Pardon My French (S.A.S.S.) [Paperback]

Cathy Hapka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2005 | Series: S.A.S.S.

Seventeen-year-old Nicole dreams of spending the rest of her life with her boyfriend Nate. So when she finds herself on her way to Paris to study abroad without him, she’s less than thrilled. Paris is filled with cars that move at the speed of light, edible snails, and a language that Nicole can’t speak or read. Worst of all, Nicole feels lost without Nate. She’s not sure she’s capable of finding joie de vivre on her own, but with the help of some new friends—and a certain handsome Frenchman— Nicole might find Paris as sweet as a café au lait after all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–After spending most of her childhood moving from town to town, Nicole is glad to be settled in one place to finish high school. When she starts daydreaming about marrying her boyfriend after graduation, her parents decide that she needs to broaden her horizons. They sign her up for the Students Across the Seven Seas program, and soon she is unhappily headed for Paris where she will attend school and live with an American family. Despite her negative attitude, she makes friends with the other exchange students and her host family's French nanny. As a new culture and new experiences make Nicole more mature and confident, she begins to realize that her decisions about her boyfriend and to belong to the in-crowd are limiting her potential. Nicole starts out as shallow and slightly unlikable, but does show some real growth as the story progresses. This addition to the series is a respectable entry in the teen chick-lit genre, but it moves a bit slowly.–Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD
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About the Author

Cathy Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and young adults. At home on her small farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, she enjoys reading and writing, horseback riding, animals of all kinds, gardening, and music.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Speak (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142404594
• ISBN-13: 978-0142404591
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grab a crepe, and explore the city of light alongside Nicole!, February 22, 2007

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pardon My French (S.A.S.S.) (Paperback)

While many teenagers would do anything to leave their small hometowns, and get away from their parents for a semester, seventeen-year-old Nicole Larson is stricken with feeling the complete opposite. Instead of going to Paris for the semester, she would do absolutely anything to stay within the confines of Peabody Corner, Maryland, ringing in the first day of senior year with her three best friends Zara, Patrice, and Annie; and planning what she'll wear to Homecoming with her boyfriend of two years, Nate. But, alas, Nicole's parents are put-off by her constant discussion of how things will be once she and Nate get married, and can't help but feel that she's selling herself short by deciding to follow Nate to whatever college he decides to attend. Not only that, they're sick of seeing their daughter follow the lead of her friends, and want to see her break free from their control, and find her inner self. So, they force her to enroll in the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) Study Abroad Program, which is how she finds herself smack dab in the middle of Paris, where she can't speak the language, and is forced to reside with an American family named the Smith's. The Smith's are perfectly nice people, of course, but their four children...well, their constant screaming leaves much to be desired. Nicole can't stand Paris almost instantly. The food looks creepy - there's no way she'll ever eat a snail - and the cars move way too fast. And the metro is more confusing than anything she's ever encountered in her life. But, as Nicole begins attending Parisian school, and learning more about the culture and the atmosphere of Paris, along with her new friend, a Swedish girl named Annike, Nicole's Parisian perspective begins to change. Suddenly, she isn't so creeped out by all things France, and begins to embrace the culture, as if it were her own. And, with a few sightseeing tours from the Smith's manny (male nanny), Luc, Nicole finds herself actually enjoying the Parisian life. However, when she learns that Nate isn't missing her as much as she expected, Nicole begins contemplating whether cutting her trip to Paris short, and returning to the States would be a better idea than breathing in more of the sights with her newfound friends.

In recent months, I have fallen in love with the idea of sitting in outdoor cafes in Paris, sipping cafe au lait, and munching on croissants, and have even begun embracing the works of various artists who display these types of scenes in their paintings. However, I realized that I knew very little about Paris, aside from the Eiffel Tower, and various other landmarks. So I was ecstatic to stumble upon an S.A.S.S. novel that took place in the city of lights. Cathy Hapka does a wonderful job of describing the nervousness that one feels when stepping out of their comfort zone, and being forced to take on an entire new culture - including language, to food, and even transportation! Hapka's character development for Nicole is wonderful. The way she brings Nicole more and more out of her shell throughout PARDON MY FRENCH, giving her the chance to become more confident with herself, and make her own decisions is truly uplifting; while her ability to really make Nicole realize the error of her ways back home is interesting to delve into. While Nicole is a fabulous character, it is her Swedish friend, Annike, who really claims the spotlight in my eyes. While Annike is not an extremely large character in PARDON MY FRENCH, her presence really puts all eyes on her. Her positive outlook on everything surrounding her - from the Nutella and banana crepes she savors, to the Parisian museums - really makes the reader feel more positive about their own surroundings. She is so jovial, and kind, and just really sparkles as a character from the moment she's introduced. In fact, I hope that, someday, Annike is the star of her own spin-off S.A.S.S. novel, because I'd love to learn more about her. Grab a crepe, and explore the city of light alongside Nicole!

Erika Sorocco

Freelance Reviewer

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Unknown Journey, July 5, 2006

By 

Love2Read "Sammi" (Fairfax, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pardon My French (S.A.S.S.) (Paperback)

If you are the type of person who loves to travel, this book is for you. Although this novel can be taken to merely discuss Nicole's journey to France, her emotional journey is also an important one, and rightfully shows the struggles of today's exchange students - along with the romance they meet along the way! In France, she is forced to experience new, unknown French ways instead of being a sheltered teenager. For example, she must learn to navigate around the French metro.

On a romantic level, this novel was a bit cliche for me. She falls in love with a French guy - why does this always happen in every exchange novel/movie?!?! The romance did add a little fun to the book, however, so I would recommend this book as a great read, especially if you like to be exposed to different cultures. There are also other books in the S.A.S.S. series, so after you read this one, go for them!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Good S.A.S.S. Book..., June 29, 2006

By 

TybaltTino "Tino" (Columbia, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pardon My French (S.A.S.S.) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this enstallment in the S.A.S.S. series.

Nicole is aboslutely against going to France to study abroad. She has friends, a great boyfriend, and American stuff to do. And to top it all off, the family she stays with is a little on the crazy side. And their 'babysitter', Luc, is annoyingly adorable. Nicole just wants to be back at home. But when she finally relaxes a little and learns to enjoy herself while studying in France, Nicole finds that her stay was a life-changing experience.

I didn't flip the pages furiously or read this one in a day, but it was a cute little book that I enjoyed reading. A good read if you too wish to study abroad and find love along the way. :)