Madame Tussaud's Apprentice

July 1, 2014
The historical Madame Tussaud provides an unusual lens on the French Revolution.Sixteen-year-old thief Celie and her companion in crime, Algernon, make a precarious living stealing from the French elite. Both teens resent the aristocracy, believing that the rich caused the deaths of their families. By chance, Celie's artistic talents come into play when she is arrested for stealing from Madame Tussaud; the famed waxwork lady, whose art is already one of the popular attractions in Paris, takes her in to make use of her skill at drawing uncannily realistic representations. Madame Tussaud is also the drawing tutor to the king's sister, Madame Elizabeth, which brings the reluctant Celie into the last innocent days at Versailles. When the revolution begins, Algernon fights for freedom, but Madame Tussaud faces the guillotine. Duble's writing flows smoothly, but her characters often seem muddled-motivations and emotions are spelled out, not felt. However, the history behind the story (such as the fact that Madame Tussaud was forced to make wax casts of the severed heads of the royals, including her friend Madame Elizabeth) is fascinating, and it propels the story to its somewhat hopeful end.Stumbles aside, an intriguing look at an ever compelling time. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 Duble finds an unfamiliar angle into the French Revolution: famed wax sculptor Madame Tussaud's fictional teenage apprentice, Celie. Celie survives life on the streets of eighteenth-century Paris by thieving with her friend Algernon, until she is caught in a scheme and rescued by Manon Tussaud, who is intrigued by Celie's impressive drawing abilities. While learning the ways of wax sculpting, Celie finds herself closer to royalty than she ever imaginedtraveling to Versailles and befriending Louis XVI's sister Elizabethand she begins to question her beliefs about the social hierarchy. Then, when rebels take hold of Paris, and Algernon is swept into the revolutionary fervor, Celie is forced to decide where her true allegiances lie. While the love story with Algernon never quite takes center stage, the detailed descriptions of wax building and mildly gruesome scenes of casting with actual decapitated heads from the royal family both educate and entertain. Well paced and captivating, Duble's novel effectively explores the shades of gray in the French Revolution.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)