Revolution Review

Revolution: Jennifer Donnelly

From Goodreads:


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 review:  This book caught my eye immediately for two reasons.  One, I love Paris and couldn't wait to mentally travel there again.  I found myself transported back to the French Revolution, Versailles, and the terror of the time.  In fact, as I was reading, I wanted Andi to stop talking about her problems and go to Paris.  The other reason is because the story was told in two ways: prose and journal.  I enjoyed both the narration shifts and the way the author incorporated the journal.  I loved how the journal left Andi with more questions than answers.  

The two main characters, Andi and Alex, were both troubled.  Andi's angst over Truman's death felt mostly genuine, but her multiple pain medication overdoses and suicide attempts were hard to believe.  Her anger and sadness was palpable, and she was mostly a sympathetic character.     Alex, who is thrust into the royal family, finds herself in some impossibly difficult situations when she is appointed as the jester to the young prince.  She is both a heroic and prideful character who constantly battles between her own desires and common sense.

I learned about the Catacombs of Paris, which I assumed were fictional, but they are not.  They played a large role in the story so I had to see if they were real.  These underground tunnels of sorts hold the remains of six million Parisians.  Both Andi and Alex have life-changing experiences down there, and I am both intrigued and horrified by its presence.

There is an odd twist at the end of the book that I am not sure works.  It relates to the person Andi is researching for her thesis and Alex, but it is such an unusual turn of events.  It is somewhat neat but also unnecessary in my opinion.  I would recommend this book to any historical fiction fans.  While this book is a young adult novel, its length and depth makes up for the teen drama.  I give it 4/5 stars!