Review Detail

In Madame Tussaud's Apprentice, we meet a young woman named Celie, whose life has been shattered due to the selfishness and neglect of the royalty of France. Thrust onto the streets, she befriends Algernon, and together they try to survive by stealing as a team. Once they get caught, however, things begin to veer into a direction Celie never dreamed possible.

I found Celie's internal dialogue to be slightly annoying and juvenile at times, but throughout the course of the book, as she sees into the heart of the royal family and befriends Madame Tussaud, she grows and changes just as I would hope a teen character to do, especially after going through such gory and terrible things as Celie does. I appreciated how the "Untold Story of Love" turned out to be what I didn't expect, as I thought the romantic love she has for Algernon throughout the book fell flat, and began to wonder what she saw in him after a time. Things turn out better than one would hope for them, but Algernon did not appeal to me much. The other characters, however, were much more vibrant and layered, and the relationships she develops with them are touching and unexpected.

I found the world-building to be pretty good at times, and at other times, it just did not do justice to the place being described. One main example I can remember is that the description of the mirrored hall at Versailles was very poorly done; it seemed as though the author occasionally wanted to get to a certain part in her story instead of taking the time to set the scene, or using the grandeur of her character's location to her advantage to add to the wholeness of the story.

If you like historical fiction, this is an interesting read, but unless you are interested in France (as I definitely am!), it may not be your cup of tea. I think this book would be an excellent supplement to any studying a person may be involved in about the French Revolution, as it definitely enlivens the facts and subsequently could help with retention.