#BookReview : Paris on Repeat (Wish & Wander #1) by Amy Bearce #ParisOnRepeat #MiddleGrade @JollyFishPress

Paris on Repeat (Wish & Wander #1) by Amy Bearce
Publication Date : July 14th 2020
Publisher : Jolly Fish Press
Genre : Middle Grade / Magical realism

GROUNDHOG DAY gets a hilarious French twist in this delightful upper middle grade novel about first crushes and friendship when an eighth-grade class trip to Paris goes horribly wrong and the worst day of one girl’s life keeps happening over and over.

Fourteen-year-old Eve Hollis is ready to push through her fears and finally let her crush know how she feels. And what better place to tell him than on top of the Eiffel Tower in the City of Love? But things don’t go as planned, and Eve is sure she’s had the worst day of her life— until she wakes up the next morning to realize the whole disaster of a day is happening again. She’s trapped in a time loop.

Desperate to make it stop, Eve will have to take some big risks and learn from her mistakes or she’s destined to live the most awkwardly painful day of her life over and over again, forever.

*** Note: I received e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to publisher. ***

Paris on Repeat was interesting spin on Groundhog Day that revolved around Eve and her attempts to break the time loop in Paris. It was about friendship, anxiety, finding courage to talk about your feelings, understanding relationships and real meaning of love.

I haven’t watched Groundhog Day movie but now I want to. Writing was easy to follow, gripping and emotive. It was told in first person narrative from Eve’s POV. I loved the setting of Paris, it was heart of the book and author described places, food and little facts here and wonderfully.

I loved the concept and theme. It started with Eve standing in front of Eiffel tower on the last day of the school trip giving herself pep talk, putting bad start of the day with a bump on head aside, preparing herself to finally come out with her feeling for Jace which give her hope that love lasts forever. But things started to go from bad to worst that brought out buried emotions, and she did something horrible at the end of the day. But next day instead of teacher announcing to pack bags it started the same as yesterday. At first, she couldn’t believe it but then she felt lucky for getting another chance and again it went from bad to horrible, soon she realised she was stuck in time loop and had to relive the horrible last day until she did something to break it.

I was curious to find out what she will do to break the loop and how she was stuck in it in first place, if it was about her being brave, revealing her feeling to Jace or being better friend letting her friend be happy with Jace, or something else.

At first I thought I wouldn’t like this as much as I was expecting with weird first line for middle grade but as I read more I enjoyed it. All loop repetition was written cleverly. Though places and events were the same, author changed things as the character developed with element of surprise. Text never felt repetitive in each time loop.

Eve was 14 years old introvert and nerd. She had a set of rule being military kid so it wouldn’t be hard for her when she had to move to another country or place and start again. She tried her best to be invisible and keeping her true feeling hidden. But when she was stuck in time loop she had to break her rules to break the it and in doing so she discovered many things about herself, her friends, friendship and love.

Eve’s development was the best part of the book. Her feelings were raw and honest. I felt for her. What she was feeling with her parent’s divorce and unrequited love and what she did was genuine and realistic. I liked how with each time loop she realised what she did wrong both with her parents and friends.

Reggie was amazing character. When she knew what was happening after third loop, I loved how she helped Eve and even admitted she should have asked about her feelings and listened to Eve rather than talking herself all the time. I enjoyed reading their conversations and the way they made things right between each other.

I liked the message about love, friendship, and relationship, about- what real love is, it’s never just about relationship between girl and boy, there’s all kind of love and even friendship has a love; divorce is sad thing and hard to accept but one cannot force love and even after trying lot of things to save relationships, love definitely doesn’t last forever for everyone; not everything happens in life the way you wish, it might end terribly but every ending is new beginning if you have courage.

Sixth loop, the last one, was amazing. Eve tried all different things, lived free, broke all her rules, revealed all hidden feelings to her friends and told about her parents’ divorce. With help of Reggie, Sophia, Jace and mysterious palm reader she broke the loop at the end.

Why 4.5 stars-

“I never realised how much the Eiffel Tower looked like a giant middle finger. Standing before it now, I wanted to return the salute.” This first line was not really impressive for middle grade book. Apart from this line there was nothing wrong in the book and nothing like this have said in the book.

Overall,

Paris on Repeat was interesting, fast paced, both fun and sad magical realism fiction about friendship and courage. I recommend this to upper middle grade/teen readers.

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I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in comments what you think about this book and my review, if you have read this already. Which is your favourite magical realism book?

Happy Reading!

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