Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donelly


My Rating 5/5

Description: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.   Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

My Review: Andi is depressed and giving up on life. Her anti depressants don't always keep the sadness away and when it comes crashing down on her she considers jumping off a building. Her mom has shut out the world and her dad left after it happened and Andi blames herself. Music is the only thing that seems to help her.She is super talented and music is her life but her Nobel Prize winning scientist of a dad does not understand. He discovers she is about to flunk out of her senior year at one of the most prestigious prep schools in Brooklyn. He comes back and admits her mom to a hospital and takes Andi to Paris with him. While in Paris her dad's friend G shows her a guitar that is 200 years old. She works on restoring it and then discovers that the key she has worn around her neck for the last 2 years fits the guitar case and the case contains more than a musical instrument. There is a diary that belonged to a girl named Alex that lived and played a minor role in the French Revolution. Andi becomes obsessed with the diary and also while in Paris she meets a guy named Virgil who actually understands music like she does. For the first time in 2 years she actually wants to get to know someone. She actually has the desire to get close to someone and feel happy. Something she has not really felt in years. Between getting to know this guy and discovering the contents of the diary all while getting her required thesis done she goes on an adventure of her own that brings the details of the revolution alive for her. This book has you hooked from the first chapter. Andi is so complex and mysterious even though the book is written in first person. The way the facts tie together in the end are a true amazement .You also get a history lesson on the French Revolution in a way that makes it not only memorable but enjoyable.I recommend this book. It will not disappoint.