Jennifer Donnelly winds the troubled lives of two teenagers born two hundred years apart in 21st century and 17th century France. Andi, who is a teenager troubled over the loss of a younger sibling, accompanies her father to France for the Christmas holidays with orders to get her senior thesis outline done while she is there. Andi has no intentions of doing anything her father tells her to do until she discovers a journal written by a young woman during the French Revolution. This is when the story really begins and only gets better right until the end.
Review by Celia Powell, Granite School District Instructional Technology Department
Rating: 5 Stars
Revolution is historical fiction with a twist: it tells parallel stories of two troubled 17 year old girls. Alexandrine Paradis is a teen living through the French revolution whose very life depends upon her ability to be a convincing actress and spy. In modern times, Andi Alpers is a high school senior at an exclusive New York prep school, and while her life should be one of ease and comfort, she’s haunted by the sudden, tragic death of her younger brother, Truman. Brought together by Alex’s diary and their love of the guitar, the two young women are on different paths to self-discovery, yet neither one may survive. This is a tense story with many twists and turns. It includes scenes of drug use and references to sexual activity and suicide. This story has many layers and shows strong female characters. Music is a big part of the story and the playlist running through the book includes classics and contemporary songs that many teens will identify with. A very compelling read…
Review by Dian Morrison, Woodstock Elem. School Media Center
Rating: 4 Stars
Revolution
Written by Jennifer Donnelly
Delacorte Books for Young Readers / Random House
496 p.
Release Date: Oct. 12, 2010
ISBN: 9780385737630
Sample this book
http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com
We have this book in our library and I really had no desire to even pick it up! But after reading these reviews I am compelled to find out more about what happens! It is now on my to-read list! Thanks for the reviews, they are really helpful when trying to decide whether or not I want to read a book! :)
Brilliant read! This is what adventures should be like! :)