Jamie Pacton
Page Street, 2020 378 pages
Grades 7-Up
Realistic/Romance
Kit Sweetly has hit a rough patch. She longs to be a knight at the medieval themed restaurant where she is employed as a wench (server), yet is told the position is for men only. Her brother is already a knight and has trained and supported her for the position, yet both corporate and local manager/uncle refuse the promotion. Meanwhile, she is in love with her best friend, is rejected from all but one of her colleges, and the electric has been turned off in the house--again. Kit's single mom is working doubles, yet still can't make ends meet and musician father is off getting famous--or at least trying to stay off of drugs. Kit takes a chance one night, dons her brother's knight costume and rides out into the ring. She is victorious, whips off her helmet and reveals herself to be the female that she is. Kit finds herself to be an internet sensation and inspiration to women of all ages. Other wenches begin to train with Kit in the hope of gaining a promotion to knight, but will they get a chance to prove that they got the right stuff? Will the family's money problems ever be resolved? And will Kit's best friend finally be willing to break the "unbreakable rule" and enter into a romantic relationship?
With the world retreating back into quarantine, I have, yet again, lost my ability to concentrate on a book. I desperately needed something fun and frothy. This title certainly did the trick! It moves along quickly with a great plot and interesting setting (I'm a big fan of Medieval Times). Readers get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it is to work at the famous themed eatery and may fantasize about securing such employment themselves. Kit is a history buff and the author reveals the truth behind many of our medieval misconceptions. For a typical teen romance this book adds a feminist agenda that will challenge readers to pursue life goals beyond gender limitations. The book is indeed a fun read with a few extras that I appreciate. Kit, though, was realistically self-absorbed. I found her frustrating that she did whatever she wanted regardless of the consequences for those around her. She is suppose to be an honor student, yet seems to skip school a lot and does no homework, though it is the end of senior year, so maybe that is to be expected. For a poor girl who has to scrabble, she seems a bit entitled to me, yet aren't most teenagers? I also found the adults frustrating. Not one of them was functional or could be counted on for help. This inability forces Kit to figure out her own problems, which make for a more interesting read, yet I wanted to swoop in and offer some guidance. Character quibbles aside, this is an enjoyable choice for fans of Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot and offers the perfect escape from the realities of today.
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