The Pale Assassin

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott is a tale set in the opening days of the French Revolution in 1779.  Eugenie de Boncoeur and her brother Armand are under the care of their guardian who is an old aristrocrat used to iron clad rule.  Unaware that the guardian has contracted to marry Eugenie to le Fantome when she becomes 16 she lives in Paris society.  Le Fantome, a deadly assassin with revenge on his mind towards the Boncoeur family, is in contact with Robespierre, a lawyer, a key figure in the Revolution and has his spies about.   Armand is part of a secret group to rescue the king and must hide his sister from le Fantome lest he discover her when she becomes 16 and pursues the contract her guardian made.  A spoiled rich girl, Eugenie is used to outrageous privilege, but must face reality for there is no place in her country where she is safe.  The revolution becomes increasingly violent.  Eugenie is in the thick of surviving in Paris where she confronts spies, secret agents, double-crossing suitors, romance, and a suspenseful survival adventure. Living in poverty undercover, working as a milliners assistant she does what she can, learning to use her wits and endure.  The historical events are true with an outline in the back of the book; the author conveys the complex political realities of the times.  Many real people from the pages of history appear in the novel are listed in the cast of characters.  This is a historical and suspenseful read for grades 6-12.
Reviews
Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patricia-elliott/the-pale-assassin/
Teens Connect
http://ascplteens.akronlibrary.org/2009/11/30/book-review-the-pale-assassin/
Read Many Books
http://readmanybooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-of-pale-assassin-by-patricia.html

Never More

This is the last of the Maximum Ride series and worth every page.  The final novel begins with Angel perched on a rock cliff, wings spread out behind her.
She is a mess, dirty, scars, broken bones healing, and seeing future scenes she
does not fully understand.  Max and the rest of the flock of bird kids are dealing with clones created to divide them up, confuse them while other mad scientists are trying to capture them for their DNA.  It is a never ending business trying to save the world and escape the complex plots of scientists trying to own them through their experiments.  Their behavior raises many ethical questions. This novel has some unexpected twists as the last explosive event happens to change everything and the world as they know it.  Who can be trusted?  Who will be ready for the surprise ending?  Will there be a future? See other posts for guides, reviews, and posts on James Patterson.   My middle school students enjoy this entire series.  Here is a wish for more.  I recommend this for middle school grades and up.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a futuristic science fiction survival story set in Chicago.  The reader will recognize many landmarks as the story progresses.  16 year old Beatris Prior is the heroine who will make some very life changing decisions for her life style and career path.  Something has happened to the great city and she must choose from 5 factions each with a unique code of government, ethics, culture and appearance. The faction will take priority over the originating family in an attempt to create a perfect society.  As she progresses through a series of tests she begins to discover she does not fit into one faction but several.  This is most dangerous as events will reveal in the story.  This is a suspenseful read for middle school students.

The sequel is the book Insurgent which takes up the story after Initiation Day and war has begun between the factions as a plot is discovered.  There are shifting relationships, grief, discoveries, twists, romance and more to delight and keep the teen reader hooked.
I look forward to the rest of this series for middle school and up.

The author Veronica Roth's web site:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/but-i-read-divergent-year-ago-your.html

Discussion Guide:
http://files.harpercollins.com/HCChildrens/OMM/Media/Divergent%20DG.pdf

Review
BookBrowse
http://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/6255/divergent

Novel Novice
http://novelnovice.com/2011/05/03/divergent-whats-your-faction-writing-contest/

Other

http://www.kindual.com/p/divergent/B004CFA9RS