The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly
Author: Jamie Pacton Publisher: Page Street Kids Release Date: May 5th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
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Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.
Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.
Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.
meet the characters
These are my very favorite KIT characters!
Kit Sweetly is a wench with knightly aspirations, medieval jokes for days, and a desperate desire to change her stars. She’s 17, a cis-female, white, and poor. She’s also tough and smart, but sometimes thinks she’s got to solve every problem herself. Lucky for Kit, she’s got great friends and enough determination to bounce back from almost anything.
Jett, Kit’s BFF and love interest, is also 17 and he’s a cis-male who’s half Indian and half Russian. He’s funny, smart, and has had a crush on Kit for years. He plays the trumpet, works at the Castle, wants to make documentaries for a living, and usually is filming everything. He also rides a motorcycle, is a great big brother, is a feminist, and is kind of the perfect guy. (I 100% modeled him off my husband).
Layla is Kit’s other BFF. She’s a 17-year-old, cis-female, African-American, and bi.
She’s an artist/graphic designer, comes from a rich family, and she plans on going to school in New York City after high school. Layla loves horses and is super excited to get a chance to ride out as a knight.
Chris, the Red Knight, is Kit’s older brother by two years and her only sibling. He’s funny, brave, and feels very protective of Kit. He’s also a feminist and taught her how to joust and be a knight as he learned the moves. Chris wants to be an architect, but he’s going to school and working lots of jobs to keep the family afloat. Like Kit, he’s super angry at their father for abandoning them.
Lizzy is a wench at the Castle who eventually rides out at as the Silver Knight. She’s plus sized and from the book: “a tall, pretty white girl who plays volleyball and just got voted ‘Most Likely to Dress like a Librarian for the Rest of her Life’ in [Kit’s] senior class. Quiet and bookish in real life, when she’s at the Castle, she trades her cardigans and patterned dresses for a low-cut Wench dress that hugs her curves….”
Mags, the Purple Knight is an 18-year-old, cis-female, who is Chinese American, has lots of tattoos and piercings, and is very punk rock. She likes to display those tattoos, despite company policy against them. Has chin length black hair that is dyed in a rainbow of colors at the tips frequently. Mags dreams of playing in an all-girl punk rock band and touring the world.
Alex is 17, latinix, non-binary, and a force to be reckoned with. From the book: “They’re valedictorian of our senior class, president of two photography clubs (school and city), and blocker on our local Roller Derby team (nickname Tyranno- saurus Lex)….”
Penny is Chris’ best friend. She’s 21, a trans woman, and always wears bright red lipstick. She loves working at the Castle and the local Ren Faire, and she’s super into romance novels, funny movies, and wants to eventually be an author. She and Chris talk about getting an apartment in downtown Chicago someday.
about the author
Jamie Pacton writes all sorts of books: dark, feminist YA fantasy; contemporary YA stories with a funny + geeky bent; funny MG adventure-fantasy; and, even the occasional adult rom-com. She was a Pitch Wars mentee in 2015 and she mentored YA in 2016, 2017, and 2018. She grew up minutes away from the National Storytelling Center in the mountains of East Tennessee; she’s the oldest of ten kids; and, she currently lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, their two kids, and a dog named Lego. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly (forthcoming May 5, 2020) is her Young Adult debut.
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