Sunday, May 15, 2016

Book Review: One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

*I recieved One Paris Summer via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own and have not been altered.*

One Paris Summer was pure fun.

The novel centers around Sophie Brooks and her summer abroad when visiting her dad that left her and her brother the year before without warning. She's not that excited to go, as she hasn't spoken to her dad since she left and she doesn't get along that well with her brother. Sophie has to live with her brother, her dad, his new wife, and her daughter. The set up for this book was pretty simple. Sophie travels internationally and eventually falls in love with the city even when her step-sister Camille does everything she can to make Sophie miserable. 

There are two main reason why I liked this book: the music and the character development.

Music is portrayed so well throughout the novel. Sophie is a pianist, and even though she is on vacation, she still has to practice in order to maintain her skills. I loved how her passion didn't go on the back-burner just because she was meeting all these cute boys. Music is a part of her, and I really appreciated how much of an aspect it was in the book. I was able to connect with Sophie more because I am a musician myself (I play clarinet!)

The other reason this book was enjoyable was the character development. Not only does Sophie develop throughout the course of the novel, but so do the secondary characters and the relationships. However, Sophie's character development really stood out. In the first scene of the novel, she comes off as naive and somewhat weak. By the end of the story, she is sure in herself and what she wants. She grows into a character that I could not only relate to, but see myself being friends with. Her character development was paced so well and it wasn't just a big jump from her insecure self to her confident one. 

The only thing I didn't really like was the romance. I know, I know! Maybe I'm just picky, but I didn't like Matthieu that much. Sure, he was charismatic, but what sets him apart from the another standard love interest? Nothing, really. He has a bad ex, made a mistake in the past, jokes around, and has a great smile. Their relationship also progressed way too quickly for me. Sophie is just starting a relationship with him, and by the next month they love each other? It just wasn't believable to me. 

Besides that, I don't have any faults with the book. I liked the characters enough, but I didn't love them either. My favorite part was the growth of the cast of characters in the novel and the musical aspect. The familial tensions were also very well done. 

I would recommend this to anyone who wants an easy and fun contemporary novel. One Paris Summer isn't perfect, but it sure is fun. To put it simply, it's perfect for the summer. :D

With that, I give this book
3.5 out of 5 Stars!

 





What are some fun YA contemporaries that you have read recently?

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

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