Revolution

By: Jennifer Donnelly

Narrated by: Emily Janice Card, Emma Bering

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Brooklyn
Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

Paris
Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want - and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages - until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Jennifer Donnelly (P)2010 Listening Library

Critic reviews

" Revolution is a sumptuous feast of a novel, rich in mood, character, and emotion. With multiple hooks, it should appeal to a wide range of readers." ( School Library Journal)

A perfect YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy!

Any additional comments?

How's that for a genre-buster? Awesome balance of YA fiction with a historical fiction twist. I loved the way Donnelly introduces Now and Then-Paris in a very individual way. So many historical fiction novels struggle to show the reader the bird's eye view of the time, trying to paint the whole picture of the historical timeframe. In Revolution, the reader only sees just a small view of what it would have been like to really be there. More like being at street level and seeing only what a person really would have seen. It felt very authentic.

Fabulous - For anyone & everyone.

If you could sum up Revolution in three words, what would they be?

interesting - insightful - visual

What other book might you compare Revolution to and why?

'Playing Beatie Bow' - it is a cross over of contrast from two very different times in history but showing that we as people are fundamentally plagued by the same problems in life. Loss, Love, Family, Friends, Devotion & Emotion.

Have you listened to any of Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first time for both performers and I will be seeking out more. Possibly the best reading I have had the pleasure of listening to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This whole book is full of moving moments but what remains with me is the soundtrack and an image of Paris that will be with me forever.

Any additional comments?

Get this book. If you have ever lost anyone, suffered depression, loved music, loved history, loved 'Les Miserables', had family disputes, looked after a parent, felt like you didn't fit in or that life had no meaning, there is something in this book for you.

It is a beautifully different and refreshing book.

I would recommend it particularly for teenage girls 14yrs & up (I purchased it origanlly for my daughter) but I'm 34 and loved it & I believe my brother, my sisters, my Mum & my Grandmother would all take something from it.

Narrators make or break the story - these two hit the mark!

I love historical fiction and this novel received great reviews so I began to read the novel yesterday (Sunday) - and it was a page turner! I download the audible version so that I could listen while I cooked and did laundry etc. I switch back to reading at the end of the evening and then finished the last three chapters on audio this morning (Monday), while I fixed my hair and makeup. The story did not disappoint.

Good narrators are hard to find and they can either enhance or ruin the story, that is why I always start with a printed book and then decide if the audio version is worth the price or audible credit based on its narrator. These narrators hit the mark! I prefer to read printed books because I am a faster reader than the narrators, but I was able to increase the speed of the audio to 1.5X without losing too much of the performance. This audio book was worth the credit I used! And, of course, the author provided a great story to narrate. I look forward to exploring more novels by Jennifer Donnelly and downloading them to audio if the story and narrators are just as good.

Excellent Engaging Fiction for All Ages

I'm another middle-aged reader who enjoys reading young adult fiction. In fact,
I actually aspire to write some someday. Jennifer Donnelly has given me alot to look up to in this novel. It's a layered, thought-provoking story with characters I hated to leave behind after three days of frantic listening. Without being heavy-handed, the author highlights parallels between different eras and different kinds of revolution. Even if readers don't think that they are interested in history, they'll still be likely to be drawn in by Andi's story.

The time-travel plot-device was deftly handled, and it actually only occurs in the last third of
the book, after it's been well set up. And by
then I would have gone anywhere the author
chose to take me, time-travel or not!

I also can't praise Emily Card's amazing
narration enough. She does a tremendous job
of "being" Andi. Her performance is moving,
funny, and unpretentious. She is also so good
at voices that I think she could have handled
reading Alex as well. Emma Bering's Alex is

initially less engaging, and hearing her mature
voice speak the words of a 17-year-old does
take some getting used to, as other reviewers
have said. However, Alex does speak with a
different vocabulary that's meant to evoke
another time, an era where some young people
were likely to sound more mature than their
age, at least to our modern ears. So, Ms. Bering and her main character are not that
badly matched, and she does a fine job with
the many other voices in Alex's world. But
Card's award-worthy reading, and the great
story, are what make Revolution more than
worth my credit--and what made me write my
first review.

Very enjoyable

I enjoyed every minute of this book and could not wait for the next opportunity to continue listening. The different characters were true and honest. The narrator was pleasant to listen too. It was truly a pleasant listen.

More than I expected

Absolutely loved this story. I couldn't wait to get back to it when I put it down and am sad it's over. Bravo!

ABSOLUTELY LOVE

I love this book so much and to hear it being read to me made me fall in love all over again !

So-So

This book was good by the end but it took far too long to get into it. On the positive side, the narration was absolutely amazing, world class si that it was actually very hard not to listen.

Good but not great

I had incredibly high hopes for this book. And although it was good, it took me two months to finish it. I just didn't feel that drive to listen to it whenever I had a chance. I had to force myself to turn in on. I'm not quite sure why this is, seeing as it is an interesting book and the narrators do a marvelous job.

LOVED IT!

I became interested in this book from another listener's review, and I was very impressed. Emily is a phenomenal narrator, as if she is just telling her story. The story itself has been one of the best I've listened to in years. It is in fact, the only book I've listened to more than once!