Madeline Landry's life has not gotten any easier since we last saw her in Landry Park. Her parents are still exiled; the Rootless are still angry with the Gentry, even though she and her uncle Jack are trying hard to reconcile the differences between the two classes; and now Uprisen heirs are being found dead on her estate. Madeline worries that these deaths are a sign from the Rootless that they will never work peacefully with the Gentry and that the future of Kansas City will be one of despair and not prosperity. As leader in the Uprisen community she is forced to work with the police and begins making rash decisions and even rasher allegations against people she thought she could trust. Her actions isolate her from her family and from her beloved David which makes them even more difficult. Yet, she is determined to get to the bottom of the murders and ensure that every faction finally begins to work together in a civilized manner.
Jubilee Manor is a whirlwind of drama until the very end. I would have liked more action in the book, as it is long, instead of a lot of Madeline's internal angst about love and leadership. Her relationship with David was what kept me interested, and without it this book would have been less appealing. Hagen's elevated writing is not my favorite but lends itself to her head-strong female lead which makes this book great for a teenager looking for a female heroine.
