“Cake Eater” is a term that typically applies to rich people who are seen as overly privileged and comes from a supposed quote from Marie Antoinette when told pheasants did not have bread to eat that then they should eat cake. Allyson Dahlin’s, debut novel, Cake Eater is set in the year 3070 when a teenage Marie Antoinette has arrived at Versailles to marry the sweet, but shy Louis-Auguste. Cake Eater is her secret identity when she posts online about political intrigue that she does not want traced back to her.
Marie is a social media influencer as well as princess who gets many likes for her over the top looks, but is finding it difficult to connect to the people in her new home. And beyond the parties and bright lights, darkness is looming. This is a post apocalyptic world in which much of the human population was decimated and only a few big cities are left trying to recreate what human civilization was previously like. Will this Marie make the same mistakes that plagued her predecessor or will she escape her fate? Does history repeat; can it be rewritten? How much control do influencer have and how much are they controlled by the products they push?
There is a lot baked into this cake with a mix of cyberpunk, history, and rom-com, yet it all comes together as a mostly satisfying whole. Though marketed as YA, this book will also appeal to adults.
Fan’s of Sofia Coppola’s film, Marie Antoinette, staring Kirsten Dunst and filled with contemporary music will be delighted by this novel’s blend of history and future speculation. You can also check out my review of Farewell My Queen for another unique take on the original Marie’s life.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Public Library Blog 