Beautiful Americans [Paperback]

Lucy Silag (Author)

Book Description

Series: Beautiful Americans | Publication Date: November 12, 2009

A story of four American teens in Paris... and the scandal that leads one girl to disappear.

This sparkling novel reveals exactly how it feels to be a teen in love, in angst, in a big, gorgeous, unfamiliar city. Fall in love with the elusive model-gorgeous PJ, on the run from a mysterious past. Or Olivia, a hardworking ballerina whose fall from grace - both literal and figurative - lands her in the arms of the wrong boy. Witness the melodrama of jaded but beautiful Alex, whose seductions will never fill the void left by her father. Finally, let fun-loving Zack warm your heart with his vulnerability and sweet Memphis accent.

On their own for the first time, these kids go wild in Paris. But when PJ disappears, the others must face the lies they've told and the secrets they've kept in order to help find her.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—When four American teens become exchange students in Paris, they go wild, partying, drinking, and smoking. The host families have no qualms about any of the goings-on as their behavior is, in some cases, more erratic and disturbing than the students they are hosting. There's not a lot of focus on traditional character development in the book, which is the first in a planned trilogy, but things do wrap up for Olivia, the ballet dancer: she is determined to stay, even though her parents want her help at home. Her change isn't entirely believable, and her parents' blithe acceptance of her decision, after being so opposed to it, is even less so. The stories of Alex, the snarky seductress, and Zach, the handsome gay boy, will be resolved in the sequels, it is assumed, and that troubled PJ, who has run away, will be found. A shining example of tawdry melodrama, the story sometimes borders on farce. Readers looking for glamour, histrionics, and mad, groping sex—need look no further.—Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In this series debut, four American teens take part in a Parisian study program and attempt to reinvent themselves. Wealthy young socialite Alex is shopping for love and expensive labels abroad. Instead, she is heartbroken when her disgusted mom cuts off her AmEx card. Shy ballet dancer Olivia is offered a job with a prestigious French dance company, but can’t bear the thought of not returning home to her boyfriend and autistic brother. Closeted Zach from the Bible Belt is hoping to finally be himself in Paris, but he is disappointed when he can’t find a boy to return his affection. Most interesting is PJ, a blonde beauty whose hippie parents are arrested for drug possession in the States, leaving her at the mercy of her host parents, a calculating political couple. While the first-person voices are often indistinguishable, and the lovelorn, backstabbing plot is familiar, the exotic locale does add some panache. Recommended for larger libraries with insatiable chick-lit readerships. Grades 8-12. --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill; Reprint edition (November 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595142274
• ISBN-13: 978-1595142276
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,624,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, January 25, 2009

By 

Prepster (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Americans (Hardcover)

This was one of my fastest reads recently. I could hardly put the book down! It doesn't have much depth or literary value, but it's definitely a piece of fun chick lit perfect for leisurely reading. I loved it and am hoping for a sequel!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 11, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Americans (Hardcover)

Gold Star Award Winner!

BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS by Lucy Silag is the story of four very different American teenagers studying abroad for a year in Paris. For PJ, Olivia, Alex and Zack, Paris is a place to run away, reinvent oneself, find love, and discover what it really means to live. Like the Lost Generation of the 1920s, these Americans escape to the City of Lights with the hope that the joie de vivre of the city will rub off on them.

PJ is fleeing from an embarrassing family scandal and hoping that she can leave her past behind in Vermont. This year is her chance to bury her secrets and emerge as a whole new person.

Olivia comes to Paris to train at a prestigious ballet academy. Her meticulously planned out future hinges on a perfect year, but sometimes life doesn't go according to plan.

Alex is a well-coiffed fashionista - thanks to her Manhattan upbringing - looking to find the perfect guy in the most romantic city in the world. However, sometimes even Alex cannot have everything she wants.

Zack is from Memphis, where being gay was never socially acceptable. Now that he is free from his conservative background, he has the same goals as Alex - to find a boyfriend and maybe even fall in love.

The story is told from alternating perspectives among the four main characters, and Silag achieves a delicate balance between their four individual stories while maintaining a cohesive plot. Four extraordinary stories told in a surprisingly believable manner. Getting to know each character from the perceptions of the others adds a compelling layer of reality to the story, revealing the faults of each character that can only be seen through the eyes of others.

This first book in the series leaves readers dangling at Christmastime, halfway through the exchange year, with one member of the quartet running away. For the mysteries and secrets that are not yet revealed, pick up the second BEAUTIFUL AMERICANS book in Fall 2009.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book!, January 11, 2009

By 

Sophie Gable "DC reader" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Americans (Hardcover)

I think Beautiful Americans is a great book--for teenagers and for adults. It is extremely entertaining, but at the same time, has an emotional power that I didn't fully recognize until the end. I read this book in two days!