Member Review

Let me start this review off with an anecdote. When I was twelve years old, my Tomboy mother decided to enroll me in etiquette lessons provided by my local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. I don’t know what she was thinking. The first lesson was posture. We were told to walk with our heads up, shoulders back, and arms by our sides. So, what did I do? I walked slouched with my hands behind my back and my head dipped to the side. After that, I was deemed unteachable. They let me sit out the rest of the class. When I got home, I told my mother never again. I didn’t have to go back after that. I wasn’t even a tomboy. I was like half tomboy, half girlie. I sat somewhere in the middle. And, that was where I wanted to stay. Get out of here with those dresses and curtsies. I didn’t want it.

With that said, House of Marionne is basically a book about a girl who goes to a finishing school that also happens to be a magic school. I have heard that it has been compared to Bridgerton. I’ve never seen the show, so I can’t compare it to that. What I can compare it to, however, is a magical teenage version of America’s Next Top Model where, instead of Tyra Banks, you have a strict and unforgiven headmistress that just happens to be your grandmother. Being shaped and modeled into how a specific society wants to see you is not my personal cup of tea, but reading about it was entertaining. I mean I used to watch Top Model every week. It was interesting hearing about the different looks, gowns, and diadems. I will say that even though I truly hate dresses, I will rock the hell out of a tiara for no reason at all. And, the tiaras described in this book were wide-ranging. The author did an excellent job of describing their features and making them unique. But, enough about clothes! What about the characters? What about the setting?

The main character of this book is Quell. Quell is a teenage girl on the run from the magical world with her mother when we first meet her. She has a gift, an ability, a curse coursing within her veins. She lives in constant fear of others finding out about it. Through the course of certain events in the first couple of chapters, Quell finds herself transported to a magical estate in New Orleans that is run by her grandmother, or Grandmom as Quell calls her. Her grandmother is ecstatic. She whips Quell into her finishing/magic school to learn both about magic and how to be a proper young lady. Quell is both excited but also dreading her new role at her grandmother’s house. For one, she was separated from her mother when transported to the school and has no idea where she is. For another, she’s constantly worried about someone finding out about her special magic. But, wouldn’t it be nice for Quell to just be able to stay in the same place and not have to move around a lot. Of course, there’s also a dude.

First, he’s unforgiving, then he’s rude. By the end of the book, however, he’s a tortured soul. Poor Jordan, he went through the ringer. Jordan, like Quell, is an amazingly complex but also naive teenager. They are both strong but have absolutely no idea how to apply that strength in the correct way. They are amazing individual characters, but together they are chaotic and destructive. Also, there is a strong enemies-to-lovers to deep strong we’ve-been-together-for-years love going on with them in this book. I have said before that I despise enemies-to-lovers. I despise it in this book. At some point, though, they become more like annoying partners-to-lovers. That I can stomach more. But, overall this relationship is toxic, and I just wish it wasn’t in the book. It’s toxic for both of them, but more so for Quell. I feel like Jordan got a lesson that he needed, but Quell only got problems.

Besides those two, there were a plethora of other characters. Most of them were side characters and came across as underdeveloped. Quell’s mom is also one of those characters. We only got to see her a handful of times in the book. She was a shadow throughout it to be honest. There were a few characters who were given more character development though. Those characters were Abby and Yagrin. Yagrin might be my favorite side character. He was a mystery throughout and a bombshell at the end. I both understood him and felt for him.

Overall, this book was very entertaining. There were some hiccups with the world-building. It could have been expanded on more. This book could also do with a better magical glossary so the reader can reference it while reading unfamiliar terms.

The way the book ended also left something to be desired. There were several plot lines that were completed and the cliffhanger was a doozy. This book better be a sequel. I have so many questions.

📚4/5📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Teen for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.