I’m so incredibly grateful to Little, Brown and Company for providing my free copy – all opinions are my own.
“Who’s César?’ ‘He’s my dog, only he’s more than a dog, he’s super-intelligent and he knows all my feelings, all my secrets.”
Paul is thirteen, lives in Paris, and is constantly shuffled back and forth between his self-absorbed and insensitive parents. His mother is narcissistic and only pays attention to her boyfriend and their infant daughter. His father has an explosive secret that unfortunately gets revealed in a traumatic way. Paul is unwanted and unloved, so when he meets a new friend, Scarlett, he makes an instant connection and friendship.
Drake’s writing style is interesting because it feels as if you’re reading from the voice of a young teenager. Paul has grown up way too fast and the way he talks about his life and parents reflects that. Paul is ignored and my heart ached for him. Scarlett makes for a great, dynamic character and helped to keep my interest in the story.
I found the book very distressing as no child should be subjected to such treatment. But it does provide a very interesting and heartbreaking glimpse into Paul’s world.
This is a very short read and I was able to complete it in one sitting, a perfect book for a quiet afternoon on the couch. Also, I really enjoyed all of the details of Paris in the story. It’s my dream to go there one day.
I rate this book 4 / 5 stars!
Click here to purchase on Amazon.
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