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257th out of 549 books
—
1,448 voters
Primavera
The Italian Renaissance was a cultural explosion of art, architecture and learning, but it had a darker side. Two powerful families, the tyrannical Medici and their biggest rivals, the Pazzi, are tangled in a bloody struggle for ultimate power. Caught in the whirlwind is Flora, the last daughter of the Pazzi. As her beautiful older sister is being painted by the famed arti...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
March 1st 2008
by Little, Brown Young Readers
(first published January 1st 2008)
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The author takes far too many liberties with history -- to the point where the story becomes a sham. Even though it is fiction, "Primavera" masquerades as something else -- a shame since the concept has so much potential. In addition to the blatant historical inaccuracies, Beaufrand's grisly descriptions of events that never happened turned my stomach -- making me wonder who she thought she was writing this book for and more than that, why? The amount of gore was self-indulgent, to say the least...more
"The Italian Renaissance ... two powerful families, the Medici and the Pazzi, are tangled in a bloody struggle for ultimate power. Caught in the whirlwind is Flora, the last daughter of the Pazzi. As her beautiful older sister is being painted by famed artist Botticelli, Flora is dreading her fate. Destined for life in a convent, Flora decides to run away, having no idea that that step will save her life. As her family falls, Flora must find a new life and a new identity.
Inspired by actual event...more
Inspired by actual event...more
This is a great adventure/historical fiction set in Medici Italy. A strong femal lead, some gruesome parts, and good histroical details as well as a strong story make this a guick and engaging read. Lots of art history but not in a textbook type way as well.
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Flora is the youngest daughter of the Pazzi family and she'll be sent to the convent one day. She's not beautiful like her older sister and she prefers digging in her garden to attending noble dinner parties. When the war between the Pazzi family and the Medici family gets out of control, Flora will have to save her family... and herself... if she can.
I loved the spunky main character of this book. Flora is brave and honest and kind of sarcastic. Beaufrand paints a gorgeously detailed picture of...more
I loved the spunky main character of this book. Flora is brave and honest and kind of sarcastic. Beaufrand paints a gorgeously detailed picture of...more
This was one of those books that is based on a painting. Flora is an unwanted daughter of a noble family in Renaissance Florence. Her family is locked in a struggle with the Medici family for control of the city. It is a struggle that they lose. She alone manages to maintain her freedom in the aftermath, but has to assume a new identity to survive. This book is very exciting. It is fairly innocent, yet unsparing with the gory details. Flora is an appealling main character, yet certainly has her...more
I wasn't quite expecting the story, or the heroine, to turn out like it did.
The heroine, Flora, is a plain, sort of sullen girl. She has few manners and little use for delicacies despite the fact she's a noble girl. She is, however, an unwanted last child of the noble family. At time she alternates between not caring about her parents hating her and caring too much.
The narrative is plain, with no fancy turn-of-phrases or prose, which is sort of refreshing. It works well with the story, as Flor...more
The heroine, Flora, is a plain, sort of sullen girl. She has few manners and little use for delicacies despite the fact she's a noble girl. She is, however, an unwanted last child of the noble family. At time she alternates between not caring about her parents hating her and caring too much.
The narrative is plain, with no fancy turn-of-phrases or prose, which is sort of refreshing. It works well with the story, as Flor...more
This was a good book about the Pazzi and the Medici families during the Italian renaissance. I enjoyed how the author weaves so much Italian into the book, I thought it was a fun way to be introduced to the language. This book was also very gruesome however, and had some very grisly deaths, but I guess thats what they did back then. It was a bit much at parts, though. I thought it ended very well, and while not all of the problems you wanted to be resolved were in the end, I thought it almost be...more
Jul 12, 2009
Barbara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Gr 6-9
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
ya
Historical fiction surrounding the actual attempted assassination of Lorenzo Medici in Renaissance Italy by the other powerful family of the time, the Pazzi family. Flora, as the youngest, ugly ducking daughter of the Pazzi, is both witness and actor in this gritty, sometimes gruesome, picture of life behind the supposedly refined, beautiful life of the Renaissance. Fast-moving, with a strong female character and some art history background, this should be a good choice for historical or period...more
Lorenza, called Flora, is the youngest of the powerful Pazzi family. Ignored by a spiteful mother, Flora spends most of her time tending the garden and working with her grandmother in the kitchens. This is how Flora ends up meeting both soon-to-be-famous artist Sandro Botticelli and the young messenger Emilio who becomes her playmate and protector. For times are dangerous for rivals of the Medici - and none are greater rivals than the Pazzi.
Primavera is an intriguing look into the life of an ari...more
Primavera is an intriguing look into the life of an ari...more
Material fortunes and political power waxed and waned during Renaissance; the de Medici family, however, wielded power in Florence for generations. Primavera recounts one serious threat to their influence in the 1470s. The youngest daughter of Jacopo Pazzi, Lorenza known as Flora, plots her escape from her family’s home before she is transported to a convent. Too plain to make a political marriage, Flora is overlooked and benignly neglected by all in her family except her paternal grandmother,...more
Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com
The Italian Renaissance brings to mind beautiful images, paintings and sculptures, glorious and expensive brocades, string quartets in the garden; a rich texture of life indeed. But it was also a time of great strife and cruelty the likes of which we could never imagine in this day and age. Sprinkled throughout with Italian words and phrases, PRIMAVERA dips the reader into the Renaissance period.
Flora, the youngest daughter of the Pazzi, strives t...more
The Italian Renaissance brings to mind beautiful images, paintings and sculptures, glorious and expensive brocades, string quartets in the garden; a rich texture of life indeed. But it was also a time of great strife and cruelty the likes of which we could never imagine in this day and age. Sprinkled throughout with Italian words and phrases, PRIMAVERA dips the reader into the Renaissance period.
Flora, the youngest daughter of the Pazzi, strives t...more
I wish there was a whole separate rating system for books like this one. Among books I have loved are those I treasure for their beauty. The heroine is flawed like all humans, but inherently beautiful and possessing stronger and purer love than most I follow in their stories. Her spirit is kind and forgiving as I would hope to be. It is based on historical account and woven around one of histories most precious art treasures. Truly a wonderful way to spend the past few hours.
This was an interesting time period that the author chose, where the protagonist mingles with the elite of Florence Italy during the reign of the Medici. There are likable characters and the violence that enters the protagonists life is nothing less than what they actually did back then. I have to say I liked it, but it was obvious to see the greek and roman myth of the goddess Flora portrayed throughout the story once it was mentioned.
All in all - enjoyable.
All in all - enjoyable.
This is a historical set in an exciting time, with a strong female lead, and I felt that I should have liked it better, but I didn't. I was never 'caught up' in the story, and I never cared very much about the characters. If it hadn't been so short, I wouldn't have finished it. It's surprisingly grisly, as well. That didn't bother me, but if you have a weak stomach, be warned. People die in this book by some very cruel and quite vividly described methods.
I read this to teach it with a Renaissance study in Grade 8 Humanities. It fits into that time period very well with many connections to art, politics, and life in Florence. The reading level worked well for grade 8, and both male and female students seemed to get into it. The protagonist is female but is a tomboy fighter, and the book contains quite a bit of action, intrigue, and tragedy.
Lovely novel about a girl whose family crosses the Medici's in Renaissance Italy. She is unolved and unwanted, but this is a story of love, courage, and sacrifice. This is beautifully told with absolutely absorbing setting and characters. The title is based on a Boticelli painting, and the painter himself plays a role in the novel.
This book is like middle school training for the Phillipa Gregory books. A little more violence than them/a little less sex!
I thought this was o.k. but some what boring in parts. Interesting takes on historical events of the Medici and Pazzi families. Since I am not very familiar with Italian history, that was interesting.
I thought this was o.k. but some what boring in parts. Interesting takes on historical events of the Medici and Pazzi families. Since I am not very familiar with Italian history, that was interesting.
Gruesome and romantic. Just the way I like it. I don't usually go for these books but I was at (a rather emotional) camp and felt like ripping someone's head off so instead I read this. Totally took away my anger since I understood how that poor girl felt. I wonder what happened to the ring...?
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I actually liked this piece of historical fiction, centered around the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478 in Florence, quite a bit. The action sequences are exciting and the history well integrated, but I found the time transitions shaky and there was a lot of telling rather than showing to justify the plot. Still, an enjoyable read of an event not done to death in YA literature.
I was hoping to like this one better than I did since it was set in Renaissance Italy. I liked the moments of bravery but the whole book just didn't do it for me.
This book is a historical fiction novel based in Renaissance Italy. I really enjoyed the story especially once I realized that it was indeed historically based (Botticelli, Pazzi vs. Medici clash). I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying enough attention, but I was confused at first and had to keep flipping back to make sense of what was going on. That didn't bother me so much and I really enjoyed this book. In my opinion, I would have liked it to be a bit longer for more development and detail, bu...more
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I knew more about Italian history. Makes me want to google it, though!
I loved this book!!!!! It just reminds you that you don't have to be beautiful on the outside to be loved! Perfect mix of history, action, romance, etc.
This is a book about the Italian renaissance that describes the Pazzi controversy from the point of view of Flora, the youngest Pazzi child! Loved it!!!!!
This is a book about the Italian renaissance that describes the Pazzi controversy from the point of view of Flora, the youngest Pazzi child! Loved it!!!!!
I think that this was an interesting novel about older times. There was plenty of excitement and action.
This book was so amazing! I had to read some of the parts over because they were so beautiful to me.
YA Historical Fiction
Learned something new about the Pazzi Conspiracy in Renaissance Florence.
Learned something new about the Pazzi Conspiracy in Renaissance Florence.
I loved how it was set in Italy, but the ending was a little disappointing and I was so, so confused throughout but that's probably just because I don't know didly squat about Italian history.
Might not be historically accurate, but I liked it. Good ending.
This was a really good book, but it was kind of sad for my taste.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Love this book! | 1 | 4 | Aug 20, 2012 04:11pm |
Mary Jane Beaufrand lives in Seattle, WA with her husband, two children and a stubborn basset hound. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College.
More about Mary Jane Beaufrand...
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