The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens; February 28 2012
Hardcover, 368 pages
Borrowed from library

Eliza Monroe-daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when-ooh, la-la!-she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies-and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

- Description from Goodreads.com

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I LOVE historical fiction. I LOVE IT. I don't read it much but when I do, I find myself completely wrapped up in the story. 

The Academie was a wonderful choice for this month's historical fiction book. It dealt with an era I'm not too familiar with so I learned a lot about what it was like after the Terreur. I enjoyed all the characters very much and I thought the writing was very good.

One thing I didn't think worked very well was the Madeleine parts. I understand that there had to be a way to explain the big, very important scene at the end as well as the romance between her and a very prominent character but it just felt awkward. It felt like I was watching America's Got Talent when the results are being announced when suddenly, there's a commercial break. It was incredibly annoying and it was at these parts where I got the most bored.

Other than that, I thought the book was incredible and I liked it very much.

Au Revoir, Annie