YA book review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Eighteen year old Henry Montague, or Monty, is the son of a British Lord in the 18th century. Before learning the extremely dull and tedious business of running an royal estate, Monty embarks on a tour of Europe with his best friend Percy and younger sister Felicity. Monty views the tour as his last chance for pure fun, but his father warns that if Monty drinks to excess, or fools around with girls -- or especially boys -- then he’ll disinherit Monty.

That’s a tough call for Monty, who loves to drink and fool around--  with girls, but especially boys.  Being bisexual can be confusing to a teenager in any time, but in 18th century Europe it can be especially problematic. Monty has a crush on Percy, and thinks that might be reciprocated.

In France, while fooling around with a young woman in a Baron’s apartment, Monty decides to steal a souvenir just to anger the arrogant Baron. What he takes is a puzzle box that is incredibly valuable, and the Baron sends a gang of highwaymen to get it back. This leaves Monty and friends running across Europe with almost nothing but the puzzle box and their wits. Then Percy reveals a long-hidden secret, and Monty realizes the puzzle box might contain the very answer he needs to help Percy.

Author Mackenzi Lee has the talent to effortlessly weave strands of  social commentary on race, homosexuality, and privilege into a thrillingly fun YA novel. In Monty, Lee has created a leading character that is full of spunk, gusto, and undeserved confidence, but also riddled by self-doubt and forbidden longing. Mixed-race Percy and the scientific minded Felicity round out a cast of characters who buck the time period’s expectations and help make The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue a joy to read.