Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Since the death of her younger brother, Andi can’t really make herself care about anything. Until she goes on a trip to Paris with her father and finds the secret diary of Alexadrine, a girl who lived through the French Revolution. Despite living 200 years apart, Andi discovers strange parallels in their lives and soon the past will become all too present.


Despite the fact that me and this novel got off to a rocky start (I am soooo over teens suicidal over their feelings of guilt for a loved one’s death), I really came to adore it, so much so that I had to buy a hardcover for my keeper shelf after having read the ARC.

There’s so much to love here – the exploration of classical music via a fictional composer named Amadé Malherbeau, a reimagining of might what happened to Marie Antoinette’s son Louis-Charles, a believable and sweet romance, and even of bit of time travel. It’s an immersive read, well-researched, tight and passionate.

My favorite quote:

"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 do is change yourself."

REVOLUTION is available in hardcover now. Find out more about it at the author’s website.