Bellegarde

Evie Clement's status as a baker's daughter defines her social class at the elite Parisian school she attends, even though the cakes she makes are enjoyed by the queen. However, Evie's real talent (and passion) is dressmaking, and while her designs have piqued the interest of the popular crowd, her suspicions are raised when the school heartthrob, Beau Bellegarde, asks her to the Court of Flowers Ball. She's right to be suspicious--Beau has taken a bet that he can transform Evie into the Bellegarde Bloom, a coveted position among the school's queen bees. This historical take on the makeover trope à la movies like She's All That is packed with drama, romance, and lush descriptions of desserts and dresses that match its light and frothy tone. The mix of historical and modern sensibilities and language will make fans of Bridgerton and Hamilton feel right at home, and references to a range of teen rom-coms from Pretty in Pink to Mean Girls make Lilac's debut a sweet and comfortable read for those looking for some swoon.

Gr 7 Up--Lilac reworks 1999's She's All That in a pseudo pre--French Revolution setting. Whether this sentence excites or horrifies determines one's enjoyment of the novel. Evie is a baker's apprentice who side hustles in couture; Beau Bellegarde has just been publicly dumped by Rachelle, with whom he planned to become "king" and "queen" of the Court of Flowers Ball. On a bet, he decides to train Evie as a replacement. To be clear, this is not historical fiction. Here, "history" is garbled. Zippers appear a century before their invention. The premise of a coed university attended by the urban poor and the aristocracy is impossible. Women in France only gained access to universities in 1880. A reference to "standard French dress…inspired by the queen" is strange when Marie Antoinette was Austrian, adopted English fashion, and faced xenophobia on both counts. Social disparity is at the crux of this novel. Where is the revolution? Evie rejects her honorary title at the ball--and gives it to an aristocrat. The characterization is rote. Go to Jane Austen's Emma or Clueless for makeovers gone awry; pick up Annemarie Selinko's Désirée for a working-class teen facing the French Revolution; read Mackenzi Lee for the balance between history and anachronism. VERDICT If you want to park your critical thinking at the door for a nostalgic teen rom-com rehash, this is the place to do it. Others should pass.--Katherine Magyarody

Evie Clément unexpectedly finds herself up for the coveted title of Bellegarde Bloom while questioning her growing feelings for the boy who got her there as part of a wager. Each year in Paris, the Court of Flowers selects the Bellegarde Bloom, the most desirable of the marriageable girls at the ball. Seventeen-year-old Evie, the daughter of a baker, is an unlikely candidate. But Beau Bellegarde has accepted a bet from Julien, his half brother, in exchange for Julien's inheritance, which forms the bulk of their family's estate. The challenge: that Beau can make any girl into the Bloom--and thanks to Beau's secret interventions, Evie secures a nomination. What wasn't in the plans? Their growing feelings for one another and the added complications of Beau's dishonesty and a duke's competing interest in Evie. The chapters switch between Evie's and Beau's first-person perspectives, helping readers become aware of feelings and plot points that other characters are not privy to. The pre-revolutionary, early modern setting is cued through mentions of Versailles, carriages, and fashions such as powdered hair. This fun and fluffy story wraps up with a satisfying ending. Most characters present White; Evie's best friend, Josephine, and some other background characters are Black. A familiar plotline delivers exactly what readers want: sweet, romantic fun. (Romance. 13-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.