Let Them Eat Likes by Pati de la Guardia




Marianne is sent across the country from Virginia, where her lineage means everything, to Versailles Prep in California where her name is just a whisper. Her mission is clear: facilitate a merger with the Beaumont family and become Versailles royalty; make a brand, not friends. Marianne generates a statement from the start and the imitators wrack up as quickly as the frenemies. But when she makes a questionable decision to keep her crown, the guillotine comes down quickly. She has to decide if her failure will become her legacy or if she can somehow find herself in the rubble. 

This Marie-Antoinette-inspired debut was eloquently written, but suffered from a bit of purple prose—beautifully composed, but sometimes unnecessarily elaborate and difficult to decipher. I found the dialogue to be inauthentic at times, and I fear that the exchanges may have been a bit too elevated for the intended YA audience. I remain unclear on why Marianne was given her task in the first place, why Leo helped her straight away, and how her relationship with Luke developed (or didn't). 

That said, this message is important. The second half of the tale made it overwhelmingly redeemable and it became a lot more approachable and engaging the further I went. If they can handle it, I want my students to read this -- as well as every other young adult in my life (and some of the not-so-young ones)! 

Huge thank you to the author for the advance read! 

Let Them Eat Likes: ★★★★

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