Losing the Light

December 15, 2015
A trip to France leads two friends to ruin in Dunlop's lush debut. After her affair with her married professor ends with his resignation, Brooke escapes the ensuing scandal by signing up for a study-abroad program in Nantes, France. Her introduction to the French language is delicious--"The phones in America ring and the phones here in France drin; the dogs there say 'woof, ' the dogs here say 'abois' "--but she's largely consumed by a complicated relationship with her classmate Sophie. Rich and beautiful Sophie might seem less superficial if others could see past her looks, but Sophie's vague sadness doesn't elicit much sympathy from her less fortunate friend. Brooke compares herself to Sophie constantly, and their friendship is put to the real test when the two girls meet a young photographer named Alex who charms Brooke by saying he's bored with models. "Sexy isn't a question of looks," Alex tells her. "It's a question of mastery of oneself, mastery of one's instruments," and his appeal from that point forward is undeniable. After the two women spend a few sun-kissed days and wine-soaked nights at Alex's familial home in stunning Cap Ferrat, Brooke may be in love with him--and Alex may be in love with them both. Sexual tension, beautiful scenery, long talks about art, and fantasies about staying in France forever brighten the moody atmosphere and sustain the friendship for a while. But if Brooke takes her crush a little too seriously, Sophie doesn't take it seriously enough, and a rift grows between the two friends that will have life-altering consequences for them both. Whether the surprise ending is real or imagined, it fades away like the afterglow of a perfect summer night. A haunting story of betrayal within a beautiful portrait of youth.

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January 1, 2016

Thirty-year-old Brooke Thompson encounters someone from her past who reminds her of the tangled life she once led. As a young woman, shy, reserved Brooke is studying abroad in Nantes, France. She is accompanied by Sophie, who is more worldly and able to draw Brooke out of her shell. The two women form an intense bond, the kind of deep friendship that occurs when you're young and out of your usual element. The two meet Veronique and Alex and are drawn into a lifestyle for which neither is quite prepared. Alex introduces them to the beauty of France, art, and money (and all of money's pleasures). Sophie, Brooke, and Alex find themselves in an obsessive love triangle that Brooke doesn't want and Sophie can't handle. VERDICT In her debut, Dunlop writes of a fizzy, decadent world, filled with the intense relationships that young love brings, whether that feeling is for a person or for a beautiful location. Nantes becomes a living place in the book, and the reader hopes that both Brooke and Sophie can escape the pull of sexy, enigmatic Alex.--Jennifer Mills, Shorewood-Troy Lib., IL

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
When she unexpectedly encounters someone from her past, Brooke is thrust into memories of her fateful year studying abroad. Brooke spent her junior year in Nantes, France, with Sophie, the golden girl of their college class. There, the two inseparable Americans became enamored of charismatic French photographer Alex and his decadent lifestyle. When he seduces both women, it creates a rift that has tragic consequences. A decade later, Brooke is a freelance writer in New York City, engaged to be married, when she reconnects with Alex at the launch of his book. Their encounter makes her consider her friendship with Sophie in a new and bittersweet light. Dunlop's smart and suspenseful debut follows the lead of Katie Crouch's Abroad (2014) and Jennifer duBois' Cartwheel (2013) but delves more deeply into the repercussions beyond a shocking incident during a year abroad. Dunlop richly evokes the heady emotions of friendship, lust, and betrayal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)