for a teen romance, a kick-ass 4th wave feminist power story, a deep dive into the hope-crushing nature of contemporary late-capitalist America, and a "fun and fluffy" YA adventure intended to be consumed in an afternoon of laughter and nostalgia.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

As soon as I heard about this book, and saw the comparison to A Knight's Tale, I knew it was a book I would like, and as soon as I got the confirmation email through that I was able to review it, I immediately started it, could not put it down! The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly tells the story of Kit, who is working at a medieval-themed restaurant called the Castle as a serving wench. She wants nothing more than to become a knight, like her older brother, Chris, but because of a sexist rule from corporate - enforced by her uncle who is also the manager - she can't. When her brother is one day unavailable to perform in that night's show, she steps in for him, and reveals herself as the 'Girl Knight'. One of her best friends, and secret crush, Jett, had recorded the entire thing, and it's now going viral. Along with her other best friend, Layla, the other wenches at the Castle hatch up a plan to perform in front of corporate, and hopefully get them to change their minds about the sexist policy, and not lose their jobs while they're at it. This is particularly a concern for Kit, whose family is really struggling after her family abandoned them and took all of their money to pay for his habit. She needs her job, as does her brother, and is worried about college next year, and whether they can afford it. Is Kit biting off more than she can chew, or will all her wishes come true?

This book was definitely enjoyable. Yes, there were some moments where I was shaking my head in disbelief, like when she kept going on about how important school was, but kept skipping, or how everything fell into place. But, even with all of that, I still couldn't put the book down. Kit's character, for the most part, was enjoyable, and I appreciated how caring she was, and how it wasn't just all about her that she fighting for, but rather for all of the people she worked with, and who worked in the larger Castle company. She's all about her own family too, trying to protect her brother and her mam, and when her deadbeat dad came back onto the scene, she wouldn't accept his fake apologies or anything.

Money and the lack of it was an important part of the story, with Kit's family being juxtaposed with that of Layla or Jett, but they never made her feel any different from themselves, but it was still a thing she couldn't ignore. When Layla used some of her technological magic to help monetise the videos and everything that included the Girl Knight, and that was really helpful to Kit and her family.

There's also a bit of romance in the book, and though I liked it, I wasn't blown other by it. Kit and Jett had agreed that they would never try anything relationship wise, and also buy their own food when they were out so it didn't feel like a date, but Kit has a big crush on him, that he magically reciprocates the further we get into the book. I liked them together, but never got any major feels from it, and the book probably could've left this out, and it wouldn't have missed anything. All in all, a really good debut, and it's making me want to watch A Knight's Tale now!

This is a sweet, funny, fabulously intersectional novel about community, family, and the need to break down barriers. It has a strong message while also being just plain fun. It's speckled with great historical information that never weighs down the pace. The voice is clever, the romance is super cute, and the characters are easy to root for. There's a loving family at the center of the story, and their relatable struggles to pay bills, follow college dreams, deal with a difficult divorce, shake off the ghosts of abuse, etc. feel much more central to me than the tournament plot.

Unlike A Knight's Tale, where an underdog proves himself worthy of esteem through a growth in combat skills and improved confidence within his new milieu, this knight's plot arc relies primarily on the use of social media (and media in general) to build a following/earn income/use the weight of mass visibility to overturn preconceptions. It feels very modern in that way, and very real. As long as readers go in expecting a more contemporary story, I think they'll be delighted. If they expect more focus on knighthood, combat, and tournaments, they might get frustrated with the amount of focus on the family struggles, the media, and the various subplots.

So be prepared to be charmed. Just come for the community instead of the swords.

This was such a fun contemporary read! I don't think I've smiled so much while reading a book in a while. The writing was beautiful and I loved the little snippets we get of Kit's past. And I loved the setting so much! For someone who doesn't usually read contemporary, I liked how this story takes place in a medieval-themed restaurant, but we still have the everyday contemporary aspect of life. Kit's little middle ages facts were a nice touch too.

This book also deals with a lot of serious topics. We see how Kit, her brother Chris, and her mom live after Kit's dad left them. How they have to set aside their dreams in order to survive. How they don't always have food in their fridge, no electricity, and how Kit has to scrounge up some napkins from restaurants to use as toilet paper. It's real and raw and sad how much they struggle, but their love for each other really gets them through anything. I loved Kit and Chris' relationship. It's the perfect mix of teasing and annoying but also so much love. Chris is the best older brother. He cares so much for Kit and encourages her and is always on her side and she is exactly the same to him. It's so precious and tbh made me emotional. That's the kind of relationship I like to see in books.

The romance in this book started off good. I don't mind friends to lovers all that much. It's nice having that foundation, knowing you already have similar interests etc. But I was a bit confused about how things were resolved in the end. I really wish we could have seen Jett's side of everything because we have no idea what's going on in his head, and his excuse is that he was shocked and didn't know how to react, but at the same time he had always wanted this to happen. I just didn't get why they made the Unbreakable Rules. I know worrying about messing up a friendship is a decent reason, but it didn't make sense to me why they were keeping it up when it's so obvious to everything that they're both into each other lol

Also, I will admit that I hated Lens for most of this book. He's so selfish and doesn't really care about making changes at the Castle until the end and it's because it'll benefit him more than anyone else. He annoys me, but at the same time he did try to help out Chris. Lars, Kit's dad is awful, and I felt like he kind of came off easy near the end of this book. I guess I was expecting a bigger confrontation and for him to not give up so easily.

Overall, a really fun read. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a contemporary book to pick up at some point!

This was a good book, but I have two quite petty complaints.

1. Kit's brother apparently made a smithy in a shed and was using a blowtorch for it. I find this implausible (my dad is a blacksmith by hobby and literally has a smithy that I've also attempted to make stuff in).

2. They keep smoking cigarettes, and this took me out of the story so much I enjoyed it significantly less than I would have otherwise. This book is likely set in March and April 2020 (there are several references to things that occurred in the eighth season of game of thrones), and it takes place in Illinois. Recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois in January of 2020. I know no teenagers who smoke cigarettes, but a whole lot who smoke weed. Smoking cigarettes is just not the thing to do, and it hasn't been for awhile, so the fact that there were so many mentions of cigarettes but none of weed was both frustrating and unrealistic.

A creative teen novel that puts faces and heart to gender inequality issues. I appreciated how the "issue" didn't overpower the story and that the author created an actual plot and character development that strung together in and of itself rather than merely to serve the social concern. As a Lord of the Rings fan, I enjoyed (and sometimes even laughed out loud at) the Tolkien references. The author also brought a lot of historical references of brave females to my attention that made me want to hunt down their stories, too. All in all, a fun and informative novel with a bit of inspiration thrown in.

This book was really promising in the beginning. Setting up Kit as the knight was a rush, and I was excited to see where she went. Then it kind of felt like a completely different story towards the end. It was rushed, and I feel like I didn't have a complete resolution to different aspects of the story. I'm not completely dismissing this, but I feel like it could have been more rounded out towards the end.

Kit Sweetly just wants the chance to be a knight... This is a fun workplace story, a diverse and thoughtful story about feminism and discrimination, and most importantly a too rarely represented look at what life is like as a teenager whose family is dealing with poverty. The only thing that didn't work for me was the oddly paced romance.

Three stars

Kit Sweetly works as a "wench" - her literal job title - in a Medieval Times-style establishment, and her main goal is to become a "girl knight": a strange title for a young woman looking to smash gender norms ("girl"...ick...that's as infantilizing as possible) and an even stranger goal - one which is never really explained beyond casual gender parity - for a person who is simultaneously getting admissions decision letters from colleges and universities.

There are SO many things happening in this novel, and I feel like I should know Kit really well by the end of it. Strangely, I feel like I only scratched the surface. The central "girl knight" goal seemed odd to me. At first, Kit talks constantly about her fascination with history and medieval perspectives. Then, this sort of...disappears. The whole "girl knight" thing seems like a side plot by the end. It's more of a fizzling than a pay off when that part of the novel arrives.

Kit's friends and many ancillary characters all seem like they could develop into really intriguing subjects, but they also aren't fully fleshed out. One example happens with Jett's mom. Readers get this really cool slice of her background and current life, and then NEVER SEE HER OR HEAR ABOUT HER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! The same thing happens a lot with these characters.

Overall, I needed and wanted to see way more explanation, connection, and resolution. I will add that I'm having to restrain myself from knocking off a whole star for one fact that really bothered me: Kit's smoking. This was...SO unnecessary. I'm aware that some teens smoke, but do they have to be the otherwise likable m.c.? In 2020? It felt a bit irresponsible to me to highlight this fact in this way.

There's a bit of a _Hot Dog Girl_ vibe here on the work side of things, but this novel lacks the connection, follow through, and sweetness (ironic, with Kit's last name, I know!) that I like in that one. I feel like this author is going to write some works I'll really enjoy at some stage, but I wanted to see a much more refined and focused narrative here.

This was a quick (and sweet) book that moved quickly. Kit has a lot of heart. The plot is a bit predictable but it's a fun read that teens should enjoy.

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review

This book was so wonderfully different. The plot wasn't new or exciting, but I enjoyed the premise so much. The historical aspects of the medieval life that Kit included in her daily life were interesting, but I felt myself dragging through it. Her relationship with her brother Chris was one of my favorite parts. Supportive siblings is always something I can get behind in a book. I also enjoyed Kit's relationships with her friends. However, I found myself bored by the romantic interest between Kit and Jett. The fight against this medieval company also fell flat at the end. It seemed like a big fight to end in such short acceptance by the corporate office representatives. I disliked the way that Kit just brushed it off and didn't feel any push to ask why or to get her uncle to explain his side. The whole book felt rushed at the end and it dragged through the middle.

However, I liked the niche feeling themes and romantic pull to the Castle restaurant. The group really did feel like a family. The representation in the book fit and didn't seem like it was added for pull. A great book that has a few things that could have been polished a little more.

This was ridiculously charming and a lot of fun to read. I dare anyone to pick it up and not want to saddle up a horse, pick up a lance, and fight alongside KIt and her bevy of knights. Its level of charm is that infectious. Plus, it's refreshing to read about a protagonist from a working class family that struggles with money in YA. It shouldn't be that rare to find in young adult fiction, but it is. Full of warmth and delight, I recommend THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY to anyone seeking a read that leaves them just feeling good by the time they finish.