Revolution

By: Jennifer Donnelly

Narrated by: Emily Janice Card, Emma Bering

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Brooklyn
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 heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

Paris
Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want - and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages - until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Jennifer Donnelly (P)2010 Listening Library

Critic reviews

" Revolution is a sumptuous feast of a novel, rich in mood, character, and emotion. With multiple hooks, it should appeal to a wide range of readers." ( School Library Journal)

Amazing, unique, powerful

Profoundly moving, many years, also anger, pain and deep emotion. The connection of DNA, music, the revolution of France and of the soul of a brilliant and also troubled young woman. The layers and emotions of the revolution of growing up and recovering from how much that can hurt, and also enlighten. I was very much moved and involved in this story and the nakedness of its people, starting with the young heroine. The revelation of music connected to history, was so sensitive and also unbearable at times. But also beautiful. As growth and feeling can be. I found this to be a remarkable book and experience in so many ways. Excellent narrator as well. I’m still sitting here, absorbing the emotions and layers, sliding along my skin. So many of them. Looking out for the stars, above me. Beautiful…

Great for any age

I am a 55 year old father, as far away from the "youth adult / female" classification of this book as one can get. I generally listen to historical fiction and took a chance on this because of another adult review in Amazon recommnding it. It was one of the best audiobooks I have purchased ( over 400 and counting). It had everthing I ask for in historical fiction - characters to move the plot along, real history mixed with the story, and good enough writing to cause me to research the period ( the French Revolution) on my own. I have 2 quibbles. One, the character from the past is read by an adult ( Emma Bering), who sounds like an adult, and I had to continually ignore that - they should have used a teenage narrator as they did with the girl from the present (Emily Card), as that is the obvious intent - teenager to teenager. Second - SPOILER ALERT - the time travel thing at the end of the book, though entertaining, felt manufactured and unnecessary, a perplexing break the straight narrative that had been used to that point,
Other than that - wonderful. I recommend it for any age

lovely

The tie between past and present between both ladies was nicely done , unexpected love story was a nice hint , Chilling that people still believe in revolutions with all the suffering is causes .

Loved it,

I really enjoyed this book. both narrators were great. the research into the music was amazing.

Good!

It was good!! I likes it. I liked it. I liked it. I liked it. I liked it. I liked it. Descriptive

All time favorite book!

loved it! It brought history to life for me. I have read a bunch of other books and can't find one that can compete with this book. I Recommend it for sure.

Perfection

I've bought probably more than a hundred audiobooks but not many of them is as good as Revolution. Both of the narrators are awsome. I don't want to make this too long but all I wanted to say is that this book touched my life and I'm sure it can touch yours too.

Three stories in one - two of them fun

This novel is really three separate and connected stories in one. The first is a tale about a senior in high school who is depressed and her music is no longer enough to keep sane. She is a musical genius, and is dealing with grief, difficult parents, and a difficult school situation. She is a believable and engaging character, and when the novel is in her voice, it is at its best. The girl, Andy, is in Paris over her winter break, and discovers a journal written by a girl Alex during the French Revolution. The novel alternates between Andy's life, and Andy reading Alex's journal. I enjoy historical fiction, and got the book mostly because the 18th century France part piqued my interest. That started out strongly, but grew less and less engaging, as Alex's journal had too much 3rd person description of the French Revolution, and not enough of her personal story. On top of that, Alex's life and time never came alive to me on the page. Finally, there was a 3rd story, towards the end, something that I will not talk about for fear of it being a spoiler. I will say that this piece did engage me, and made another time and place come alive.

Two of the three parts worked for me, and I was looking at this as a 3 to 4 star book. The reader was excellent, and helped me bump my rating to the solid 4 star category. The main reader captured the main character, Andy, so well. She was also very funny and on-target with the voice of the mother of Andy's Indian classmate. Another reader did a solid job with a French accent (I assume it was a different reader, as there were two for this book). This is a young adult book and will especially appeal to middle school or high school girls. I enjoyed it as an adult male. I am a teacher, and I am always looking for titles to add to my school's summer reading list. I will certainly add Revolution.

Interesting historical read

I don't normally pick up books that are directed at "young adults" but because I was looking for suggestions for students I was taking to Paris and having the recommendation from another book group on this one, I went for it.

This one was difficult for me to review because there were some things that I loved so much about it and some things I didn't. This is a dual story told from the first person during two different time periods. You can read more about the plot from numerous others so I won't belabor that point. I loved the entire portion of the story that takes place during the French Revolution. I thought it was well told, well researched (I've done quite a bit of study on the French Revolution and I learned some things I didn't previously know) and was relayed in a manner that made the reader care about the events and characters from the Revolution. I was completely fascinated by this line of the story and kept wanting to return to the 1770's every time the story switched back to modern time. For the story that takes place during the French Revolution, I would give this 4 to 5 stars; for the modern storyline, 2.5 to 3 stars.

I was proofing this as a possible recommendation for some of my teenage students. When I am proofing a book for teenage readers, I tend to be doubly cautious and ultra critical, looking for any possible language or issues that may be inappropriate subject material for younger readers. While there was little or no foul language and no sex though the modern-day character was a troubled young lady. In reading about the troubled young lady, we also are introduced to a number of her troubled young friends and some of their troubling activities that tend to be very common these days though not admirable - drinking, drugs, bad attitudes, etc., while certainly not foreign to modern teens but subjects that as a parent recommending a book, I want to make sure are presented appropriately.

I think if I had not been proofing this book for younger readers, I may have been able to relax and enjoy the modern storyline more. However, as I have recommended this book to other teens or parents because of the historical subject matter, I always preface my recommendation with a, "but be aware that there are some inappropriate situations and reactions going on." There is nothing happening here that our teenagers aren't already well aware of, and even though Andi, the troubled young lady who is the main character, is a sympathetic character and not acting out for sheer rebellion's sake, she is acting out all the same and I hesitate to put forth sympathetic characters who are making poor choices to impressionable young people. I don't want to give them any more reasons for rationalizing poor choices.

What a fun ride

Really enjoy the story and the narration. It's not earth shattering and many of the premise were historical fantasy standards. But the way it was all wrapped up was fun and entertaining. I'll definitely re-listen again down the road.