MADE GLORIOUS, by Lindsay Eagar, Candlewick, April 2, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A high school thespian will stop at nothing to get the lead in Made Glorious, a contemporary YA novel by Lindsay Eagar.
Rory is an antihero for the ages. Like Shakespeare’s Richard III, she confides in her audience, telling us exactly the lengths she’ll go to secure the leading role in Bosworth Academy’s senior musical, confessing without shame that she is charming and conniving and brutally ambitious, that we will watch and root for her even as she manipulates and endangers those around her.
And we do.
Perhaps it’s because we don’t want to believe that she’s as relentless as she claims. Rory is an underdog, after all, a scholarship kid teased for her weight. Surely there will be redemption? Surely our dread and patience will be rewarded? —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
Made Glorious is one of those books where there’s nothing redeemable about the main character, but you can’t stop reading. And, in the end, you can’t help but admire her gumption.
Author Lindsay Eagar’s writing is a tour de force. Her intricately plotted novel is told through multiple viewpoints, with script excerpts, an original musical score, and the potential leading lady providing asides throughout.
And what a leading lady.
Rory is methodical, always a few steps ahead. After all, no one would ever suspect her of any wrongdoing. She’s a bright student and she’s always willing to help behind the scenes.
Every word of Made Glorious has been meticulously mapped out. It’s a diabolical and witty page-turner. It’s really one of the best YA novels I’ve read in some time.
Note: Made Glorious does feature themes of harm and revenge, allusions to suicide and sexual acts. It is therefore not suitable for younger YA readers. It’s best for mature 14-year-olds and up.
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