Publish date: 2010
Source: Purchased
"BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present."
I have heard only good things about this book throughout the blogging world and even though I didn't love A Northern Light, I still decided to try Revolution. I went to the Borders Corporate Headquarters sale during the fall and picked up about 10 books, this one included. I kept putting it off, then when I finished When She Woke, I decided that I NEEDED to read this one, just to stop putting it off. I liked it, but just like A Northern Light, I didn't like it as much as everyone else.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book was learning more about the French Revolution and French history in general. Andi travels to Paris with her father and does a lot of research about a musician from that time period, so it was really interesting to learn more about an aspect of history that I know very little of. I love learning new facts while reading historical fiction. Plus, Andi goes to a library there and gets to handle real historical documents, which made me dork out a bit. Ok, a lot. I am jealous of a character.
I found the plot to be fairly slow-paced for the first two thirds of the novel. I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was not a lot of action until the end. While reading, I was kind of cranky about that, but after I finished it, I realized that this isn't the kind of book that needs a lot of action. I'm not sure how to classify it, since it's contemporary, but contains lots of historical fiction. Jennifer Donnelly wove together the different complex aspects of the plot well and I appreciate everything now that I'm finished, if that makes sense. Like I said, I didn't love it as much as others, but I definitely liked it. Recommended for those who like historical fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment