Lost in Paris

3.0 (2)

0.0 (0)

110 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Cindy Callaghan

Publisher

Aladdin

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

March 17, 2015

ISBN

978-1481426015

Buy This Book

Ooh la la! Gwen ends up on a Parisian scavenger hunt—with a cute French ami—in this M!X novel from the author of Lost in London.

Gwen Russell is thrilled to hear she will be heading to Paris with her family. Even though the main reason for the trip is to see her three older brothers play lacrosse, Gwen and her Mom have plans to tour the city when they can.

As soon as they land, Gwen is swept up in the city she has always wanted to see, and even meets a très cute boy named Henri. If that wasn't enough excitement, Gwen finds out that her all-time favorite band is playing a one-night only concert in Paris—and there are tickets available to the sold-old show for three lucky people. The catch? Fans who want a golden ticket have to work for it via a scavenger hunt around the City of Light.

Through cryptic clues blasted out every day through a special website, Gwen and her new friends find themselves in a race against time—and against other die-hard fans—as they scramble to landmarks throughout Paris. And it turns out the concert tickets might not even be the biggest prize...

Ooh la la! Gwen ends up on a Parisian scavenger hunt—with a cute French ami—in this M!X novel from the author of Lost in London.

Editor reviews

4 reviews

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

3.0(2)

Characters

N/A(0)

Writing Style

N/A(0)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A(0)

Traveling without a passport.

February 28, 2016

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Gwen gets to go to Paris because her three older brothers are playing in sports tournaments. She's looking forward to spending quality girl time with her mom, but once they get to the City of Lights, they find out that her mom has to accompany her brothers. That's okay, because old friend Brigitte meets up with Gwen and offers to take her on her rounds with the pet business she runs. With the help of Henri, who is Gwen's age but works for the hotel where she is staying, the three get involved with a contest to win free tickets to a sold out Shock Wave contest, since it's Gwen's favorite band. One of the band members, Clay, went missing years ago, but Gwen thinks she knows where he can be found. The group gets to see the sights of Paris, deals with a variety of pets, and tries to do their best to win the tickets.

Good Points

The Aladdin M!X titles are very popular with my middle school readers, and the stand alone "Lost in Europe" are especially fun. Who doesn't want to travel to London, Paris, Rome and Ireland? Travel stories with lots of details about exotic places always do well, and the little bit of romance with Henri is a nice touch.

All too often, travel books involve teenagers who don't want to travel, so it's good to see that Gwen is interested in looking around Paris, and it's a nice touch that her mother can't go with her and sends a friend instead. The mystery involving Shock Wave is a little weak, but there need to be more middle grade novels that involve boy bands-- clearly, it's a huge interest for a lot of the target demographic!

Readers who enjoyed the Students Across the Seven Seas books, Linda Gerber's Lights, Camera, Cassidy series, Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes or Aladdin's other girl-power themed titles will enjoy this romp in Paris.

Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 2014 reviews

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 1

Lost in Paris

February 27, 2016 (Updated: February 28, 2016)

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

What worked: This is a fast-paced ride through the streets of Paris. Anyone who loves Paris is sure to enjoy this tween treasure hunt. There are some brief historical facts of Parisian landmarks throughout.

Gwen seems like a typical tourist on a trip to Paris with being excited about taking in all the sights. The addition of winning a ticket to Shock Value adds to her excitement.

As a former elementary school teacher, I did feel this book would be perfect for lower elementary aged students who love anything to do with Paris. It's a fast read and covers some major landmarks in the City of Lights.

I almost felt though that this story went by too fast. The pacing is so fast, that I had to go back more than a few times to see if I missed anything. The characters aren't fleshed out and sound almost too similar to each other. The plot is also a tad bit too predictable.

Still there's enough Parisian fun to keep readers engaged. This is one book in a series that are set in other European major cities. A fun addition to any Parisian fan's collection.

Good Points

1. Paris!
2. Treasure hunt through Paris
3. Perfect for elementary aged girls who love anything to do with Paris