Review by Kelley Crawford

A Summer in Paris causes Paige’s return to Iowa to lack that certain Je Ne Sais Quoi in Backes’s novel The Princesses of Iowa.

 Most people dream about a summer in Paris, and so did Paige Sheridan, until she arrived and had to play nanny for a bratty kid and an unrelenting family. Yet, the torture of her summer job paled in comparison to what she had to face in her hometown in Iowa when she returned. There was the car accident that had gotten her shipped off to Paris in the first place and left one of her best friends crippled. She had her animal-killing boyfriend and the pressures of being a Homecoming Princess just like her mother looming in the background as well. The most difficult part for Paige, though, is that she no longer can really care about any of those things. With the discovery of some new friends and a creative writing course, Paige no longer focuses on who she was; rather, she starts thinking about who she wants to be.

 Although there is hardly any focus on Paris, this novel offers an insight into how teenagers can have self-revelations sparked from travel and learning about others. Our heroine, Paige, falters throughout the novel, but in the end she finally discovers some truth about herself.

 Bottom Line: Although Paige is a petty heroine and there’s a lack of Parisian focus, the novel is still a quick and enjoyable read.   

 Audience: If you liked Sister Hood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares) or Meg Cabot’s books then this “Princess” novel will be right for you.