Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > One for All

First off: One of these stars is fully meant for applauding Lillie Lainoff for not only attempting, but truly succeeding in writing a fully-developed female protagonist with a visible disability that reads as authentic and as close as possible to the experiences a disabled female would surely have faced in 18th century France. This novel not only had to consider the illness Tania was born with, including all of its symptoms, but also integrate the ableist and monstrous sentiments disabled people prior to the medical revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries faced en masse. Not only did Lainoff account for the attitudes and prejudice toward the disabled (especially females) in such times, but she also managed to do a great job at reminding us how these awful biases have only continued over time.

The writing of this book was solid and the plot interesting. Sadly, I couldn’t get into it. It moved entirely too slow for me in the beginning and felt entirely too predictable in the end. I absolutely loved the fact this novel was so female-centric, especially concerning friendships. If you are looking for a book to pass the literary equivalent of the Bechdel Test, this one certainly fits the bill.

I wish I could feel better about how I am reviewing this book, but the best I can say is I am here for all the books trying something new and trying to put disabled characters in primary roles. I only wish it could’ve been a more entertaining read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. As per personal policy, this review will not appear in social media or on any bookseller websites due to the 3 star or lower rating.