Aug 1, 2013

July Book of the Month

Okay, so I just realized a conundrum: I have already talked about the best book I read this month in this post. So, there's that, and I guess I could leave it at that, but I would feel like I'm letting the interwebz down by doing that, so I guess I'll pick from the other books I looked at this month and choose a second best.

That would be a Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross. Belle Epoque, meaning the age of beauty, takes place in Paris during the construction of the Eiffel Tower. It follows a young girl who had escaped from her country life to go to Paris, where she tries to find a job. She finally finds a job, though it is nothing like what she thought it would be. Throughout the story she learns what lengths the rich will go through to raise themselves even higher, what it means to be beautiful, and what she is willing to do for her friends.

There's also a handsome bohemian musician. ;)

In all, it's a good period book which introduces a lot of great thoughts and concepts that are still a part of our society today. I like the backdrop of Paris, especially as the Eiffel Tower is being built--which most Parisians thought of as an eyesore, which is a great symbol for the main theme of the book. The characters are well written and their motivations are clear (from what I remember from the beginning of the month). I think this is a book that would fit teens 14 and up, and would be especially good for girls to read, because of the look at beauty.

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