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Made Glorious
In a vicious, delicious contemporary novel inspired by Shakespeare’s Richard III, the lauded author of The Family Fortuna lifts the curtain on a high school thespian who’ll stop at nothing to land the lead.
Rory is an antihero for the ages. Like Shakespeare’s Richard III, she confides in her audience, telling us exactly the lengths she’ll go to to secure the leading role in Bosworth Academy’s senior musical, confessing without shame that she is charming and conniving and brutally ambitious, that we will watch and root for her even as she manipulates and endangers those around her. And we do. Perhaps it’s because we don’t want to believe that she’s as relentless as she claims. Rory is an underdog, after all, a scholarship kid teased for her weight. Surely there will be redemption? Surely our dread and patience will be rewarded? Intricately plotted with an ingenious narrative that blends multiple viewpoints with script excerpts and an original musical score, Lindsay Eagar’s whip-smart, precision-crafted, and gleefully compulsive page-turner taps into the dark side of high school theater production. A diabolically good read, it forces our complicity as we wince and cheer for an arresting drama queen who just can’t help going full-tilt nasty in the pursuit of her dreams.
Rory is an antihero for the ages. Like Shakespeare’s Richard III, she confides in her audience, telling us exactly the lengths she’ll go to to secure the leading role in Bosworth Academy’s senior musical, confessing without shame that she is charming and conniving and brutally ambitious, that we will watch and root for her even as she manipulates and endangers those around her. And we do. Perhaps it’s because we don’t want to believe that she’s as relentless as she claims. Rory is an underdog, after all, a scholarship kid teased for her weight. Surely there will be redemption? Surely our dread and patience will be rewarded? Intricately plotted with an ingenious narrative that blends multiple viewpoints with script excerpts and an original musical score, Lindsay Eagar’s whip-smart, precision-crafted, and gleefully compulsive page-turner taps into the dark side of high school theater production. A diabolically good read, it forces our complicity as we wince and cheer for an arresting drama queen who just can’t help going full-tilt nasty in the pursuit of her dreams.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
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3737 people want to read
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January 2, 2025I like to think of myself as a little bit of a Shakespeare retelling connoisseur, and was so geeked to find out about this YA retelling of Richard III, which is a deeply underrepresented source text in the realm of Shakespearean reimaginings.
And scrolling through some of these reviews, it seems that very few readers approached this book from an interest in this book’s relationship to the original play, so this will be fun for me to talk about!!
Richard III is recast as Rory King (yes, an unbelievably silly renaming) in this weird, intense dark academia-adjacent thriller about what it feels to be an outsider in the cutthroat world of high school theatre. Instead of climbing to be king, in this adaptation, Rory is scheming to reach the greatest height one can achieve in high school: the lead in the musical.
Now, I was a bit skeptical going into a Richard III retelling without a disabled MC. Richard’s disability, of course, is at the forefront of his experiences. The current culture we see today around performances of Richard III (appropriately) insists on casting disabled actors in the roles. But I think that Eagar made a decent choice in translating Richard’s experience with disability to Rory’s experiences as being poor and fat. These experiences are not seen as equal or comparable, but serve similar functions in the story, to cast the main character as other. And in this, I think that choice was successful, if not slightly underutilized.
I think the thing that makes this book so successful as a Richard III retelling is its narration, which is handled in several different tactics. For anyone unfamiliar with the source text, Richard III is a classic Machievel archetype, but one that asks for sympathy and understanding. A properly performed Richard will make you both love and hate him, laugh with him and at him, and maybe even root for him. And the way that Eagar takes on this challenge is through inconsistent and malleable narrative. The text switches from first person to third person to second person or regular prose to scripted scenes as needed, as Rory provides the audience with an “objective view” or a monologue to connect with as needed to garner sympathy and support. I love a book that plays with form.
Beyond Rory, the other character parallels were ones that I wasn’t quite as clear on, but that may be a fault of my own. The ones that were clear worked so interestingly, especially Margaret, cast as Rory’s concerned English teacher.
There were plenty of really cool allusions to the original source material in here, such as the scene before Richard’s death with the ghosts, the Tower TM, and even the seasonal metaphors. I was yearning for a little bit more in terms of textual parallels at times, or at least more longevity of the ones featured (I kind of wanted more allusions to the Tower, or for it to have some more physical presence, but I also understand that we were in Rory’s hands and she didn’t really want us thinking about it) but the ones that were there were really cool.
I think my favorite part of this book is the brief snippets of Rory’s papers that were featured between the Acts. Of course, these gave us some insight into the mind of the character herself, which allowed us to see her incredible writing skills and ability to engage with complex ideologies, giving us context for her scheming capacities both mentally and physically. But those papers also created brilliant context for the retelling itself, offering ideas about Machiavellian beliefs, Shakespearean tragedies, and dramatic form. It perfectly wove in pieces of information for the readers to engage with that provided more character depth and tools with which to appreciate and interrogate the story. Especially considering this is a YA story, its audience might not already be familiar with Machiavelli or these other ideas that are molding the choices made for the form of the story at large as well as the actions made by the characters within it, so these little pieces carried a lot of weight by offering pivotal moments to reflect and think amidst the drama and the action.
I think my only real critique is the ambiguity with which Rory’s complaints about the theatre culture lands. It felt very much like it was left up to the audience whether Rory is right and that high school theatre directors are manipulative and create toxic environments, or whether she is wrong and she wasn’t driven to those lengths. I felt like there wasn’t quite room for the critique (which is very real and accurate) to fit and hold truth while we were so worried about whether Rory’s behavior was warranted. But that’s mostly because I liked that critique and just wanted it to hold more space in the story.
Overall, definitely a really successful book and retelling in my eyes. Thank you to my friend Bailey for telling me about this one and getting a copy!!
CW: suicide, fatphobia, mental illness, car accident, bullying, sexual content (minor)
And scrolling through some of these reviews, it seems that very few readers approached this book from an interest in this book’s relationship to the original play, so this will be fun for me to talk about!!
Richard III is recast as Rory King (yes, an unbelievably silly renaming) in this weird, intense dark academia-adjacent thriller about what it feels to be an outsider in the cutthroat world of high school theatre. Instead of climbing to be king, in this adaptation, Rory is scheming to reach the greatest height one can achieve in high school: the lead in the musical.
Now, I was a bit skeptical going into a Richard III retelling without a disabled MC. Richard’s disability, of course, is at the forefront of his experiences. The current culture we see today around performances of Richard III (appropriately) insists on casting disabled actors in the roles. But I think that Eagar made a decent choice in translating Richard’s experience with disability to Rory’s experiences as being poor and fat. These experiences are not seen as equal or comparable, but serve similar functions in the story, to cast the main character as other. And in this, I think that choice was successful, if not slightly underutilized.
I think the thing that makes this book so successful as a Richard III retelling is its narration, which is handled in several different tactics. For anyone unfamiliar with the source text, Richard III is a classic Machievel archetype, but one that asks for sympathy and understanding. A properly performed Richard will make you both love and hate him, laugh with him and at him, and maybe even root for him. And the way that Eagar takes on this challenge is through inconsistent and malleable narrative. The text switches from first person to third person to second person or regular prose to scripted scenes as needed, as Rory provides the audience with an “objective view” or a monologue to connect with as needed to garner sympathy and support. I love a book that plays with form.
Beyond Rory, the other character parallels were ones that I wasn’t quite as clear on, but that may be a fault of my own. The ones that were clear worked so interestingly, especially Margaret, cast as Rory’s concerned English teacher.
There were plenty of really cool allusions to the original source material in here, such as the scene before Richard’s death with the ghosts, the Tower TM, and even the seasonal metaphors. I was yearning for a little bit more in terms of textual parallels at times, or at least more longevity of the ones featured (I kind of wanted more allusions to the Tower, or for it to have some more physical presence, but I also understand that we were in Rory’s hands and she didn’t really want us thinking about it) but the ones that were there were really cool.
I think my favorite part of this book is the brief snippets of Rory’s papers that were featured between the Acts. Of course, these gave us some insight into the mind of the character herself, which allowed us to see her incredible writing skills and ability to engage with complex ideologies, giving us context for her scheming capacities both mentally and physically. But those papers also created brilliant context for the retelling itself, offering ideas about Machiavellian beliefs, Shakespearean tragedies, and dramatic form. It perfectly wove in pieces of information for the readers to engage with that provided more character depth and tools with which to appreciate and interrogate the story. Especially considering this is a YA story, its audience might not already be familiar with Machiavelli or these other ideas that are molding the choices made for the form of the story at large as well as the actions made by the characters within it, so these little pieces carried a lot of weight by offering pivotal moments to reflect and think amidst the drama and the action.
I think my only real critique is the ambiguity with which Rory’s complaints about the theatre culture lands. It felt very much like it was left up to the audience whether Rory is right and that high school theatre directors are manipulative and create toxic environments, or whether she is wrong and she wasn’t driven to those lengths. I felt like there wasn’t quite room for the critique (which is very real and accurate) to fit and hold truth while we were so worried about whether Rory’s behavior was warranted. But that’s mostly because I liked that critique and just wanted it to hold more space in the story.
Overall, definitely a really successful book and retelling in my eyes. Thank you to my friend Bailey for telling me about this one and getting a copy!!
CW: suicide, fatphobia, mental illness, car accident, bullying, sexual content (minor)
April 1, 2024
I waiver between 3 and 3.5.
This book was good, but it wasn't a page turner so results may vary. Overall i liked the play aspect especially since i am not a theater kid and always wondered what happened behind the curtain. The mental health topic was well done and overall good. I was kind of hoping the main character would succeed and the others would get their comeuppance.
Thank you Candlewick Press for giving me an advanced readers copy of Made Glorious.
This book was good, but it wasn't a page turner so results may vary. Overall i liked the play aspect especially since i am not a theater kid and always wondered what happened behind the curtain. The mental health topic was well done and overall good. I was kind of hoping the main character would succeed and the others would get their comeuppance.
Thank you Candlewick Press for giving me an advanced readers copy of Made Glorious.
March 13, 2024
Exciting read! I loved it!
February 4, 2025
Uhh. I think I'll have to sit with this one (let's be so honest, I won't think about this book again after class tomorrow).
But I really don't know how to feel about this one, and I don't really know what to rate it. 2.75 stars? Is that too generous?
Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. I just didn't really like Rory, and at no point did I feel for her or have any interest in her. She was kind of a jerk and manipulative. She only cared for herself and seemed to think that her male gay best friend would suddenly fall in love with her. She also seemed to think that being in theater for her whole high school career means she deserved a lead role? Maybe you're not as talented as you thought? All of that for the lead role in a high school production?? Ehhh. Yeah, no. Just doesn't seem worth it.
Not for me, I think. Not to mention that ending? Also, all the plot holes, or more so, the omitted information. My least favorite read this week, i think.
But I really don't know how to feel about this one, and I don't really know what to rate it. 2.75 stars? Is that too generous?
Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. I just didn't really like Rory, and at no point did I feel for her or have any interest in her. She was kind of a jerk and manipulative. She only cared for herself and seemed to think that her male gay best friend would suddenly fall in love with her. She also seemed to think that being in theater for her whole high school career means she deserved a lead role? Maybe you're not as talented as you thought? All of that for the lead role in a high school production?? Ehhh. Yeah, no. Just doesn't seem worth it.
Not for me, I think. Not to mention that ending? Also, all the plot holes, or more so, the omitted information. My least favorite read this week, i think.
October 8, 2024
The book synopsis says that we will root for Rory who is ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. While I didn't root for, she was still someone that I loved to hate and it was refreshing to have a main character with zero redeeming qualities. It was also a good insight into what a high school theatre production goes through (mostly) and I did learn some things.
July 31, 2024
I don’t know about this one. From a lit teacher perspective , this is an interesting book because of the use of second person POV and direct address to the reader. But from a reader’s perspective, it was REALLY hard to like or care about Rory. I’m not sure “antihero” is accurate - more like villain protagonist. Antiheroes still usually do /some/ good for others; Rory does not. In fact she actively harms many many people. But for what?! A part in a musical!?!
And then there was the ending… it was abrupt and, at least to me, confusing. I knew what was coming, but I still don’t fully understand what happened, how, or why. Maybe that is just me. But the ending, which I had heard is what makes the book, actually ruined it for me.
And then there was the ending… it was abrupt and, at least to me, confusing. I knew what was coming, but I still don’t fully understand what happened, how, or why. Maybe that is just me. But the ending, which I had heard is what makes the book, actually ruined it for me.
February 9, 2025
I love a Shakespearean retelling, and this was an ambitious take on Richard III. I loved that the story not only echoes the plot of the play, but also some of the structural elements that require the reader to side with this anti-hero and then consider their own complicity. Dark, devious, and disturbing- this book isn’t for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
February 6, 2025
Chilling reminder that a protagonist doesn't need to be likeable to be interesting.
June 29, 2024
My review from my personal blog:
At Bosworth Academy's prestigious theater department, lead roles are always performed by seniors, but even after years of "paying her dues", Rory King has only ever been cast in the ensemble. With her final high school show approaching soon, Rory decides that it's time to stop leaving her fate in the hands of her director and teacher Pam Hanson. She devises a multi-step plan that begins with ensuring that her talented friend Annie Neville gets cast in the lead role and continues by sabotaging Annie while keeping herself in Pam’s good graces. Rory does have to fall back on a few extra schemes to silence a couple suspicious classmates and to keep her concerned English teacher from interfering, but everything seems to be going according to plan right up until opening night. Eager's writing is so masterful in this book that she manages to maintain a constantly shifting narrative style with seamless, barely noticeable, transitions. Rory’s narrative voice switches from conversational to dramatic, and the book includes passages in first, second, and third person. Occasionally, Rory addresses the reader directly, hinting at the next steps in her scheme and justifying her previous actions. This angsty, atmospheric novel will appeal to teen readers who like mysteries and unreliable narrators, although it doesn't really fit into either of those categories. It will also find a particularly fascinated audience among teenagers with experience or interest in theater, especially those who are likely to recognize the allusions to Shakespeare's Richard III.
At Bosworth Academy's prestigious theater department, lead roles are always performed by seniors, but even after years of "paying her dues", Rory King has only ever been cast in the ensemble. With her final high school show approaching soon, Rory decides that it's time to stop leaving her fate in the hands of her director and teacher Pam Hanson. She devises a multi-step plan that begins with ensuring that her talented friend Annie Neville gets cast in the lead role and continues by sabotaging Annie while keeping herself in Pam’s good graces. Rory does have to fall back on a few extra schemes to silence a couple suspicious classmates and to keep her concerned English teacher from interfering, but everything seems to be going according to plan right up until opening night. Eager's writing is so masterful in this book that she manages to maintain a constantly shifting narrative style with seamless, barely noticeable, transitions. Rory’s narrative voice switches from conversational to dramatic, and the book includes passages in first, second, and third person. Occasionally, Rory addresses the reader directly, hinting at the next steps in her scheme and justifying her previous actions. This angsty, atmospheric novel will appeal to teen readers who like mysteries and unreliable narrators, although it doesn't really fit into either of those categories. It will also find a particularly fascinated audience among teenagers with experience or interest in theater, especially those who are likely to recognize the allusions to Shakespeare's Richard III.
June 3, 2024
Rory's got the key qualities of a great villain - self-conviction, careful manipulation, and darkly entertaining internal monologues.
May 2, 2024
Thank you to Libro.fm for this Librarian ALC! This is a compelling retelling of Richard III! (I've never read Richard III, but my understanding is that Richard talks to the audience like Rory talks to the reader.) Rory is so terrible, it was like watching a train wreck. I did find myself having a hard time connecting with her and caring about her journey (I'm sure the author did this on purpose and i'm just missing the point). Rory's backstory is left super vague (again on purpose and also she's the one telling the story), but I would have liked more hints about her backstory throughout that book to make you wonder and make you try to piece together why she's doing all these awful things. I just wanted to be drawn into the story more than I was. Regardless of my feelings, I'd recommend this book to readers who like theater, dark YA, and Shakespere retellings! Read this one for the twisty ride.
January 15, 2024
This was a fast read for me, I was desperate to find out what would happen. This book highlights mental health and sort of how messed up school systems are? It was interesting how one teacher was trying to help, and the other literally just sat back and watched. I’d recommend if you like Heathers. What I didn’t like was the 20+ pages of sheet music and the open ending
May 6, 2024
I would happily recommend this to theater teens who want something a little edgy, but personally I just didn't really enjoy the ride with Rory. It reminded me in all the worst ways of my high school theater days (and why I stopped doing theater).
May 15, 2024
Was this a life-changing book that gave me all the feels? No. But I was hooked up until the very last second waiting to see what would happen. By the time Rory reveals the drastic lengths she’s willing to go to, you’re already rooting for her character to win.
December 30, 2024
I loved this dark YA thriller set at an elite private high school. For drama nerds and fans of unlikable characters.
April 26, 2024
As someone for whom the theater literally changed my life, (both as a spectator and ensemble performer), I struggled with determining how to rate this novel. Eagar presents a stunning exploration of high school theater productions, accurately portraying the longing to be part of something bigger, to belong, to claim your moment of glory, however briefly. Eagar's theater is cutthroat, however, and those who seek a position at the top must fight to claim it. No one knows this better than Rory King, an overweight senior who has longed to be the lead in a show since her sophomore year. Eagar takes the reader on a ride rife with manipulation, narrative and otherwise, as you are forced to empathize with Rory even as you are horrified by her decisions. Using narrative devices such as play scenes, Rory's monologues as she "breaks the fourth wall" and speaks directly to the readers, and even a musical score, this novel is unique in composition and impossible to put down. In the only theatrical production I was blessed to participate in, I did have a small but fun part, so unlike Rory, I enjoyed my time in the ensemble. However, if I am being honest, I can truly understand the motivations of a character who is always passed by, left to stand in the wings or on the fringes. Can everyone else understand to a certain extent? I believe so. Eagar certainly captures these feelings.
I rated this book five stars even if the portrayal of the drama kids should have offended me. Eager is not flattering. However, the action takes place at a prestigious school, (Bosworth Academy), and I gave the author leeway as I had to admit her writing was immersive and accurate to a certain extent.
And, as a heavyset person myself who endured bullying, I can say that I empathized with Rory. Of course, Eagar is deliberate, and i think most readers will understand her, however grudgingly.
On a deeper level, this is a book that explores mental illness, the dog-eat-dog world and the reality that young women and men need help at certain times. The most horrific aspect of this book is the true evildoer in the story, and it is not the person whom you might think. I did appreciate that Eagar included Miss Keating, a kind and well-meaning English teacher.
My other favorite characters were Annie Neville, (Rory's best friend), and Ethan, a fellow classmate. The three characters I mentioned are really the only slight glimmers of light to be found in this dark landscape Eagar unfurls.
Those seeking hope will not find it here. This book is vastly different from Eagar's extraordinary novel entitled The Patron Thief of Bread, (an absolute must-read). Oddly, though, Made Glorious explores similar themes: the longing for acceptance, loneliness and the search for a place to belong. However, Made Glorious portrays these themes from a much darker place. This novel reminded me strongly of the young adult classic entitled The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. I also thought of The Walls Around Us, by Nova Ren Suma. THe movie that came to mind was Black Swan, a decidedly adult film but with a similar storyline. Of course, most prevalent of all is the source material that inspired this novel, Richard III, by William Shakespeare, the story of a deformed man who desires to be king at all costs no matter who must be destroyed in the pursuit of his goal. This is why the play, (and Made Glorious, for that matter), are tragedies.
But these suckers don't realize that there's only one rule; one rule for the theater, one rule for life. Watch out for yourself. Only you. There is no one else. If you do not make them pay attention, you will be forgotten. If you do not take what you are owed, you will have nothing. And if you do not take the crown for yourself, you will never know power.--Rory King.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, character studies, theater in general and an enthralling, (if not easy), read. If this book does not receive an Edgar Allan Poe Award, I will be shocked. The immersive, hard-hitting writing deserves recognition of some kind.
God bless you all.
I rated this book five stars even if the portrayal of the drama kids should have offended me. Eager is not flattering. However, the action takes place at a prestigious school, (Bosworth Academy), and I gave the author leeway as I had to admit her writing was immersive and accurate to a certain extent.
And, as a heavyset person myself who endured bullying, I can say that I empathized with Rory. Of course, Eagar is deliberate, and i think most readers will understand her, however grudgingly.
On a deeper level, this is a book that explores mental illness, the dog-eat-dog world and the reality that young women and men need help at certain times. The most horrific aspect of this book is the true evildoer in the story, and it is not the person whom you might think. I did appreciate that Eagar included Miss Keating, a kind and well-meaning English teacher.
My other favorite characters were Annie Neville, (Rory's best friend), and Ethan, a fellow classmate. The three characters I mentioned are really the only slight glimmers of light to be found in this dark landscape Eagar unfurls.
Those seeking hope will not find it here. This book is vastly different from Eagar's extraordinary novel entitled The Patron Thief of Bread, (an absolute must-read). Oddly, though, Made Glorious explores similar themes: the longing for acceptance, loneliness and the search for a place to belong. However, Made Glorious portrays these themes from a much darker place. This novel reminded me strongly of the young adult classic entitled The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. I also thought of The Walls Around Us, by Nova Ren Suma. THe movie that came to mind was Black Swan, a decidedly adult film but with a similar storyline. Of course, most prevalent of all is the source material that inspired this novel, Richard III, by William Shakespeare, the story of a deformed man who desires to be king at all costs no matter who must be destroyed in the pursuit of his goal. This is why the play, (and Made Glorious, for that matter), are tragedies.
But these suckers don't realize that there's only one rule; one rule for the theater, one rule for life. Watch out for yourself. Only you. There is no one else. If you do not make them pay attention, you will be forgotten. If you do not take what you are owed, you will have nothing. And if you do not take the crown for yourself, you will never know power.--Rory King.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, character studies, theater in general and an enthralling, (if not easy), read. If this book does not receive an Edgar Allan Poe Award, I will be shocked. The immersive, hard-hitting writing deserves recognition of some kind.
God bless you all.
July 31, 2024
I applaud what Lindsay Eagar pulled off here. The way she played with past and present tense and all the POVs, first, third and second, added to the dynamic nature of the narrative. Mostly I find this type of writing gymnastics affected, but I think it worked here.
Personal preference lost it one of the stars for me. I am not super familiar with Shakespeare’s Richard III. Only enough to smile that the school’s mascot were The Princes. It was the increasing darkness of the plot that put me off. Normally, hard things happen in books and then things get better. This just drove deeper and deeper into the dark, which I did not enjoy. It may not be fair to dock a star for something that was inevitable about a parody of a Tragedy. But I save one of my stars for how much I enjoyed the book. Many readers will relish the darkness.
It lost another star for plot holes. Rory was less of an unreliable narrator than one that lied by omission. By the end I feel I deserved all the holes filled in. What was she blackmailing Annie about? Maybe it is morbid curiosity that makes me want to know, but I feel entitled to the answer. I stuck with the book to the end and this is fiction not real life. Also, with the two flash-forwards, we knew that Rory was still alive in one and then dead in the other. The final car crash must not have done her in, but what was her intervening life? Was she homeless, living in a park? I listened to the audio, so it was harder to go back and reread, although I did a little and had no answers. If anyone who reads this knows, please enlighten me.
Summer Mini24: 7) BOXING: A strong opening hook
Personal preference lost it one of the stars for me. I am not super familiar with Shakespeare’s Richard III. Only enough to smile that the school’s mascot were The Princes. It was the increasing darkness of the plot that put me off. Normally, hard things happen in books and then things get better. This just drove deeper and deeper into the dark, which I did not enjoy. It may not be fair to dock a star for something that was inevitable about a parody of a Tragedy. But I save one of my stars for how much I enjoyed the book. Many readers will relish the darkness.
It lost another star for plot holes. Rory was less of an unreliable narrator than one that lied by omission. By the end I feel I deserved all the holes filled in. What was she blackmailing Annie about? Maybe it is morbid curiosity that makes me want to know, but I feel entitled to the answer. I stuck with the book to the end and this is fiction not real life. Also, with the two flash-forwards, we knew that Rory was still alive in one and then dead in the other. The final car crash must not have done her in, but what was her intervening life? Was she homeless, living in a park? I listened to the audio, so it was harder to go back and reread, although I did a little and had no answers. If anyone who reads this knows, please enlighten me.
Summer Mini24: 7) BOXING: A strong opening hook
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2024
4.5/5
What a book. Wow. What a dark yet heartbreaking story. I felt myself unable to put this book down once I got into it. I had to know what was happening next. I needed to see how this ended.
Rory is quite the narrator. What a deceiving and malicious person. She shows no sympathy or regret for anything she does. Her mind was set on being lead and nobody was going to get in her way. The lengths she was willing to go was crazy. Nothing was off the table for her.
I really liked how this book reads as Rory talking to the audience telling her story. It continues on with theme of she was going to be the lead of the play and this story. She was getting her story our there one way or another. Rory just had to become the narrator of her own story.
As horrible her actions were through out, you couldn’t help but feel for her. She is a lost soul clearly suffering from unresolved mental health issues. She tried so hard to fit in, but always felt on the outside. There were people who cared for her yet she convinced herself nobody did. She was alone in her world, but she wanted to be the main event in the world itself.
This book ends on a really dark note, but yet you can’t help and still wish things went differently.
What a book. Wow. What a dark yet heartbreaking story. I felt myself unable to put this book down once I got into it. I had to know what was happening next. I needed to see how this ended.
Rory is quite the narrator. What a deceiving and malicious person. She shows no sympathy or regret for anything she does. Her mind was set on being lead and nobody was going to get in her way. The lengths she was willing to go was crazy. Nothing was off the table for her.
I really liked how this book reads as Rory talking to the audience telling her story. It continues on with theme of she was going to be the lead of the play and this story. She was getting her story our there one way or another. Rory just had to become the narrator of her own story.
As horrible her actions were through out, you couldn’t help but feel for her. She is a lost soul clearly suffering from unresolved mental health issues. She tried so hard to fit in, but always felt on the outside. There were people who cared for her yet she convinced herself nobody did. She was alone in her world, but she wanted to be the main event in the world itself.
This book ends on a really dark note, but yet you can’t help and still wish things went differently.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2025
I've read a lot of retellings. Always without knowing the original. I know some classics, but not those who are the object of retellings, don't ask me why lol
I'm a big fan of retellings. But this one... I did not enjoy at all. Maybe, to enjoy it, I would have had to know the original. But I didn't. I felt uneasy all through the book, but I'm pretty sure that's the author's goal ;-)
Ruby is a manipulative liar. You know what? I just made a correlation. My childhood's best friend was the most manipulative liar ever. Maybe that's why I didn't like this book at all. It made me think of her, without realizing it.
It's not a bad book per se. I read it wanting to know how things would unfold. But it was like watching a car accident in slow motion. You don't want to watch, but you can't help yourself.
TW for bullying, fatphobia, car accident, self harm, suicide, mental illness
Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I'm a big fan of retellings. But this one... I did not enjoy at all. Maybe, to enjoy it, I would have had to know the original. But I didn't. I felt uneasy all through the book, but I'm pretty sure that's the author's goal ;-)
Ruby is a manipulative liar. You know what? I just made a correlation. My childhood's best friend was the most manipulative liar ever. Maybe that's why I didn't like this book at all. It made me think of her, without realizing it.
It's not a bad book per se. I read it wanting to know how things would unfold. But it was like watching a car accident in slow motion. You don't want to watch, but you can't help yourself.
TW for bullying, fatphobia, car accident, self harm, suicide, mental illness
Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 2, 2024
Made Glorious is one of those books where there’s nothing redeemable about the main character, but you can’t stop reading. And, in the end, you can’t help but admire her gumption.
Author Lindsay Eagar’s writing is a tour de force. Her intricately plotted novel is told through multiple viewpoints, with script excerpts, an original musical score, and the potential leading lady providing asides throughout.
And what a leading lady.
Rory is methodical, always a few steps ahead. After all, no one would ever suspect her of any wrongdoing. She’s a bright student and she’s always willing to help behind the scenes.
Every word of Made Glorious has been meticulously mapped out. It’s a diabolical and witty page-turner. It’s really one of the best YA novels I’ve read in some time.
Note: Made Glorious does feature themes of harm and revenge, allusions to suicide and sexual acts. It is therefore not suitable for younger YA readers. It’s best for mature 14-year-olds and up.
Author Lindsay Eagar’s writing is a tour de force. Her intricately plotted novel is told through multiple viewpoints, with script excerpts, an original musical score, and the potential leading lady providing asides throughout.
And what a leading lady.
Rory is methodical, always a few steps ahead. After all, no one would ever suspect her of any wrongdoing. She’s a bright student and she’s always willing to help behind the scenes.
Every word of Made Glorious has been meticulously mapped out. It’s a diabolical and witty page-turner. It’s really one of the best YA novels I’ve read in some time.
Note: Made Glorious does feature themes of harm and revenge, allusions to suicide and sexual acts. It is therefore not suitable for younger YA readers. It’s best for mature 14-year-olds and up.
May 18, 2024
Made Glorious by Lindsay Eagar is a mystery suspense novel about a young woman willing to do almost anything to achieve her dreams. Rory attends a high school with a prestigious theater program. For years, she has paid her dues and waited patiently for her chance at a lead role. When the final musical of her senior year is announced, she realizes it is her perfect chance – but there are few obstacles standing in her way. With almost Machiavelian perfection, Rory sets in motion a chain of events that could land her the coveted lead role. But it also raises red flags about her mental health. The novel is set entirely within the high school theater world, and if that’s something you are a part of, you will completely relate to things that happen here. But you certainly don’t have to know that world well to be drawn in by this novel. Rory’s ambition will have you questioning just how far you would go to achieve your dream, and at some point, you’ll realize that she’s probably willing to go a lot farther than almost anyone. This retelling of Shakespeare’s Richard the IIIrd will leave you stunned with how it all plays out.
December 19, 2024
I loathe books about theater kids. (Don’t know why, call it a quirk.) I’ve started and quickly stopped more than one. I nearly stopped reading this one when it seemed as though it was about theater kids. Nearly, until I got the end of the first chapter and realized what it’s actually about: the con. I’ve always loved the con, the long game, when a plan comes together. Doesn’t matter if I can spot the endgame from the beginning, watching the disparate pieces meld into a coherent whole makes my heart happy. Rory’s unabashed (insert noun form of “diabolical” here, or perhaps psychopathy) and her ruthless character analyses are something to behold. The ending probably was the most logical conclusion possible yet somehow still felt a bit trite, contrived (hence, four stars instead of five); the plot is no less Machiavellian for it, though.
October 19, 2024
Rory King's entire high school career has been leading up to this point: spring musical, senior year. She's paid her dues. She's put in her time. And everyone knows that Pam only casts seniors in lead roles. Rory is determined that this time, it's going to be her. She's behind the scenes, pulling all the strings, so subtly that not even her best friends suspect the lengths she will go to in order to get what she wants...
This YA retelling of Shakespeare's Richard III works so perfectly in the world of a highly competitive high school theatre department. If the reader is familiar with the source material, there are lots of cool Easter eggs hidden in the text, but if not, it's still a brilliant story of an ambitious anti-hero. Recommended.
This YA retelling of Shakespeare's Richard III works so perfectly in the world of a highly competitive high school theatre department. If the reader is familiar with the source material, there are lots of cool Easter eggs hidden in the text, but if not, it's still a brilliant story of an ambitious anti-hero. Recommended.
March 6, 2024
I have never in my life rooted for the bad guy as hard as I did in this malicious yet gleeful tale. I'm reading up to the climax... does the best friend know what game is afoot? Will the house of cards Rory so carefully stacked come falling down around her like the rose petals from her mother's well-meaning bouquet? Am I falling right into Rory's diabolical-yet-precise-in-its-intelligence scheme by turning these pages as fast as I am??
The point-of-view changes were different, but they worked and didn't throw me out of the story at all. I will be adding more of Eagar's novels to my TBR list.
The point-of-view changes were different, but they worked and didn't throw me out of the story at all. I will be adding more of Eagar's novels to my TBR list.
May 8, 2024
It has been awhile since I actually read Richard III, but the vibes of this book definitely fit that play. Rory makes for such an interesting narrator; she's not really the most likable, but you still kind of want to see her suceed? She's manipulative and vengeful, but that makes for an interesting story.
This book does flip between timelines a couple of times to add intrigue, which was a bit confusing at times while listening to the audiobook. But the writing style was engaging, and the overall pace leaves you hooked, wanting to see what Rory might do next to secure her position in the play. If you like Shakespeare retellings, definitely pick this one up!
This book does flip between timelines a couple of times to add intrigue, which was a bit confusing at times while listening to the audiobook. But the writing style was engaging, and the overall pace leaves you hooked, wanting to see what Rory might do next to secure her position in the play. If you like Shakespeare retellings, definitely pick this one up!
April 16, 2024
Rory years to be a lead in her school's prestigious theater productions, and she is sure her senior year will be it. Just to make sure, she sets some paths into motion so that the role must be hers, but some unforeseen circumstances may alter her plans when the curtain rises. Told largely in part in second person as Rory talks to her reader audience, this book is tense with slow reveals and a train wreck that you can't turn away from. The reader may wish there was more about Rory's mom and her home life to provide context, but theater fiends and fans of dark humor will enjoy this book.
August 28, 2024
A reimagining of Richard III set against a very competitive theatre department at a private high school. Our Richard, here Rory King, is a senior passed over for anything more than bit parts time and time again, until she takes matters into her own hands. A unique blend of 1st, 2nd, 3rd person POVs, script format, and direct addresses to the audience a la the source material.
I am a former theatre kid/character actor, and Richard III is my all-time favorite Shakespeare.
Rounded up because of how... scarily relatable so much of this was to the young person I used to be.
I am a former theatre kid/character actor, and Richard III is my all-time favorite Shakespeare.
Rounded up because of how... scarily relatable so much of this was to the young person I used to be.
August 3, 2025
Absolutely brilliant! A fantastic retelling of Shakespeare's Richard III, with many of the same themes, Machiavellian plotting, and delusional justifications. I have never before read a novel that shifts effortlessly between 3rd person omniscient, 1st person while breaking the 4th wall, and 2nd person you perspective (through which she makes us feel complicit in her actions). A great YA novel that I cannot wait to recommend to my students! Warning: includes a smidge of spiciness, so maybe don't recommend it to really religious kids.
March 26, 2024
Shout out to Candlewick Press for giving me an advanced readers copy of Made Glorious. I’m leaning more toward a 3.5 stars. The story was written well and Rory is one hell of a character. The lengths she goes to in order to try and get the lead in the play is INSANE. I definitely did not root for her because I’m someone that appreciates kindness and not manipulation. I think anyone that likes theater will enjoy this book a lot. It’s interesting seeing what happens behind the curtain.
July 15, 2024
This book was soooo good. You can't help but feel bad for Rory even though she's fucking psychotic. She had such a unique voice, and although it may not necessarily be believable in terms of her speaking/narrating like this as a high schooler, I still think it was a beautifully written novel and just so engaging. I was literally in a reading slump and this book pulled me out of it. I feel like I could just rant and rave about the complexity of her character forever.
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