Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

by Mackenzi Lee

Age Range: 14 & up

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Katherine Tegen Books

9780062382801

Finally cracking open a much-hyped-about book can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s exciting. You’ve been hearing great things about it everywhere, five-star reviews are all over the place, and you can’t wait to fall in love. On the other, high anticipation can often lead to the biggest letdowns. Happily, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is of the former. This fun and flirtatious romp through 18th century Europe has been talked about for months. And I must say, it lives up to the hype.

Henry “Monty” Montague is, quite simply, a rogue. But oh, of the most lovable sort. He can often be found drinking, gambling, or getting it on with a pretty boy or girl in the shadows. Mostly, Monty is looking forward to his Grand Tour of Europe. To getting out of his stifling home with its even more stifling expectations and painting the continent’s towns red with his lifelong friend. We learn very early on that Monty has been in love with Percy for a couple of years now, and he can’t wait to drink and party and flirt across Europe together, even if his little sister Felicity must tag along. Before long, the trio find themselves in a great deal of trouble, and the rest of the Tour is not at all what they expected.

There is much to adore about The Gentleman’s Guide, but the highlight of it all is how character-driven the story is. These three protagonists are complex, hilarious, and delightfully fleshed out. The story is told through Monty’s eyes, and boy, does he have quite a spectacular way of seeing the world. He is reckless, he is spontaneous, and he is incredibly passionate. Monty is a doer, not a thinker. As one can imagine, this trait leads to a great deal of trouble and often blinds him to the needs of others. But with his recklessness comes a great deal of baggage. Having been kicked out of school, Monty is expected to run his family’s estate upon his return from the Tour. Unfortunately, his father holds little to no respect for our little leader, and his family home is suffocating as a result. The poor boy is dealing with a large amount of damage and inner turmoil.

Percy Newton is the love of Monty’s life. He is a dreamer, a music lover, and hardly ever caught without his violin in hand. He is in many ways Monty’s opposite, being more thoughtful and considerate of consequences. But he also has a weakness for Monty’s roguishness, and it doesn’t take much for him to go along and join the party. However, Percy must be more careful than his friend. He is biracial, and has no trouble pointing out to his partner in crime that he would never be able to get away with half of what Monty does. Monty’s privilege, both monetarily and for being a white male, is often (and spectacularly) addressed. Due simply to the color of his skin, Percy has to be more reserved, and that weighs on him in ways Monty doesn’t realize.

Rounding out the trio is Monty’s little sister, Felicity. Younger by just a couple of years, Felicity longs for the education her brother squanders away. Having no patience for high society life, Felicity often has her nose in a book and can whip out a snappy retort faster than you can blink. Simply put, this girl is marvelous. She is sent along on her brother’s Grand Tour simply to be dropped off at finishing school. While she desperately wants an education, a school of curtsies and table manners is not what Felicity had in mind. Worse yet, the art, music, and abundant culture Monty and Percy are experiencing every day on the journey is off limits to her, as a young lady apparently has no use for such things. But never fear, something as trivial as the patriarchy isn’t enough to keep Felicity Montague in her rooms.

These three protagonists round each other out beautifully, and the expedition on which they find themselves is a pure joy. If you have been tinkering with the idea of reading The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, do not hesitate a moment longer. This outrageously fun and flirty historical fiction deserves to be at the top of all the reading lists. When you’ve finished, be sure to continue to Lee’s author’s note, as there is some truly fascinating research there which lends a little additional context to Monty, Percy, and Felicity’s story. Lee also recently announced that Felicity is getting her own tale in the future and believe me, you will definitely want to be caught up for that.