The Prince and the Dressmaker Published by First Second on February 2018
Genres: Graphic Novel
Pages: 288
Format: Physical Book
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or 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―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a 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
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or 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―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a 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
Review:
An absolute joy to read.
The story follows the dressmaker Frances on her search for discovery. She meets Prince Sebastian who enlists her help to make him dresses, lavish and unique dresses, allowing France’s own creativity to be released! It’s a beautiful story of friendship and love and self discovery. I loved how Frances loved what she did, so much so she didn’t want to sacrifice her dream. I love how strong and understanding she was, and how supportive. Sebastian too was a wonderful character, full of richness and growth. Who he was vs. how others saw him vs what he wanted for the country, all of these large questions loomed in the background without the answers coming too quickly or preachy.
The art is beautiful, each page reflecting a full range of emotion and action. I read the book in one sitting, easily swept up in its pages, hungry for more. This is quite a feat as it was 3am and I had been woken up by a cranky baby.
The Prince and the Dressmaker is such a beautiful novel, I am anxious for that same baby to grow up so we can share it together. It’s positive and self loving messages are warm and filled with heart.
Author:
Jen Wang is a cartoonist and illustrator currently living in Los Angeles. Her works have appeared in the Adventure Time comics and LA Magazine. She recently illustrated Tom Angleberger’s Fake Mustache. Her graphic novels Koko Be Good and In Real Life (with author Cory Doctorow) were published by First Second. jenwang.net
And here are some gorgeous Valentine Day cards featuring our two main characters
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
