April’s Book Pick and Release Celebration: One for All by Lillie Lainoff
[ID: A book with a brown-haired white teen swordfighting in a bright pink dress on the cover which is laying on a gray wooden floor. Bright pink roses are scattered around and a replica Sting sword lays to the left of the book with its hilt exposed. An old fashioned fan is above the book and opera glasses are sitting at the bottom. A black and gold teacup holds another pink rose with two gold sword-shaped dangly earrings from GenZAlternative on Etsy, another fellow chronically ill creative.]
“They may not be the Musketeers I’d imagined. But they were better, because they were mine.”
Happy Release Day to ONE FOR ALL by Lille Lainoff, the Chronically Iconic Book Club’s April read!
I’ve been singing this book’s praises for months and I’m so excited that the world will finally get to read my most anticipated read of 2022!!!
One for All by Lillie Lainoff
Genre: YA/teen historical fiction
Representation: POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) rep (own voice)
Content warnings: death of a parent, discussion of abuse, action violence, ableism, discrimination
Discussion Dates: To be Decided
Where: @libraryofdreaming’s instagram
Synopsis:
Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.
Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.
With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.
ONE FOR ALL is the first traditionally published fiction novel about a character with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) written by an author with POTS (and, if you listen to the audiobook, also narrated by a woman with POTS)!
I (@libraryofdreaming) can’t describe how amazing it was to read a book with a chronically ill character like myself (although I don’t have POTS). As a sword collecting chronically ill classics addict, I think Lillie Lainoff may have written this book JUST for me. So many lines and scenes took my breath away. I laughed, I cried, and my heart was entirely captured by this book!
ONE FOR ALL is a delightful story of friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery. As the author is also a professional fencer, it’s no surprise this book has some of the best fight scenes I’ve ever seen! Chronic illness is one facet of a richly detailed story that kept me on the edge of my seat.
ONE FOR ALL is the book I’ve been waiting for my entire life and I can’t wait for you all to discover it too.
Exciting news!
The Chronically Iconic Book Club will be hosting a special author event with Lillie Lainoff in April along with our group discussion! Keep an eye out for more details about the event and other fun news coming soon…