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5.0 out of 5 stars
Like reading a note from your best friend!, March 25, 2008
After a year full of turmoil, and much confusion, fifteen-year-old Constance de Bellechasse (aka Connie Pickles) feels as if she has finally overcome the hurdles and obstacles blocking her lifestyle, and is ready to embark on a new chapter in her life, full of fresh starts. Her first point of business, having the best time imaginable in Paris !
Connie Pickles didn't think it would happen, but somehow her mother scraped together enough money to send Connie to Paris along with the rest of her classmates, on a school exchange program that could, quite possibly, change her life forever. Gone will be the offbeat girl everyone knows and loves, and in her place will be a sophisticated, black-wearing young adult who will steal hearts every time she walks into the room. But even better than changing her image is the fact that she'll finally get to meet her grandparents - people her mother has been keeping from her since before she was even born - and distance herself from the tumultuous William/Delilah/Connie love triangle. Connie needs time to think, and constantly having to see William and Delilah suck face is hindering her thought processes. Besides, Connie is hoping for a Parisian love connection that will make William nothing more than a thought of the past. But then she arrives in Paris , and everything is one disaster after another. The family that she's staying with is crazier than her own; she's the object of an obnoxious Parisian boys affection; her grandparents either refuse to see her, or haven't been getting her messages; and Delilah has arrived just in time to surprise her, and is spending far too much time with Connie's best friend, Julie - an individual who is supposed to loathe the mere sight of Delilah. Connie thought that Paris would be a life-changing experience; instead, it's working to bring on more potential embarrassment, humiliation, and heartbreak than she ever could have expected.
I fell in love with Connie Pickles after reading CROSS YOUR HEART, CONNIE PICKLES, and that love still burns brightly even after completing BON VOYAGE, CONNIE PICKLES. Unlike many other diary books on the market, Sabine Durrant gives Connie Pickles a voice that is true, relatable, and irresistible. Life is not all fun and games, or full of riches and splendor for Connie Pickles; instead, she must cope with financial hardships, helping her mother take care of Connie's younger siblings, and dealing with other stressors that make Connie come off as a real friend. Her ability to muddle the different situations that arise in her life are humorous; and the relationship she shares with those around her - from Julie to Delilah, and William to her mother - are quite interesting, and oftentimes share soap opera qualities that make you eager to learn more. Like reading a note from your best friend!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 27, 2008
Originally released in Great Britain under the title OOH LA LA, CONNIE PICKLES, here across the ocean we finally get to read more about the adventures of Connie Pickles.
Written in a diary format, Connie shares with the readers her adventures in Paris as a French Exchange Student. Signing up at the last minute, Connie is bound for Paris for a two-week adventure with a real French family. From the information she received, the Blanc family sounds interesting and far more normal than her own.
Upon arrival in Paris, after a circuitous route through Belgium, Connie and her friend Julie are greeted by two very diverse families. With a sinking heart, Connie learns that she's going to be spending the time with the totally Goth girl, Pascale. But she vows to make the best of it, and the two friends separate, with plans to see each other soon.
Connie is introduced to the far from normal family she's to stay with. Madame Blanc is obsessed with cleaning and is quite mousy in looks. Monsieur Blanc is definitely the patriarch of the household with a harsh tongue. Didier is the older brother and always has a sardonic look on his face. And Philippe is the golden child that lights up the house upon his arrival a few days after Connie.
As Connie tries to adjust, time flies by and it seems that all her plans to see the fabulous sites keep getting sidetracked. She's still consumed with thoughts of her friend William back home. Though they kissed once, he is now involved with her next -door-neighbor, Delilah. And now, much to Connie's annoyance, he has just showed up in Paris for a holiday.
On top of everything else that is going on around her, Connie is determined to meet her maternal grandparents who her mother has refused contact with Connie's entire life.
Two weeks can go by extremely quickly when life gets in the way! That's what Connie Pickles' discovers during her time in Paris. But sometimes, the most spontaneous plans turn out to be the best!
Ms. Durrant writes a witty, fun story with an endearing main character. You will be pulled into Connie's world and want everything to work out perfectly. Connie may hit some snafus along the way, but she always comes out on top.
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
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