Book Review: The West Façade by Lauren C Johnson
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Adult
Format: epub
Release Date: 3rd March 2026
As the Black Death approaches Paris, a young woman makes an offering to the sentient statue of Sainte Geneviève in Notre Dame, hoping the saint will be able to protect her family. However, the receiving of this offering changes everything for Sainte Geneviève, as she begins to open her world to beyond the small nave she has lived in for her entire life…
The West Façade is a charming, historical fantasy set in 1348, revolving around the descending of the Black Death in Europe. It very much reads as a book of two halves, which aligns with main character Geneviève’s journey through the book, however, I felt as if the stark difference between the two halves really emphasised Geneviève’s own journey and characterisation. Johnson writes Geneviève’s identity crisis well, and is able to explore bigger themes throughout her character. The settings utilised really give a strong sense of the time period in which this story takes place, and while Geneviève herself seems very modern in her approach towards the human characters, the attitudes of the rest of the characters firmly help inform the setting.
Johnson’s knowledge of the saint shines through this narrative, utilising the historical Geneviève’s history to influence the fictional’s, and builds up a rich inner world for her heroine. This attention to detail continues throughout the entire book, allowing the reader to continue through and experience life alongside Geneviève. The story is more of a slow burn, and is very character driven, although I found that the final chapter, like the first chapter, stood out from the rest of the narrative. Johnson’s prose is beautiful and immersive, resulting in an incredibly readable book.
This book has obviously been written with care, not only to Sainte Geneviève herself but also of the historical period, and this comes across while reading. Whilst the book’s ending felt unresolved to a degree, I feel that this is a testament to Johnson’s work, as it emphasises the main themes of the book: life will take turns that you cannot anticipate or expect.
Purchase at Bookshop.org
Review by Sarah R. New
Twitter/Bluesky/Instagram: @aldbera
I received this arc for review consideration.
