Good afternoon friends, hope everyone is having a great week!
I am sharing my review for the wonderful novel The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. It was so much deeper than I expected and I loved it.
RATING: 4.75/5
RELEASE: August 13, 2019
REVIEW:
The Downstairs Girl follows Jo, a Chinese teenager, during the 1890's. By day she works as a maid to one of Atlanta's wealthiest families and by night, she writes an advice column for a local newspaper, under the name Miss. Sweetie. When her column becomes widely popular, Jo uses the column to start questioning society's standards, and works to change stereotypes around race and gender in the city. While competitors try to unmask the infamous columnist, Jo sets off on her own mission, learning about her past and her parents. Struggling to decipher who to trust, Jo must use her newfound confidence to believe in herself, and those around her, as she works to uncover the truth.
I absolutely loved this historical novel. Jo was an engaging and realistic character, and I connected with her immediately. She had spunk and worked to ensure she would not be defined by standards around her. The racism she felt towards her, for being a Chinese American, was unique, and shared the uncertainty that the historic southern society displayed towards their culture - not white enough to be wealthy but not coloured enough to be segregated. The variety of characters, between their names, their careers, and their attitudes, were well researched and enhanced the novel's setting. The story began a bit slow, but it picked up very quickly, and by the end I was racing towards the conclusion. I have found a new favourite author in YA historical, thank you Stacey Lee for this brilliant novel. I highly recommend it to contemporary and historical readers alike.* Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review *