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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
the main character ANNOYED ME!!! she drove me nuts! and that's why I didnt care for it
If I say I didn't like this book, it is because I was prejudiced towards it from the beginning. It really wasn't that bad. I was inclined to dislike the main character from the beginning until the end of the middle, and then it seemed as though the author was trying to over-correct her. Also, the romance in it was kind of cheesy, and I disliked the ending. There is almost definitely a second book, and I may or may not read it.
Okay, I didn't actually finish this but I made it through 50 excruciating pages and I know I won't be returning to it ever.
It has a very pretty cover and that's what attracted me to it. I should have listened to my sister who also did not finish this book because it's awful.
It has a very pretty cover and that's what attracted me to it. I should have listened to my sister who also did not finish this book because it's awful.
I think I would have liked this book more if I liked the main character. But Eugenie seemed a clueless aristocratic with occasional flashes of resourcefulness. I was never convinced that Eugenie understood the revolutionary motivations. Having said that I did enjoy the French Revolution historical environment and the ending escape to England sequence was compelling.
I don't quite know what to say, but it's no one's fault I didn't like this book. It just wasn't what I expected. I thought the protagonist was the assassin, and this was tale of such adventures. It's not. I'd have to say, it is more of a tale of struggling to adapt to an ever-changing and uncertain world where secret forces are conspiring against you.
It's a good history lesson if I hadn't spent a whole semester studying the French Revolution in rather intense detail.
It's a good history lesson if I hadn't spent a whole semester studying the French Revolution in rather intense detail.
The Pale Assassin shows the French Revolution from the perspective of young aristocrat, Eugenie. She's thrown into the violence and terror of the period and forced to hide her true identity as one of the privileged. Meanwhile, her brother remains loyal to the King and becomes part of the underground group that is trying to save the Royal family. Vivid with period detail and suspensful with the second half's story of Eugenie's attempted journey to flee France, The Pale Assassin is a great suggestion for teen fans of historical fiction.
When I picked this book up, I had no idea it was a series. But it makes sense now that I've finished, and the end also doesn't piss me off as much. So that's good.
I really liked this book. I won't go so far as to say I enjoyed it, but that's only because this takes place during the French Revolution and it was pretty horrific. Every time I read a book set during this time, I find myself cringing and just wishing that things would turn out better. I know the royal family was executed, I know that thousands of people - both the aristocrats and the lower classes - were put to death, and I know that no matter how hard I wish it, these novels can't change an irrefutable past.
Anyway, Eugenie is between the ages of 14 and 16 during the time the novel takes place. I thought that I wouldn't be able to connect with her since I am obviously not that young. However, only in the beginning did she act her young age. She became more mature as the novel went on - she was still kinda bitchy sometimes but at least it wasn't always like I initially thought it was going to be.
Since I don't feel like writing more right now, I'm just going to end this and say read it. If you're interested at all by historical fiction or young adult books in general, or in the French Revolution in particular, you'll probably like it. I think I'm going to try to find the second book now.
I really liked this book. I won't go so far as to say I enjoyed it, but that's only because this takes place during the French Revolution and it was pretty horrific. Every time I read a book set during this time, I find myself cringing and just wishing that things would turn out better. I know the royal family was executed, I know that thousands of people - both the aristocrats and the lower classes - were put to death, and I know that no matter how hard I wish it, these novels can't change an irrefutable past.
Anyway, Eugenie is between the ages of 14 and 16 during the time the novel takes place. I thought that I wouldn't be able to connect with her since I am obviously not that young. However, only in the beginning did she act her young age. She became more mature as the novel went on - she was still kinda bitchy sometimes but at least it wasn't always like I initially thought it was going to be.
Since I don't feel like writing more right now, I'm just going to end this and say read it. If you're interested at all by historical fiction or young adult books in general, or in the French Revolution in particular, you'll probably like it. I think I'm going to try to find the second book now.
I really enjoy this book! I decided to reread it after several years, and I think it holds up as a solid 4-star read for me. The writing style is so engaging and descriptive, and I didn’t want to put the book down. (I finished it in 2 days.)
I really enjoyed the villains (especially my favorite Templar Guy Deschamps) and the character development of Eugenie. She turns into a solid, reliable character by the end of the story, which is refreshing given her innocent, naive, spoiled personality at the start of the book.
I want to note, though, that I feel like the romantic relationship between Eugenie and Julien is actually a bit too underdeveloped. While I think they make a good match, I would have liked more scenes between them in order to make the development of their relationship more believable.
That desire also follows into the next book, where they claim to be in love, but the book lacks the scenes between them that provide enough proof to make that believable. Frequently, I feel like the book claims that they are in love without giving me enough reasoning & evidence to prove those claims, if that makes sense. I would have loved more private moments between them in order to show how they interact together without other people’s interference.
I think this is a solid novel, and I definitely recommend it, especially if you like YA historical fiction.
I really enjoyed the villains (especially my favorite Templar Guy Deschamps) and the character development of Eugenie. She turns into a solid, reliable character by the end of the story, which is refreshing given her innocent, naive, spoiled personality at the start of the book.
I want to note, though, that I feel like the romantic relationship between Eugenie and Julien is actually a bit too underdeveloped. While I think they make a good match, I would have liked more scenes between them in order to make the development of their relationship more believable.
That desire also follows into the next book, where they claim to be in love, but the book lacks the scenes between them that provide enough proof to make that believable. Frequently, I feel like the book claims that they are in love without giving me enough reasoning & evidence to prove those claims, if that makes sense. I would have loved more private moments between them in order to show how they interact together without other people’s interference.
I think this is a solid novel, and I definitely recommend it, especially if you like YA historical fiction.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was just not very good.
It took me an immensely long time to read, which is very unusual for me as I'm the type of person that can fly through a 300 page book in a day or two. This book took me more than 3 weeks to read, just because I never found myself interested and because Elliot's writing style is so informative and not at all the descriptive, lyrical prose I like.
Did anyone else learn about "showing, not telling" writing in like 2nd grade? Well, Elliot's writing is all telling, not showing. This feels more like an informational non-fiction book than fiction.
I have a lot of other issues with this book that I don't really feel like getting into but I would just not recommend this book to anyone honestly. It was a waste of my time - there are so many other French Revolution books out there that are so much better, like The Red Necklace but this one just did not meet my expectations.
It took me an immensely long time to read, which is very unusual for me as I'm the type of person that can fly through a 300 page book in a day or two. This book took me more than 3 weeks to read, just because I never found myself interested and because Elliot's writing style is so informative and not at all the descriptive, lyrical prose I like.
Did anyone else learn about "showing, not telling" writing in like 2nd grade? Well, Elliot's writing is all telling, not showing. This feels more like an informational non-fiction book than fiction.
I have a lot of other issues with this book that I don't really feel like getting into but I would just not recommend this book to anyone honestly. It was a waste of my time - there are so many other French Revolution books out there that are so much better, like The Red Necklace but this one just did not meet my expectations.