Sasha Watson

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Vidalia finds herself traveling to Paris on an art scholarship for six weeks during the summer. She's happy to be away from the struggles of her home life.

She loves art, but her first art class is a disaster. Her specialty art, rabbit houses, is completely different than the art produced by the other artists in her class.

Her host family seems too busy to hang out with her. She's on her own for most of her vacation - which is fine with her; she's there to focus on her art.

Then she meets Marcus. At first, she doesn't like him, but then he seeks her out and she can't help feeling flattered. He has different ideas about the rich, ideas that get her in over her head.

Can she put aside her concerns and love with wild abandon?

The descriptive quality of this book was sensational; when Vidalia walked down the streets of Paris, it felt like you were walking right beside her.

This breezy romantic tale forces Vidalia to make tough decisions based on her struggling conscience.… (meer)

Although I’ve never been to Paris, I almost feel as if I was visiting while I was reading this novel. The descriptions and imagery portrayed in Watson’s writing is spectacular! That alone made Vidalia in Paris an enjoyable read. Vidalia herself came across as a real person and her maturity is well expected after the relationship with her mother is explained. Yes she still makes mistakes as anyone her age would be expected to do. I disliked Marco and I still don’t understand why Vidalia liked him other than for his smoking hot good looks. The guy is shady and not only that but a loser to boot. I know my dream date is to dine and dash! I mean come on, red flag right there. I know you can’t help who you fall in love with, but you can choose who you associate with. She couldn’t even be open with Marco, and yet she had no problem being open with Julien but she chooses to dismiss that. Had I liked Marco, I think I would have liked this novel better. It was still a good read, but there are some things that I wish had been played out a little differently, obviously!… (meer)

(#25 in the 2009 Book Challenge)

This was a fun YA novel. Vidalia, a high school student being raised by a single mother with a bit of a Grey Gardens thing going on, goes to Paris to study art for the summer. This has a great Paris feel that is instantly recognizable if you've ever done the student in Paris thing, from her uncomfortable home stay to visiting the English language bookstore on the place St-Michel to meeting interesting boys. One thing I especially liked about this is that Vidalia makes some choices that aren't so hot, and the results seem realistic and genuine. Thanks to Wendy for recommending this one!

Grade: A-
Recommended: to YA fans who like Paris and art ... although I was a little surprised that there wasn't more art. Maybe that's piggy of me, but there you have it.… (meer)

Vidalia in Paris is a great little book for art students, Francophiles, or artists. Vidalia is a high school student on summer exchange in Paris. For six weeks she is to study art and art history, and absorb some of the Paris life. Vidalia is a little unhappy to find her host family is a little cool, her art teacher is critical of her skills, and she worries about her mother, whome she seems to have been taking care of for many years. On the up side, Vidalia meets two boys who show her different sides of life in Paris, and she experiences a taste of freedom that she has never had before. This is a fun little novel for artists and francophiles and for high school students on summer vacation.
Katie M.… (meer)