From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–In this sequel to To Catch a Prince (S & S, 2005), Helene is forced to spend her summer with her megawealthy father and her wicked movie-star stepmother at their Paris home. Before she leaves, stepsister Alexis issues Helene another silly challenge: snag Daniel D'Artois, the most eligible bachelor in Paris. But can Helene get over last summer's lost love, Laszlo? Meanwhile, Alexis, bitter after being dumped yet again by her absentee mother, ends up following Helene to Europe to lend moral support. Once again, the story is rife with implausible elements. Alexis is hired as an intern for an elite fashion-design house while Helene is contracted to be its hip new face, despite a complete lack of experience. Both teens have unlimited amounts of spending money. The only believable aspects of the novel are their feelings of insecurity, but, even then, those fleeting thoughts are inconsistent with their personalities and are easily remedied by quick pep talks. Even with a capricious plot, the story line drags, and it is difficult to keep track of the passage of time. However, if readers are in need of a break from the typical teen behavior–experimentation with sex, drugs, and alcohol–then this is the way to go. This latest installment in the lifestyles of the rich and far-fetched would do well with a fantasy label.–Erin Senig-Schirota, Bronxville Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Gillian McKnight holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the New School and is currently working on the sequel to To Catch a Prince, as well as an adult novel set in the West. She divides her time between Brooklyn, New York, and Amherst, Massachusetts.
