The Storyteller

by Kathryn Williams

A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year pick for 2023!

With the mystery of Maureen Johnson and Brittany Cavallaro and the historical intrigue of Romanov, this genre-bending YA will pull readers into one girl’s journey of discovering the impossible tale of a long-lost aunt—and through her, the importance of being true to yourself. 

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.  

For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?

With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.

But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

• ISBN10: 0063049392
• ISBN13: 9780063049390
• Publish Date: 3 February 2022 (first published 11 January 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 25 February 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperTeen
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Storyteller is a well written YA story about "truth" and the different narrative our lives can encompass by Kathryn Williams. Due out 11th Jan 2022 from Harper, it's 368 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a YA coming of age story told in parallel flashback story lines through journal entries made by the main protagonist's great aunt as a young girl. There's a clear delineation between the modern day and early 20th century stories and the characters' voices are quite distinct, so it's easy to keep track - there's no confusion between the two.

The story is compelling and I found myself drawn in by Anna's recollections of life in Russia in the early part of the 20th century. The intended audience will likely find protagonist Jess likeable and relatable. There's romance, but it doesn't overpower the story.

The author makes some good points about changing who we are to fit in and conforming to other people's expectations in order to avoid conflict. In addition, the story is engaging and plays across the wider canvas of the Russian revolution and history.

Four stars. An exciting story, well told.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.