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Bonjour Girl #1
Bonjour Girl
Dating, fashion, and drama: Clementine never has a dull day at the Parsons School of Design.
When Clementine Liu arrives in New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design, she knows that she’s found her place. It isn’t long before she meets her fashionista soulmate, the loud and charismatic Jake, and Jonathan, a dreamy fashion photographer who turns her world upside down.
Between schoolwork and glitzy fashion shows, Clementine launches a blog, Bonjour Girl, and her wit, originality, and flair quickly catapult the site to cult status. Unfortunately, this comes with a price: Clementine is faced with online abuse and public humiliation. In the midst of all the drama, she finds out that a classmate is not what she seems, and Clementine has to find a way to save both her reputation and Jake’s fashion collection.
When Clementine Liu arrives in New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design, she knows that she’s found her place. It isn’t long before she meets her fashionista soulmate, the loud and charismatic Jake, and Jonathan, a dreamy fashion photographer who turns her world upside down.
Between schoolwork and glitzy fashion shows, Clementine launches a blog, Bonjour Girl, and her wit, originality, and flair quickly catapult the site to cult status. Unfortunately, this comes with a price: Clementine is faced with online abuse and public humiliation. In the midst of all the drama, she finds out that a classmate is not what she seems, and Clementine has to find a way to save both her reputation and Jake’s fashion collection.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2018
7 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Lafleche
15 books189 followersHello!
So thrilled to meet you!
In addition to being a writer, I'm a tarot reader, yogi, and fashion lover. All of my books talk about fashion because it's been one of my passions since childhood.
Previously, I worked for over ten years as a lawyer before giving up my career to write. In 2005, I was responsible for the business affairs of a fashion designer where I developed a penchant for couture.
My first novel, J'adore New York, became an international bestseller. The sequel, J'ADORE PARIS, was published in 2013. I am currently working on the next J'Adore novel. Stay tuned for details!
Follow me on Instagram: ❤️
https://www.instagram.com/isabelle.la...
Find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
So thrilled to meet you!
In addition to being a writer, I'm a tarot reader, yogi, and fashion lover. All of my books talk about fashion because it's been one of my passions since childhood.
Previously, I worked for over ten years as a lawyer before giving up my career to write. In 2005, I was responsible for the business affairs of a fashion designer where I developed a penchant for couture.
My first novel, J'adore New York, became an international bestseller. The sequel, J'ADORE PARIS, was published in 2013. I am currently working on the next J'Adore novel. Stay tuned for details!
Follow me on Instagram: ❤️
https://www.instagram.com/isabelle.la...
Find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 21, 2018
This low rating is not because I don’t like fashion. This low rating is not because I don’t like YA. THis low rating is not because I don’t like multicultural stories.
No, this low rating is for reasons that have nothing to do with any of the above.
First of all, Clementine, the BonJour Girl, grew up in Paris, France, with her French mother, and Chinese father. I presume she is trilingual, French, English and Chinese, but I find it off-putting when she uses expressions that are very American. I would have thought she would have though in her native tongue, but throughout, in reading this, I felt as though this was not a French girl, dropping little bon mots, but an American girl that throws out little bits of French every so often. Other than referring to her great grandmother, who was a famous French model, there is nothing uniquely French about her.
One of the reasons I picked up the book was because it claimed to be multicultural. There was nothing multicultural about it.
Second, the insta-romance. Clementine meets a man the first week that she is in New York and he is perfect, and all is happy and good. There is a little jealously, along the way, but he is still perfect.
And of course, the gay friend, or the flamboyant friend, I’m not quite sure which, but talk about cliche there.
And where would we be without the mean girl. She mostly stays in the background and send tweets out that hurt Clementine’s feelings. They aren’t anything stunning, but still Clem worries about them, through the novel.
Oh, and then there is the fashion. Every time we meet someone, even people we have met before, we get to hear what they are wearing. For those that love fashion, this is probably great, but not for me. I just wanted to get the story moving.
But, this is the most popular novel being requested from Netgalley for Durham, so there are people who love this, and it is supposed to be the first in a series, so what do I know? Perhaps this is the perfect brain candy sort of story for the YA audience it is trying to go for.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
No, this low rating is for reasons that have nothing to do with any of the above.
First of all, Clementine, the BonJour Girl, grew up in Paris, France, with her French mother, and Chinese father. I presume she is trilingual, French, English and Chinese, but I find it off-putting when she uses expressions that are very American. I would have thought she would have though in her native tongue, but throughout, in reading this, I felt as though this was not a French girl, dropping little bon mots, but an American girl that throws out little bits of French every so often. Other than referring to her great grandmother, who was a famous French model, there is nothing uniquely French about her.
One of the reasons I picked up the book was because it claimed to be multicultural. There was nothing multicultural about it.
Second, the insta-romance. Clementine meets a man the first week that she is in New York and he is perfect, and all is happy and good. There is a little jealously, along the way, but he is still perfect.
And of course, the gay friend, or the flamboyant friend, I’m not quite sure which, but talk about cliche there.
And where would we be without the mean girl. She mostly stays in the background and send tweets out that hurt Clementine’s feelings. They aren’t anything stunning, but still Clem worries about them, through the novel.
Oh, and then there is the fashion. Every time we meet someone, even people we have met before, we get to hear what they are wearing. For those that love fashion, this is probably great, but not for me. I just wanted to get the story moving.
But, this is the most popular novel being requested from Netgalley for Durham, so there are people who love this, and it is supposed to be the first in a series, so what do I know? Perhaps this is the perfect brain candy sort of story for the YA audience it is trying to go for.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
July 19, 2018
I got sent this book in exchange for a honest review, all my opinions are my own and thank you so much to the publishers for sending me this book!
In this book we follow Clementine and the novel follows her at fashion designing school in New York.
It's all about her Trials and tribulations in designing clothes and her love life.
Following Clementine was such a fun ride. She is clever and smart and super funny. Her point of view is so funny and cute.
The relationships between her and Jonathan and even her and Jake were written so well and the chemistry was high.
Overall this was the perfect novel if you're feeling a fluffy and light read.
In this book we follow Clementine and the novel follows her at fashion designing school in New York.
It's all about her Trials and tribulations in designing clothes and her love life.
Following Clementine was such a fun ride. She is clever and smart and super funny. Her point of view is so funny and cute.
The relationships between her and Jonathan and even her and Jake were written so well and the chemistry was high.
Overall this was the perfect novel if you're feeling a fluffy and light read.
May 13, 2018
With all the Mean Girl references and perfect world of no body shaming and all, this book is certainly not one of my favorites.
The main character did not seem very relatable or sympathetic, and I wanted more growth from her. I felt like Clementine was portrayed as condescending, and she seemed a lot younger than a college sophomore. The trouble is that the main character does not sound realistic.
It also seems that apart from the cyberbullying, everything in the book world is perfect.
The book is too cliched. I am so sorry but that's the truth.
The main character did not seem very relatable or sympathetic, and I wanted more growth from her. I felt like Clementine was portrayed as condescending, and she seemed a lot younger than a college sophomore. The trouble is that the main character does not sound realistic.
It also seems that apart from the cyberbullying, everything in the book world is perfect.
The book is too cliched. I am so sorry but that's the truth.
February 19, 2019
I enjoyed Isabelle Lafleche's previous novels from her J'adore series and was excited to see that she wrote something new, even though she went in a new direction.
Bonjour Girl was an entertaining story with interesting premise. I enjoyed getting to know Clementine. She showed a lot of restraint for someone who was being cyber bullied so often. Her friendship with Jake was a lot of fun. I also loved seeing things develop between Clementine and Jonathan.
I'm not much of a fashion person, so the name dropping didn't impress me, but I'm sure it will for people who are into it. That was the only drawback for me, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment overall.
I'm glad to hear there's going to be a sequel so I can see what happens next with Clementine, as I have a feeling she'll be going places!
Movie casting suggestions:
Clementine: Devery Jacobs
Jake: Taron Egerton
Jonathan: Nathan Parsons
Ellie: Bex Taylor-Klaus
Stella: Conor Leslie
Maddie: Annie Parisse
Adelina: Ali Stroker
Bonjour Girl was an entertaining story with interesting premise. I enjoyed getting to know Clementine. She showed a lot of restraint for someone who was being cyber bullied so often. Her friendship with Jake was a lot of fun. I also loved seeing things develop between Clementine and Jonathan.
I'm not much of a fashion person, so the name dropping didn't impress me, but I'm sure it will for people who are into it. That was the only drawback for me, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment overall.
I'm glad to hear there's going to be a sequel so I can see what happens next with Clementine, as I have a feeling she'll be going places!
Movie casting suggestions:
Clementine: Devery Jacobs
Jake: Taron Egerton
Jonathan: Nathan Parsons
Ellie: Bex Taylor-Klaus
Stella: Conor Leslie
Maddie: Annie Parisse
Adelina: Ali Stroker
July 25, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest Review!
This story revolves around bullying which Clementine who is Chinese/French and her friends faced. This book is loaded with fashion and celebrities references and I didn’t get most of them. The topic of the book was inspirational as well as Clementine’s aim.
I didn’t get why every relationship in this book was too quick, what was the hurry? Love, Friendship or Hate everything was too quick. That is one of the reasons I didn’t relate to characters it just felt too fake.
Starting was promising but it just lost somewhere even before the half of the book, All the blog diversity theme became minor and catfight, bullying, cafes, drama, dates became the highlight.
I didn’t get Jake and Clementine so-called friendship, the way Jake throw a Tantrum in start it was unacceptable, and why scholarship was so important to cover? so they can go for lunch, dinner, brunch in fancy restaurants?
Same goes with Jonathon and Clementine, just met and become “A COUPLE”? , on the first date who shares school problems with a stranger…Well…Clementine 😐
The ending was so fake and ideal.
I enjoy some parts of it but not the whole book.
This story revolves around bullying which Clementine who is Chinese/French and her friends faced. This book is loaded with fashion and celebrities references and I didn’t get most of them. The topic of the book was inspirational as well as Clementine’s aim.
I didn’t get why every relationship in this book was too quick, what was the hurry? Love, Friendship or Hate everything was too quick. That is one of the reasons I didn’t relate to characters it just felt too fake.
Starting was promising but it just lost somewhere even before the half of the book, All the blog diversity theme became minor and catfight, bullying, cafes, drama, dates became the highlight.
I didn’t get Jake and Clementine so-called friendship, the way Jake throw a Tantrum in start it was unacceptable, and why scholarship was so important to cover? so they can go for lunch, dinner, brunch in fancy restaurants?
Same goes with Jonathon and Clementine, just met and become “A COUPLE”? , on the first date who shares school problems with a stranger…Well…Clementine 😐
The ending was so fake and ideal.
I enjoy some parts of it but not the whole book.
May 2, 2018
I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review and here it is: This book did not work for me at all. The trouble is that the main character does not sound realistic. For a book about a teenager, written in first person, it reads more like her mother's rules/fantasy of what a perfect daughter is like, complete with the moralising. Politically correct statements are dropped every few lines (no body-shaming, hard work wins all, etc. etc.). 19 year old aspiring fashion journalists do not talk that way.
A girl growing up in Paris, wanting to get into fashion journalism and having gotten into Parsons, would have started her blog years earlier. It also makes no sense for her to have kept it a secret and share it so confidentially with someone she has just met - a fashion blog is meant to gather up a lot of readers; it's not a private journal.
The people she meets on her first day feel like a much older person's idea of what 'children/teenagers' are like. A student of Parsons throwing chewing gum into the newcomer's hair? This is not the high school picturised in 'Mean Girls', a reference which itself is over a decade old. And the protagonist's reaction is implausibly 'zen' (or a pop psychology version of it) - ignore it but re-engage when said perpetrator speaks to her again, without worry or nervousness. 19 year olds do not behave this way.
And this is just in the first tenth of the book. I can't imagine that the intended audience will have the patience to read further.
A girl growing up in Paris, wanting to get into fashion journalism and having gotten into Parsons, would have started her blog years earlier. It also makes no sense for her to have kept it a secret and share it so confidentially with someone she has just met - a fashion blog is meant to gather up a lot of readers; it's not a private journal.
The people she meets on her first day feel like a much older person's idea of what 'children/teenagers' are like. A student of Parsons throwing chewing gum into the newcomer's hair? This is not the high school picturised in 'Mean Girls', a reference which itself is over a decade old. And the protagonist's reaction is implausibly 'zen' (or a pop psychology version of it) - ignore it but re-engage when said perpetrator speaks to her again, without worry or nervousness. 19 year olds do not behave this way.
And this is just in the first tenth of the book. I can't imagine that the intended audience will have the patience to read further.
May 8, 2018
This book was cute and intense with bullying. It was very well written and I loved seeing each character emerge and stand up for what is right not what is easy. Bullying has taken an intense turn from picking on people to ruining their lives and this is an important read for anyone dealing with cyber bullying. 3.5/5 stars.
Clementine is French/Chinese and comes from a very successful line of women in the entertainment industry. She grows up believing a girl can do anything and she wants to be a fashion designer. She gets accepted to an elite fashion school in New York City and moves in with her cousin Maddie. She immediately makes friends and her cousin introduces her to Jonathan, a cute photographer, for help with her designs of course.
Clem shares her blog, Bonjour Girl, with her friends and they love it and convince her to make it public. Only once she does the cyber bullying begins. The fashion world is very cutthroat and her fellow students do not want to see her succeed. As the bullying ramps up her designs start going missing. Luckily Jonathan gets involved and helps her get in touch with his lawyer.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Clementine is French/Chinese and comes from a very successful line of women in the entertainment industry. She grows up believing a girl can do anything and she wants to be a fashion designer. She gets accepted to an elite fashion school in New York City and moves in with her cousin Maddie. She immediately makes friends and her cousin introduces her to Jonathan, a cute photographer, for help with her designs of course.
Clem shares her blog, Bonjour Girl, with her friends and they love it and convince her to make it public. Only once she does the cyber bullying begins. The fashion world is very cutthroat and her fellow students do not want to see her succeed. As the bullying ramps up her designs start going missing. Luckily Jonathan gets involved and helps her get in touch with his lawyer.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
dnf
August 12, 2018DNF at page 50.
The characters are so unrealistic in this book. I had high hopes for it, but it is not for me.
The characters are so unrealistic in this book. I had high hopes for it, but it is not for me.
May 13, 2018
Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with a free copy of this e-book!
The book was fine. It's a Young Adult novel about bullying, following your dreams, and standing up for what's right. The message is clear and it is a nice message to convey. I especially liked how it accentuates the need for inclusion and diversity in the fashion world, as that is still a pertinent problem not just in the clothes brands, but make-up, too (see the recent Tarte scandal).
The heroine was actually a surprise. She sometimes comes across as unlikable, to be honest, too self-centered, but I recognized her as a girl who knows what she wants and she isn't apologetic about her success. This is something we need to appreciate.
It's too bad, then, that she is surrounded with such lame characters like Johnatan (yawn), Jake (oh so flamboyant! so loud!), and Stella (oh, a mean girl!). I liked Ellie and Maddie, though. They seemed more developed.
All in all, it's an okay novel, especially if you're interested in fashion.
The book was fine. It's a Young Adult novel about bullying, following your dreams, and standing up for what's right. The message is clear and it is a nice message to convey. I especially liked how it accentuates the need for inclusion and diversity in the fashion world, as that is still a pertinent problem not just in the clothes brands, but make-up, too (see the recent Tarte scandal).
The heroine was actually a surprise. She sometimes comes across as unlikable, to be honest, too self-centered, but I recognized her as a girl who knows what she wants and she isn't apologetic about her success. This is something we need to appreciate.
It's too bad, then, that she is surrounded with such lame characters like Johnatan (yawn), Jake (oh so flamboyant! so loud!), and Stella (oh, a mean girl!). I liked Ellie and Maddie, though. They seemed more developed.
All in all, it's an okay novel, especially if you're interested in fashion.
April 9, 2018
Clementine, half French and half Chinese, now runs a blog all about fashion and attends New York's Parsons school of design staying with her cousin Maddie. At Parsons, she meets Stella a fellow fan of colour clothing unlike most Parsons students, Jake, a fellow fashionista who stands up for her when someone acts meanly towards her and Jonathan a cute photographer whom her cousin introduces her to.
With her scholarship she affords to start her blog but it soon sours from a dream as she starts receiving a lot of hate comments online from people finding out that she had scholarship funding, famous relatives and her unique diverse ideas the hate evolves as Stella and other student, Ellie keep up the cyberbullying until Jonathan gets Clem to use his lawyer friend to take action after learning what Stella gets up to at the college...
As ideas get stolen and clothes go missing, cattiness between students amps up Clem realises show cut throat New York really is.
She comes from a family of high flying ladies, a model, an opera singer, TV personality etc and we see how women are made to be the powerful ones in this book. I loved the collision between fiction and real life as real bloggers and style blogs were mentioned throughout as Clems inspirations. She also stayed strong through it all and then when her Mum shows up after her betrayal proved how much she has grown as a person acting more like a responsible adult than her role models. The story was sweet with a sting from all the girl drama and it worked super well, Jonathan was a dream boyfriend while Jake was a fun influence for Clem. A strong read all about the fashion world!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
With her scholarship she affords to start her blog but it soon sours from a dream as she starts receiving a lot of hate comments online from people finding out that she had scholarship funding, famous relatives and her unique diverse ideas the hate evolves as Stella and other student, Ellie keep up the cyberbullying until Jonathan gets Clem to use his lawyer friend to take action after learning what Stella gets up to at the college...
As ideas get stolen and clothes go missing, cattiness between students amps up Clem realises show cut throat New York really is.
She comes from a family of high flying ladies, a model, an opera singer, TV personality etc and we see how women are made to be the powerful ones in this book. I loved the collision between fiction and real life as real bloggers and style blogs were mentioned throughout as Clems inspirations. She also stayed strong through it all and then when her Mum shows up after her betrayal proved how much she has grown as a person acting more like a responsible adult than her role models. The story was sweet with a sting from all the girl drama and it worked super well, Jonathan was a dream boyfriend while Jake was a fun influence for Clem. A strong read all about the fashion world!
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
June 17, 2018
DNFed
This book is very stereotypical. The MC didn't come across as French, but read more as an American teenager who uses French words. She also came off as young and immature.
The writing style annoyed me. It is the total opposite of "Show don't tell". I am kept being told by Clementine that she promotes for diversity and body positivity, but then says that tall and slim people are not real people XD
Hypocrisy, Irony or ignorance?
Moreover, her idea of a diverse fashion blog isn't new, it already exists. It is not new, unique or refreshing. If she wanted to create for example a "diverse" fashion magazine, that might have been more important in the industry. I think the author chose "fashion blogger" because it is more hip with the kids, but it is 2018 and your regular joe prefers to watch a vlog than read a blog.
No, it is not. Also, you don't need to go to the Parsons Design School to become a Fashion Blogger.
This is cringe.
0/5 stars
[I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review]
This book is very stereotypical. The MC didn't come across as French, but read more as an American teenager who uses French words. She also came off as young and immature.
The writing style annoyed me. It is the total opposite of "Show don't tell". I am kept being told by Clementine that she promotes for diversity and body positivity, but then says that tall and slim people are not real people XD
"There are so many issues to be addressed, like body shaming and the negative way clothing is advertised to my generation, using only the tallest, slimmest, most perfect models instead of real people."
Hypocrisy, Irony or ignorance?
Moreover, her idea of a diverse fashion blog isn't new, it already exists. It is not new, unique or refreshing. If she wanted to create for example a "diverse" fashion magazine, that might have been more important in the industry. I think the author chose "fashion blogger" because it is more hip with the kids, but it is 2018 and your regular joe prefers to watch a vlog than read a blog.
"But my concept is completely different."
No, it is not. Also, you don't need to go to the Parsons Design School to become a Fashion Blogger.
"I don't do conventional fashion; I'm quirky and different."
This is cringe.
0/5 stars
[I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review]
October 7, 2018
I wasn't really enjoying the book so far so I've decided to dnf it.
Don't get me wrong, i quite liked the concept of the book but.. everything just felt a little too perfect and glamours for me. The main character wasn't relatable at all and I mainly read this because it was supposed to be "diverse" with Clementine being both French and Chinese, but that didn't really come across to me.
If you're a big fan of fashion and like hearing about other people's outfits then you'd probably like this book though, since the MC pretty much describes the outfit of every new character she meets. And she attends a fashion school.
Rating: 1.2 /5
Don't get me wrong, i quite liked the concept of the book but.. everything just felt a little too perfect and glamours for me. The main character wasn't relatable at all and I mainly read this because it was supposed to be "diverse" with Clementine being both French and Chinese, but that didn't really come across to me.
If you're a big fan of fashion and like hearing about other people's outfits then you'd probably like this book though, since the MC pretty much describes the outfit of every new character she meets. And she attends a fashion school.
Rating: 1.2 /5
April 21, 2018
#NetGalley #BonjourGirl
Thank you so much to Dundurn Publishing and NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of Bonjour Girl!
What a refreshing book! Bonjour Girl wasn't anything like I expected. It is well written and touches on many current issues for teens and young adults. The topic of cyber bullying is so prominent right now. I love how the author uses the subject in the plot while giving Clementine ways to empower herself to deal with it. Not only does she learn how to navigate it, but learning about distrustful people and how not to let others destroy yourself esteem. I think that every teen should feel empowered the way the character does by the end of the book. Clementine follows her passion and learns not to let others steal that away.
Thank you so much to Dundurn Publishing and NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of Bonjour Girl!
What a refreshing book! Bonjour Girl wasn't anything like I expected. It is well written and touches on many current issues for teens and young adults. The topic of cyber bullying is so prominent right now. I love how the author uses the subject in the plot while giving Clementine ways to empower herself to deal with it. Not only does she learn how to navigate it, but learning about distrustful people and how not to let others destroy yourself esteem. I think that every teen should feel empowered the way the character does by the end of the book. Clementine follows her passion and learns not to let others steal that away.
July 20, 2018
Merci pour cette copie advanceé! Thanks to NetGalley & Dundurn Press for this advanced copy of Bonjour Girl.
Rating; 3.5/5 Stars.
First off, I loved this cover. I think its stunning and the quirkiness of it fits the main character well. I also really like the multiethnic (French and Chinese) main character. As someone who is multiethnic it's awesome to read about main characters who remind me a bit of myself. I am also a fashionista who devours Vogue, Teen Vogue, and lots of other fashion mags so the premise of a fellow fashion lover attending Parsons New School was so much fun (and you gotta love NYC)!
However, this was a really quick, light read. I hoped for a little more depth to the other characters and a thicker plot. For me, the 1st person POV felt like a stream of consciousness narrative. I feel like we were in Clem's head a bit too much and too much of the plot focused on her thoughts on everything she witnessed. Readers are shown more than they experience.
Also, the plot surrounding the scholarship money and Clem's classmates. was a bit much and seems a bit farfetched. As someone who is in an elite college and received a full scholarship I can say, from experience, that I never had the issues Clem did.
However, I did enjoy this book overall. It was a fun, light read about a young woman finding herself (and love) in college.
Rating; 3.5/5 Stars.
First off, I loved this cover. I think its stunning and the quirkiness of it fits the main character well. I also really like the multiethnic (French and Chinese) main character. As someone who is multiethnic it's awesome to read about main characters who remind me a bit of myself. I am also a fashionista who devours Vogue, Teen Vogue, and lots of other fashion mags so the premise of a fellow fashion lover attending Parsons New School was so much fun (and you gotta love NYC)!
However, this was a really quick, light read. I hoped for a little more depth to the other characters and a thicker plot. For me, the 1st person POV felt like a stream of consciousness narrative. I feel like we were in Clem's head a bit too much and too much of the plot focused on her thoughts on everything she witnessed. Readers are shown more than they experience.
Also, the plot surrounding the scholarship money and Clem's classmates. was a bit much and seems a bit farfetched. As someone who is in an elite college and received a full scholarship I can say, from experience, that I never had the issues Clem did.
However, I did enjoy this book overall. It was a fun, light read about a young woman finding herself (and love) in college.
July 23, 2018
From the description, this book is totally up my alley. Unfortunately, it just fell flat. From the very beginning, I absolutely hated the writing style. There were so many comparisons that were just cringeworthy and seemed immature. Majority of the characters were stereotypical, even though they had the ability to be very unique and stand out. Even Clementine, our main character, left me uninterested. She's supposed to be an exchange student from Paris, but she talks and acts like an American.
And somehow, everything just magically falls into place for Clementine. From her blog, to her scholarship, her friendships and relationships... EVERYTHING! Her and Jonathan have the most insta-lovey story I've probably ever read. Everything falls so perfectly into place that even Anna Wintour reads Clementine's blog at one point. It all seems to magical and unrealistic, even for a fiction book.
The premise of a half asian Parisian MC Parson's student was intriguing but the book as a whole was a drag to get through.
And somehow, everything just magically falls into place for Clementine. From her blog, to her scholarship, her friendships and relationships... EVERYTHING! Her and Jonathan have the most insta-lovey story I've probably ever read. Everything falls so perfectly into place that even Anna Wintour reads Clementine's blog at one point. It all seems to magical and unrealistic, even for a fiction book.
The premise of a half asian Parisian MC Parson's student was intriguing but the book as a whole was a drag to get through.
September 8, 2018
I wasn't a huge fan of this book. While it does have many redeeming qualities, such as having very diverse characters, I just couldn't really get into it. There is a lot to do with fashion in the book which is not an interest of mine at all, so I imagine that is why the book didn't really catch my attention. I actually got slightly annoyed by the detailed descriptions of what every character was wearing, when I really just wanted the story to move along. The author's writing is good and I did like the main character Clementine. I am also not a huge fan of insta-love except in a few rare books, so that is another thing that I wasn't a huge fan of. I imagine that there are quite a few readers who will enjoy this book, especially if you are into fashion. Again, there wasn't anything wrong with this book, I just personally could not really get into it for a few different reasons.
Thank you to the publisher, Dundurn, for sending me an ARC of this book.
Thank you to the publisher, Dundurn, for sending me an ARC of this book.
June 29, 2018
1.5 stars
This review is based on an ARC of Bonjour Girl which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Dundurn).
This book... Bonjour Girl was such a pain to get through. Between rolling my eyes, trying not to punch myself in the face at the sheer idiocy of it all, and skimming the last 60%, I managed to finish this trainwreck in a single day, just so that I wouldn't have to prolong my torture. The best way to break this book down is through pros and cons, so here goes:
PROS
--The cover is beautiful. Props to the marketing team, because if I were to buy a book based on its cover, this would be it.
--The topic of diversity in the fashion industry, and a character in a wheelchair. Though Bonjour Girl seriously lacked any real diversity, it made some good points about the need for it. A for effort? No, but +half a star!
CONS
(Get ready, there are a lot.)
--Insta-friendship/Insta-love is key to this plot. And it's obnoxious. On her first date/second meeting with the love interest, Clem was head-over-heels for him but Oh, I'm so insecure after my last boyfriend, whatever shall I do? Well, Clem, you'll forget him after you glance up at lover-boy's hair, that's what you'll do. Then, as for the insta-friendship, Clem puts her education and the entire reason she moved to the states at jeopardy by trying to return a scholarship because her friend was jealous. Said friend claims to be broke and so busy working two jobs he hasn't even gotten laid in a year!!! Wowie. Maybe if he didn't spend all of his money on food and Burberry scarves he wouldn't need a scholarship. Hmm...
--The Scholarship. Everything to do with the scholarship was just stupid and unrealistic. There is such a big deal over Clem getting a scholarship that she "doesn't deserve" even though she qualified and was granted it by the school. And really, what grown-ass adults are going to bully each other over scholarship money? Get real.
--The "bullying" is bullshit. Some obviously jealous classmate Tweets at you with a snarky comment, IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD MY LIFE IS OVER SEND ME BACK TO FRANCE I'M BEING VERBALLY ABUSED EVERYONE WILL SEE THIS AND AGREE AND HATE ME AND SHUN ME WAH. Yeah... Okay...
--This book relies a lot on the immaturity of grown women. I see why this is marketed as YA and not NA; these supposedly mature women act like fifteen-year-olds who haven't learned how the world works yet.
--The main plot: "I'm being bullied, whatever shall I do? Block her? Pshaw, no, I shall sneak into the dean's office at this prestigious school, look in her files, and get dirt on her to ruin her future entirely, merely because she is pathetic and jealous and said some minorly snarky things to me over Twitter that literally nobody else cares about!" SO DUMB.
--There is no punishment whatsoever for Clem's actions! In fact, she gets an offer from the dean to attend a sister school in China! She gets rewarded for her seriously punishable actions! Argh!
--Lack of character development. Clementine claims to be so self-conscious and anxious after some unrealistic debacle with her mom and ex, but nothing changes. Sure at the end, she goes "I'm different now, I don't care what people think!" but she said that five times throughout the book and then changed her mind minutes later. Who's to say she won't do the same thing again? And again, and again?
--The topics flip-flop around too much. I couldn't keep track of what scandal we were dealing with at any given time. We'd be in the midst of one conversation for one issue, and then in comes X character and we're off dealing with some other issue. It was just hard to focus on any given chapter.
--The chapters break at weird times. There would be like, three short chapters all in the same scene, and then one with five different scenes. I just didn't get it.
--Reading Bonjour Girl was like reading a particularly bad fanfiction. I was waiting for Zayn to come around the corner and ask her to dinner or invite her back to his NYC pad or something. The only salvation here is that she didn't mention lover-boy's dreamy chocolate orbs.
--Ooh, so quirky! I shit you not, I counted the adjective quirky five, maybe even six times. UGH. NO.
--Tell, Don't Show. Er... wait, what? There are so many--way, way too many--instances of telling instead of showing. So Wheelchair Girl is hilarious. I don't know, is she? I never heard a joke pass her lips. Lover-boy is romantic. Well, he buys you food and makes out with you. Is that romance though?
--Diversity? More like stereotyping a gay man for your GBF and throwing in a token disabled girl. Where is this diversity this book claims? Sure, Clem is half Chinese, but this is only mentioned once in her character description and never brought up again. We only hear over and over how French she is, nothing about the other half of her ethnicity.
Basically, Bonjour Girl was not worth my time and I regret reading it. In fact, I believe I lost some brain cells. Darn.
Goodread Summer Reading Challenge 2018: Beach Bum: a book that could be considered a beach read
This review is based on an ARC of Bonjour Girl which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Dundurn).
This book... Bonjour Girl was such a pain to get through. Between rolling my eyes, trying not to punch myself in the face at the sheer idiocy of it all, and skimming the last 60%, I managed to finish this trainwreck in a single day, just so that I wouldn't have to prolong my torture. The best way to break this book down is through pros and cons, so here goes:
PROS
--The cover is beautiful. Props to the marketing team, because if I were to buy a book based on its cover, this would be it.
--The topic of diversity in the fashion industry, and a character in a wheelchair. Though Bonjour Girl seriously lacked any real diversity, it made some good points about the need for it. A for effort? No, but +half a star!
CONS
(Get ready, there are a lot.)
--Insta-friendship/Insta-love is key to this plot. And it's obnoxious. On her first date/second meeting with the love interest, Clem was head-over-heels for him but Oh, I'm so insecure after my last boyfriend, whatever shall I do? Well, Clem, you'll forget him after you glance up at lover-boy's hair, that's what you'll do. Then, as for the insta-friendship, Clem puts her education and the entire reason she moved to the states at jeopardy by trying to return a scholarship because her friend was jealous. Said friend claims to be broke and so busy working two jobs he hasn't even gotten laid in a year!!! Wowie. Maybe if he didn't spend all of his money on food and Burberry scarves he wouldn't need a scholarship. Hmm...
--The Scholarship. Everything to do with the scholarship was just stupid and unrealistic. There is such a big deal over Clem getting a scholarship that she "doesn't deserve" even though she qualified and was granted it by the school. And really, what grown-ass adults are going to bully each other over scholarship money? Get real.
--The "bullying" is bullshit. Some obviously jealous classmate Tweets at you with a snarky comment, IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD MY LIFE IS OVER SEND ME BACK TO FRANCE I'M BEING VERBALLY ABUSED EVERYONE WILL SEE THIS AND AGREE AND HATE ME AND SHUN ME WAH. Yeah... Okay...
--This book relies a lot on the immaturity of grown women. I see why this is marketed as YA and not NA; these supposedly mature women act like fifteen-year-olds who haven't learned how the world works yet.
--The main plot: "I'm being bullied, whatever shall I do? Block her? Pshaw, no, I shall sneak into the dean's office at this prestigious school, look in her files, and get dirt on her to ruin her future entirely, merely because she is pathetic and jealous and said some minorly snarky things to me over Twitter that literally nobody else cares about!" SO DUMB.
--There is no punishment whatsoever for Clem's actions! In fact, she gets an offer from the dean to attend a sister school in China! She gets rewarded for her seriously punishable actions! Argh!
--Lack of character development. Clementine claims to be so self-conscious and anxious after some unrealistic debacle with her mom and ex, but nothing changes. Sure at the end, she goes "I'm different now, I don't care what people think!" but she said that five times throughout the book and then changed her mind minutes later. Who's to say she won't do the same thing again? And again, and again?
--The topics flip-flop around too much. I couldn't keep track of what scandal we were dealing with at any given time. We'd be in the midst of one conversation for one issue, and then in comes X character and we're off dealing with some other issue. It was just hard to focus on any given chapter.
--The chapters break at weird times. There would be like, three short chapters all in the same scene, and then one with five different scenes. I just didn't get it.
--Reading Bonjour Girl was like reading a particularly bad fanfiction. I was waiting for Zayn to come around the corner and ask her to dinner or invite her back to his NYC pad or something. The only salvation here is that she didn't mention lover-boy's dreamy chocolate orbs.
--Ooh, so quirky! I shit you not, I counted the adjective quirky five, maybe even six times. UGH. NO.
--Tell, Don't Show. Er... wait, what? There are so many--way, way too many--instances of telling instead of showing. So Wheelchair Girl is hilarious. I don't know, is she? I never heard a joke pass her lips. Lover-boy is romantic. Well, he buys you food and makes out with you. Is that romance though?
--Diversity? More like stereotyping a gay man for your GBF and throwing in a token disabled girl. Where is this diversity this book claims? Sure, Clem is half Chinese, but this is only mentioned once in her character description and never brought up again. We only hear over and over how French she is, nothing about the other half of her ethnicity.
Basically, Bonjour Girl was not worth my time and I regret reading it. In fact, I believe I lost some brain cells. Darn.
Goodread Summer Reading Challenge 2018: Beach Bum: a book that could be considered a beach read
July 23, 2019
Dans l’ensemble, c’était bien. Le champ lexical de la mode était très présent tout au long de la lecture, ce qui a bien rendu justice à la thématique du roman. Bien que j’ai grandement apprécié la présence du sujet de la cyber intimidation, j’ai trouvé qu’il était un peu enfantin.
July 7, 2018
Clementine a.k.a Clem is the new student at Parsons in New York and she's all about Fashion. Well, here's what I thought as I read the book: it's got a great premise, and a promising storyline of friendship, bullying and perseverance. I liked how the author tried to incorporate a variety of characters while somehow still sticking to the cliché that the world of fashion can be so mean.
I got this off NetGalley and if you're looking for a short story about a teen girl who simply wanted to find her purpose, be good to people and enjoy it while doing so, then this is a quick and interesting read.
I got this off NetGalley and if you're looking for a short story about a teen girl who simply wanted to find her purpose, be good to people and enjoy it while doing so, then this is a quick and interesting read.
July 2, 2018
i got my copy from netgalley.
the book features a chinese-french girl who wants to make it big. bullying is also a way of attention even if it isnt the nicest compliment to do so, some believe every attention is good attention when you want to make a name for yourself and for our main girl Clementine is essential to have thick skin. I liked the cute way its written and the show not tell rule kept in mind. it was a very good book and its a perfect summer read while traveling.
the book features a chinese-french girl who wants to make it big. bullying is also a way of attention even if it isnt the nicest compliment to do so, some believe every attention is good attention when you want to make a name for yourself and for our main girl Clementine is essential to have thick skin. I liked the cute way its written and the show not tell rule kept in mind. it was a very good book and its a perfect summer read while traveling.
June 11, 2018
This is the kind of book that would be inspirational to so many teenagers of today's world who are interested in fashion. It was easy to read and text simply flowed. It's the book that got me out of my reading slump and because of that, I will give it a higher rating than I probably would give it under normal circumstances.
I loved this book. I loved the story and the whole concept, Cécile's book and its influence. However, I found the characters to be too off. I found Jonathan to be too perfect (and I was anticipating something to come up) and his perfection made Clementine look whiny and irrational and while I think some girls are like that at the age of 19, most that I know have grown out of it by then. And Jake's reaction to his friend getting the scholarship (and a scholarship for her work at that!!) was just weird. I can see the character being upset at it but not exploding like that - again, something I'd hope a person of that age would have grown out of. However, I don't think this would bother the book's target group.
I loved this book. I loved the story and the whole concept, Cécile's book and its influence. However, I found the characters to be too off. I found Jonathan to be too perfect (and I was anticipating something to come up) and his perfection made Clementine look whiny and irrational and while I think some girls are like that at the age of 19, most that I know have grown out of it by then. And Jake's reaction to his friend getting the scholarship (and a scholarship for her work at that!!) was just weird. I can see the character being upset at it but not exploding like that - again, something I'd hope a person of that age would have grown out of. However, I don't think this would bother the book's target group.
June 10, 2018
Disclaimer: NetGalley provided me with this e-ARC in return for my honest review.
“Spoken words fly away, but written words remain.”
My Thoughts
Realistic, Easy and Sassy! Say Bonjour to your Bonjour Girl Clementine.
Clementine, a fresher at the Parsons School of design seems to have it all in life, but she has her own demons that she needs to fight.
She moves to the Big Apple to get a fresh start, where life seems like a fairy tale, but soon she’s to learn that people are not what they seem to be. She makes a few poor judgments that could have caused her everything.
What I liked about this book, is that it was an easy read and it was real. It dealt with real issues in life and the romance did not overshadow the plot. The story was focused on Clementine reaching for her dreams of becoming a fashion blogger.
“Spoken words fly away, but written words remain.”
My Thoughts
Realistic, Easy and Sassy! Say Bonjour to your Bonjour Girl Clementine.
Clementine, a fresher at the Parsons School of design seems to have it all in life, but she has her own demons that she needs to fight.
She moves to the Big Apple to get a fresh start, where life seems like a fairy tale, but soon she’s to learn that people are not what they seem to be. She makes a few poor judgments that could have caused her everything.
What I liked about this book, is that it was an easy read and it was real. It dealt with real issues in life and the romance did not overshadow the plot. The story was focused on Clementine reaching for her dreams of becoming a fashion blogger.
October 5, 2018
De cette auteure, j'avais lu J'adore New York et j'avais adoré! J'ai d'ailleurs la suite dans ma PAL et j'a bien l'intention de m'y plonger un jour car elle a un troisième tome déjà publié dans cette série! J'ai du retard... En attendant, j'avais le goût de découvrir sa nouvelle série jeunesse dédiée aux adolescents.
D'abord, je dois dire que cette jolie page couverture a attiré l'œil de bien des gens. Dans la salle d'attente d'un hôpital et une autre fois chez le podiatre, deux inconnues m'ont abordée pour me demander ce que je lisais en me disant que d'après la couverture, ça avait l'air intéressant! J'avoue être une groopie de couverture moi aussi et c'est en partie pour cette raison que j'étais curieuse de le lire. C'est le premier tome dans lequel c'est le moment de découvrir Clémentine toute fraîche débarquée de France dans une grande école de mode new yorkaise. Elle vient d'une famille multi-culturelle pas mal dysfonctionnelle et c'est chez sa tante Maddie qu'elle fait son entrée américaine. Il ne lui faut pas beaucoup de temps pour se faire des ennemis mais également des amis, heureusement. Elle a de beaux projets en tête, mais les réseaux sociaux ne sont pas toujours très rassurants...!
C'est un roman léger dans lequel les défis sont réels, mais Clémentine l'a un peu facile. Disons qu'elle a la chance d'être bien entourée et qu'elle a beaucoup de veine en général. Il ne faut pas s'attendre à de grandes crises existentielles ici et je dirais que ça fait du bien des fois! L'héroïne a 19 ans et bien qu'elle vive une relation amoureuse avec un garçon plus vieux, l'auteure n'a pas trop insisté sur la portion sexuelle de la relation ouvrant ainsi la porte à un lectorat un peu plus jeune.
Moi, en tant qu'adulte, j'ai bien aimé les passages sur la mode et les clins d'œil à la nailpolish junkie que je suis! L'auteure a une grande expérience dans le domaine de la mode et ça se sent. C'est un petit côté que j'ai aimé retrouvé dans cette nouvelle série!
Le livre se termine donc sur l'avenir de Clémentine pour le prochain trimestre scolaire. De grandes aventures en vue, de quoi lui faire oublier les mésaventures vécues au premier trimestre.
C'est un roman rose et super vitaminé qui plaira certainement à une cohorte de jeunes qui n'aiment pas trop le drame et les lectures noires. Mais oui, ça existe encore!
http://booki-net.blogspot.com/2018/10...
D'abord, je dois dire que cette jolie page couverture a attiré l'œil de bien des gens. Dans la salle d'attente d'un hôpital et une autre fois chez le podiatre, deux inconnues m'ont abordée pour me demander ce que je lisais en me disant que d'après la couverture, ça avait l'air intéressant! J'avoue être une groopie de couverture moi aussi et c'est en partie pour cette raison que j'étais curieuse de le lire. C'est le premier tome dans lequel c'est le moment de découvrir Clémentine toute fraîche débarquée de France dans une grande école de mode new yorkaise. Elle vient d'une famille multi-culturelle pas mal dysfonctionnelle et c'est chez sa tante Maddie qu'elle fait son entrée américaine. Il ne lui faut pas beaucoup de temps pour se faire des ennemis mais également des amis, heureusement. Elle a de beaux projets en tête, mais les réseaux sociaux ne sont pas toujours très rassurants...!
C'est un roman léger dans lequel les défis sont réels, mais Clémentine l'a un peu facile. Disons qu'elle a la chance d'être bien entourée et qu'elle a beaucoup de veine en général. Il ne faut pas s'attendre à de grandes crises existentielles ici et je dirais que ça fait du bien des fois! L'héroïne a 19 ans et bien qu'elle vive une relation amoureuse avec un garçon plus vieux, l'auteure n'a pas trop insisté sur la portion sexuelle de la relation ouvrant ainsi la porte à un lectorat un peu plus jeune.
Moi, en tant qu'adulte, j'ai bien aimé les passages sur la mode et les clins d'œil à la nailpolish junkie que je suis! L'auteure a une grande expérience dans le domaine de la mode et ça se sent. C'est un petit côté que j'ai aimé retrouvé dans cette nouvelle série!
Le livre se termine donc sur l'avenir de Clémentine pour le prochain trimestre scolaire. De grandes aventures en vue, de quoi lui faire oublier les mésaventures vécues au premier trimestre.
C'est un roman rose et super vitaminé qui plaira certainement à une cohorte de jeunes qui n'aiment pas trop le drame et les lectures noires. Mais oui, ça existe encore!
http://booki-net.blogspot.com/2018/10...
May 15, 2018
Having written the J'Adore series, Bonjour Girl is author Isabelle Lafleche's first foray into Young Adult writing. It's the start of a series revolving around Clementine Liu, who travels to New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design and start her path as a fashion journalist/blogger. Always a fan of moving to New York stories, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. I have been provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Bonjour Girl hits the ground running and wonderfully captures that devastated melodramatic feeling anyone goes through when it feels like the world is falling apart:
This is a first-person perspective book, which is always a trickier approach. The "I"s and "me"s certainly can over focus an otherwise endearing approachable character. In the case of Clementine Liu at first it gives the feeling that she's more naive than a second year college student usually would be. She feels very Jane By Design, but with an international flair.
The rest of this review can be read on my blog: Commute Reads - Bonjour Girl
Bonjour Girl hits the ground running and wonderfully captures that devastated melodramatic feeling anyone goes through when it feels like the world is falling apart:
The nasty tweet hits me like a wall of vintage boots, handbags, and boho dresses. Or like a hurricane that goes on a rampage in my soul and leaves a gaping wound in my heart. I fight back tears while absentmindedly chewing on my nails. I cringe, knowing how many Twitter followers she has. Her malicious post has lots of retweets, too. Like, far too many. Somebody please shoot me now. This is dredging up old, unwanted emotions, all the pain and worry that nearly destroyed me last year. That’s why I came here, why I escaped to New York.
This is a first-person perspective book, which is always a trickier approach. The "I"s and "me"s certainly can over focus an otherwise endearing approachable character. In the case of Clementine Liu at first it gives the feeling that she's more naive than a second year college student usually would be. She feels very Jane By Design, but with an international flair.
The rest of this review can be read on my blog: Commute Reads - Bonjour Girl
September 23, 2018
J'ai vraiment accordé beaucoup de chances à ce livre, d'un côté, parce qu'il a été rédigé par une autrice réputée mondialement (Isabelle Laflèche); de l'autre, parce que je m'attaquais à un genre littéraire que je connaissais peu (la chick-lit).
Malgré tout cela, je trouve que ce livre manque beaucoup de réalisme et de véritables émotions. Tout paraît facile, et les défis, surmontables assez aisément. Ses amitiés se développent d'elles-mêmes, il n'y a presque pas de conflits. Tout sourit au personnage principal, et on dirait que c'est la fin du monde lorsque quelqu'un vient l'insulter sur le web! Sérieusement, le récit manque cruellement de nuance et d'authenticité: personne ne pourra vraiment se reconnaître dans le personnage de Clémentine...
Ajoutez à cela une intrigue prévisible, une relation amoureuse trop cliché et des conflits familiaux presque banals (pas le conflit en tant que tel, mais comment ce dernier se règle!), et vous avez un roman adolescent qui passe à côté de la plaque... Petit avantage: l'on découvre avec intérêt l'univers de la mode américaine et européenne, mais sans plus...
Un premier tome jeunesse qui mériterait d'être retravaillé!
Malgré tout cela, je trouve que ce livre manque beaucoup de réalisme et de véritables émotions. Tout paraît facile, et les défis, surmontables assez aisément. Ses amitiés se développent d'elles-mêmes, il n'y a presque pas de conflits. Tout sourit au personnage principal, et on dirait que c'est la fin du monde lorsque quelqu'un vient l'insulter sur le web! Sérieusement, le récit manque cruellement de nuance et d'authenticité: personne ne pourra vraiment se reconnaître dans le personnage de Clémentine...
Ajoutez à cela une intrigue prévisible, une relation amoureuse trop cliché et des conflits familiaux presque banals (pas le conflit en tant que tel, mais comment ce dernier se règle!), et vous avez un roman adolescent qui passe à côté de la plaque... Petit avantage: l'on découvre avec intérêt l'univers de la mode américaine et européenne, mais sans plus...
Un premier tome jeunesse qui mériterait d'être retravaillé!
April 18, 2018
I liked the concept of this story! Fashion, New York, and a popular teen topic make this book interesting. Taking a topic like cyber bullying and getting to see how Clementine handles it is refreshing. We make poor judgements but we don't have to turn it into a revenge plot. I really liked that about this book. And seeing all these characters work towards something they love is beautiful.
However, it felt younger than Y/A At times. Some times the characters we too childish for me with the way they acted. I was expecting a little more maturity but I still enjoyed this book.
However, it felt younger than Y/A At times. Some times the characters we too childish for me with the way they acted. I was expecting a little more maturity but I still enjoyed this book.
April 29, 2018
⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 stars)
I received this book from Net Gally (e-book) in exchange for an honest opinion
I really enjoyed reading. It was a pleasant reading.
I liked the personages and the way the author did unroll the story
I want in the future without doubt to read more books of the author
Read this book please :)
I received this book from Net Gally (e-book) in exchange for an honest opinion
I really enjoyed reading. It was a pleasant reading.
I liked the personages and the way the author did unroll the story
I want in the future without doubt to read more books of the author
Read this book please :)
May 29, 2018
1/5 stars
One rainy day, I thought that if I picked up what seemed to be a cute contemporary, then everything would get better. Long story shortened: It did not.
Bonjour Girl sounds like a typical happy contemporary. It has the typical story of a girl going to a foreign city, in this case, New York City, and meets a guy who makes her insides feel like melted cheese.* Of course, there is a lot more as Clementine, the main character, is a fashion-blogger, all around clothing-hunter, and from French/Chinese descent. She is staying in New York to begin her education at Parsons School of Design. All she knows that she wants to join the world of fashion with her blog, Bonjour Girl. Never does she know that she will get a new best friend to accompany in her journey through creativity and a new love interest who look like he just stepped off the runway. This story sounds like an easy and relaxing read. Unfortunately, my reading experience was anything but relaxing.
*Not kidding. This is actually how the main character describes her new-found love for a character.
1. The Characters Are Empty-headed Robots on A Mission to Do Nothing
First, even after looking at the known runway for the plot, I was still going to give this book a good read through. It sounded exciting to read about another blogger's adventures in a new and exciting city. Unfortunately, this could not happen due to the characters. Clementine, along with some of the other characters, are so childish. The characters in this book are near their early twenties; however, almost everyone acted as if they were in Kindergarten. Seriously, the one bully in this book throws band-aids at Clementine. Also, Jake, Clementine's greatest best friend in all the universe, is problematic as well. He is gay but that is not a problem. It is commonly stereotyped that most men in the fashion industry are gay and very flamboyant. Jake fills this stereotype so well that it scares me that the author would promote a person of diversity like this. One line he says that caused me to drop my phone is:
"ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER slay."
I'm sorry, but what?! I couldn't take it any more. Reading the too animated commentary constantly coming from Jake caused me to take a step back. I couldn't keep reading, so I guess this is a reason for why I quit so soon.
2. The Dialogue and Writing Is Terrible
One way that I saw Clementine and the other characters in the same light was through the writing. Lafleche could've made this so much of a better book if she didn't contradict what her characters were saying with their "beliefs."
"In addition to wearing all black, some of my classmates look like they have a major attitude."
First, you should be able to wear whatever you want to wear no matter what. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't wear all black or the such. Like the worlds of fashion and beauty today, this book judged everyone each character did even though Clementine kept saying that she is open to all. Yeah, right?! Then, she continues with:
"I try not to judge her based on her looks (after all, I'm here to advocate for diversity)..."
EXCUSE ME!! What were you saying then just a few pages ago?!
Plus, if she knew how to describe the emotions of love, which I do not know how to do without saying it to a piece of cake, it might have worked out a lot better.
"As soon as his hand touches mine, I can almost feel the electricity running all the way down to my toes. Thank god I'm sitting down, otherwise I'd probably keel over."
Is this line supposed to make me keel over and die? Seriously, practice your writing skills and then write a published book. Use what you learn from writing this book to further your writing in the future.
By the time I was 18% in, I saw that the writing was way too childish for what the setting was and how old the characters were.
3. The Romance Is Unbelievable
Plus, the romance is unbearable. It is so insta-lovey, and I cannot stand it. Immediately, once Jonathan (I think that's his name), the love interest, came into the picture, lots of comments were being made about how attractive he was and nothing else. Nothing about how nice he could be or anything about his personality. Only on how handsome he is. There needs to be at least a little depth to something in this book.
In conclusion, I wish I never requested nor read this book. I am glad that I did not waste my entire day. Although I may not have enjoyed most of this book, I did enjoy reading about fashion and learning what Clementine has a passion for, which I wish Sandhya Menon used in When Dimple Meet Rishi but with coding and computer science. In the end, this piece of information does nothing to erase the one star that may cloud my judgement. This book is just not for me, nor do I advise you to read it due to its problematic elements.
One rainy day, I thought that if I picked up what seemed to be a cute contemporary, then everything would get better. Long story shortened: It did not.
Bonjour Girl sounds like a typical happy contemporary. It has the typical story of a girl going to a foreign city, in this case, New York City, and meets a guy who makes her insides feel like melted cheese.* Of course, there is a lot more as Clementine, the main character, is a fashion-blogger, all around clothing-hunter, and from French/Chinese descent. She is staying in New York to begin her education at Parsons School of Design. All she knows that she wants to join the world of fashion with her blog, Bonjour Girl. Never does she know that she will get a new best friend to accompany in her journey through creativity and a new love interest who look like he just stepped off the runway. This story sounds like an easy and relaxing read. Unfortunately, my reading experience was anything but relaxing.
*Not kidding. This is actually how the main character describes her new-found love for a character.
1. The Characters Are Empty-headed Robots on A Mission to Do Nothing
First, even after looking at the known runway for the plot, I was still going to give this book a good read through. It sounded exciting to read about another blogger's adventures in a new and exciting city. Unfortunately, this could not happen due to the characters. Clementine, along with some of the other characters, are so childish. The characters in this book are near their early twenties; however, almost everyone acted as if they were in Kindergarten. Seriously, the one bully in this book throws band-aids at Clementine. Also, Jake, Clementine's greatest best friend in all the universe, is problematic as well. He is gay but that is not a problem. It is commonly stereotyped that most men in the fashion industry are gay and very flamboyant. Jake fills this stereotype so well that it scares me that the author would promote a person of diversity like this. One line he says that caused me to drop my phone is:
"ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER slay."
I'm sorry, but what?! I couldn't take it any more. Reading the too animated commentary constantly coming from Jake caused me to take a step back. I couldn't keep reading, so I guess this is a reason for why I quit so soon.
2. The Dialogue and Writing Is Terrible
One way that I saw Clementine and the other characters in the same light was through the writing. Lafleche could've made this so much of a better book if she didn't contradict what her characters were saying with their "beliefs."
"In addition to wearing all black, some of my classmates look like they have a major attitude."
First, you should be able to wear whatever you want to wear no matter what. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't wear all black or the such. Like the worlds of fashion and beauty today, this book judged everyone each character did even though Clementine kept saying that she is open to all. Yeah, right?! Then, she continues with:
"I try not to judge her based on her looks (after all, I'm here to advocate for diversity)..."
EXCUSE ME!! What were you saying then just a few pages ago?!
Plus, if she knew how to describe the emotions of love, which I do not know how to do without saying it to a piece of cake, it might have worked out a lot better.
"As soon as his hand touches mine, I can almost feel the electricity running all the way down to my toes. Thank god I'm sitting down, otherwise I'd probably keel over."
Is this line supposed to make me keel over and die? Seriously, practice your writing skills and then write a published book. Use what you learn from writing this book to further your writing in the future.
By the time I was 18% in, I saw that the writing was way too childish for what the setting was and how old the characters were.
3. The Romance Is Unbelievable
Plus, the romance is unbearable. It is so insta-lovey, and I cannot stand it. Immediately, once Jonathan (I think that's his name), the love interest, came into the picture, lots of comments were being made about how attractive he was and nothing else. Nothing about how nice he could be or anything about his personality. Only on how handsome he is. There needs to be at least a little depth to something in this book.
In conclusion, I wish I never requested nor read this book. I am glad that I did not waste my entire day. Although I may not have enjoyed most of this book, I did enjoy reading about fashion and learning what Clementine has a passion for, which I wish Sandhya Menon used in When Dimple Meet Rishi but with coding and computer science. In the end, this piece of information does nothing to erase the one star that may cloud my judgement. This book is just not for me, nor do I advise you to read it due to its problematic elements.
May 17, 2019
DISCLAIMER: A copy of the book was given to me in return for a fair and honest review, which follows!
REVIEW
Take a girl fascinated, enthralled, totally enraptured by fashion and put her in New York at one of the most prestigious fashion school around...and add social media.
LONG STORY SHORT
Clementine is a promising young woman in the world of fashion. After all, as the grand daughter of a famous fashionista of her own time, it runs in her blood. Following some disaster in her personal life back home in France, young Clementine sees her enrollment and attendance at Parsons as a fresh start, one that comes with the launch of her fashion career. Throwing herself into her studies and meeting people, Clementine soon discovers that social media bites, allies are not always who they seem, and there is more to the fashion industry than linen and lace.
On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this work a 3.
The Good
Ah, young energy! As already mentioned, Clementine is a young lady who has been just given the opportunity of a lifetime - attendance at the prestigious Parsons fashion school in New York! Add on a scholarship, new best friend, and new boyfriend, and things are looking up for the diva who faced some personal turmoil back home in France (oh c'mon - you didn't think I'd tell ya, didja? Gotta read :)). That is, until her phone buzzes with the latest from a rival student who seems hell bent on undermining Clementine. Twitter. A nasty one. What to do?
Isabelle has here created an interesting story that incorporates many aspects of modern life and attempts to view those aspects from the lens of a teenage girl. The characters are unique and have their own voice (especially her friend Jake...think Damian from "Mean Girls"). The scenes are charming and lilty. The plot moves along at a pretty quick pace and offers a very direct lens into Clementine's thoughts, as the entire work is written in first-person with Clementine directing the action.
There is mystery, PUH-lenty of drama, and a moral lesson all wrapped up in a fashionable little bow here. It is a cute read. Not a huge "omgmakethiscanonrightnow", but a cute read. :)
The Bugly (bad/ugly).
Yep, I found a typo. :P Yeah yeah....I'm picky, but still - editors should weed those things out before a book like this hits print.
My biggest complaint with this book is akin to that of a non-teenager anymore trying to act like a teenager so much that it feels forced. Such is the case here. For example: yeah, social media is a big freaking deal and people bully one another on various platforms all of the freaking time. But I found it a little unbelievable how characters would respond in this book to a single Twitter post. Sure, the post was a bit nasty...but seriously? Lose your minds over a few characters in a line? Nah. I don't buy it. But maybe the part of my mind that doesn't buy it is the same part that hears teenagers going on about trivial things and thinks "really, are you kidding me?"
Though the plot clips right along, it is very predictable and pretty thin. I saw where the story was headed pretty quickly (fairly used trope), and was mildly bored partly through the story. I wanted *MORE*. More plot, more action, more character depth (their development was also very thin), more interesting things to happen. I left this feeling like I just ate a snack's worth when I was ready for a buffet.
It was a very okay book, but just that - okay.
REVIEW
Take a girl fascinated, enthralled, totally enraptured by fashion and put her in New York at one of the most prestigious fashion school around...and add social media.
LONG STORY SHORT
Clementine is a promising young woman in the world of fashion. After all, as the grand daughter of a famous fashionista of her own time, it runs in her blood. Following some disaster in her personal life back home in France, young Clementine sees her enrollment and attendance at Parsons as a fresh start, one that comes with the launch of her fashion career. Throwing herself into her studies and meeting people, Clementine soon discovers that social media bites, allies are not always who they seem, and there is more to the fashion industry than linen and lace.
On an ascending scale of 1 to 5, I give this work a 3.
The Good
Ah, young energy! As already mentioned, Clementine is a young lady who has been just given the opportunity of a lifetime - attendance at the prestigious Parsons fashion school in New York! Add on a scholarship, new best friend, and new boyfriend, and things are looking up for the diva who faced some personal turmoil back home in France (oh c'mon - you didn't think I'd tell ya, didja? Gotta read :)). That is, until her phone buzzes with the latest from a rival student who seems hell bent on undermining Clementine. Twitter. A nasty one. What to do?
Isabelle has here created an interesting story that incorporates many aspects of modern life and attempts to view those aspects from the lens of a teenage girl. The characters are unique and have their own voice (especially her friend Jake...think Damian from "Mean Girls"). The scenes are charming and lilty. The plot moves along at a pretty quick pace and offers a very direct lens into Clementine's thoughts, as the entire work is written in first-person with Clementine directing the action.
There is mystery, PUH-lenty of drama, and a moral lesson all wrapped up in a fashionable little bow here. It is a cute read. Not a huge "omgmakethiscanonrightnow", but a cute read. :)
The Bugly (bad/ugly).
Yep, I found a typo. :P Yeah yeah....I'm picky, but still - editors should weed those things out before a book like this hits print.
My biggest complaint with this book is akin to that of a non-teenager anymore trying to act like a teenager so much that it feels forced. Such is the case here. For example: yeah, social media is a big freaking deal and people bully one another on various platforms all of the freaking time. But I found it a little unbelievable how characters would respond in this book to a single Twitter post. Sure, the post was a bit nasty...but seriously? Lose your minds over a few characters in a line? Nah. I don't buy it. But maybe the part of my mind that doesn't buy it is the same part that hears teenagers going on about trivial things and thinks "really, are you kidding me?"
Though the plot clips right along, it is very predictable and pretty thin. I saw where the story was headed pretty quickly (fairly used trope), and was mildly bored partly through the story. I wanted *MORE*. More plot, more action, more character depth (their development was also very thin), more interesting things to happen. I left this feeling like I just ate a snack's worth when I was ready for a buffet.
It was a very okay book, but just that - okay.
September 20, 2018
The Devil Wears Prada prepared you for the cutthroat world of the Fashion Industry...but did you ever stop to think where those same people got their start?
Clementine Liu knows all too well about the fans and fanatics, the competition and those that will go to the extreme to get what they want...and she's only in college. Yeah, college! Grant it, it IS the school to end all school's when it comes ot wanting access to the best of the best in the industry, but really...MUST we sharpen our nails on the backs of our classmates? Apparently for some the answer is YES...and now Clementine has to find a way to not only rescue her reputation, but her self-confidence, if she's to rise to the top and become the superstar we all know she can be. Good thing she has a few confidants to lean on, and the sound advice of family long since living...
I adored Clementine for all her quirkiness, for her ability to BE HERSELF even in the face of adversity (or hoards of black, gray, and white clad New Yorker students), and her desire to say true to her inner compass even when things seem to be spiraling out of control. Now she has a moment of two where a lapse in judgement or an overly kind heart took her away from the proverbial runway, but NOBODY'S PERFECT and sometimes those alterations are the only way to create the grand masterpieces we're meant to become. With her spunk, and spirit, she's gonna go far...even with the haters harrassing her...and that big heart of hers shines so brightly, the friends, and relationships she gathers are truly meant to be. I would love to see her site in real life because her goal, her message was all about diversity, and bringing a voice to the creator that is doing BIG THINGS, but getting a bit lost in the shuffle. She even lends that spotlight to her friends which endears them even more to her and her cause, thus allowing the pay it forward principle to march on. In short, SO much to love here! Now for a little cutting room maintenance...
For me, there were only two drawbacks. First is certainly all a matter of opinion (and perhaps my eARC edition as well), the cyberbullying. I know, it's DEFINITELY a thing nowadays and its reach is worldwide thanks to the net, but the two I was actually able to read in the book, I didn't really think much of. I mean, I get it...no one wants to be talked about especially in a negative light, but Clementine seemed like such a STRONGER characters than that. To let some measly little comment stake her versus roll off her back seemed beneath her...but again, it's all a perspective issue. To her, it was the end of the earth; to me, I say walk away, let it go, and follow Celeste's advice. Second thing...I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Color me cynical, but there was a lot that just seemed to come up roses for our girl. Issues at home...new school acceptance accross the pond! End of a disasterous relationship...BOOM perfectly lovely male specimen that ACTUALLY seems genuine! Lack of friends...instafriend...with a hiccup or two to keep things interesting! I'm not saying she didn't have her obstacles to face...hello uber version of MEAN GIRLS...but her life definitely wasn't just the thorns of the bush.
All in all, I enjoyed my time with "Fashion Week" a lot more than I thought I would. The characters were fresh, the diversity plentiful, the surprises forthcoming, and the payback oh so sweet. Definite recommend for Young Adult fans of all ages!
**ebook received for review
Clementine Liu knows all too well about the fans and fanatics, the competition and those that will go to the extreme to get what they want...and she's only in college. Yeah, college! Grant it, it IS the school to end all school's when it comes ot wanting access to the best of the best in the industry, but really...MUST we sharpen our nails on the backs of our classmates? Apparently for some the answer is YES...and now Clementine has to find a way to not only rescue her reputation, but her self-confidence, if she's to rise to the top and become the superstar we all know she can be. Good thing she has a few confidants to lean on, and the sound advice of family long since living...
I adored Clementine for all her quirkiness, for her ability to BE HERSELF even in the face of adversity (or hoards of black, gray, and white clad New Yorker students), and her desire to say true to her inner compass even when things seem to be spiraling out of control. Now she has a moment of two where a lapse in judgement or an overly kind heart took her away from the proverbial runway, but NOBODY'S PERFECT and sometimes those alterations are the only way to create the grand masterpieces we're meant to become. With her spunk, and spirit, she's gonna go far...even with the haters harrassing her...and that big heart of hers shines so brightly, the friends, and relationships she gathers are truly meant to be. I would love to see her site in real life because her goal, her message was all about diversity, and bringing a voice to the creator that is doing BIG THINGS, but getting a bit lost in the shuffle. She even lends that spotlight to her friends which endears them even more to her and her cause, thus allowing the pay it forward principle to march on. In short, SO much to love here! Now for a little cutting room maintenance...
For me, there were only two drawbacks. First is certainly all a matter of opinion (and perhaps my eARC edition as well), the cyberbullying. I know, it's DEFINITELY a thing nowadays and its reach is worldwide thanks to the net, but the two I was actually able to read in the book, I didn't really think much of. I mean, I get it...no one wants to be talked about especially in a negative light, but Clementine seemed like such a STRONGER characters than that. To let some measly little comment stake her versus roll off her back seemed beneath her...but again, it's all a perspective issue. To her, it was the end of the earth; to me, I say walk away, let it go, and follow Celeste's advice. Second thing...I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Color me cynical, but there was a lot that just seemed to come up roses for our girl. Issues at home...new school acceptance accross the pond! End of a disasterous relationship...BOOM perfectly lovely male specimen that ACTUALLY seems genuine! Lack of friends...instafriend...with a hiccup or two to keep things interesting! I'm not saying she didn't have her obstacles to face...hello uber version of MEAN GIRLS...but her life definitely wasn't just the thorns of the bush.
All in all, I enjoyed my time with "Fashion Week" a lot more than I thought I would. The characters were fresh, the diversity plentiful, the surprises forthcoming, and the payback oh so sweet. Definite recommend for Young Adult fans of all ages!
**ebook received for review
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