Author: Allyson Dahlin
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Genres: Young Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy
Where to buy: Amazon | BookShop | Barnes & Noble
Thank you Turn the Page Book Tours and HarperTeen for a review copy and the opportunity to be on this tour.
Synopsis
Decadent, thrilling, and romantic, this Black Mirror-esque retelling of the reign of one Marie Antoinette is perfect for fans of THE BELLES and AMERICAN ROYALS.
The year is 3070, and Marie Antoinette has just arrived at the glittering, thrilling palace of Versailles to marry the shy, soft-spoken Louis-Auguste.
But beneath the luxurious world lies a sinister underbelly and an uncompromising elite who want to keep Marie and Louis pawns in a deadly game.
Will history repeat itself? Or will these doomed lovers outwit their enemies and escape their grisly fate?
Cake Eater will take readers to a dazzling world full of breathless luxuries, deadly secrets, and a thrilling romance that attempts to rewrite history itself.
Review
Cake Eater is a futuristic Young Adult retelling about Marie Antoinette. Taking place in 3070, we meet a young influencer in Marie and her computer whiz prince. Going into this story I was intrigued by this unique retelling because it is not often you see a mix and mash of different genres. I do want to preface that a 3 star rating is still a good rating in my opinion.
Before I dive in, I will state again that the blending of genres was something I saw a lot of promise in this novel and the author did as good as they could to deliver a fairly good and enjoyable read. For anyone who knows of the original story of Marie Antionette, there were no real surprises for me in regards to the events. However, the ending was the one part of the novel that I was a bit disappointed in. If it was executed a bit better, this story would have been so much more enjoyable for me. Although the ending wasn’t for me, there is an audience of readier who will thoroughly enjoy the story. To be fair, I really enjoyed the futuristic backdrop of the novel and the focus on social media – something that is very prevalent for teens today.
What I enjoyed the most aside from the characters, because both Marie and Louis had redeeming qualities was the romance. The romance felt sweet and not rushed. Marie and Louis and the example of when opposites attract. Now, back to the characters, Marie is so relatable because she is navigating being in a uncertain environment and finding her self within. Readers know from the beginning that Marie gives up her old life when she is set to marry Louis. This self discovery in done in a tech and social media heavy world, which again is something may people can relate to now with how influential social media can be in people’s decision making and discovery of their identity in the real world and internet world.
Cake Eater is a coming of age story set in a futuristic world where a historical story is intertwined in the grasp of a very social media heavy world. It is filled of twists and turns, a good romance and two main characters you want to know more about. While the pacing wasn’t consistent and the ending felt off, Cake Eater overall was a good read and would be a great read for anyone interested in a unique and creative retelling of an infamous historical events.
About the Author
Allyson Dahlin grew up on a farm in central New York, where she had little to do but read loads of library books and make up magical and slightly creepy stories about the woods and farm animals while pretending to be a witch/homesteader. She studied psychology in college while working as a housekeeper at a motel in Cooperstown. That job involved a lot of boring hours to think up backstories for the guests whose rooms she cleaned. A shawl left on a chair by an aging opera soprano, a stack of old baseball cards left by a Hall of Fame inductee, and the legend of a monster in the lake were all fodder for stories. It was during that time she transformed from a reader and a daydreamer to a writer.
With some writing courses and a psychology certification in hand, Allyson worked in school counseling and then at a boarding school for girls with complex trauma. Writing kept her spirits up during her intensely emotional work. Eventually, she fell into internet marketing, which meant writing for her day job as well as focusing on her novels. Her first novel, CAKE EATER, was inspired by a trip to Versailles and the realization that the circumstances of Marie Antoinette’s life could just as easily happen today.
Author Links: Website | Instagram
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