The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks: Montague Siblings, Book 3
Adventure series finale turns serious about mental illness.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks is the third and final volume in Mackenzi Lee's Montague Siblings series, set in the 1700s. Reading the books in order will give readers a deeper understanding of the characters, but isn't strictly needed to be able to follow this story. This volume takes a dark turn, narrated by youngest sibling Adrian, who has anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and a lot of time is spent detailing his thoughts, feelings, and pain as he tries, and often fails, to cope with a world that's just too much for him. He has suicidal thoughts, mentions a past attempt when he took arsenic, and hurts himself mostly by digging his nails in or scratching himself until he bleeds.. Parental loss is a major theme, since Adrian's quest is to find out how and why his mother died a year ago. Other violence includes mention of past physical abuse with brief descriptions of injuries and pain from it, and some swashbuckling fights with swords and guns that mention blood and pain but aren't gory. One description of a broken leg with bone sticking out is a bit gory. There are a few deep kisses with brief descriptions, otherwise sexy stuff is mostly mention of having sex in the past along with birth control, masturbation, and some female nudity without descriptions of sensitive body parts. Strong language includes "s--t," "pr--k," "d--k," and a character who often uses variations of "Jesus Christ" as an exclamation. Adults of legal age at the time drink alcohol occasionally and taverns are a frequent setting for meetings with meals. One incident of excessive drinking is shown, and past struggles with excessive drinking are mentioned. Adrian takes a fictional powder prescribed by a doctor to help with his mental disorders.
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What's the Story?
THE NOBLEMAN'S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS begins about a year after Adrian Montague's mother died after falling from a cliff into the sea. Adrian's still mourning her loss, but he's got a lot to look forward to, like his engagement to Louisa and his chance to make real change when he takes his hereditary seat in Parliament. A sudden discovery of some things his mother hid before she died includes half of a broken spyglass with part of an inscription on it. Adrian's mother carried that spyglass with her everywhere after she survived a shipwreck in Portugal, so why did she hide it away just before she died? Adrian hopes that by finding the answer to this question will prove that he and his mother are cursed, finally finding an explanation for the thoughts he has that don't seem like his own and why the world is just sometimes too big, too loud, too much for him to bear. Getting the answers and lifting the curse will take him to Morocco, Amsterdam, Portugal, and Iceland, where he'll have to learn how to deal with not only pirates, but the two siblings he never knew he had.
Is It Any Good?
This third, final installment in the swashbuckling series about the Montague siblings takes a serious and sometimes quite dark turn from the funny, campy adventures in the first two. Readers who enjoyed Monty and Felicity's earlier escapades should know that The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks has many more long passages about Adrian's mental and physical struggles than it does about adventure or romance on the road or at sea. There are adventures, pirates, mysteries, and even some funny parts, but the book is first and foremost a story about a young man struggling to accept his mind as it is, and learning to live with the knowledge that there will always be good days as well as bad ones.
Some of the extended parts where Adrian describes his thoughts can feel repetitive. But he'll definitely inspire empathy in teens who can handle the darkness, violence, and strong language as they get to know someone with anxiety and compulsive disorders as a whole, regular person like anyone else. Fans of the first two books will be glad to see favorite characters return, bringing humor and adventure along with them. The satisfying ending is sweet and hopeful.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about mental illness in The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks. Did you learn anything about it? Do you, or does someone you know, live with mental illness? What helps, and what doesn't help? See the Author's Note for a brief history of mental illness, suicide and crisis help lines, and some of the author's own experiences.
Is reading about violence such as being boarded by pirates different from reading about Adrian's self-harm, or thoughts about ending his life? Do you have the same reactions? Is it too much?
Have you read the first two books in the series? If you did, which one do you like best? Why? If you didn't, would you like to now?
Book Details
- Author: Mackenzi Lee
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date: November 16, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 592
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 8, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
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The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue: Montague Siblings, Book 1
Funny, exciting escapades of bisexual English teen in 1700s.
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The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy: Montague Siblings, Book 2
Entertaining sequel has strong girl-power messages.
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How It Feels to Float
Teen battles mental illness in unforgettable, hopeful story.
For kids who love adventure and stories of dealing with mental illness
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