I had misgivings. I was happily wrong. This book is fantastic!
I was so nervous about this book. Why? Call me a doubter (actually, don’t, it’s not nice), but most of my Goodreads friends had rated it 2-stars and several people told me it sucked! That’s not the best intro to a book. BUT. Look at the cover. Go on! Scroll up and look at it. It’s gorgeous. Coupled with the fantastic premise…
I loved it. I did! I’d happily recommend it to everyone! (As is, I’ve shoved it in Mime’s face and told her to read it or I’ll chop off her head. What? It is about Marie Antoinette.)
Since the book takes place in Paris, I’m doubly in love with it. I want to see Paris so badly! It’s a quiet (or loud, depending on the day and how much chocolate I’ve sneaked) obsession of mine. Reading this was just like going to Paris! The description is so sensory and detailed. But not in an overloading way. It’s a snippet and a snatch. Realistic details. I approve! I tasted the food. Walked the uneven cobbles. Tasted the food. The food sounded delicious. DID I MENTION THE CROISSANTS?
Characters? Colette is a fantastic narrator! I really related to her. She’s the a chameleon friend in a border-line-mean-girl-clique. I loved how she had mean-girl tendencies, but deep down inside, she was just plain nice! Plus, although her friends were a waaay over-the-top with their fashion, Colette had a really sweet blend of caring about her appearances but not being over the top. It’s nice not to have “Looking Nice” slammed!
There’s a bit of a mean-girls clique happening. Let’s face it: Colette’s friends are awful. But I understood her need to be with them! Being friends with super-snob-Hannah made Colette cool by default. Buuut, Hannah treated her like dirt.
I loved how the author wove in unhealthy friendships with the coolness of Paris and the horribleness of a serial killer on the loose. Is that not a perfect combination? Yes, yes it is.
Writing? Very neat, very nice. It’s not wordy and slow. Très bon! (See?! SEE! I used French!)
The murders were sufficiently creepy! Every few chapters we get an omnipresent sneak-peek at what the serial killer is doing. Can I just say: kind of creepy?! It wasn’t Neal Gaiman or Dan Wells freak-my-brains-out, but it was definitely enough to keep me turning pages. Fast. It’s like a glitzy murder. Half chick-flick, half everybody-is-getting-their-heads-chopped-off.
I only had a few problems:
- the Bonny Sunshine and Rainbows ending. It was a little too neat. Real life rarely sorts out so well, unfortunately, and I felt that detracted from how realistic everything had been.
- her French tour-guide/boyfriend’s lectures. I honestly thought he had no right to lecture her on her friends! Sure he was right, but he’d known her for one week. Colette had known her friends for years. You don’t just waltz into someone’s life and pretend you understand everything ASAP.
This is totally a book I love owning! And looking at! (Gorgeous cover.)
Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.
But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.
Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger.
France? Serial killer? This sounds like the best parts of Anna and the French Kiss with the best parts of The Name of the Star. I really want to read it now!
That's exactly what I thought (apart from The Name of the Star, because I haven't read that). But French + serial killer = creepy win win situation. Although, heads roll. Just sayin'.
Aw yay! I'm so glad this is good. I've been eyeing it for a while but hadn't really decided if I wanted to read it yet because of the mixed reviews. Though now I might try if I can ever get a copy. It sounds like I'd enjoy it, especially the creepy serial killer parts 😀 The only thing I might have an issue with is the mean girly cliques -__-Great review!
Almost everyone told me it sucked when I first got it and I was soooo worried! >.< But it really was fantastic and awesome and CAKE. The creepiness was amazing, because it really felt so light and fluffy and then — BOOM.
I loved this book so much too! I hope everyone can find time to fit this in because it was so much fun. I couldn't really relate to some of the stuff happening in the book either but it's no where as bad as some other ones. 😀
Yup, definitely. Everyone should read this book. And then they should sponsor me to go to Paris and eat croissants. Just sayin' it'd be nice…
lol to be honest I actually really dislike the cover of this book. Probably because it has a person on it and I have a strong aversion to people covers (unless they're manipulated in some way like Splintered or Incarnate). But it sounds like the book itself is pretty good! I'm going to have to add it to my TBR 😀
Really? I kind of love it. But I can see what you mean. I mostly prefer covers that have no faces (eyeballs are okay), because otherwise I have to imagine the main character THAT way. And I like to imagine them my own way. I'm particularly snobby like that.
Ah this book sounds so nice! I think I might add this to my TBR list! You would love Paris – it's everything it's said to be! It's great living in London because Paris is only an hour and a half away by train, so I've been a couple of times! You'd definitely have to go when the weather is nice to enjoy it, and bear in mind that the Parisians aren't always too friendly. 😛 I hope you get to visit it soon! J'espère que vous aurez la chance de voir Paris bientôt (I hope you get the chance to see Paris soon)! 😀
Gah, you're making me jealous. Considering I'm half a planet away, it probably won't be soon. BUT IT WILL BE. It's my ultimate bucket list thingy. I'm soooo jealous of you right now…. xD
Fantastic review, Cake! (I shall now call you that!) Okay, I've been hearing some bad things about this one as well, but you're bringing back my faith in this book! Colette sounds like a fantastic character ('cause we don't have "mean on the outside, but soft on the inside" characters very often) and I do want to read about her. Creepy murders? Of course I want to read about creepy murder mysteries! Plus Paris. Pariiiiiiis. <3 Aimee @ Deadly Darlings
Just don't eat me…that's all I ask. And all you basically need to know about this book is: Paaaarisssss. The rest is just an awesome bonus.
Great review. I am still really, really unsure of this one and I'm not sure whether I'm going to read it or not. It does sound good but I'm not sold on it yet and I feel like if I go in judging it already than I won't enjoy it as much. Hmmmmm =/
I totally understand that! A LOT of people told me it sucked, so I basically put off reading it until the very last possible second I could get away with it. Bad me. But I did love it, so that was an enormous relief, right? 😉
My family jokingly says we're cooking our dog, one another, and with my friends I had a conversation about if we were on a deserted island, who would we boil first? Apparently, not me, and somehow I survive to the end…Cake! I love cake. And cupcakes, most importantly. My mom owned a tiny bakery (farmer's market) so we sometimes bake cupcakes!Colette sounds fantastic! Brilliant! Cool! (Okay, now I'm just quoting Doctor Who now…) I'd love to read this book, but unsure if Mom would like it. The name is a bit… Odd… And I have a thing for not finishing books that I find somewhat inappropriate.Oooh, creepy murders! Fun!
Who would you boil first…ew. I think I'd rather just die in companionable silence with my fellow sufferers. But cake is beautiful and gorgeous and I particularly like it when it's moist and chocolate. Basically: everything should be chocolate. I did really like Colette. I mean, she was a little annoying at times because I just wanted her to stand up to her friends, buuuut, all in all she's definitely a girl I would make friends with. Over the internet. Because that's how I make friends. CAKE ALL ROUND.
Paris is a glorious city, just to say. Also, this book sounds like a lot of fun! I'll ignore the nasty ending and hunt the rest of it out for funtimes and murders, I think. Fab review, Cait!
*blocks ears* Stop! Stop! You're making me soooo jealous!! XD Haha! I'm toootally going one day, and while I'm in that half of the world I'll have to finally meet you. Mwhwha. That's very scary.
Yes, Colette's friends were awful, but I also didn't like Colette either. I get why she wanted to be friends with them, but really, if they didn't accept her just because she wasn't rich blah blah, then really, why would you want to be friends with them? And, she was a bitch at times because of that, which kind of makes her worse than them. See? I really didn't like her. But, I did love the setting. I've never actually been to Paris, (or anywhere outside of the UK, I know, I know) so I loved reading that, especially because it was so detailed. I guess I'm kind of 50/50 with it, maybe if I was in a better mood when reading it, I might've thought differently, but yeah, boo. 🙁
You haven't been outside the UK?!! But it's right at your front door! (Okay…maybe not. And in all fairness if I lived in the UK I probably wouldn't have left either. -_-) I kind of understood Colette's need for those friends. I know they treated her badly and she sometimes treated others badly because of it…but I still understood her need to be in the "cool group" after she'd worked for it so hard. Still. Bleh. Paris gave her much better friends. 😉
Oooo I really like the sound of this! Murder mysteries in France? Sign me up! Also, love you Marie Antoinette movie gifs. I loved the costume design and scenery in that movie, although it kinda didn't have a plot…Anyways, glad you enjoyed this book, always nice to have a pleasant surprise 🙂
I kind of want to watch that Marie Antoinette movie now…no plot, though? Bummer. The costumes look AMAZING, that is for sure. And yes, I totally love it when a book surprises me for the best.
Awesome review. I'm just about to start this one too, and seen the same reviews. It just sounds like a fun read. The hardcover is gorgeous isn't it, delicious. So glad you liked it.
Ignore all negative reviews. It is brilliant. Can't WAIT until you review it!
Oh mean girl cliques…hearing about them makes me want to watch that movie HEATHERS from the 80's. That's probably well before your time – but you should dig it up somewhere and watch it I know you'll adore it! It has Wynonna Ryder and mean girls clique all named Heather?
Yeah…probably before my time, 😉 but hey! I love The Princess Bride! Heather/Hannah…it's a popular name, eh?
Wow! Those prior reviews you saw would have really deterred me into reading this book. I'm guessing the mean clique and the way Colette let Hannah treat her wrongly was the problem. I like that you got sneak peaks of what the killer was doing. I love whenever a suspense book introduces the killer as a second POV. It's pretty cool. I've never heard that she said "let them eat cake" Great review (:
Really? I thought the "let them eat cake" quote was the most famous! XD And yep, the clique thing was a bit frustrating and…I may or may not have shook my fist at the characters a few time.
I am so glad you loved it! I cannot wait to read it!Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Well, that's good news.
100% am going to read this book as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. And Because of Winn Dixie is great too!
YAY. I hope you like it!! And Because of Winn Dixie was adorable and I had SUCH a good time reading it. 🙂
I've also been wary because of the negative reviews but you make it sounds like something I would really like! I LOVE books set in Paris, too! I also like the sounds of the creepy factor it has – I'm all about the creepy! 😀 So happy you enjoyed it it's always awesome when you're worried and you end up really liking it!
Paris is. the. best. I'm so coveting all things Paris at the moment…I need to read another French book to stifle my cravings. 😉 I was really surprised, because I was SURE I'd hate this, so happiness! Glorious happiness!!
I actually did buy an ebook of this one, but never got around to reading it as I was deterred by all of the negative reviews. I also kinda forgot about it lol 😛 This review has convinced me to give this book another chance (:I do love a good book set in Paris! Especially since I do know quite a bit of French as my mother was born in France. I'm so glad the setting was described quite well(:Collette also sounds like an fantastic character that I can really root for. I like that she's not the mean girl nor is she the pure enemy of her friends. Like you said she's the chameleon and I find that quite an interesting angle. It's not something you see too often in YA. Can't forget the murders! Haha. I'm glad this one still has the creep factor to it. Some books that feature murder in YA kinda forget that it's going on and instead focus on insta-love romances. It's like um… are you ignoring the fact that dead bodies are showing up everywhere for an boy you just met? Lol I'm that this book doesn't fall in that category.Wonderful review! You've definitely convinced me to give this one a shot.
Woah…you're half French?! THAT IS SO AWESOME. Does that mean you can have sort of "rights" to visit France one day? (If you haven't already…!)Actually, I was pretty surprised how the focus was definitely not on the romance. Hmm…I didn't even really think about that until now. But it was more on the friendships and the mystery. While the romance WAS there, though, so it felt nicely balanced to me. I have only fond memories of this book, honestly. 😉 Woohoo! Can't wait to see what you think. 🙂
The cover is definitely gorgeous! I'm glad you at least enjoyed it here, even though there's a hint of mean girls. Getting a glimpse of the murderer actually reminds me of The Lovely Bones (which I couldn't stand) but hey! At least you didn't find it terrible.Hope you had an amazing birthday Kristy! I haven't read Graceling yet but you are lucky for getting the whole trilogy. I just received A Corner of White this week as well! Dangerous looks like an interesting read, can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.Jeann @ Happy Indulgence
I did find those bits kind of detached (where they're narrated by the victim who's about to be beheaded…and that's not really a spoiler, because it happens straight away), but they were short so I got over it. ;)I thiiiiink the last bit of your comment has gone AWOL from another blog, but that is okay. I've done that before. XD
I got an ARC of this book at BEA last year and I haven't gotten around to it yet! *Hangs head in shame* But it's high on my TBR! And this review definitely has made me want to read it even more! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!I love your review style BTW, and your blog design is so cute! Following on Bloglovin' now! 🙂
Aw, thanks Andrea! I'm glad you like the look. I kind of did it myself..hehe. Thinking of a change, but I did have fun making it. 😉 Thanks for following!
Ah, such a great review Cait! I've seen this book around on the blogosphere lately, and after reading your review, I've put it on my TBR.
Aw, thanks, Ebony! It's definitely worth picking up. All that blood and cake. XD
Oh, good. I'm glad you enjoyed this. I won a copy several months ago and it's just been languishing on my bedside table. I'll definitely make some time for it now. I'm so happy that it is creepy. I love a good creeper. Lol. That's sounds horrible, but whatever. Great review!