Good Morning Everyone :)
I hope you're all doing well, and thank you for joining me here today on The Preppy Book Princess.
A few weeks ago I read (and loved) the Doon series by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon. So when I heard that Lorie Langdon had a new book that was basically a YA re imagining of Oliver Twist, I was intrigued, and knew I wanted to give it a try.
Today I'd like to share a quick review with you all about my thoughts of it.
Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon:
Source: Library
Publisher: Blink
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.
Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.
Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I'm going to preface this review by outright stating that Oliver Twist is one of the classics that I haven't actually read. As such, I'm not too familiar with the exact material of that story, and can't really say how true to the original story this re imagining stays. I can say however, that it's a fun, fast paced, story that will keep you captivated right from the first page.
Olivia Twist is a kind of gender reversal retelling of the original novel, where Oliver is really Olivia-an orphan who's had to keep her true gender hidden in order to survive the harsh realities of street life. Thanks to a chance encounter with a rich man she intended to rob, Olivia is instead introduced to an uncle she never knew she had, and is soon whisked away to become a proper society lady, rather than the street urchin posing as a male orphan she's always been. However, just because her personal plight on the streets is over, doesn't mean Olivia's forgotten about the many other orphans stuck in the same boat that she herself once was. On the contrary, Olivia's more determined than ever to make a difference in the lives of these children that are most often ignored by those in proper society. Her plight gets an unexpected twist however, when a new proper gentlemen in society, Jack MacCarron turns out to be none other than the Artful Dodger-the once powerful street thug who took Olivia under his wing.
Jack and Olivia's worlds soon collide, and Olivia's torn between continuing on with the arrangements that her family have made for her in order to guarantee her place in proper society, or trusting her newfound feelings for her once close friend that threaten to uphold everything she holds near and dear to her heart. For once Olivia will truly have to decide between following what everyone else wants for her, or following what her heart is telling her she wants for herself.
Lorie Langdon's Olivia Twist is a captivating, hold you on the edge of your seat type of story that speaks to gender stereotypes, and the way that anyone can truly make a difference if they put their mind to it. It's a fun, historical fiction that includes source material from the original story, but also has it's own unique spin in the way everything unravels. It's a cute romance that will have readers wrapped up in, and it's a well thought out retelling that will make anyone who hasn't read the original story (myself included) wanting to do so.
All in all, Olivia Twist is a fresh breath of air, and is really unlike anything I've ever read before. I really found myself enjoying this one, and I thought that Lorie really managed to master the historical fiction genre. I recommend this to anyone looking for a feminist retelling, anyone who loves historical fiction, or anyone who loves the classic Oliver Twist story.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I definitely recommend giving this one a chance!
I hope you're all doing well, and thank you for joining me here today on The Preppy Book Princess.
A few weeks ago I read (and loved) the Doon series by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon. So when I heard that Lorie Langdon had a new book that was basically a YA re imagining of Oliver Twist, I was intrigued, and knew I wanted to give it a try.
Today I'd like to share a quick review with you all about my thoughts of it.
Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon:
Source: Library
Publisher: Blink
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.
Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.
Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I'm going to preface this review by outright stating that Oliver Twist is one of the classics that I haven't actually read. As such, I'm not too familiar with the exact material of that story, and can't really say how true to the original story this re imagining stays. I can say however, that it's a fun, fast paced, story that will keep you captivated right from the first page.
Olivia Twist is a kind of gender reversal retelling of the original novel, where Oliver is really Olivia-an orphan who's had to keep her true gender hidden in order to survive the harsh realities of street life. Thanks to a chance encounter with a rich man she intended to rob, Olivia is instead introduced to an uncle she never knew she had, and is soon whisked away to become a proper society lady, rather than the street urchin posing as a male orphan she's always been. However, just because her personal plight on the streets is over, doesn't mean Olivia's forgotten about the many other orphans stuck in the same boat that she herself once was. On the contrary, Olivia's more determined than ever to make a difference in the lives of these children that are most often ignored by those in proper society. Her plight gets an unexpected twist however, when a new proper gentlemen in society, Jack MacCarron turns out to be none other than the Artful Dodger-the once powerful street thug who took Olivia under his wing.
Jack and Olivia's worlds soon collide, and Olivia's torn between continuing on with the arrangements that her family have made for her in order to guarantee her place in proper society, or trusting her newfound feelings for her once close friend that threaten to uphold everything she holds near and dear to her heart. For once Olivia will truly have to decide between following what everyone else wants for her, or following what her heart is telling her she wants for herself.
Lorie Langdon's Olivia Twist is a captivating, hold you on the edge of your seat type of story that speaks to gender stereotypes, and the way that anyone can truly make a difference if they put their mind to it. It's a fun, historical fiction that includes source material from the original story, but also has it's own unique spin in the way everything unravels. It's a cute romance that will have readers wrapped up in, and it's a well thought out retelling that will make anyone who hasn't read the original story (myself included) wanting to do so.
All in all, Olivia Twist is a fresh breath of air, and is really unlike anything I've ever read before. I really found myself enjoying this one, and I thought that Lorie really managed to master the historical fiction genre. I recommend this to anyone looking for a feminist retelling, anyone who loves historical fiction, or anyone who loves the classic Oliver Twist story.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I definitely recommend giving this one a chance!
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