Rating: 
Summary: This book is da bomb
Review: I think that this book is the best book I've ever read. I love the author's style and everything about the book. I am the only person in my reading class and I thought it was really good.
Rating: 
Summary: Three and a half...starts slow but gets better
Review: I've been on a Tudor reading binge lately, and this teen novel about Mary Queen of Scots is part of it. It is the story of the tumultuous reign and disastrous marriages of the young Queen, as told by her female jester, La Jardiniere--born Nicola Ambruzzi, orphan and traveling player.Nicola is given her position as fool just before Mary's husband, the king of France, dies. Having no reason to stay in France, Mary goes back to her native Scotland and sets herself up as queen. Nicola goes with her, serving as a courtier, and also as a friend, during the years between Mary's return to Scotland and her exile in England. The book starts slowly, and is almost but not quite boring until the murder of David Riccio, a close friend of Mary and Nicola. Then it picks up, starting with a touching scene of Nicola visiting David's grave. After this beautiful interlude, the real action begins. Nicola must keep Darnley, Mary's frat-boy husband, from usurping the throne, and later has to help Mary escape from imprisonment on a remote island. The second half of the book is much more interesting than the first, but I suppose it would have made no sense without the background of the first half. *shrug* Overall, a decent novel about Queen Mary for middle-schoolers or thereabouts. It might even encourage you to read more about the Tudor/Stuart period.
Rating:
Summary: Three and a half...starts slow but gets better
Review: I've been on a Tudor reading binge lately, and this teen novel about Mary Queen of Scots is part of it. It is the story of the tumultuous reign and disastrous marriages of the young Queen, as told by her female jester, La Jardiniere--born Nicola Ambruzzi, orphan and traveling player. Nicola is given her position as fool just before Mary's husband, the king of France, dies. Having no reason to stay in France, Mary goes back to her native Scotland and sets herself up as queen. Nicola goes with her, serving as a courtier, and also as a friend, during the years between Mary's return to Scotland and her exile in England. The book starts slowly, and is almost but not quite boring until the murder of David Riccio, a close friend of Mary and Nicola. Then it picks up, starting with a touching scene of Nicola visiting David's grave. After this beautiful interlude, the real action begins. Nicola must keep Darnley, Mary's frat-boy husband, from usurping the throne, and later has to help Mary escape from imprisonment on a remote island. The second half of the book is much more interesting than the first, but I suppose it would have made no sense without the background of the first half. *shrug* Overall, a decent novel about Queen Mary for middle-schoolers or thereabouts. It might even encourage you to read more about the Tudor/Stuart period.
Rating:
Summary: Who cares if historically incorrect? Still a great book
Review: I've read historical fictions before, and Queen's Own Fool ranks on the top of the list. However biased or twisted some of the points in the novel are (Darnley's actions might be questionable), Ms. Yolen is able to create a great novel with these ingredients- a fascinating plot, vivid characterization, and a talent for creating atmosphere and foreshadowing. Nicola Ambruzzi, the narrator in the story, is an orphan who's been part of her abusing uncle's Troupe Brufort (a traveling circus). When Troupe Brufort was summoned to the French court, Nicola was discovered by Queen Mary (Queen of France) with her wit, truthfulness, and bold humor. Suddenly, Nicola is Queen Mary's personal fool- someone to open her eyes among lies and brighten her life. Nicola is also the Queen's advisor-guiding her through her first husband's death, Mary's decision in ruling Scotland, etc. Even when event take a very wrong turn, Nicola was always beside her Queen. Though I thought the ending rather left everything hanging, the rest of the story was well-written enough to keep me reading day in and day out.
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Summary: A Fresh Perspective
Review: Nicola Ambruzzi is a 13-year-old orphan living and performing with her uncle's troupe when they are summoned off the street to entertain at the court of Francis II, the young king of France. The troupe's reception is lukewarm, but pert and pithy-tongued Nicola attracts the attention of the queen, Mary, also known as Mary, Queen of Scots. A teenager herself, the queen engages Nicola as a jester. At first, Nicola feels relieved. But she is soon weary of traveling from palace to palace, frightened when suddenly thrust into political tumult, and repulsed by the terrible punishment exacted on the rebellious. Then Francis II dies, and Mary, no longer Queen of France, leaves for Scotland's throne. Although apprehensive, Nicola is now devoted to her queen, and she musters up her courage to go along. In Scotland, Nicola finds that Mary is less inclined to listen to her counsel when it doesn't suit her, as when she accepts Lord Henry Darnley's suit for marriage. Nicola mistrusts and despises the man but cannot make her beloved queen listen to her. Around this time she also befriends the ill-fated David Riccio, Mary's new music master and, eventually, her trusted secretary and adviser. The events then unfold steadily; Darnley's death, Mary's subsequent marriage to Bothwell, her imprisonment at Lochleven and escape, all leading toward the doomed queen's final departure to England. Nicola is there for most of it, lending a personal perspective to the historical portrait. This is a highly interesting, if not always factually, book and certainly provides a different look at a historical event.
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Summary: From the eyes of a fool
Review: Nicola Ambruzzi's parents died when she was young and she was adopted into her uncle's travelng performances. Her Uncle was cruel to all of his children, but most cruel to Nicola, for she was adopted into the perfomance crew. One day, at the most important event for the traveling crew, at the Palace in Rheims, where the crew was to entertain Queen Mary and King Francis, Nicola had a few run-ins with the Queen Mary herself. Queen Mary found Nicola witty and entertaining, so she bought her from Uncle as her own fool. For the first few months as fool, everything went perfect for Nicola, but the turning point was when King Francis died, and it was decided for Queen Mary to leave France and live in Scotland. From then on, the story became more and more depressing for the Queen and for Nicola, who was always behind the Queen. From the awful husband, Darnley, who was murdered, to the Queen's imprisonment...This book was true to history and was fun to read, but I don't think Queen Mary would have been such a kind soul.
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Summary: More magic from Yolen's pen!
Review: Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris Yolen, America's Hans Christian Andersen, with co-author Harris weave magic, mystery, and just the right amount of mayhem into this grand historical novel for young adults. This is the story of Mary Queen of Scots as seen through the eyes of her jester, or fool, an Italian orphan named Nicola. The young ladies have numerous adventures and escapades as they move from the sophisticated decadence of the French court to the coarse and rugged life of the royals and nobility in Scotland. The novel is based loosely on fact; Mary Stuart did indeed have a female fool. This rollicking read in the entirely engaging Yolen style, while not exactly like the Royal Diaries series, has all of fun and eloquent features of those novels. Jane Yolen's talent is simply immense.
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Summary: Jardinare
Review: This book is about Nicola Ambuzzi and how she becomes Oueen Mary's fool. She starts out in Troupe Burfort and is living with her Uncle Burfort and her cousins. They are a comedy troupe and get a chance to perform for the king and queen. While performing, Queen Mary thought she was very witful and so she asked Uncle Bufort if she could have Nicola. Uncle Bufort said yes and Nicola became the queen's fool. Nicola has to help the queen deal with the death of the king and she herself has to deal with the death of her good friend Davie. This book shows how a young girl has to deal with the trying things of becoming an adult.
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Summary: EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT BOOK
Review: This book is amazing, fun to read and packed with historical information. (although, some of the info may be questionable) I sincerely recommend this book to ANYONE who knows how to read!
Kudos Ms. Yolen and Mr. Harris!
Rating:
Summary: Completely absorbing
Review: This book is FASCINATING. Literally from the very first page you realise that what you are looking at is not a painting but a tapestry, with depth and texture to fill up the world it depicts. The enigmatic character of Nicola Ambruzzi, La Jardiniere, one of Mary Queen of Scots' female jesters (this is historical fact), is beautifully and quite believably depicted from the opening page through all the wild swings of Mary's fate and the poignant ending. All of the main characters are rounded and complex - few writers have the ability to make characters so flawed, so interesting, and so very human. Poor doomed Queen Mary is made understandable and, indeed, irresistable, as seen through the eyes of one who loved her as her guiding light. Even Mary's disastrous marital decisions make a kind of sense in view of the character as seen by the eminently witty and very clever narrator Nicola, whom we grow to care a great deal for through the course of the novel, from meeting her first as a precocious child of eleven through the course of her life in the service of the Queen. I found the use of poetry written by Mary herself to introduce each new section very effective, and a fine tie with real history. This NOVEL is wonderfully evocative and well-researched, and as I live near Edinburgh I know many of the landmarks the authors refer to, which added a fun dimension to that section of the book. Jane Yolen and her new partner-in-crime Robert Harris write together seamlessly, producing a new voice between them of great power and depth. There are scenes in this book - of Nicola hanging by a rope in Kirk O'Field while death waits before and behind - that will stay with me for a very long time, and that is one of the hallmarks of really fine writing. I can only hope that Yolen and Harris will continue this partnership, for if this is only their first outing, I cannot wait to read what the future holds!
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