Review: A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

A Mad Wicked Folly

Author: Sharon Biggs Waller
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Format: ARC, Paperback, 448 pages
Release Date: January 23, 2013
Source: Gifted to me from Kate @ Ex Libris
Rating: 5 Stars
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist–a nearly impossible dream for a girl.  

After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

My Review:

So the amazing Kate @ Ex Libris threw this ARC into my TBTB Santa box because she is so amazing. I had heard little to nothing about this book, but read the synopsis and thought it sounded pretty good. Let me tell you, it was. I have just been starting to dip my toe into the historical fiction genre and man what was wrong with me before? I should’ve been reading historical fiction a long time ago. The fashion, the history, the characters. I just can’t. I love it.

A Mad Wicked Folly follows the story of Victoria, a girl who wants nothing more than to become a successful artist. But that’s nearly impossible for a girl to do. A good woman is supposed to get married, have babies, and attend to all household and social obligations. Bleh. I would have died during this time period. Anyway, Victoria poses nude for an art class she is secretly taking and of course major scandal ensues. Her parents make it nearly impossible for her to pursue her art, but she is bound and determined.

I really enjoyed Victoria’s character. She thought out of the box (for the time period) and didn’t just go through the motions of life that she was supposed to. Victoria was ballsy from the start, but yet, still tentative and unsure of herself. But she develops into this amazing character and is nearly unrecognizable by the end. I loved watching her journey. I loved watching her learn to make her own decisions, to not take the easy way out, and to live her life for the only person who matters: herself.

“She knows where she belongs, where she fits in. No one tells her what to do or how to spend her days. She’s completely and utterly free.” –Victoria

The suffragette movement is in full swing during this time period and I loved reading about it. I haven’t read too much about the suffragette movement (except for what I was forced to in history classes), but reading about it in this book put it into a whole new perspective. These women are incredibly brave. The things that they do to fight for the rights that I now have, I don’t know if I could have done. You can certainly tell that the author did her research here. She references several different horrors these women experienced and wrote about it in such a way that I was rallying and cheering for them from my couch.

Okay, I can’t wait anymore. Can we talk about the romance? Oh. My. God. I can’t tell you the last time my heart raced so much. This romance was so scandalous and so forbidden and it just made it all the more juicy. Will was so freaking swoony. I think it’s the uniform; he’s a police constable. A man in power always gets me. But seriously he’s sweet, charismatic, a family man, a writer. Yeah, that’s right, I said he’s a writer. There was one scene that I just sat there gaping, heart pounding so loud I swear I could hear it. This romance was intense, slow-burning and absolutely incredible. If you don’t read this book for anything else, read it for the romance.

The plot is slow. There’s not much action going on, but I didn’t mind. (Yes, me the action-loving girl.) The story was just so rich and so well-developed that I couldn’t put it down. Even during chapters when not too much happened. I cried over these poor girls’ struggle. I cried over Victoria’s internal struggle with herself. Her battle over who she was and who she wanted to be in the world. In a word, this book was astounding. This is one that I will definitely reread and will most certainly be purchasing a finished copy of. Thanks again Kate for giving me this fantastic book! Happy reading all! 

Have you read this one? What did you think of the romance? And the suffragette movement? Any other amazing historical fiction recs  for me?