Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

After the tragic death of her younger brother (of which she blames herself for), musically gifted high school senior Andi Alpers' life is in a downward spiral. Her scientist father lives out of state with his new family and rarely visits, her artist mother spends most days painting portraits of her son in a near catatonic state, and Andi has begun to rely on anti-depressants to help cope.

One day, upon learning that Andi hasn't been keeping up with her studies (apart from music lessons), is in danger of not graduating, and seeing his ex-wife's mental state, her father demands that she accompany him on a business trip to Paris for her winter break. Normally this type of offer would delight most girls her age, but for Andi, spending two weeks alone with her estranged father is more like a prison sentence. He also insists that his ex-wife be committed to a psychiatric ward in order to get the help she needs for the duration of the trip.

Eventually, Andi agrees to the vacation. She sees it as a time she can spend relaxing and playing her music. Plus, she has always loved the city. Andi and her father are staying with some friends of the family, the husband of which is a historian of the French Revolution. He has many artifacts and papers from the revolution. One of these artifacts is a guitar found in pristine condition in the Paris catacombs. Andi is immediately entranced, and upon examining the guitar's unique case, discovers a hidden secret. Inside the lining lies the diary of a young girl named Alexandrine Paradis, whom Andi learns became the ward of the son of Marie Antoinette.

Through this diary, Andi senses a shocking parallel between her life and Alexandrine's. As the diary's plot unfolds, more secrets become unearthed, and these entries hold the key to Andi's salvation.

As a lover of music and historical fiction, this novel had me hooked from the first page. Both Andi and Alex's plots were heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. Though a few parts are slower paced than others, I found myself devouring the book. I tried not to give too much away in my summary, and completely left out the ending. I want it to throw everyone for a loop like it did me!

One of the reasons I have been slacking in my recommendations is a lack of passion for anything I've attempted to read. Revolution, however, left me completely engrossed. Though parts of it are a fictionalized account of the French Revolution, it painted a very hauntingly realistic picture of the time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story, and eventually I wish to read Jennifer Donnelly's first novel A Northern Light.

-Sam