Failing Paris

Book Title: Failing Paris
Author: Samantha Dunn
3 out of 5 Stars

Plot Background:

This book takes place over one week in the life of Sabine Wilcox, a 19-year old student from the American Southwest who is studying in Paris, France. Her past is very dark, and she has always been a girl dreaming of the beautiful life that Paris offers- she always thought of Paris as her refuge. However, when she gets to Paris, she cannot hide from her past, and she begins to spiral downward. The week begins with Sabine trying to solve the issue of what to do about her pregnancy(keep vs abort, which is difficult as abortions are not free and she has run out of funds).Along the way Sabine meets two very different men who want two very different things, and is forced to face down her dark past.

My Thoughts:

I got this book on the Kindle "3.99 or Less" list a few months back, and thought that since it is such a short book (151 pages) that it would be just a quick light read. I could not have been more wrong. This book packs a punch, it is short but it will leave you feeling heavy and I found myself having to put it down at times and walk away because I was sad/mad/grossed out.

I will start with the books strengths: the descriptions are so vivid. I have never been to Paris (although I have always wanted to), and the author does a truly amazing job of making you feel like you are in Paris, right down to the wet stones in the pavement after the rain. At times, this wonderfully vivid way of describing things left me feeling a bit sick though. I am not a real big fan of overly gratuitous sex scenes, I think if it is absolutely necissary to the story line, then go for it, but you probably wont catch me reading "Fifty Shades of Gray"-- having said that, there are some scenes in this book that would've made me a little uncomfortable from a less descriptive author, so reading them from someone who does such an amazing job with details made me feel woozy. For example, Sabine has many encounters with strange French men, she makes a sort of sport of it to have sex with strangers, so when she has sex with a man she met in a bar in an alley, I felt like I could smell the mildewing walls and the whole idea of that scene made me, well, skeeved! Overall though, aside from the sex scenes, the details really work in the books favor.

Another thing I enjoyed, was the voice of the main character. She was so detached, which at first I didn't understand. I thought to myself "If I was debating an abortion I would be a mess!", but once you get to know her past, you see why she has learned to detach herself. I also felt like she reminded me so much of Albert Camus' main character in "The Stranger"(one of my all time favorite books)- he was someone so detached, even during a murder, but when you get to know him, you see why. This detachment is something some might find off-putting, but it is sometimes good to understand that not everyone in real life is as involved or attached as you, there are really some people who think or feel this way.

As a small side note, I also enjoyed the way the book was set up. Each chapter being a different day. It gives the book clarity and it makes it easier for the reader to follow a set time-line.

So having said this, you might be wondering why I didnt give 5 stars to a book so intriguing? Well my first woe was, as I mentioned before, the overly dirty sex scenes. Not only the fact that they are there, but it made me so annoyed that the main character was seeking these situations out in the first place. I found myself wanting to slap her! I felt like, well it stinks that your pregnant, but maybe stop doing the thing that gets you that way all the time before you go mope about it girl! She is so self-destructive!

Another woe I had with the book is, in general, Sabine's interaction with other characters like her roommate or other people she meets. She seems so rude to them, and their reactions don't seem all that natural. For example, if I were going to be rude to the person who is orchestrating my stay in Paris, they might not let me stay, but she is rude to the same people and their reactions are indifference. It just seems a little bit like she is so good at the introspective things, and the book weakens when it comes to human interaction.

This is another book that for me, had huge potential, and maybe I would have liked it better if I were younger (aside from the dirty stuff), but overall I probably wouldnt read it again. If you're looking for a heavy book that will make you feel something (even if its something you dont like) then pick this up.

As always here is a link to the Amazon Kindle book or you can use the search box on the side of the page to a paper copy!
http://www.amazon.com/Failing-Paris-ebook/dp/B0069INUU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341433736&sr=8-1&keywords=FAILING+PARIS

Happy Reading!!!