Michelle Cooper combines the drama of pre-War Europe with the romance of debutante balls and gives us another compelling historical page turner.Sophia FitzOsborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Germans attacked, and now find themselves in the lap of luxury. Sophie's journal fills us in on the social whirl of London's 1937 season, but even a princess in lovely new gowns finds it hard to fit in. Is there no other debutante who reads?!And while the balls and house parties go on, newspaper headlines scream of war in Spain and threats from Germany. No one wants a second world war. Especially not the Montmaravians—with all Europe under attack, who will care about the fate of their tiny island kingdom? Will the FitzOsbornes ever be able to go home again? Could Montmaray be lost forever?
Sophie FitzOsborne. A character who has grown such much more maturer than the first book. I do prefer The FitzOsbornes in Exile over A Brief History of Montmaray. I love the European set, especially since it's set during the war. And what's better than in my opinion the best setting in Europe?!?! I still give it the same rating as I did A Brief History of Montmaray, mainly because some parts I felt weren't into full detail as I thought they should be. Still, a very good read!
The FitzOsbornes in Exile:
Published: April 5, 2011
Format: US Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Average Rating: 4.21 stars
Page Count: 464 pages
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
“There’s a fine line between gossip and history, when one is talking about kings.”
Sophie Fitzosborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray with her eccentric and impoverished royal family. When she receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday, Sophie decides to chronicle day-to-day life on the island. But this is 1936, and the news that trickles in from the mainland reveals a world on the brink of war. The politics of Europe seem far away from their remote island—until two German officers land a boat on Montmaray. And then suddenly politics become very personal indeed.
A Brief History of Montmaray is a heart-stopping tale of loyalty, love, and loss, and of fighting to hold on to home when the world is exploding all around you.
I was interested in this story because I learned that it takes place in a castle. Also, my local librarian recommended it to me. This wasn't an amazing read, but still a good book. I didn't think that Sophie would act the way she did. I knew that she would either be an amazing character (like Tris from Veronica Roth's "Divergent") or she would be a horrible female protagonist (like Luce from Lauren Kate's "Fallen"). She wasn't a Luce, but she wasn't a Tris either. I think she was a very different and unique character.
I did enjoy Cooper's writing style. Some authors I hate the way they write. Some authors don't describe things that they should in the book, and other authors describe WAY too much. I think Michelle did very good with balancing it out.
A Brief History of Montmaray:
Published: October 13, 2009
Format: US Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Average Rating: 3.56 stars
Page Count: 304 stars
Sequel: The FitzOsbornes in Exile (April 5, 2011)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
