Vidalia in Paris by Sasha Watson
Release Date: October 2, 2008
Publisher: Viking/Penguin Group USA
Age Group: Young Adult, ages 12 and up
Pages: 288
When Vidalia wins a scholarship to study art abroad for the summer, she can't believe her good fortune. Paris is filled with surprises, including Julien, the nice bookstore clerk Vidalia should like as more than a friend, and Marco, the mysterious art dealer she can't stay away from. By the time she finds out the truth about the paintings Marco sells, she's fallen for him too hard to really care. But when his crimes threaten to involve her directly, Vidalia has to separate reason from passion.
Although I’ve never been to Paris, I almost feel as if I was visiting while I was reading this novel. The descriptions and imagery portrayed in Watson’s writing is spectacular! That alone made Vidalia in Paris an enjoyable read. Vidalia herself came across as a real person and her maturity is well expected after the relationship with her mother is explained. Yes she still makes mistakes as anyone her age would be expected to do.
I disliked Marco and I still don’t understand why Vidalia liked him other than for his smoking hot good looks. The guy is shady and not only that but a loser to boot. I know my dream date is to dine and dash! I mean come on, red flag right there. I know you can’t help who you fall in love with, but you can choose who you associate with. She couldn’t even be open with Marco, and yet she had no problem being open with Julien but she chooses to dismiss that.
Had I liked Marco, I think I would have liked this novel better. It was still a good read, but there are some things that I wish had been played out a little differently, obviously!