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iceangel32's review against another edition
5.0
Wow...I was not sue what I would think of this book, but I loved it. I was not sure if I would like the historical part of the book(I am not a big history reader), but it added so much to the story. I may look for more books in the genre now. The book pulled me in at the beginning and I did not what to put it down. I related to Andi at the beginning when she was struggling girl form Brooklyn through her journey to Paris. I got pulled into not only Andi's story but Alex's story. I love the addition of music and art and how it showed how the arts can help. It also in my option showed that too much of anything is not good. I like the way at the end Andi finds happiness and even though she losses, she gains too.
brianne_k's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 / 5
Just not at all what I was hoping for or expecting. I was super excited to read this one.. and it was such a let down.
Just not at all what I was hoping for or expecting. I was super excited to read this one.. and it was such a let down.
vegprincess's review against another edition
4.0
I was torn between giving this 3.5 stars or 4. Some of the books was a little over the top for me but I really enjoyed Alex's diary from 18th century France.
shhchar's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read a book about the French Revolution before, so I had no idea to expect. I'm glad this was the first one I read, because it had a beautiful story and message. I've read A Northern Light by the same author, so I already loved her writing and had some high expectations. Those expectations were matched.
It took me a while to actually relate to Andi. Sure, I could empathize with her, but it was hard to really get to know her. That changed by the time she was in Paris, and her stubbornness got more endearing than annoying. Something I especially liked was the lack of romance. That sounds weird, but I'm sure you've heard Paris called something along the lines of 'the city of love' before. This book showed the total opposite of that and I love it for that reason. Sometimes you need a book that shows you the bloody truth, and Revolution is that.
My favorite part of the whole book was Alex's diary and Louis-Charles. By having access to this, I saw a completely different side of the whole Marie-Antoinette situation. I never sympathized with her before, I knew only snippets of facts and quotes like 'let them eat cake'. But through Alex's/Jennifer's words, I grew to realize that you can not judge a situation you are not in. There's a quote somewhere in the book that says something along the lines of - you wouldn't beat a dog for being a dog, and you wouldn't beat a king for being a king. (That's not exactly it but I'm too lazy to look it up.) I just wish that there would have been more about Louis-Charles in the second half of the book. He was my favorite part.
Unlike A Northern Light, I am not 100% satisfied with this book. I still have a lot of questions about the ending. I can't go into it for fear of spoiling people who haven't read it yet, so I'll put it in spoilers: I also thought the book took too long to get where it was going plot-wise.
Besides the ending, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of history fiction. Even if you haven't read much, or anything, about the French Revolution--I urge you to try this book. I want to go watch Les Mis now!
It took me a while to actually relate to Andi. Sure, I could empathize with her, but it was hard to really get to know her. That changed by the time she was in Paris, and her stubbornness got more endearing than annoying. Something I especially liked was the lack of romance. That sounds weird, but I'm sure you've heard Paris called something along the lines of 'the city of love' before. This book showed the total opposite of that and I love it for that reason. Sometimes you need a book that shows you the bloody truth, and Revolution is that.
My favorite part of the whole book was Alex's diary and Louis-Charles. By having access to this, I saw a completely different side of the whole Marie-Antoinette situation. I never sympathized with her before, I knew only snippets of facts and quotes like 'let them eat cake'. But through Alex's/Jennifer's words, I grew to realize that you can not judge a situation you are not in. There's a quote somewhere in the book that says something along the lines of - you wouldn't beat a dog for being a dog, and you wouldn't beat a king for being a king. (That's not exactly it but I'm too lazy to look it up.) I just wish that there would have been more about Louis-Charles in the second half of the book. He was my favorite part.
Unlike A Northern Light, I am not 100% satisfied with this book. I still have a lot of questions about the ending. I can't go into it for fear of spoiling people who haven't read it yet, so I'll put it in spoilers:
Spoiler
what was her actual connection to Alex? Did either of them actually see dead people? I also would have liked to hear more about Louis-Charles' heart. Once her father confirmed it was real there was no more mention of it That was the most intriguing part of the book and it was forgotten!Besides the ending, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of history fiction. Even if you haven't read much, or anything, about the French Revolution--I urge you to try this book. I want to go watch Les Mis now!
stephxsu's review against another edition
4.0
I savored this book. I purposely read only a bit of it each day so that I could make it last. Jennifer Donnelly had already captured my heart with her previous YA book, A Northern Light. REVOLUTION is in many ways very different, but it is still a powerful, engrossing, and incredibly well-researched read.
At first, Andi comes off as a self-absorbed, apathetic, and emo teenager. But the book quickly becomes so much more than a typically angsty YA novel. While Andi’s attitude may get tiring at times, it is very obvious that she has been through a lot, that she has deep emotional pain that has been building for years and years. Her pain, in fact, makes her beautiful, the way she pours her soul into her music. It is an incredible honor that we get to see Andi on her healing journey.
The research that Jennifer Donnelly pours into REVOLUTION is lovingly evident. From Andi’s classical guitar knowledge to the contents of Alex’s diary, everything is incredibly well-researched and inserted into the story so naturally it almost feels like Andi’s story exists outside of the novel format.
REVOLUTION is an absorbing, interesting, and heartbreaking accomplishment of a novel. It defies categorization and should appeal to a wide range of readers. I don’t care that it took Jennifer Donnelly many many years to come out with her second YA novel: it was well worth the wait, as her future books will no doubt also be.
At first, Andi comes off as a self-absorbed, apathetic, and emo teenager. But the book quickly becomes so much more than a typically angsty YA novel. While Andi’s attitude may get tiring at times, it is very obvious that she has been through a lot, that she has deep emotional pain that has been building for years and years. Her pain, in fact, makes her beautiful, the way she pours her soul into her music. It is an incredible honor that we get to see Andi on her healing journey.
The research that Jennifer Donnelly pours into REVOLUTION is lovingly evident. From Andi’s classical guitar knowledge to the contents of Alex’s diary, everything is incredibly well-researched and inserted into the story so naturally it almost feels like Andi’s story exists outside of the novel format.
REVOLUTION is an absorbing, interesting, and heartbreaking accomplishment of a novel. It defies categorization and should appeal to a wide range of readers. I don’t care that it took Jennifer Donnelly many many years to come out with her second YA novel: it was well worth the wait, as her future books will no doubt also be.
aepstone's review against another edition
4.0
Started off as painfully emo--and the overload of rich, society, "intellectual" NYC references made me gag. Something about the writing made me keep reading, though, and once the main character gets to France the book unfolds beautifully into a stunning read! Ended up loving it.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
2.0
I was surprisingly not a big fan. I really enjoyed A Northern Light, but this one fell flat. Parts of it seemed so forced and heavy-handed. I don't like getting beaten over the head with metaphors and allusions. I also feel like the handling of all the history could have gone better. If you read this and already know quite a lot about France at that time period you'll be bored to tears by all the history and explanations written in. If you are not that familiar with the time period then all of the names and places will just be overwhelming. From the description of the book I thought the two girls' stories would overlap a lot more, but that part turned out to be just a chapter or so at the end. Kind of disappointed.
barefootmegz's review
4.0
I liked this book. A few things that reviewers complain about:
1. Too many musical references I don't understand - reading isn't like watching a movie. You can't do it and vegetate. Well, I guess you can vegetate with some books, but not with this one. Don't get all the references? Use Google. Magic.
2. Too much angst and suicide and drama - I suppose, yes. It was probably the part that annoyed me a bit too. But it is a book about a teenage musician. Teens have angst and drama. And teens exaggerate their angst and drama. It's part of the reason they annoy us so much, yet we write books about them. I tried just to get past the angst. I've read many MORE angsty books than this one.
3. There should have been more diary entries / the diary entries weren't descriptive enough - I thought this was pretty realistic of Donnelly. Very few people can keep a diary religiously every day. Even more so when you're in the MIDDLE OF A REVOLUTION and trying not to get killed. Also, diaries kept by normal people are not usually crazy detailed. Because they don't realise that it won't be familiar to someone who reads it. If anyone ever reads it. So this didn't bother me too much because I thought it was realistic.
Anyway - I liked the book. The romance annoyed me a bit, but it wasn't overwhelming. Andi's "denseness" annoyed me a bit, but again - not too annoying.
I think the best part of the book is the undercurrent. The prodding into what past revolutions and wars and tragedies have really meant for us.
The ending is a little treacle-sweet, but it made me a little emotional too. I thought the history and the academic nature of the story was very well done as well.
1. Too many musical references I don't understand - reading isn't like watching a movie. You can't do it and vegetate. Well, I guess you can vegetate with some books, but not with this one. Don't get all the references? Use Google. Magic.
2. Too much angst and suicide and drama - I suppose, yes. It was probably the part that annoyed me a bit too. But it is a book about a teenage musician. Teens have angst and drama. And teens exaggerate their angst and drama. It's part of the reason they annoy us so much, yet we write books about them. I tried just to get past the angst. I've read many MORE angsty books than this one.
3. There should have been more diary entries / the diary entries weren't descriptive enough - I thought this was pretty realistic of Donnelly. Very few people can keep a diary religiously every day. Even more so when you're in the MIDDLE OF A REVOLUTION and trying not to get killed. Also, diaries kept by normal people are not usually crazy detailed. Because they don't realise that it won't be familiar to someone who reads it. If anyone ever reads it. So this didn't bother me too much because I thought it was realistic.
Anyway - I liked the book. The romance annoyed me a bit, but it wasn't overwhelming. Andi's "denseness" annoyed me a bit, but again - not too annoying.
I think the best part of the book is the undercurrent. The prodding into what past revolutions and wars and tragedies have really meant for us.
The ending is a little treacle-sweet, but it made me a little emotional too. I thought the history and the academic nature of the story was very well done as well.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Andi has pretty much hit rock bottom and kept falling. She's a gifted musician and student, but her younger brother's death has sent her into a destructive downward spiral. When her mostly-absent father finds out that she's in danger of flunking out of school, he hauls her off to Paris with him for winter break, in order to monitor her progress on her all-important senior thesis. When Andi finds Alexandrine's diary, she feels an instant connection to this young woman from another time. Alexandrine was a born player, or actress, living during the French Revolution. Will Alexandrine's diary help Andi with her own problems or will they make them worse?
The biggest thing that stands out to me is the one drawback I found in the novel. The set-up showing exactly how bad Andi's life has gotten lasted about twice as long as I had the patience for. That's an entirely personal thing, so don't let me dissuade you from reading this book based on that alone. I have a low tolerance for "the earth is a black pit of despair" attitudes and that's where Andi is at the beginning and periodically throughout the book. I won't deny that she had ample reason to feel that way, I'll even admit that I would probably feel the same, but as a reader, it just went on too long for me.
On to the good stuff.
I just love Donnelly's writing. I read [b:A Northern Light|64481|A Northern Light|Jennifer Donnelly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1257539114s/64481.jpg|3337093] last summer and it immediately became one of my favorite books. There's just an unnameable beauty or grace to it that shines through, even when she's describing this dark, dark period of Andi's life.
There's a lot going on in this story. There's guilt, grief, family problems, mental illness, following your dreams and not selling out, how reaching out to help others is sometimes the best way to help yourself, and how sometimes when you don't make a stand you unwittingly assist the very people you should be standing against.
"Wild with fear, barely hearing him, I scrambled to my feet and ran off. The streets I stumbled down were dark and so were the houses along them. I knocked on doors, hoping someone would let me in, for I did not know if I could make my legs carry me all the way to the Palais. No one answered. The decent people of Paris had hidden themselves behind closed doors as decent people always do. Massacres could not happen if it were not for decent people."
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Music lovers will love this book. Andi is an excellent guitarist with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. Her senior thesis is on a composer named Amadé Malherbeau and how his music has influenced music from the late eighteenth century to now. She's constantly referencing musicians and composers, some of whom I know and some I don't. Someone with more time and energy than me should put together a playlist of all the songs mentioned in this book. I would love to check it out!
There were a few more quotes I liked in the book.
"'A human heart isn't made of stories,' he says.
'Every heart is made of stories,' G says."
"'Life's all about the revolution, isn't it?' he said. 'The one inside, I mean. You can't change history. You can't change the world. All you can ever change is yourself.'"
All quotes are taken from an ARC and may be different in the final version.
This isn't a new favorite, but it was still mostly an enjoyable read. Readers of all ages will find something to relate to and something to learn. With Donnelly's beautiful prose, this book is sure to be talked about.
The biggest thing that stands out to me is the one drawback I found in the novel. The set-up showing exactly how bad Andi's life has gotten lasted about twice as long as I had the patience for. That's an entirely personal thing, so don't let me dissuade you from reading this book based on that alone. I have a low tolerance for "the earth is a black pit of despair" attitudes and that's where Andi is at the beginning and periodically throughout the book. I won't deny that she had ample reason to feel that way, I'll even admit that I would probably feel the same, but as a reader, it just went on too long for me.
On to the good stuff.
I just love Donnelly's writing. I read [b:A Northern Light|64481|A Northern Light|Jennifer Donnelly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1257539114s/64481.jpg|3337093] last summer and it immediately became one of my favorite books. There's just an unnameable beauty or grace to it that shines through, even when she's describing this dark, dark period of Andi's life.
There's a lot going on in this story. There's guilt, grief, family problems, mental illness, following your dreams and not selling out, how reaching out to help others is sometimes the best way to help yourself, and how sometimes when you don't make a stand you unwittingly assist the very people you should be standing against.
"Wild with fear, barely hearing him, I scrambled to my feet and ran off. The streets I stumbled down were dark and so were the houses along them. I knocked on doors, hoping someone would let me in, for I did not know if I could make my legs carry me all the way to the Palais. No one answered. The decent people of Paris had hidden themselves behind closed doors as decent people always do. Massacres could not happen if it were not for decent people."
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Music lovers will love this book. Andi is an excellent guitarist with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. Her senior thesis is on a composer named Amadé Malherbeau and how his music has influenced music from the late eighteenth century to now. She's constantly referencing musicians and composers, some of whom I know and some I don't. Someone with more time and energy than me should put together a playlist of all the songs mentioned in this book. I would love to check it out!
There were a few more quotes I liked in the book.
"'A human heart isn't made of stories,' he says.
'Every heart is made of stories,' G says."
"'Life's all about the revolution, isn't it?' he said. 'The one inside, I mean. You can't change history. You can't change the world. All you can ever change is yourself.'"
All quotes are taken from an ARC and may be different in the final version.
This isn't a new favorite, but it was still mostly an enjoyable read. Readers of all ages will find something to relate to and something to learn. With Donnelly's beautiful prose, this book is sure to be talked about.
sophiecountsclouds's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The audiobook for this book is an absolute must! I never thought the narrator using a French accent in certain parts of the story would have such an impact but it made the story SO MUCH more immersive. Thoroughly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual harassment