Details

Length: 277
Story Build: quickly paced through the dialogue and pictures 
Character development: solid with personality 
Age Recommendation: 5th grade and up (could be younger depending on child) 
Reasoning: exploration of identity, specifically gender identity and how it is different from sexual identification; prince likes to dress up in dresses but this doesn’t mean he wishes to be a girl  

Summary and Review

I had seen this book throughout the summer in many YA sections of various bookstores. I really enjoyed the cover, and I hadn’t read many graphic novels, so I figured this would be a cool one to read. I finally got my hands on a copy via my local library branch, and while it has been sitting on a shelf waiting patiently to be read, I eventually got to on a Saturday night and finished it in about an hour…. Yep, it’s that quirky and awesome. 

The Prince and the Dressmaker tells the story about two characters– Prince Sebastian and Frances– who both end up being secrets, which threaten to overcome both of them. Prince Sebastian’s conflict is that his parents want to marry him off—typical. Frances wants to become a great designer and allow her creativity to flourish. However, she is stuck in a factory of sorts where her skills are not being utilized to their full potential. Her problem is temporarily solved when a dress she makes catches the eye of Prince Sebastian who hires her to be his personal wardrobe stylist and seamstress. 

Why you ask? 

Prince Sebastian likes to wear dresses; in fact, he has a whole persona he creates called Lady Crystallia. 

Through this partnership, Frances and Sebestian form a friendship, and not only does Sebestian find someone who accepts him, but Frances finds someone who helps to cultivate her creativity and put her creations on display. 

It seems to work out swimmingly until Frances can no longer stand to be Sebestian’s secret as it is holding back her career, and Sebestian is about to be engaged to a lady of his parents’ choosing. This creates the tension to force both characters to make decisions that ultimately bring them to a suspenseful and epic conclusion. 

The storyline is brilliantly matched with lovely illustrations by Wang, who outlines her process in the back of the book for those who are interested. The world she creates in the fusion of old and modern Paris is creative and makes the story seem both “old” and relevant at the same time, which is also shown in the clothing designs she draws, too. 

The Prince and the Dressmaker is a quick tale of gender identity, love, friendship, and acceptance, that deserves to be on your shelf. 

Celebrations

I, again, enjoyed the graphic aspect of the novel. I don’t read graphic novels frequently, and I always find myself having to reorient myself to the structure; but once I do, I realize how much I like to devour them. They are fast and easy to consume. The Prince and the Dressmaker is no exception. I literally read it in maybe an hour. But man, it is not, like I referenced above, a typical fairytale. A major celebration is the fact that this novel allows one of its main characters to explore gender fluidity– a man likes to wear dresses and look pretty. However, he also seems to enjoy being dressed as a male at times, too. Furthermore, he seems to fall for his friend, Frances. The book doesn’t go into depth trying to define what Sebestian is or isn’t, and none of the characters ask him to. I think that’s an important fact about the book. Frances just accepts Sebestian for who he is, and she helps him to become the version of himself he wants to be at that given time.

I also think that the parents’ struggle with learning about Sebestian adds a bit of reality to the tale, and you do feel for them as they work to understand this aspect of their son’s identity. However, what they realize is so important and is definitely something I celebrate. I couldn’t help but think what a powerful story this would be for parents to read with their children as well as by themselves because it poses questions that one may not consider before reading it. The author also has her characters model acceptance and kindness, which is so vitally needed in our world today.

Hesitations

My one hesitation, which may sound odd coming after my celebrations, is that I left feeling confused about the relationship between Frances and Sebestian. It is clear they are friends… but are they more? I did find myself wanting to assume things about Sebestian because he wanted to wear dresses, but I realized that it didn’t mean he wanted to be a girl… which was eye opening for me, someone who prides herself on being open-minded. But I still got stuck on their relationship… so maybe my confusion has more to do with typical, categorical thinking when it comes to gender identity, and less to do with the novel. I still have much to learn about the world, but I think my hesitation is one that makes me want to learn more and question this author less… 🙂