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

Summary from Goodreads:

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Review:

What’s the opposite of reading slump? A reading party-cruise? I’ve seriously been loving all the books I’ve been reading lately, particularly this one. There’s a lot of hype for this one. I haven’t heard anything negative about it at all. And I kind of dove into it blind, despite this. I didn’t know the extent of what it would cover. And honestly, I’ve never been a big historical fiction reader. I’m so glad I took everyone’s slight nudging of the book into my lap seriously. Also, thank you to the random, exasperated employee of HarperCollins who allowed me to take a hard cover copy of this book at ALA. I asked her what they were doing with all the hard covers of it (on a whim) and she said, “Just take it.”

I’m glad all the fates worked together and I read it and even got it signed at the Boston Teen Author Festival. It just felt like I was meant to read the book. And it was wonderful. I absolutely adored Monty. He reminded me so much of a favorite character of mine from Vampire Academy: Adrian. Both are tortured souls who come off as rakish upper society failures. And both are capable of extreme growth, love, and accomplishment.

I fell in love with Monty right away (even when he was coming off as a rakish failure). I loved that he saw his European tour as his last year of freedom. I loved his friendship with his long time crush: Percy. I also loved his sister, who was constantly reading and saving everyone with her medical knowledge and all-around knowhow. I loved the three of them together. I couldn’t wait to get to the part of the book that delved into the whole “manhunt” thing mentioned in the summary.

Thankfully, I did not have to wait too long. This book has a bit of everything: romance, adventure, witty banter, suspense, highway men, gun wounds, pirates, cross-continental travels, gambling, drinking, stealing, alchemy, and escape. There seriously was never a dull moment –something I wish for all historical fiction books. And in the background of it all are tougher topics of racism, sexism, prejudice, abuse, and fear. Monty is essentially a bisexual in a time when the word doesn’t even exist yet. And his best friend Percy is constantly picked on, sneered at, belittled, and looked over because of the hue of his skin. Felicity has the mind of a doctor, but isn’t even allowed into medical related lectures because of her sex. And despite that, or maybe even partially because of that, the three make a powerfully intelligent and heartwarming trio.

There’s also this rather fantastical element of the story that revolves around alchemy and wanting to cure a friend’s illness. There’s secret code boxes, bone keys, creepy, bone made crypts, and sinking islands. This element of the story kept me even more riveted. I loved the darkness to it all. I loved the lengths characters were taking to seize control of such power.

All in all, this book had everything: awesome characters, excellent setting, crazy adventures, a tiny bit of fantastical magic, interesting issues, and plenty of wit. I loved Lee’s writing style. I hope she continues to write. I’m so glad I happened upon this story. I give it a 10/10.