Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Cake Eater

Author: Allyson Dahlin

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Asexual love interest, gay character, lesbian character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, retelling, Marie Antoinette, historical fiction, sci-fi, LGBT

Publication Date: August 9, 2022

Genre: YA historical fiction sci-fi retelling

Age Relevance: 15+ (alcohol consumption, romance, sexual content, animal violence, body image issues, pressuring for sex, vaping, gambling, panic attack, death, climate disaster, violence, gore, pregnancy)

Explanation of Above: There is some alcohol consumption shown and mentioned, along with vaping and gambling. There is some romance and some sexual content, but that is mostly fade to black with just a few mentions in non-descriptive terms in the book. There is also some pressuring for sex on both parties and a mention of teen pregnancy. There is some animal violence mentioned against some holo deer. Body image issues are shown and discussed in the book. There is a panic attack shown in the book. Climate change and crisis are mentioned and shown in the book. There is some violence mentioned and some gore with vomit shown.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 448

Synopsis: She has a million followers on social media.

She uses her fashion-forward eye to pick the perfect angle and filter on every photo.

She’s iconic.

She’s a trend-setter.

She’s Marie Antoinette, the year is 3070, and she’s arrived in the Franc Kingdom to marry the prince, secure an alliance, and rake in likes from her fans.

Versailles is not the perfect palace Marie’s seen on The Apps. Her life is a maze of pointless rules, and the court watches her every move for mistakes. Her shy husband Louis is more interested in horses and computer-hacking than producing heirs. Versailles seems like a dream full of neon-lit statues, handsome android soldiers, and parties till dawn. Under the surface, it’s a creepy den of secrets: surveillance in Marie’s bedroom, censored news feeds, disappearing courtiers.

When Marie and Louis become king and queen long before they’re ready to rule, any efforts to aid their suffering subjects are stamped out by the mega-corporations of the First Estate. Between riots in Paris and image-wrecking social media firestorms, Marie can’t afford to lose her head. Using her social media savvy and Louis’ hacking knowledge, they try to fix their reputations and change their kingdom for the better, but the royals may find it’s already too late. They’re ruling over the end of an era.

Review: I really liked this book! At first it read like the Royal Diaries version of Marie Antoinette but soon it took on a life of its own. The book does good to talk about a lot of underlying issues, two of the most prominent are social media commentary and how information is presented to people. The book had a great conversation about capitalism and the elite on social media and how the AI/algorithm can keep them from seeing real issues. The book also did so good to talk about a similar issue in further detail, and that’s in how information is given. If you were paying attention to the media during 2020 and 2021, you saw a lot about how officials talked down COVID and how that caused people to stop taking it seriously (along with other issues, but the media played a huge role in COVID information distribution). The book has a ton of great quotes about information that is sent to coddle people and calling it “gentle information” which I really loved. I also loved how the book talked so well about how officials and media can be used to intentionally keep people ignorant because it’s easier to control those in power and those not when you keep them ignorant of important matters or of vital information. The book also discussed the power of influencing and how it can be used for good, but how it can also lead to misinformation being spread and how easy the public opinion can sway due to one bad video of you. The book is extremely well written and had amazing world building. I also thought the character development was good and the book was well paced. I really loved this futuristic take on Marie Antoinette and I hope the author does similar things with other historical figures. I, for one, would love to see Elizabeth I and Anastasia.

However, the book did have a lot of confusing moments because it doesn’t 100% line up with the original Marie Antoinette “tale”/life story, but once I got past those I thought the book was super well done.

Verdict: It was great! I recommend for history and sci-fi fans!

As a Marie Antoinette fan and a wannabe Francophile, this book was so amazing! I loved seeing the futuristic elements that the author added while still staying true to the base story/original details.

Definitely a fan and I will DEFINITELY be picking up a copy upon release!

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Thank you so much to the author, Allyson, for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review!

You ever see a rave in a church or cathedral in Europe? Yeah. It’d like that, but I loved every minute of it.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because the futuristic slang seemed kind of dated, and it started off slow. The farther I got into it, the more I loved it.

I loved the author’s use of French and Austrian to give the character’s inner thoughts depth, and eventually the slang doesn’t feel forced. They feel like obvious evolutions of non-swearing swear words.

The environment is one of false security reminiscent of Black Mirror episodes where everything is fine, and then something devolves and goes terribly wrong.

And kudos to Dahlin for making me cry at the end. I’m not the type that enjoys it when a book makes me, but this felt right.

My only criticism may be of the character’s obsession with the consumption of the marriage. I totally get it; that’s the setting, but it just felt a little awkward and forced. I guess that’s also the feelings surrounding arranged marriages though so it fits in that aspect. It was just that thing that kept pulling me out of the story. However, in these moments, there was important dialogue surrounding consent which I really appreciated.

All in all, Louis and Marie’s relationship is absolutely adorable, and I love them so much.

✅ forced proximity
✅ historical-retelling
✅ arrangedmarriage
✅ great character-development
⚠️ death/grief

I knew that dry as hell biography of Marie Antoinette I forced myself to read last year would come in handy one day for when her story is set at a rave.

Straight up, this is a book that readers who are relatively familiar with the story of the doomed queen known as Marie Antoinette will enjoy. I most certainly did, being completely unable to put it down. It's not so much a true retelling as a futuristic reimagining that keeps a toe firmly planted in the historical source material. Marie's reign spanned nearly two decades, and her marriage longer than that, so I was very curious what direction Dahlin would take this, given that this is a YA novel and primarily for teens. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by how it was tackled.

The year is 3070, and Maria Antonia is leaving Austro by way of a hover craft to marry the Dauphin of Franc. She is fully tapped into social media, with millions of followers hanging on to her every outfit change and event coinciding with her marriage. She is reminded constantly of her duty to provide a Bourbon heir, which is made harder by the fact that hacker proficient Louis has exactly no interest in kissing her, let alone sex. Together, the pair of them navigate the road to the throne amidst close scrutiny online, misinformation to keep them controlled by the First Estate, catastrophic weather and climate events, and a populace growing more and more disgruntled.

Confirming that Louis is ace is honestly the stroke of genius that I wish more historical accounts of the king would just come out and say. How he and Marie grew together in their relationship, and how Louis's attitude changed the more he came to know and trust her, was honestly so sweet. I think it was probably my favourite part of the book. Dahlin walked a really fine line of making you love them as a couple while also shaking your head at how their actions will be perceived by the public. On the one hand, I want you to cuddle that lamb together on your fake farm for a photo shoot so you can get closer with each other, but on the other, ma'am, people are dying outside. I also really liked seeing how they tried to relate with their people and understand the situation plaguing the kingdom via hacking and social media.

So, Marie's life is condensed down into one year in this book, beginning with her leaving to marry Louis and culminating in her facing the guillotine. And surprisingly, Dahlin crammed a lot of historical events and people into that year without making it feel hurried, boring, or confusing. Thinking back on it, I'm quite impressed. You have people such as Fersen, Mercy, Robespierre, and Yolande holding substantial roles. Then you have things such as opera visits going awry, scandal attached to her closeness with Fersen, gambling, bringing outlandish fashion to the court, and her rise and fall in public popularity. Even the "Let them eat cake" scandal was handled perfectly.

All in all, a thoroughly satisfying debut novel from an author I will definitely keep an eye on.

The idea of a futuristic/sci-fi Marie Antoinette retelling sounded so intriguing to me, but overall, this one wasn't a great fit for me. I started off feeling very optimistic about the relationship that was being developed, but I just couldn't stay interested in the fashion descriptions or Marie Antoinette's influencer/social media stuff. I can see why younger audiences would be more interested in both the romance and main character development than I was. I love YA, but I found this to be a little bit too young for my current mood.

I struggled to follow the friendships and side characters. I think I would have preferred more from the romance and less from the side characters. I appreciated the way everything started coming together towards the end and there was a lot of sudden action in the second half. It feels like there must be more coming, and even though I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped, I might be curious enough to find out what happens next.

This book is SO weird. Did you like FEED but M.T Anderson but think to yourself that it would be much better if it were a retelling of the French Revolution? That’s what this book is. The thing is is that like… it ends exactly like the real French Revolution does. Also it made me super mad. Five stars. Incredible book. I’m still so mad, but in like, an astonished, admiring way.

Perfectly modernize Marie Antoinnette will leave you on the edge of your seat with all of the extravagant details and debauchery. I absolutely love this book I literally cannot wait to read it again! Perfect for teens but adults will love this as well!

A fun blend of sci fi and historical fiction that presents a very new take on a very familiar story. What if Marie Antoinette was a 31st century influencer rather than an 18th century noblewoman? That's what Allyson Dahlin imagines here, and the result is a blast. With great aesthetics and a quirky tone, CAKE EATER will inspire a lot of teen fans.

I liked this more than I thought I would!
It took me a little while to get into but thankfully this is a book that can coast on its aesthetics until it’s got you in its grip and this one did. I was worried at first it was going to be a “oh poor rich girl” type of thing but it became clear very quickly that it wasn’t that at all and the more the story goes, the more facets of Marie’s character we see, and she feels real. She’s frustrating at times, but your heart hurts for her, and her husband, who speaking of which, I was not expecting demisexual rep let alone rep that rung so true, and that was a pleasant surprise!
I have no idea if this is intended to be a standalone or if there will be a sequel, but I like that I felt it could work either way. I would love more, I’m very much invested in these characters, but NOT tying things up with a neat little bow is also a bold choice and one I happily applaud.

The fake futuristic slang pulled me out of it a bit at times but honestly, that’s such a small thing.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this and look forward to whatever else the author has planned!

was really excited for this book, the premise was great. But it didn’t live up to the descriptions.
I’m confused. An “event “ happens ( we never find out what that was ) and although we are 1000 years in the future, things are pretty much the same. Except the clothes, apparently have LED lights and neon. Oh, wait, we have that now. And instead of using plaster to fix things, they use neon and LED lights. I just don’t get it. Except that, apparently, in the future, there are a lot of LED lights and neon. Like I said, not much has changed.
The characters aren’t very well developed, even though there are a lot of them and there’s a long, fairly slow beginning. And things drag, until they rush. Then they drag again. Until a very unsatisfying and confusing ending, that isn’t really an ending.
Strangely, I liked the character of Marie, and parts of the story had promise. But I kept feeling like it was leading somewhere , until it wasn’t.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for the ALc in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was not written for someone my age, so I didn’t enjoy it as much. I thought the writing was childish, and the whole “Marie Antoinette is an Influencer in the Future” thing was weird, because I didn’t realize that in the book Maria was going to be a princess as well. I was also a little uncomfortable with this being a retelling of Marie Antoinette’s story because it acts as if she is a character in a fairy tale and wasn’t a real person. All in all, I can see how someone in the target audience would like this book, but it wasn’t my particular cup of tea.

I did not expect to like this one as much as I did! I wasn't sure how the sci fi element would work with the story but the author brought everything together perfectly!

Fascinating blend of history and sci-fi in this retelling and I remember the French Revolution or what I learned about it in history class but I enjoyed the spin in this book.

This book is a "you love it, or you hate it" kind of retelling. I think that the more into historical fiction and/or the history of France that you are, the less you'll like the book. It's a very creative twist on our modern times that uses the backdrop of French aristocracy to explore our teenage culture on steroids. It's definitely more oriented towards teens than to the adults (like me!) who are writing these reviews :)

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think it was a great premise and could’ve been something wonderful, but the dialogue between the characters was very immature which really took away from how serious the plot actually was and made it feel trivial. I’m giving it three stars because I do think the book did get better in the second half. I really do think there is something really great and unique with this premise, but the overall pacing and immaturity of the characters is what killed it for me.

this book was ridiculous. don't get me wrong, i knew that going into reading it, but i was hoping it would be ridiculous, not whatever this was. i appreciated the effort, but it just didn't work for me, sad to say.

I wanted to love CAKE EATER by Allyson Dahlin. The idea of Marie Antoinette in the year 3070 sounded fabulous. I loved Sophia Coopola's cinematic take on the infamous Marie and CAKE EATER has some of that same cheeky spirit. That kind of irreverent, yet engaging, approach is a great way to reconsider a historical figure.

Unfortunately, I really struggled with CAKE EATER. The beginning felt very tedious and I understand the need for world building here, but something wasn't quite working. Maybe I didn't connect enough to Maria/Marie on her initial journey to France, which is crucial in a story like this.

Still, I do want to have some of my writing students consider it, especially those who write historical fiction and sci-fi/fantasy. The mash-up to create CAKE EATER is bound to inspire my students.

I tried to love this book with everything I had. But ultimately, it fell flat. The idea behind the book was beautiful and perfect, but the execution and the amount of loose ends was distracting and empty. None of the characters had much of a development leaving you to wonder too much who they are. While using you imagine is nice in some instances, in this, not so much. When you are already imagining the mash up of history and futuristic historian, it made it feel claustrophobic with the amount of work the reader was having to put it.

"Cake Eater" reimagines the reign of Marie Antoinette in the year 3070--all the frivolity you love plus androids and futuristic raves. Marie is a young princess from the Austrolands who is brought to the Franc kingdom to marry bashful, tech nerd Louis. They are cut off from much of the realities of their country. This historical fiction in the future concept takes a minute to get used to, but this is ultimately an intriguing and engaging read. My favorites were Marie and Louis; for being such well-known entities, the first person narration of Marie gave a new and endearing side to them both.

This was an interesting take on Antoinette's life...in the future. It wasn't really my jam, but I respect the author's creativity and writing skills. I know we have patrons that will adore it, so we will be purchasing it!