Reviews

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

itsjustcali's review

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

readingrobin's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A cute, quirky rom com featuring a determined teen hoping to smash the glass ceiling at the Medieval 
Times adjacent experience that she works at. While I thought that the feminist angle of this book didn't really go hard enough, I really appreciated that, when Kit began to include her friends in her crusade for female knights in the show, the group included her trans, gender-nonconforming, and women of color co workers. It brought some intersectionality to the issue and I'm glad that the endeavor didn't solely focus on Kit. 

It's one of those YA romances where you can sit back and enjoy its silliness and simplicity. Kit faces many hardships, sure, like poverty, a deadbeat dad, and trying to get into a good school, but it never tries to be anything complicated. It strikes a good balance between showing Kit struggle and receiving so much support from her friends and family. You could really get a sense of how devoted they are to each other. 

While the ending was incredibly rushed, I did like the more realistic beat it ended on, that not every plan is achievable, even the ones you put so much effort and time into, but there's still one for you.

dormilona's review

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4.0

Fun, Kit Sweetly has crazy amazing friends.

ladytiara's review against another edition

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4.0

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly is so much fun and just what I needed while I'm stuck at home during the current pandemic. It's cute and entertaining, and while it's a light read, it also deals with sexism, poverty, and some tough choices.

Kit works at a cheesy, medieval-themed restaurant, where she's stuck as a serving wench (that's what they call the waitresses). She wants to be a knight because it pays better and also because she has a knight obsession, but women aren't allowed to play that role. One night, she takes her brother's place as a knight and she can't resist revealing her identity (stating "I am no man" from Lord of the Rings). The "girl knight" quickly goes viral, and Kit tries to push for a change in the company's sexist policy, forming a band of people who want to change to rules.

Kit is in a tough place. She wants to shake things up, but she also desperately needs her job because she and her family are the working poor. Her dad left after stealing the money her mother had saved for the kids' college funds, and he doesn't pay child support. Her mother never finished high school and works two jobs to try to keep up with the mortgage. Kit's older brother also works two jobs and goes to community college. Kit has a plan to get ahead, but she needs money for college and her path out of town is starting to look impossible. The author does an excellent job showing how tough Kit's choices are and how grinding poverty can be.

Kit is a likeable, imperfect heroine. She doesn't always make the best choices, but her mistakes make sense in the context of the story. She's a tough feminist who's been dealt a rough hand in life, but she's doing her best to make things better. This is a very fun book with an important message. It's also pretty diverse: Kit's love interest is half Indian, her best friend is African-American and bi, and one her co-workers is nonbinary.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

megancrafts's review against another edition

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4.0

Read for The Reading Rush 2020

gummybeans's review

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hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

samrushingbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

I am going to be hyping this book up so much over the next month before its release date. Wow. I still need to process a bit, but I am going to be getting a full review together soon.

booklovingnerd87's review

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

5.0

jensen122's review

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adventurous emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

paperbacksandpourovers's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0