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The Prince and the Dressmaker
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2018)Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride鈥昽r rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia鈥晅he hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian鈥檚 secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances鈥昲is best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone鈥檚 secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?
Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride鈥昽r rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia鈥晅he hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian鈥檚 secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances鈥昲is best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone鈥檚 secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?
Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
277 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2018
793 people are currently reading
126k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,223 reviews
November 30, 2018
This was absolutely adorable.
I'm not exaggerating when I say books like this really do restore a little of my faith in humanity. It's a really cute story but, as a person who generally prefers "tense" and "gritty" over "cute" reads, it's not too saccharine as to be unbearable. This is a good graphic novel for readers who enjoy the occasional fun read like or .
The illustrations are simple and cartoonish, but still good. It suits the tone of the story, to be honest. is about Frances, a Parisian dressmaker who suddenly receives an amazing opportunity to make dresses for royalty-- Prince Sebastian, to be precise!
Together the pair dazzle around Paris at night, with Sebastian - or Lady Crystallia - wearing Frances's gorgeous creations. But by day he must go back to being the prince and Frances must keep his secret. Friendship grows between them, and then something else, but when Sebastian's secret threatens an amazing opportunity for Frances, things get complicated.
Both characters are wonderful and lovable and, as readers shall soon see, they are surrounded by some pretty amazing secondary characters, too. The whole near the end might just be one of the best things I've ever seen XD
I can't stop smiling.
| | | |
I'm not exaggerating when I say books like this really do restore a little of my faith in humanity. It's a really cute story but, as a person who generally prefers "tense" and "gritty" over "cute" reads, it's not too saccharine as to be unbearable. This is a good graphic novel for readers who enjoy the occasional fun read like or .
The illustrations are simple and cartoonish, but still good. It suits the tone of the story, to be honest. is about Frances, a Parisian dressmaker who suddenly receives an amazing opportunity to make dresses for royalty-- Prince Sebastian, to be precise!
Together the pair dazzle around Paris at night, with Sebastian - or Lady Crystallia - wearing Frances's gorgeous creations. But by day he must go back to being the prince and Frances must keep his secret. Friendship grows between them, and then something else, but when Sebastian's secret threatens an amazing opportunity for Frances, things get complicated.
Both characters are wonderful and lovable and, as readers shall soon see, they are surrounded by some pretty amazing secondary characters, too. The whole near the end might just be one of the best things I've ever seen XD
I can't stop smiling.
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Read
April 14, 2021Absolutely charming.
August 17, 2018
THIS WAS SO PRECIOUS. All of the stars for it!!!
September 28, 2018
Loved, loved, loved! The art style was colorful and cute and atmospheric, which is exactly what I enjoy in a graphic novel. It takes place in late 19th century France, which gives the story a slightly fairytale vibe. The characters were lovable and helped each other become the best versions of themselves. And, of course, my favorite aspect was how respectfully gender identity is discussed.
I could go on and on about what I loved, but I think you get the point.
One issue I had was that the main character was forced into coming out during a public event, but I loved the happily ever after both protagonists were ultimately given!
I could go on and on about what I loved, but I think you get the point.
One issue I had was that the main character was forced into coming out during a public event, but I loved the happily ever after both protagonists were ultimately given!
April 23, 2019
I smile every time I think about this. SO GOOD!
April 20, 2019
This was running at a four stars for me the entire book because it was precious and supportive and the art was great.... but then the climax hit and I immediately bumped it up a star. This book was SO great and was the perfect balance of simplistic while also hitting such important topics like being gender fluid and acceptance thereof. I devoured this in less than an hour and cannot wait to buy a copy for my shelf, since this was a library copy! Definitely highly recommend for any reader of any age. I wish this book was a series and I could get a million volumes of Sebastian and Frances's adventures.
February 7, 2025
When I wear your sweater, it feels like you鈥檙e hugging me / Making me feel better, keeping me company (Azuma鈥檚 Interlude 鈥� Kiana Led茅).
This was lovely! For me, it was a little like Cinderella meets Little Miss Sunshine鈥� and I can鈥檛 really explain why without going into spoilers. Anyway, a beautifully crafted story with gorgeous art to accompany it? I really couldn鈥檛 ask for a more perfect graphic novel. As for the story, I鈥檒l admit that normally I鈥檓 not big into parental forgiveness in these kinds of books, but this one manages to deal with it wonderfully. Their worry comes from a place of fear, not hatred. And despite this reason given, they鈥檙e still depicted as people who need to change for the sake of their child. 罢丑补迟鈥檚 how you do it! Every time it's always the victimized having to "be the better person" without any reflection done by the other party. Let's just say that I'd like a lot more stories if they were more like this one. Accountability, then forgiveness. Besides, there鈥檚 always something heartwarming about a story that depicts flawed parents who ultimately show that no matter what, they're always going to be in their child鈥檚 corner at the end of the day. Makes me tear up every time! Yeah, so this鈥� was lovely. See, my problem is that I always have a million ways of saying how much something sucks, but when it comes to singing praises, I only ever have one song. I guess you just have to say it over and over again and hope that the meaning never diminishes. I loved this, I loved this, I loved this! It鈥檚 a wonderful tale about coming into your own and how maybe, just maybe, there are worse things in the world than a boy who likes to wear dresses.
This was lovely! For me, it was a little like Cinderella meets Little Miss Sunshine鈥� and I can鈥檛 really explain why without going into spoilers. Anyway, a beautifully crafted story with gorgeous art to accompany it? I really couldn鈥檛 ask for a more perfect graphic novel. As for the story, I鈥檒l admit that normally I鈥檓 not big into parental forgiveness in these kinds of books, but this one manages to deal with it wonderfully. Their worry comes from a place of fear, not hatred. And despite this reason given, they鈥檙e still depicted as people who need to change for the sake of their child. 罢丑补迟鈥檚 how you do it! Every time it's always the victimized having to "be the better person" without any reflection done by the other party. Let's just say that I'd like a lot more stories if they were more like this one. Accountability, then forgiveness. Besides, there鈥檚 always something heartwarming about a story that depicts flawed parents who ultimately show that no matter what, they're always going to be in their child鈥檚 corner at the end of the day. Makes me tear up every time! Yeah, so this鈥� was lovely. See, my problem is that I always have a million ways of saying how much something sucks, but when it comes to singing praises, I only ever have one song. I guess you just have to say it over and over again and hope that the meaning never diminishes. I loved this, I loved this, I loved this! It鈥檚 a wonderful tale about coming into your own and how maybe, just maybe, there are worse things in the world than a boy who likes to wear dresses.
August 24, 2019
I was so excited to read this graphic novel, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. This is honestly my favorite graphic novel I have read all year鈥攑robably in the last two years, even鈥攁nd I know it is one I would reread again and again in the future. The artwork is beautiful, the story is so sweet, and I just loved every single bit of it from start to finish.
I know a lot of reviewers have said they're hesitant to call this a queer story, because Sebastian never specifically calls himself trans, nonbinary, gender-fluid, etc. I understand the hesitation with how open-ended it feels, but at one point in the story, Sebastian specifically says that some days, he feels like a prince, and some days, he feels like a princess. When I showed this panel to a loved one of mine who is nonbinary, he immediately said that it resonated very strongly with him, and frankly, that's good enough for me to recommend this as a must-read, beautiful queer story. 鈾� I know not every experience is the same, but I would just like to ask my fellow cisgender reviewers to take cautions before implying that this story "isn't queer enough".
That tangent aside, seriously, this book is gorgeous, Jen Wang is ridiculously talented, and I truly hope there is more on the way in the veins of The Prince and the Dressmaker, because this warmed my heart and gave me all of the fuzzy feelings. Even if you don't like graphic novels typically (but especially if you do!), I strongly recommend picking up a copy of this one and giving it a try, if for nothing other than how much Sebastian and Frances will snuggle their way into your heart.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Please be aware that there is a scene of forced outing in this book, which is challenged and not presented as a healthy situation for Sebastian to be in, but I know could still be very hurtful to many individuals on the trans spectrum if they were unaware of it in advance. Please practice self-care and know that you are beautiful, loved, and valid. 鈾�
I know a lot of reviewers have said they're hesitant to call this a queer story, because Sebastian never specifically calls himself trans, nonbinary, gender-fluid, etc. I understand the hesitation with how open-ended it feels, but at one point in the story, Sebastian specifically says that some days, he feels like a prince, and some days, he feels like a princess. When I showed this panel to a loved one of mine who is nonbinary, he immediately said that it resonated very strongly with him, and frankly, that's good enough for me to recommend this as a must-read, beautiful queer story. 鈾� I know not every experience is the same, but I would just like to ask my fellow cisgender reviewers to take cautions before implying that this story "isn't queer enough".
That tangent aside, seriously, this book is gorgeous, Jen Wang is ridiculously talented, and I truly hope there is more on the way in the veins of The Prince and the Dressmaker, because this warmed my heart and gave me all of the fuzzy feelings. Even if you don't like graphic novels typically (but especially if you do!), I strongly recommend picking up a copy of this one and giving it a try, if for nothing other than how much Sebastian and Frances will snuggle their way into your heart.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Please be aware that there is a scene of forced outing in this book, which is challenged and not presented as a healthy situation for Sebastian to be in, but I know could still be very hurtful to many individuals on the trans spectrum if they were unaware of it in advance. Please practice self-care and know that you are beautiful, loved, and valid. 鈾�
July 4, 2018
The art in this! Just stunning! The colors, composition, the flowing linework...
Meanwhile the story is modern while retaining the old-school sweetness and charm of a fairy tale (with a happy ending). Just incredible overall. Worthy of study by all illustrators and writers.
Meanwhile the story is modern while retaining the old-school sweetness and charm of a fairy tale (with a happy ending). Just incredible overall. Worthy of study by all illustrators and writers.
October 20, 2018
隆ESTE LIBRO ES PRECIOSO!
Empec茅 a leerlo pensando que iba a ser una novela gr谩fica m谩s, pero me encontr茅 con una historia incre铆ble sobre un pr铆ncipe de B茅lgica al que, por las noches, le gusta vestirse de mujer y, eventualmente, encuentra a una chica que le dise帽a vestidos maravillosos y lo acepta tal cual es sin juzgarlo.
De verdad, The Prince and the Dressmaker es una historia tan linda y natural que no hay lugar a confusiones, enredos mentales o cualquier tipo de juicio negativo. Jen Wang nos presenta la historia de estos dos personajes de una manera que es imposible no amarlos desde la p谩gina uno, es imposible no querer que puedan ser ellos mismos sin miedo a lo que puedan pensar. Y es que, claro, desde la perspectiva de la realeza...驴qui茅n iba a querer a un pr铆ncipe que se viste de chica por las noches?
Las ilustraciones de esta novela son incre铆bles, Jen Wang es tan detallista que, a pesar de que el estilo es bastante caricaturesco, todo se ve s煤per real. Las locaciones se ven incre铆bles y, b谩sicamente, quiero vivir en ese palacio.
Lo 煤ltimo que dir茅 es... OMG A LO DEL REY SOBRE EL FINAL. Ya :).
Empec茅 a leerlo pensando que iba a ser una novela gr谩fica m谩s, pero me encontr茅 con una historia incre铆ble sobre un pr铆ncipe de B茅lgica al que, por las noches, le gusta vestirse de mujer y, eventualmente, encuentra a una chica que le dise帽a vestidos maravillosos y lo acepta tal cual es sin juzgarlo.
De verdad, The Prince and the Dressmaker es una historia tan linda y natural que no hay lugar a confusiones, enredos mentales o cualquier tipo de juicio negativo. Jen Wang nos presenta la historia de estos dos personajes de una manera que es imposible no amarlos desde la p谩gina uno, es imposible no querer que puedan ser ellos mismos sin miedo a lo que puedan pensar. Y es que, claro, desde la perspectiva de la realeza...驴qui茅n iba a querer a un pr铆ncipe que se viste de chica por las noches?
Las ilustraciones de esta novela son incre铆bles, Jen Wang es tan detallista que, a pesar de que el estilo es bastante caricaturesco, todo se ve s煤per real. Las locaciones se ven incre铆bles y, b谩sicamente, quiero vivir en ese palacio.
Lo 煤ltimo que dir茅 es... OMG A LO DEL REY SOBRE EL FINAL. Ya :).
June 11, 2018
WHAAAAAAT.
Never in a million years did I expect that from this book.
Literally awesome. Beautiful art. Just fantastic stuff.
Read it read it read it.
That's all I have to say.
Bottom line: WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THIS YET WHEN I JUST VERY POLITELY DEMANDED YOU DO SO.
Never in a million years did I expect that from this book.
Literally awesome. Beautiful art. Just fantastic stuff.
Read it read it read it.
That's all I have to say.
Bottom line: WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THIS YET WHEN I JUST VERY POLITELY DEMANDED YOU DO SO.
October 3, 2019
I loved it!!!
Mel 馃枻馃惗馃惡馃惥
Mel 馃枻馃惗馃惡馃惥
April 9, 2023
7/6/21: Re-read for summer comics class. In this book the prince's sexual identity was (and will be) debated, but (spoiler alert, I guess) the one thing we know for sure in this book is that the prince likes to wear fabulous dresses. I see other reviewers say that he is gender-fluid, and that may be the case, but I don't know it. I maybe am not the best person to be speculating about this. but while I may at one point in my life had thought that being what was once called a "cross-dresser" indicates you are gay, but I no longer assume this is true. But the discussion I had with a few students on this very point was fun and interesting and instructive.
Original 4/1/18 review, slightly updated 9/21/18): Okay, even though it is only the beginning of March 1, I'm calling it: This is one of the top ten graphic novels for kids--probably tweens is right, given my tween household--any kids, of 2018. I have now seen said tweens reading it, too. This is for younger readers, but for this audience it is great work. I've read Koko Be Good by Wang and thought it was good, okay, but this is really a huge leap forward for Wang, in my opinion. As of 11/18/18 this book is one of the ten final nominees for the 欧宝娱乐 award, one of 2-3 faves for sure.
The Prince and the Dressmaker is a kind of revival of a long used concept, the idea of (sort of) swapping identities and/or class positions. It has the feel of fantasy and adventure about it, of aspirations, of dreams. It's the story of a "lowly" dressmaker who is hired to secretly design dresses for . . . (oh, it can't be a spoiler for long, and it's the catch of the book, initially, so get over it) the prince. She doesn't want to be poor, she wants to design for the rich and famous; he doesn't want to be chosen to marry the pretty princess, he wants to wear lovely designer dresses (though it is more complicated than just that, actually)!
Sound already cliched, in this time of the explosion of glbtq books? Well, there are earnest glbtq books that are necessary for serious contemplation of a myriad of issues about identity and coming out. This isn't one of those, really, because it just introduces issues of gender identity to a younger audience. And it's really really fun and refreshing and funny and sweet and at times silly, and totally confirming of everyone involved!
So this is a kind of fantasy story, where more things work out happily than generally works out in real life, but who cares? Sometimes books can just be feel-good, can't they? Everything doesn't have to go all Ethan Frome on us all the time, does it?! The pattern for role-swapping in lit maybe started much earlier than Shakespearean comedies such as Twelfth Night, but the obvious reference here in this book is to Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, that I seem to recall reading with my sister when I was ten. Or maybe it was some Disney version, that we read and/or saw. It's a story of class envy, and satire (mainly of the upper class), but is also an exciting adventure that spawned hundreds of spinoffs.
Dressmaker is a bit like that, a sort of shift into a bit of an upper-class life for our dressmaker. But if the Prince and the Pauper was really about money, in the Prince and the Dressmaker we encounter other aspects of identity and self-efficacy, being able to be who you wanna be.
And here's another link for you, of which I was reminded: The deep friendship of Audrey Hepburn and designer Hubert de Givenchy (he said it was "like a marriage"), which itself inspired several books. A picture book I read and liked depicts a friendship between a man with taste and style, a fashion designer, and a girl just too lovely not to dress in the latest fashion, a match made in heaven:
/review/show...#
(Givenchy went on to design the black dress Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's. To die for, yes!).
If you think this is a sweet but a little tired as an idea, that you have already read this book somewhere, and know what it is all about, I urge you to think again and read this book. If you think you are so smart as to predict everything that will happen in it--you sophisticate, you!--I will tell you that the book has at least three surprises I did not anticipate in the end. I forced it immediately into the hands of the Next Person in the house, insisting she read it, and now: Here, read it, now, you, and get happy!
Original 4/1/18 review, slightly updated 9/21/18): Okay, even though it is only the beginning of March 1, I'm calling it: This is one of the top ten graphic novels for kids--probably tweens is right, given my tween household--any kids, of 2018. I have now seen said tweens reading it, too. This is for younger readers, but for this audience it is great work. I've read Koko Be Good by Wang and thought it was good, okay, but this is really a huge leap forward for Wang, in my opinion. As of 11/18/18 this book is one of the ten final nominees for the 欧宝娱乐 award, one of 2-3 faves for sure.
The Prince and the Dressmaker is a kind of revival of a long used concept, the idea of (sort of) swapping identities and/or class positions. It has the feel of fantasy and adventure about it, of aspirations, of dreams. It's the story of a "lowly" dressmaker who is hired to secretly design dresses for . . . (oh, it can't be a spoiler for long, and it's the catch of the book, initially, so get over it) the prince. She doesn't want to be poor, she wants to design for the rich and famous; he doesn't want to be chosen to marry the pretty princess, he wants to wear lovely designer dresses (though it is more complicated than just that, actually)!
Sound already cliched, in this time of the explosion of glbtq books? Well, there are earnest glbtq books that are necessary for serious contemplation of a myriad of issues about identity and coming out. This isn't one of those, really, because it just introduces issues of gender identity to a younger audience. And it's really really fun and refreshing and funny and sweet and at times silly, and totally confirming of everyone involved!
So this is a kind of fantasy story, where more things work out happily than generally works out in real life, but who cares? Sometimes books can just be feel-good, can't they? Everything doesn't have to go all Ethan Frome on us all the time, does it?! The pattern for role-swapping in lit maybe started much earlier than Shakespearean comedies such as Twelfth Night, but the obvious reference here in this book is to Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, that I seem to recall reading with my sister when I was ten. Or maybe it was some Disney version, that we read and/or saw. It's a story of class envy, and satire (mainly of the upper class), but is also an exciting adventure that spawned hundreds of spinoffs.
Dressmaker is a bit like that, a sort of shift into a bit of an upper-class life for our dressmaker. But if the Prince and the Pauper was really about money, in the Prince and the Dressmaker we encounter other aspects of identity and self-efficacy, being able to be who you wanna be.
And here's another link for you, of which I was reminded: The deep friendship of Audrey Hepburn and designer Hubert de Givenchy (he said it was "like a marriage"), which itself inspired several books. A picture book I read and liked depicts a friendship between a man with taste and style, a fashion designer, and a girl just too lovely not to dress in the latest fashion, a match made in heaven:
/review/show...#
(Givenchy went on to design the black dress Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's. To die for, yes!).
If you think this is a sweet but a little tired as an idea, that you have already read this book somewhere, and know what it is all about, I urge you to think again and read this book. If you think you are so smart as to predict everything that will happen in it--you sophisticate, you!--I will tell you that the book has at least three surprises I did not anticipate in the end. I forced it immediately into the hands of the Next Person in the house, insisting she read it, and now: Here, read it, now, you, and get happy!
February 14, 2023
Delivered more than I had anticipated 馃槏
This graphic novel has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. And I am so glad that I have read and absolutely love it!!!
I am so glad I picked it up today.
It's all about acceptance, acceptance, acceptance and celebrating the uniqueness and differences.
Feeling blessed 馃
This graphic novel has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. And I am so glad that I have read and absolutely love it!!!
I am so glad I picked it up today.
It's all about acceptance, acceptance, acceptance and celebrating the uniqueness and differences.
Feeling blessed 馃
November 16, 2017
This was exceptional! So heartwarming, and the characters were so lovable. This is definitely a story I鈥檒l read again and again, and recommend to friends.
February 14, 2024
this was everything and i loved it so much
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July 13, 2019
"Some days I look at myself in the mirror and think, 'That's me, Prince Sebastian! I wear boy clothes and look like my father.' Other days it doesn't feel right at all. Those days I feel like I'm actually...a princess."
Prince Sebastian is 16 years old, and his parents are pressuring him to find a wife. They keep suggesting all types of young women, princesses and other royalty from other countries. He knows he needs to be strategic to help the kingdom, but his heart isn't in it. It's not that some of these young women aren't nice, that he doesn't enjoy their company, it's just...he has a secret.
While by day, Sebastian fulfills his obligations as prince (sometimes just by the skin of his teeth), by night, Sebastian likes to dress in beautiful, eye-catching gowns, and take Paris society by storm as Lady Crystallia. His best friend, Frances, happens to be the most talented dressmaker and seamstress, and she creates Lady Crystallia's gowns, each one more avant-garde than the next.
It's hard, however, when you're the only one who knows your friend's deepest secret. Obviously, you want to protect your friend, but what if it means having to keep your achievements a secret, too? Everyone knows that Frances is Sebastian's seamstress, but if she started to get acclaim as the dressmaker for Lady Crystallia, it won't take long for people鈥攅specially the king and queen鈥攖o put two and two together and realize who Lady Crystallia really is. And that would be disastrous for Sebastian.
Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker is an absolutely wonderful graphic novel with gorgeous illustrations and an amazingly heartfelt story. Not only does it deal with the sacrifices we often make for our friends, and how sometimes we ask our friends for too much in an effort to enable us from avoiding important decisions, its unabashedly positive message that no one really should care what makes people happy if we love them made this book the perfect ending to my month of LGBTQ reads for Pride month.
Some have expressed criticism that Sebastian never declares himself to be gay, trans, or whatever, but all I kept thinking when I read this was the line from "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga: "Don't be a drag, just be a queen." Sebastian clearly expresses his conflict over his identity, and at 16, it's entirely plausible that he's unsure exactly how he wants to live his entire life.
This is the second graphic novel I've read this month and I am loving this genre. This was a super-quick read, but boy, did it warm my heart completely. It's such an amazing tribute to friendship, love, acceptance, and being exactly who you are. How can you quibble with that?
Find this amazing book, take it to your heart, and share it with those you care about.
See all of my reviews at .
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at .
You can follow me on Instagram at
Prince Sebastian is 16 years old, and his parents are pressuring him to find a wife. They keep suggesting all types of young women, princesses and other royalty from other countries. He knows he needs to be strategic to help the kingdom, but his heart isn't in it. It's not that some of these young women aren't nice, that he doesn't enjoy their company, it's just...he has a secret.
While by day, Sebastian fulfills his obligations as prince (sometimes just by the skin of his teeth), by night, Sebastian likes to dress in beautiful, eye-catching gowns, and take Paris society by storm as Lady Crystallia. His best friend, Frances, happens to be the most talented dressmaker and seamstress, and she creates Lady Crystallia's gowns, each one more avant-garde than the next.
It's hard, however, when you're the only one who knows your friend's deepest secret. Obviously, you want to protect your friend, but what if it means having to keep your achievements a secret, too? Everyone knows that Frances is Sebastian's seamstress, but if she started to get acclaim as the dressmaker for Lady Crystallia, it won't take long for people鈥攅specially the king and queen鈥攖o put two and two together and realize who Lady Crystallia really is. And that would be disastrous for Sebastian.
Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker is an absolutely wonderful graphic novel with gorgeous illustrations and an amazingly heartfelt story. Not only does it deal with the sacrifices we often make for our friends, and how sometimes we ask our friends for too much in an effort to enable us from avoiding important decisions, its unabashedly positive message that no one really should care what makes people happy if we love them made this book the perfect ending to my month of LGBTQ reads for Pride month.
Some have expressed criticism that Sebastian never declares himself to be gay, trans, or whatever, but all I kept thinking when I read this was the line from "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga: "Don't be a drag, just be a queen." Sebastian clearly expresses his conflict over his identity, and at 16, it's entirely plausible that he's unsure exactly how he wants to live his entire life.
This is the second graphic novel I've read this month and I am loving this genre. This was a super-quick read, but boy, did it warm my heart completely. It's such an amazing tribute to friendship, love, acceptance, and being exactly who you are. How can you quibble with that?
Find this amazing book, take it to your heart, and share it with those you care about.
See all of my reviews at .
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at .
You can follow me on Instagram at
November 24, 2021
3.5
S煤per bonito! Fue muy lindo leer esta historia gr谩fica!
Pero si esperaba que me sorprendiera o algo m谩s en el final!
Porque el tema era muy bueno, un pr铆ncipe que de noche se pone vestidos de mujer y es Lady Cristalia, es como que era otra identidad y parte de la personalidad del principe y era algo muy bueno para desarrollar.
Pero la resoluci贸n de todo el Conflicto fue muy r谩pida y 驴f谩cil?
Las ilustraciones son bell铆simas. Los vestidos de Lady Cristalia eran hermosos y aut茅nticos. No me encant贸!
Pero fue muy lindo!
S煤per bonito! Fue muy lindo leer esta historia gr谩fica!
Pero si esperaba que me sorprendiera o algo m谩s en el final!
Porque el tema era muy bueno, un pr铆ncipe que de noche se pone vestidos de mujer y es Lady Cristalia, es como que era otra identidad y parte de la personalidad del principe y era algo muy bueno para desarrollar.
Pero la resoluci贸n de todo el Conflicto fue muy r谩pida y 驴f谩cil?
Las ilustraciones son bell铆simas. Los vestidos de Lady Cristalia eran hermosos y aut茅nticos. No me encant贸!
Pero fue muy lindo!
August 25, 2019
"How can someone like me marry a princess? What happens if she discovers who I really am? How could I do that to someone's daughter? How could I do that to my parents?" pg. 73
OK, so... I'm not sure where to begin in reviewing this book. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. First I thought it was ridiculous, but maybe Wang was 'stretching things a little' in order to make a happy, fun message about dressing in drag or defying traditional gender roles or something. But there's 'stretching things a little' and then there's THIS, which borders on absurdist parody. Maybe it is absurdist parody? IDK.
I think my main problem here is the setting and tone of the book. I think Wang would have been helped a lot by choosing to place this book in a fantasy setting or a setting removed from the real world. Unfortunately, she places it in 1830s Paris. This is a mistake. The horrible juxtaposition of 'taking things seriously' and 'being utterly ridiculous' is SO jarring and off-putting, I couldn't get over it. Especially the insane, ludicrous ending of this book.
There are two ways Wang could really go with this book. She could create a fake world in which this was taking place, amp up the comedy a little, and make a more 'grown-up' version of something like . Then, the ludicrous and insane actions of the characters would be seen as 'quirky' and 'uplifting' and 'sending a message of love to all the world!'
Or, conversely, she could write a book about a prince in 1830s Paris who enjoys dressing like a woman and then explore what kind of things he'd have to deal with, his problems, his obstacles, the struggles he'd go through especially because he is a prince and not a commoner.
Instead, she jams together some kind of 2018 narrative about men who like to wear dresses, and acceptance, and love, and being yourself with a time period when things would NOT have gone down like this. At all. These crossed wires are what is making me despise this book.
Let's break it down.
Sebastian is a prince. Not of a made-up country! Of Belgium. His big secret is that he loves to wear dresses and other clothing designed for women. He plucks a daring seamstress out of her bad employment situation to work for him at the palace. Blah blah blah. Here are a few of my problems:
ONE: Let's start with Frances, the seamstress, making a kind of risqu茅, modern outfit for a discontented teenage 'lady' who is upset at her mother's attempts to marry her off. It's ridiculous. The girl gets in the outfit and comes to the ball. The whole idea of both Frances being able to make such an outfit and the girl being able to get out of the house in it is RIDICULOUS. Then they all stare at her while she shoves pastries in her mouth.
TWO: The idea that Sebastian just moseys around Paris all the time, dressed like a woman. WHAT. WHAT. The book even wants me to believe that Juliana, one of the princesses he 'interviewed' for marriage doesn't recognize him! Yeah. It's incredible, as in 'literally not believable.'
Nor does the book really touch upon or describe the real terror I think would accompany these little outings. Even in 1998, they would KILL YOU for being a man trying to 'pass' for a woman. Not that Sebastian is transgender, he's not, but he has to try and 'pass as a woman' because obviously if he didn't things would be much, much worse. Better to let people assume he's a woman than portray yourself as blatantly a man in a dress. WHY? In this book it's because he or his family might be embarrassed. In real life it's because he would be raped and murdered, or tortured and murdered. I was completely gobsmacked. Even in 1990s... more then ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THIS BOOK TAKES PLACE, things were very very bad for queer, gay, transgender, LGBTQIA+ people. I don't know if you remember the nineties. It was BAD.
Not like things are so hot now, but... yeah the nineties. >.<
However, in this book everyone pretends that the worst thing that could happen to our young prince is that he would be 'outed' and face some embarrassment. He does BAFFLING stuff like goes to a bar alone at night in a dress.
Then,
THREE: Sebastian's parents basically just
FOUR:
FIVE:
SIX: Fuck my life.
SEVEN: And this is when things really go off the rails. I know, I know, you are thinking "How could things go MORE off the rails than this?!?!?! Well, let me tell you. They have a fashion show where men come out in drag, but the real crazy-sauce is that I literally cannot think of a stupider ending to this book, or one that just renders the entire book completely meaningless.
You don't have to What the actual fuck. What was the point of this book then?!!?!? Why didn't she just place it in 2018 if she wanted to write a book that embraces 2018 in every single way except for aesthetics?!!?
As the final coup de gr芒ce, I just wanted to say that I did not believe Sebastian and Frances were romantically or sexually interested in each other AT ALL, NOT EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST, and that this seemed totally wedged in for no reason. I guess we are ALSO supposed to believe that he is going to marry a commoner and a laborer. HA HA HA HA HA HA. His parents are so understanding!
I also was super-annoyed and bothered by Frances's 'fuck my employers' attitude where she seemingly can leave any job at a whim not bothered by, say, HAVING TO EAT FOOD or any practical concerns. It was INSANE. But I've run out of room to rant about this.
TL;DR - This book was stupid. Really fucking stupid. I think Wang was going for some kind of promotion of 'love, peace, hugs' and it was hugely jarring considering the subject material and the time period she had chose to insert this subject material into.
Why on earth would Wang write a 2018 book with 2018 sensibilities and place it in 1830s Paris. WHY. WHY. It was giving me fits.
This book could have been so much better. I'm sad. I see tons of LGBTQIA+ graphic novels coming out now, which is GREAT, the representation is great, but unfortunately this means that (like any other genre or subgenre) as the market is saturated we will get all sorts: good books, mediocre books, and crap. I didn't want this to be crap - I wanted to like it. I can see that other people love it. While I am glad books with characters like this are being published more and more and becoming more and more mainstream, as an INDIVIDUAL who is speaking about an INDIVIDUAL BOOK, I think this book is very dumb. That's my assessment. Can't be helped. I can't pretend to like it just because I am a liberal and the book is spouting liberal ideology. It's honestly one of the stupidest books I've ever read. You can't expect me to take this shit seriously! And I feel like Wang did intend this earnestly.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
OK, so... I'm not sure where to begin in reviewing this book. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. First I thought it was ridiculous, but maybe Wang was 'stretching things a little' in order to make a happy, fun message about dressing in drag or defying traditional gender roles or something. But there's 'stretching things a little' and then there's THIS, which borders on absurdist parody. Maybe it is absurdist parody? IDK.
I think my main problem here is the setting and tone of the book. I think Wang would have been helped a lot by choosing to place this book in a fantasy setting or a setting removed from the real world. Unfortunately, she places it in 1830s Paris. This is a mistake. The horrible juxtaposition of 'taking things seriously' and 'being utterly ridiculous' is SO jarring and off-putting, I couldn't get over it. Especially the insane, ludicrous ending of this book.
There are two ways Wang could really go with this book. She could create a fake world in which this was taking place, amp up the comedy a little, and make a more 'grown-up' version of something like . Then, the ludicrous and insane actions of the characters would be seen as 'quirky' and 'uplifting' and 'sending a message of love to all the world!'
Or, conversely, she could write a book about a prince in 1830s Paris who enjoys dressing like a woman and then explore what kind of things he'd have to deal with, his problems, his obstacles, the struggles he'd go through especially because he is a prince and not a commoner.
Instead, she jams together some kind of 2018 narrative about men who like to wear dresses, and acceptance, and love, and being yourself with a time period when things would NOT have gone down like this. At all. These crossed wires are what is making me despise this book.
Let's break it down.
Sebastian is a prince. Not of a made-up country! Of Belgium. His big secret is that he loves to wear dresses and other clothing designed for women. He plucks a daring seamstress out of her bad employment situation to work for him at the palace. Blah blah blah. Here are a few of my problems:
ONE: Let's start with Frances, the seamstress, making a kind of risqu茅, modern outfit for a discontented teenage 'lady' who is upset at her mother's attempts to marry her off. It's ridiculous. The girl gets in the outfit and comes to the ball. The whole idea of both Frances being able to make such an outfit and the girl being able to get out of the house in it is RIDICULOUS. Then they all stare at her while she shoves pastries in her mouth.
TWO: The idea that Sebastian just moseys around Paris all the time, dressed like a woman. WHAT. WHAT. The book even wants me to believe that Juliana, one of the princesses he 'interviewed' for marriage doesn't recognize him! Yeah. It's incredible, as in 'literally not believable.'
Nor does the book really touch upon or describe the real terror I think would accompany these little outings. Even in 1998, they would KILL YOU for being a man trying to 'pass' for a woman. Not that Sebastian is transgender, he's not, but he has to try and 'pass as a woman' because obviously if he didn't things would be much, much worse. Better to let people assume he's a woman than portray yourself as blatantly a man in a dress. WHY? In this book it's because he or his family might be embarrassed. In real life it's because he would be raped and murdered, or tortured and murdered. I was completely gobsmacked. Even in 1990s... more then ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THIS BOOK TAKES PLACE, things were very very bad for queer, gay, transgender, LGBTQIA+ people. I don't know if you remember the nineties. It was BAD.
Not like things are so hot now, but... yeah the nineties. >.<
However, in this book everyone pretends that the worst thing that could happen to our young prince is that he would be 'outed' and face some embarrassment. He does BAFFLING stuff like goes to a bar alone at night in a dress.
Then,
THREE: Sebastian's parents basically just
FOUR:
FIVE:
SIX: Fuck my life.
SEVEN: And this is when things really go off the rails. I know, I know, you are thinking "How could things go MORE off the rails than this?!?!?! Well, let me tell you. They have a fashion show where men come out in drag, but the real crazy-sauce is that I literally cannot think of a stupider ending to this book, or one that just renders the entire book completely meaningless.
You don't have to What the actual fuck. What was the point of this book then?!!?!? Why didn't she just place it in 2018 if she wanted to write a book that embraces 2018 in every single way except for aesthetics?!!?
As the final coup de gr芒ce, I just wanted to say that I did not believe Sebastian and Frances were romantically or sexually interested in each other AT ALL, NOT EVEN IN THE SLIGHTEST, and that this seemed totally wedged in for no reason. I guess we are ALSO supposed to believe that he is going to marry a commoner and a laborer. HA HA HA HA HA HA. His parents are so understanding!
I also was super-annoyed and bothered by Frances's 'fuck my employers' attitude where she seemingly can leave any job at a whim not bothered by, say, HAVING TO EAT FOOD or any practical concerns. It was INSANE. But I've run out of room to rant about this.
TL;DR - This book was stupid. Really fucking stupid. I think Wang was going for some kind of promotion of 'love, peace, hugs' and it was hugely jarring considering the subject material and the time period she had chose to insert this subject material into.
Why on earth would Wang write a 2018 book with 2018 sensibilities and place it in 1830s Paris. WHY. WHY. It was giving me fits.
This book could have been so much better. I'm sad. I see tons of LGBTQIA+ graphic novels coming out now, which is GREAT, the representation is great, but unfortunately this means that (like any other genre or subgenre) as the market is saturated we will get all sorts: good books, mediocre books, and crap. I didn't want this to be crap - I wanted to like it. I can see that other people love it. While I am glad books with characters like this are being published more and more and becoming more and more mainstream, as an INDIVIDUAL who is speaking about an INDIVIDUAL BOOK, I think this book is very dumb. That's my assessment. Can't be helped. I can't pretend to like it just because I am a liberal and the book is spouting liberal ideology. It's honestly one of the stupidest books I've ever read. You can't expect me to take this shit seriously! And I feel like Wang did intend this earnestly.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK
October 19, 2018
ESTA NOVELA GR脕FICA ES LO M脕S BONITO QUE HE LE脥DO EN MI VIDA, SIN EXAGERAR.
La historia tiene un gui贸n incre铆ble, los dibujos son preciosos y la historia es MUY NECESARIA y a la vez, muy bonita. Muchas veces lo que no me acaba de convencer de este tipo de novelas es que no suelo llegar a entender del todo las motivaciones y las personalidades de los personajes, porque siento que es dif铆cil hacerlo... pero es que Jen Wang en este libro lo consigue con creces. Llegamos a conocer a los dos personajes principales muy bien, y eso ha hecho que los ame con toda mi alma, de verdad.
Frances es una modista que consigue trabajar para el pr铆ncipe Sebastian, que le encanta vestirse por las noches con vestidos y convertirse en lady Cristalia. Este secreto unir谩 much铆simo a ambos protagonistas, que forjar谩n una gran amistad.
Otra cosa que me ha encantado es que representa maravillosamente el tema de g茅nero fluido, y jam谩s hab铆a le铆do una historia donde saliera este tipo de representaci贸n tan necesaria para muchas personas, as铆 que 隆chap贸! para la autora por hacerlo tan bien y con tanto tacto.
Eso s铆, preparad pa帽uelos porque yo he llorado varias veces durante la historia...
Si ten茅is ganas de leer un c贸mic impactante, que toque temas importantes y a la vez sea precioso visualmente, esta es vuestra lectura. No os vais a arrepentir.
La historia tiene un gui贸n incre铆ble, los dibujos son preciosos y la historia es MUY NECESARIA y a la vez, muy bonita. Muchas veces lo que no me acaba de convencer de este tipo de novelas es que no suelo llegar a entender del todo las motivaciones y las personalidades de los personajes, porque siento que es dif铆cil hacerlo... pero es que Jen Wang en este libro lo consigue con creces. Llegamos a conocer a los dos personajes principales muy bien, y eso ha hecho que los ame con toda mi alma, de verdad.
Frances es una modista que consigue trabajar para el pr铆ncipe Sebastian, que le encanta vestirse por las noches con vestidos y convertirse en lady Cristalia. Este secreto unir谩 much铆simo a ambos protagonistas, que forjar谩n una gran amistad.
Otra cosa que me ha encantado es que representa maravillosamente el tema de g茅nero fluido, y jam谩s hab铆a le铆do una historia donde saliera este tipo de representaci贸n tan necesaria para muchas personas, as铆 que 隆chap贸! para la autora por hacerlo tan bien y con tanto tacto.
Eso s铆, preparad pa帽uelos porque yo he llorado varias veces durante la historia...
Si ten茅is ganas de leer un c贸mic impactante, que toque temas importantes y a la vez sea precioso visualmente, esta es vuestra lectura. No os vais a arrepentir.
November 5, 2019
鉂� 5 / 5 stars
OMGGGGG!!! This graphic novel is so stunning and absolutely awesome! The story is cute and the main characters are lovely. Everything is just perfect.
This is my first comic book / graphic novel in the past 3 years and it doesn't disappoint me at all! 鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍
OMGGGGG!!! This graphic novel is so stunning and absolutely awesome! The story is cute and the main characters are lovely. Everything is just perfect.
This is my first comic book / graphic novel in the past 3 years and it doesn't disappoint me at all! 鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍
October 11, 2019
"Some days I look at myself in the mirror and think, 'That's me, Prince Sebastian! I wear boy clothes and look like my father.' Other days it doesn't feel right at all. Those days I feel like I'm actually... a princess."
trigger warnings: queerphobia, being publicly forced into coming out.
representation: genderfluid MC.
This was so lovely :3
trigger warnings: queerphobia, being publicly forced into coming out.
representation: genderfluid MC.
This was so lovely :3
June 1, 2021
This graphic novel melted my heart. Absolutely charming and lovely.
June 8, 2020
Never did I expected this!
It's so beautiful .
I loved it馃グ馃グ馃グ
It's so beautiful .
I loved it馃グ馃グ馃グ
July 18, 2020
My daughters and I enjoyed Jen Wang's Stargazing, so my sister very kindly sent a copy of the same author's The Prince and the Dressmaker for my middle child's birthday.
I wish I could just burst into bubbles here, acknowledging my sister's gift. I wish, for the author's sake, I could lavish praise onto this unusual book, too, but I'm afraid it simply confused me.
First off, why does the protagonist look exactly like the protagonist from Stargazing?? The only difference I can discern is the longer hair, but it is basically the same exact face. (And, no, it is not the same character).
Second, why did the author bother to make the setting of this Paris, France? Was she simply in need of a setting that could justify the presence of a prince? If you're going to set a story in Paris, then I think you should at least make one thing about the story FRENCH, rather than have the characters speak nothing but English. Why, oh why, did the king use the word 鈥渂loody鈥� several times? The association here is British, not French. Why couldn't she at least have offered something in French, other than a couple of characters mentioning the Paris Ballet?
When I asked my 12-year-old what the setting was, after reading it, she answered, 鈥淣owhere. You know, like a fairy tale.鈥� Um, no, that is not correct, but I understand the confusion. Even the book jacket tantalizes the reader with the setting of 鈥淧aris,鈥� yet nothing about Paris appears.
Almost finished here: why is this story set in the past, with horses and carriages, yet the characters use language like this:
And, shall I end with the ending? It was contrived and implausible to the point of turning me green.
My daughter rates it 鈥渢hree stars,鈥� but she asked it like a question: three stars? As she said it, she contributed, 鈥淚 knew you weren't going to like it, Mom.鈥�
Well, look at that. I think we're getting somewhere. Somewhere, just definitely not Paris.
I wish I could just burst into bubbles here, acknowledging my sister's gift. I wish, for the author's sake, I could lavish praise onto this unusual book, too, but I'm afraid it simply confused me.
First off, why does the protagonist look exactly like the protagonist from Stargazing?? The only difference I can discern is the longer hair, but it is basically the same exact face. (And, no, it is not the same character).
Second, why did the author bother to make the setting of this Paris, France? Was she simply in need of a setting that could justify the presence of a prince? If you're going to set a story in Paris, then I think you should at least make one thing about the story FRENCH, rather than have the characters speak nothing but English. Why, oh why, did the king use the word 鈥渂loody鈥� several times? The association here is British, not French. Why couldn't she at least have offered something in French, other than a couple of characters mentioning the Paris Ballet?
When I asked my 12-year-old what the setting was, after reading it, she answered, 鈥淣owhere. You know, like a fairy tale.鈥� Um, no, that is not correct, but I understand the confusion. Even the book jacket tantalizes the reader with the setting of 鈥淧aris,鈥� yet nothing about Paris appears.
Almost finished here: why is this story set in the past, with horses and carriages, yet the characters use language like this:
And, shall I end with the ending? It was contrived and implausible to the point of turning me green.
My daughter rates it 鈥渢hree stars,鈥� but she asked it like a question: three stars? As she said it, she contributed, 鈥淚 knew you weren't going to like it, Mom.鈥�
Well, look at that. I think we're getting somewhere. Somewhere, just definitely not Paris.
October 23, 2020
enamorada perdidamente. MUY tierna. toca unos temas re importantes y de una manera genial y hermosa. TODO, ABSOLUTAMENTE TODO es divino
May 16, 2022
猸�4.5
This is so damn cute. I love Frances so damn much. And Sebastian deserves the world. What a beautiful drag queen. They are the sweet cinnamon rolls this world doesn't deserve but needs.
The illustrations are cozy and beautiful. The characters are poignant and relatable. The storyline is so needed. It resonates so hard with today's societal prejudices that it's astonishing that the setting is Victorian.
This is so damn cute. I love Frances so damn much. And Sebastian deserves the world. What a beautiful drag queen. They are the sweet cinnamon rolls this world doesn't deserve but needs.
The illustrations are cozy and beautiful. The characters are poignant and relatable. The storyline is so needed. It resonates so hard with today's societal prejudices that it's astonishing that the setting is Victorian.
July 12, 2020
If I had to sum up this book in one word: adorable
The art style? Adorable
The plot? Adorable
The characters? You guessed it- Adorable.
I think I should begin with my experience (or lack thereof) when it comes to graphic novels. Really the only two I have ever read are and R U Screwed, both of which are webcomics. I guess that is all to say that I am quite inexperienced in reading and reviewing graphic novels so be easy on me!
Compared to the two other graphic novels I have read- which were in black and white- the prince and the dressmaker was stunning. 5 stars to just the art if I鈥檓 being honest. I loved the colour palette, the historical French aesthetic and the gorgeous dresses. I adored the panels and the way they interacted with each other.
However, I didn鈥檛 enjoy the story quite as much as the art. It was cute and all, but lacked a bit of substance for me. It may just be that I am too used to full length novels and their style of fleshing out plot and characters, but this fell a little bit flat for me. I liked the characters, but wasn鈥檛 particular connected with them. I felt like there wasn鈥檛 enough at stake in the story for me to get fully invested. Don鈥檛 get me wrong- I really enjoyed the story! I just found it a little lacking in some aspects.
I don鈥檛 quite know how to weigh the story and art. Because if the art is pretty but the story is underwhelming, how does that compare to one where the story is brilliant but the art leaves something to be desired?
I think settling somewhere between 3.5-4 stars accurately represents my feelings, but I'll definitely have to work on my rating system for graphic novels in the future!
I would definitely recommend this as a fast paced, adorable read perfect for pride month- or any month really- overflowing with love and friendship.
鈽呪槄鈽呪槅鈽�.5 stars
The art style? Adorable
The plot? Adorable
The characters? You guessed it- Adorable.
I think I should begin with my experience (or lack thereof) when it comes to graphic novels. Really the only two I have ever read are and R U Screwed, both of which are webcomics. I guess that is all to say that I am quite inexperienced in reading and reviewing graphic novels so be easy on me!
Compared to the two other graphic novels I have read- which were in black and white- the prince and the dressmaker was stunning. 5 stars to just the art if I鈥檓 being honest. I loved the colour palette, the historical French aesthetic and the gorgeous dresses. I adored the panels and the way they interacted with each other.
However, I didn鈥檛 enjoy the story quite as much as the art. It was cute and all, but lacked a bit of substance for me. It may just be that I am too used to full length novels and their style of fleshing out plot and characters, but this fell a little bit flat for me. I liked the characters, but wasn鈥檛 particular connected with them. I felt like there wasn鈥檛 enough at stake in the story for me to get fully invested. Don鈥檛 get me wrong- I really enjoyed the story! I just found it a little lacking in some aspects.
I don鈥檛 quite know how to weigh the story and art. Because if the art is pretty but the story is underwhelming, how does that compare to one where the story is brilliant but the art leaves something to be desired?
I think settling somewhere between 3.5-4 stars accurately represents my feelings, but I'll definitely have to work on my rating system for graphic novels in the future!
I would definitely recommend this as a fast paced, adorable read perfect for pride month- or any month really- overflowing with love and friendship.
鈽呪槄鈽呪槅鈽�.5 stars
June 6, 2022
|| || || ||
It's AAPI month and one of my goals was to try and get to some of the Asian-authored books on my Kindle that I haven't read yet. THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER has been on my radar for a while because I heard it was a super adorable graphic novel that addresses a non-binary identity in an accessible and fun way. And all those people who said that were totally right, because it DOES.
Frances is a seamstress. When she makes a risque dress for a girl who despises convention, she is fired from her job, only to be hired by a mysterious person claiming to represent a wealthy patron. It turns out the patron is the Belgian prince, Sebastian, who secretly likes going out and wearing dresses. In a touching moment, he tells Frances that sometimes he likes being a prince, but lately he's felt more like a princess and he wants her to make dresses for him.
At the same time, Sebastian's parents are putting pressure on him to get married and secure the throne. He's meeting princesses by day and going out on the town by night. When an opportunity arises for Frances to meet the designer of her dreams, it might risk Sebastian's big secret kidding out. And it tests the limits of Frances's and Sebastian's relationship: are they patron and creator? Are they friends? Or are they something more?
Obviously this is literally and figuratively costume fiction. There's a bit of wish fulfillment fantasy in it, too. But I don't mind that when it's done well. The themes of embracing your inner-self and accepting others for who they are is really beautiful, and there were at least three times that my eyeballs came pretty close to parting with some of their precious tears. The fashion show at the end was high key the best part. If you're looking for a feel-good book, this is it.
4 to 4.5 stars
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