This is a lovely story. It’s wonderful friendship story and a creatively told magic story. Endearing (and some not endearing) and vividly drawn and memorable characters, child and adult, female and male.

I tried my best to not think of the book A Little Princess or to compare that book with this one. Ditto this book being reminiscent at times of the books The Secret Garden and the Harry Potter series. It stands on its own though so I tried to focus and read it as the unique story that it is.

I enjoyed the world building in an alternative history in New York City. The magic was interesting. Great message too!

The humor with the mispronounced names I think I would have found more amusing when I was young but I did smile a few times as I read.

Most of what happened was predictable but that did not diminish my reading enjoyment. I am thinking that while this is often true (for adult readers) for middle grade fiction it’s actually also frequently the case for books in most genres.)

I think this would have been one of my favorite books had I read it at ages 9-10. I wholeheartedly recommend it to girls now around that age and to all readers who can appreciate fine children’s literature.

Thanks to Goodreads friend Kathryn for alerting me to this book! I’m glad that I read it.

One of the quotes that I liked: “Kindness is its own type of magic, don’t you think?” ( )

As fun as it is empowering and heartfelt.

I loved Izzy with her tough exterior and vulnerable insides (particularly her love for her sister) and Emma who lived a life of privilege only to rise to the challenge when all of that is taken away from her. They’re both characters with huge hearts even if one of them is a little more reluctant at first to let hers show.

Gilded age New York is fantastically described, you can easily picture the decadence in the wealthy areas and the grit and grime of the poorer neighborhoods. The setting, even within the boarding school, played off the plot so perfectly very much showing the disparity between those with money and those without.

There was something that I saw coming but it quite possibly will surprise readers who are actually the intended age for this book. I didn’t really mind all that much that I could predict it though because it’s written in a way where even if you do see it coming there’s still the anticipation of how it’s unfolding and when will the characters be let in on what’s going on.

While I enjoyed the magic sprinkled throughout the story, the family bonds and even more so the family Izzy and Emma find in each other was really for me the true magic of this book. ( )

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Gilded Girl is very much a rewrite of the classic book (and movie, many times over) The Little Princess, which was a childhood favorite of mine. The book's description doesn't say this straight out (which mystifies me), but the book hits every major plot point of the classic. Therefore, if you know the original story, you know exactly what to expect here as well.

But is that a bad thing? Yes and no. What sets The Gilded Girl apart of a subplot of magic. Every child is born with the gift of magic. However, in December when a child is twelve, a wind comes and their magic sparks--and either they control it and keep their magic, or they are doused in water and their magic is forever snuffed, or they totally catch fire and die or are maimed. Society has established that only the wealthy are trained in how to keep and utilize their magic. Really, magic is the stuff of oppression and class warfare.

Don't expect any explanations or logical worldbuilding beyond that. Take the magic as a fluffy thing with some nonsensical rules, and just go with it. Same with the introduction of house dragons, which look exactly like cats. Figgy the house dragon is frustrating because he knows everything and helps very little, but still, he's a cat/house dragon, so you kinda have to love him.

One thing I really liked about the book is that it follows two perspectives. You have Emma, essentially 'the Little Princess' who is raised in privilege, then is demoted to be an abused servant after her father goes missing. She's a stalwart, good-meaning sort, very much in the mold of the Shirley Temple movie version I love. The other perspective is what adds a lot to this new take: Izzy, an Irish servant at the school who is determined to not let her magic be snuffed. She has verve and attitude, and her view of this 1906 New York City setting really brightens the story, predictable as it is. The friendship that grows between the girls is great.

She's a big reason why I'm giving the book four stars. Yes, it's a blatant, predictable rewrite of an old classic, and yes, the magic will make readers say "huh?" more than once. Even so, the book is a good read. It's cozy. Sometimes it's great to have a book where you do know exactly what will happen, and you just go with it and have fun. I would have adored this book when I was a kid, and I think a lot of kids will love it these days--and decide their own cat happens to be a house dragon. ( )