REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly

on Goodreads

Summary:

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 angry at the world for taking her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And her father has determined that Andi's accompanying him to Paris over winter break is the solution to everything.

But Paris is a city of ghosts for Andi. And when she finds a centuries-old diary, the ghosts begin to walk off the page. Alexandrine, the owner of the journal, knew heartbreak also, and Andi finds comfort in the girl's words. Until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

The Afterglow

The blurb just does this book no justice whatsoever. The blurb is simply interesting. The book is gorgeous. Ms. Donnelly juggles several different themes here - the past's relationship with the present, the parallels between Alex and Andi's lives, and the different ways the characters channel their grief - and she weaves them together with haunting, beautiful prose.

I was particularly impressed with Andi and Alex's distinct voices. I appreciated that even though Andi is a troubled character, Ms. Donnelly never went for the cheap teen angst. Andi has lighter moments as well, and I was truly sympathizing with her and rooting for her. I'm surprised at how much I ended up loving Alex, though. I loved that she didn't start off as a particularly good person, but she becomes such a quietly inspiring figure by the end of the book. The supporting characters were well-drawn, and though I'm notoriously hard to please when it comes to romance, this one really won me over.

This is not the sort of book to tackle if you're looking for something light - even in the book's happier moments, there's an undercurrent of melancholy. But overall it was a very uplifting, very engaging read. I highly recommend it.

And on an unrelated note, hi! I'm Becky, and I'm happy to be the newest member of Afterglow. I'll do my best to make these reviews coherent!

A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.
***
I discovered this book on Carolina Valdez Miller's blog, she had a 17-year-old guest reviewer who gave a great review. You can read that post here.

Talk about Afterglow. I'm still glowing from this book. Not because I love historical fiction, not because I love strong female characters, and not because the MC loves to read and write. Well, all of those thing, I guess.

I loved the book because it was unexpected. I thought it was going to be a murder mystery, but it wasn't. Not really. At times I thought it was going to turn into a love story, but it didn't. The characters felt real. Mattie had lots of doubts about herself and what she really wants in life, but ultimately it was her love of reading, writing, and a deep knowledge that she was worth more than those around her thought. She had a quiet confidence that wavered a bit, but never went out. And I love love love the ending.

I loved all the old fashioned names in the book. I love the strength of the characters, especially Mattie and her friend Weaver. Also, I love the cover. I picked up the book because of the review on Carol's blog, but I purchased it because of the cover. I just couldn't put it down.

I highly recommend! (Can't you tell?)