I'll admit one thing from the start:
I didn't expect to love the book. Usually a book looses me very quickly when it has a very intelligent, young character. They have a tendency to look down on others, to point out how unnecessary certain social behaviors are and how much better it makes them to see through them. After the first couple of pages, I still expected the character to go in that direction, but Simone LaFrey showed she was more than that. Yes, she's a special kid, but she's still a kid that loves her family more than anything. Whose view of the world is endangered and that has to fight against the fact that her father, a master chocolatier, she admires, may not be the man she has perceived him to be.We are all going through this development. We realize that our parents are fallible and that scares us. I have found myself in many aspects, although that happened to me at a much later stage in my life.
I enjoyed my time with the young spy, immersed myself in her world, explored Paris with her and met the people she loves. I learned what is important to her, what she has to struggle with and accompanied her as she goes out into the field for the first time. The story of a thief and the Chocolatiers Ball unfolds in a surprising way and the mixing of Simone's two worlds makes the whole thing all the more significant.The only criticism I have is that the friendship between Simone and her best friend V didn't really convince me. Especially at the beginning, I really didn't understand why the two are friends. That would get better towards the end, but still the reasons could have been worked out better here.
I think this book is wonderful for children as well as adults. And I look forward to immersing myself in this world again when my daughter is old enough to explore it with me. Until then, I'm really looking forward to the continuation of the series.
5/5 Stars
Comments