4 stars for The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams
"François de La Rochefoucauld once wrote, "We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others, that in the end, we become disguised to ourselves."
Synopsis:
It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.
For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?
With the help of a supremely dorky, but undeniably cute, local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.
But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.
I received a digital ARC of The Storyteller from Harper360YA via Edelweiss. I'll admit, at first I wasn't overly excited about it, largely because there wasn't a ton of time between when I received it and the publication date and that can stress me out. Whenever I'm given the opportunity to read a book before its publication date, I always try to read and review it before it comes out. Unfortunately, I finished it late the night of publication and wasn't able to get this review out in time. But...I'm really glad I read it and I think you should check it out!
I love history. I love learning about historical events and about ancient cultures and how they've either gone extinct or have changed to how they are in modern times. The did- she-or-didn't-she theories about whether or not Anastasia Romanov survived the horrible assassination of her entire family are fascinating to me. It's horrendous, but also provides some historical intrigue. While there is plenty of proof now that shows that, unfortunately, all the Romanovs were killed, holding on to the hope that one of them survived was probably important for many people. Plus it makes for a darn good story.
The Storyteller is a little historical, a little mystery, a little romance, and a lot YA. I really enjoy reading YA and have no problem admitting that I read a fair bit of it. But since my niece turned 13, I don't only read YA for enjoyment. I'm also thinking about if the book I'm reading would be appropriate for her. She's a big reader as well, is a very smart young lady, and while she won't be young forever, any time I recommend a book to her I want to make sure it's appropriate. I would (and will be) recommend this one for her. It's a pretty clean book. There's some romance and a little bit of high school drinking, but there's no sex and a huge message about learning who you are and not changing yourself to try and be what others want you to be.
While trying to figure out if her great-great-aunt Anna is really Anastasia Romanov, Jess is also trying to understand herself. She changes so much of her personality and her likes/dislikes to fit whomever she's with. Whether it's trying to seem cooler so her hot, popular, and super athletic boyfriend will continue to like her or if it's playing soccer instead of learning the piano because her mom thought it would look better on college applications, Jess only stays true to herself when she's writing. While she and Evan are reading her diaries and researching the possibility that they are true, Jess learns some valuable lessons about herself. Most importantly, she learns to stick up for what she wants and not be afraid of being different. Plus Evan is hands-down better than Ryan.
Because this book focuses on a part of Russian history, I decided to whip up some Russian tea cakes. Turns out though, that they might not actually be Russian. Sorry about that. I also didn't have walnuts so I used pecans instead. At this point, I feel it's the thought that counts. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
-Kim
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