The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

My Rating: ★★★★★

Prince Sebastian is entertaining potential brides by day and living as Lady Crystallia by night. He must keep is true self a secret from his parents out of fear that he will be rejected and abandoned. Helping him keep his secret is his new friend and talented dressmaker, Frances, who dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer. With the help of Frances, Lady Crystallia continues to blossom as she becomes a style icon in France, testing their friendship and happiness along the way.

I absolutely loved this story. It’s such a heartwarming tale of friendship and acceptance accompanied by beautiful artwork. Only a few people know Sebastian’s secret. He fears what would happen if anyone, especially his parents and the public, knew that he’s Lady Crystallia. We watch him struggle to meet his parents’ expectations as well as his fear of disappointing them all while trying to stay true to himself in secret. The fear of coming out as Lady Crystallia is tremendous, and the fallout could be substantial.

Meanwhile, Frances blossoms as a fashion designer and her star can only rise so much before people start to notice that she’s both Sebastian and Lady Crystallia’s seamstress. If people start to put two and two together, Sebastian’s livelihood will be threatened, so she must choose between staying with Crystallia or striking out on her own. I felt so sad for their friendship as they approached a fork in the road, but I felt sadder for Sebastian because Frances is his only true friend as well as one of two people who accept him for who he is. I found myself hoping that they could figure out a way to make things work for the both of them.

As the story progressed, it took some unexpected turns that I expected as well as ones that I did not. These are both positive and negative turns and I truly felt for Frances and Sebastian at each turn. This is a story that so many of us have been hoping to see and it’s not one to miss. If graphic novels are not your thing, I urge you to pick up this book anyway. The artwork is beautiful and enhances the story, and the story enhances the artwork.