Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

3.5 Stars

From the back cover:

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.

My thoughts: Two years ago Andi's brother dies. Everyday since then she blames herself, she is in so much pain and constantly thinks about ending her own life to end the pain. To numb the pain she drugs herself up daily. And the only other thing that keeps her sane is her music, her guitar and even lately that does not seem to be helping. Her mom is worse off then Andi is, hardly talking, never leaving the apartment, hardly eating and painting portrait after portrait of Truman. Andi's dad has never played a big picture in her life and after the death of her brother is never to be seen....Until he receives a letter from Andi's school about being expelled or not graduating if she doesn't turn her grades around and start on her senior thesis. Andi's dad comes home, put he mom is a mental hospital and takes Andi with him to Paris where he is working on a big project for work. Andi's thesis is on composer Mahlerbeau who is French. Since Andi is in Paris she can do a lot with her thesis, research, go see the house Mahlerbeau lived in etc. While in Paris Andi and her father is staying with a family friend that is going to be opening up a museum with the French Revolution artifacts. One of those artifacts is going to be a journal that Alexandrine Paradis wrote with her account of the Revolutions. With reading the journal and the accounts that Alexandrine went through it hurts but also start to help health Andi and she see the world through someone elses eyes. Also why Andi is out and about in Paris she meets a young man that she is drawn too, he loves music as much as Andi does. He also sees that Andi is in pain and won't give up until he now why. He also helps Andi start to heal.

I really enjoyed this book. You feel, really feel for Andi and the pain she is going through. I liked that everyone’s story (Andi, Alexandrine, Truman) is pieced throughout the entire book, so you are constantly wanting to what happens next. Towards the end there are several chapters that I didn't care for, but overall I would recommend to read. I am new to historical fiction but I am liking it.





View all my reviews