Brenda Joyce Leahy
on Tour
October 17-21
with
The Art of Rebellion
(YA historical) Release date: June 15, 2016 at Rebelight Publishing ISBN: 978-0994839985 252 pages Website GoodreadsSource: This book was given to me by France Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
SYNOPSIS:
Released June 15, 2016, by Rebelight Publishing, this beautifully written, lush piece drops you into tumultuous and breathtaking late 19th century Paris.
Sixteen year old Gabrielle dreams of becoming an artist but her ambitious parents agree to an arranged marriage to an aging Baron. In protest, she runs away from her provincial home of Laval to Paris, the City of Light, intending to live with her grandmother and pursue her passion for art. Her bold plan disintegrates as she arrives in Paris to discover her grandmother has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Alone in the capital, Gabrielle wonders who to trust: her new artist friends or the handsome but irritating stranger she met on the train, who just might be stalking her. Gabrielle's pride, ambition and impulsive nature thrust her into Paris' underbelly of betrayal and abuse. Will she find the courage to begin a new life on her own terms?
The Art of Rebellion was on the Calgary Bestselling Fiction list in August 2016
My Review: Gabrielle is determined to make her dreams come true. She wants to be a successful artist. However, her parents have a different path for her in mind. They want her to marry a baron, who is thrice years older than her. Desperate to flee her wretched fate of unhappiness, Gabrielle makes a rash decision to flee to Paris to live with her grandmother and study art. However, when she arrives in Paris, she finds that her grandmother is no longer in her former residence. With this setback, Gabrielle is determined not to give up. Gabrielle must find other ways to become a successful artist in Paris.
Gabrielle is a very complex character. She is very trusting, naive, and idealistic. She is very prideful, prone to lying, stubborn, rebellious, and selfish. However, she is very determined to fulfill her goals and dreams. She also must go through life lessons and learn from her mistakes. Thus, Gabrielle’s character does mature. She grows into a confidant and smarter young woman. Instead of running away from her problems as she did earlier in the novel, she learns to confront them. Thus, Gabrielle is an endearing character that readers can relate to because from the mistakes she has made she becomes a stronger character.
Overall, this story is a coming-of-age tale and a journey of self-discovery. The message of this book is to pursue your dreams, but never lose sight of what's important in your life. Except for Gabrielle, I did not really see any depth in character development. I loved the setting of Belle Epoque Paris in this novel. I loved the historical details in this book like the suffrage movement and the Paris Exposition. Thus, I not only recommend this novel to those interested in art, historical fiction, and Paris, but also to fans of Belle Epoque, Marie, Dancing, and A Mad Wicked Folly.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brenda Joyce Leahy loves historical fiction and thinks she was born a century too late but can't imagine her life without computers or cell phones. So, perhaps, she arrived in the world at just the right moment to tell this story. She grew up on a farm near Taber, Alberta but now lives with her family near the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Alberta. After over 20 years practising law, she has returned to her first love of writing fiction. She is a member of several writing organizations, including the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) The Art of Rebellion is also profiled on the Humber School of Writers' website. Brenda is also a member of the Historical Novel Society and leads a YA/MG writers'critique group in Calgary. Visit Brenda's website Follow her on Facebook | on Twitter. Follow Rebelight Publishing on Twitter.
Buy the book: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble
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thanks for your very nice review. glad you liked it! Emma at FBT
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