Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is a novel that focuses on a teenage girl struggling with the tragic death of her younger brother. The girl, Andi, is failing most of her classes in her senior year, apart from her music class- her true passion. However, making an A in one class is not cutting it for her prestigious Brooklyn preparatory high school, and she is forced to write an outstanding thesis in order to not be expelled from the school. Due to the death of her brother Truman, her family has been torn apart- her father is no longer living at home, her mother has seemingly gone crazy, and Andi herself is suffering from Depression. Andi’s estranged father, a renowned geneticist, suddenly arrives back in Brooklyn, making an effort to save Andi from expulsion. He takes her with him to Paris, France in order to work on her thesis while he does research on a heart that could have possibly belonged to Louis-Charles, the “Lost King of France.”

With all of this talk of the French monarchy and French Revolution, Andi finds herself dragged into the suspense and interest of it all, and when she finds an abandoned diary dating back to the Revolution, she is completely sucked into the author’s life. The diary’s author is a teenage girl named Alexandrine, suffering from the effects of the French Revolution, and many parallels are drawn between the two characters. Throughout the novel, Andi finds herself through the diary, meets new friends that change her life, finds love in Paris, and discovers a healthy way to deal with the death of her brother.

This is an amazing book with just the right mix of adventure, romance, and history. The research on the French Revolution and France is astounding, and because of Andi’s passion for music, musical terms are also accurate and incredibly in depth. This is an entertaining and enlightening read!

By: Kynlie Freeman

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, is a suspenseful and moving story of a young, French Jewish girl, Sarah, who, along with her family, was brutally arrested during the Vel d'Hiv' roundup in 1942. In order to keep her younger brother safely hidden from the French police, she proceeded to lock him in their secret cupboard thinking that she would be back soon to retrieve him safely after her arrest. At such a young age, Sarah did not understand that she would not be returning and she would soon face the most scarring days of her life. As the book flashes from France in 1942 to present day France every other chapter, Julia Jarmond, an American editor at a French magazine post, discovers Sarah and her mysterious disappearance throughout her research for an article on the terrible Vel d'Hiv' events. Julia finds herself drawn to Sarah's history and her present location and later finds that she and the survivor are more connected than she thought. With her discoveries of the roundup and the minuscule number of survivors, including Sarah, Julia begins to put her own life into perspective with the influence of Sarah, her untold story, and the odd connection between them.

I strongly recommend Sarah's Key to anybody who appreciates a novel of suspense and a roller coaster of emotions. While reading, it was inspiring to witness the strength of such a young girl involved in a horrendous situation like the Vel d'Hiv roundup. It gave me insight into a piece of French history that would have otherwise been invisible to me. Tatiana de Rosnay presented this history in an extremely clever way and did an impeccable job of drawing me into the book!

Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution is a thrilling historical fiction novel written by Jennifer Donnelly, who is also the author of A Northern Light. The novel is about the life of high school senior Andi, whose younger brother Truman has died after being hit by a car. On the verge of expulsion at her snobby, New York private school (for not having started on her senior thesis on a famous musician), Andi turns to music and antidepressants as her safe havens. Andi’s Nobel Prize winning geneticist father left years before Truman’s death; her artist mother copes with her depression by painting portraits of her lost son. Several times in the novel, Andi has deep thoughts of suicide, but manages to pull back into reality at the last second. She feels as though her brother’s accident was her fault. All she has left of him is a key that he bought at a flea market that she wears around her neck.

Andi’s life completely changes when her father makes an unexpected visit and forces her to come with him to Paris over winter break, for he is going to test a heart believed to belong to Louis-Charles, the lost king of France who was jailed and beaten at a young age. Andi is extremely reluctant to go, especially since her father puts her mother in a psychiatric hospital; in fact, she makes a deal with her father that if she finishes a good draft of her thesis by a certain day, she can go home early. But after taking residence in the home of a family friend, who happens to be a historian, Andi never expects to find a diary written by Alexandrine Paradis, Louis-Charles’ caretaker, in a guitar case that could only be opened by Truman’s infamous key. She discovers that Alex’s and her lives are very much alike and learns about long-lost historical secrets that are not found in history books.

Revolution is a captivating book full of romance, mystery, and unexpected plot twists. Readers will be entranced and will not want to put the book down until the final page. It is a remarkable book that teaches readers about fate and the connections between the past and present.

The author's website: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com

By: Erissa Irani

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, an American-born boy whose parents immigrated to the United States from Calcutta, India. Growing up in the United States, Gogol becomes increasingly aware of the cultural differences among his family and those of his friends at school. The greatest struggle this young man faces is his uncommon name, which he finds childish and unprofessional sounding. As Gogol moves into highschool, dating, and eventually his career, the author masterfully describes Gogol’s struggle between the heritage his parents hold dear and his own longing to be “normal” like everyone else. He eventually has his name legally changed, hurting his parents but liberating him to become a new, confident young man. However, this alteration does not bring Gogol, now called Nikhil, the ultimate happiness he desired, and his journey continues. Jhumpa Lahiri paints a wonderful picture of love, challenges, perseverance, cultural distinction, and self-discovery, and her novel is difficult to put down. The story is told from Gogol’s point of view in the third person, giving it a personal feel and allowing the reader to truly experience the story for him or herself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about real-life, decision making, and romance.

Jhumpa Lahiri's Homepage: http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/

By: Sarah Hill

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is a heart wrenching story of Ronnie Miller and her father, Steve. Ronnie’s father left her and her family when she was younger, and when he left, Ronnie refused to play the piano anymore which was a hobby that she and Steve shared. Ronnie even refused to attend Juilliard to play the piano which was her dream all along. Ronnie’s mother forces Ronnie and her little brother, Jonah, to go stay with their father in North Carolina over the summer. This is the last thing Ronnie wants to do to waste her summer away because of her hatred for Steve after he left her. Once Ronnie arrives in North Carolina, the reader can feel the hostility between Steve and Ronnie. Ronnie has a negative attitude about visiting her father and tries to be out of the house as much as possible. She meets friends, who later cause her more trouble than she can handle, and even meets a cute boy who she falls head over heels for, Will.

Ronnie's summer is better than she thought it would be. She has found her one true love, is starting to get along well with her father, and is even beginning to play the piano again. What could go wrong? Ronnie figures out that he father has an illness that could possibly be deadly. Now Ronnie understands why her mother was so persistent in making her come to visit Steve, this may be the last time she can visit him. Ronnie takes care of her father for the remainder of the book, and feels heartbroken by Will and refuses to speak to him. By the end of this book, Ronnie finds peace within herself through the piano, her father, and Will after she forgives him for his mistakes.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

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In November of 1960, three young women in the Dominican Republic were ambushed and killed as they were driving back from visiting their husbands in jail.  The Mirabal sisters grew up under the dictatorship of Trujillo and became involved in revolutionary activities against the regime.  The murders of these young women eventually led to the assassination of Trujillo in 1961.  Julia Alvarez has written a beautiful, haunting novel based on the lives of these sisters, and the story is told by Dede, the surviving sister. Each sister comes alive in this account of the tragedy. In the Dominican Republic, these martyred young women are known as "las mariposas" or "the butterflies". 

Author Julia Alvarez lived in the Dominican Republic with her family, and they left in 1960 four months before the Mirabal sisters were murdered.  Today Ms. Alvarez lives in Vermont.  You can learn more about Julia and her writing at her website.
http://www.juliaalvarez.com/