In Paris with You

October 15, 2018
A novel in verse loosely based on a Russian classic and transported to contemporary Paris.Eugene and Tatiana first met as teens, thrown together in the suburbs when 17-year-old Eugene accompanied his friend Lensky on visits to Lensky's girlfriend, Olga. To Tatiana, Olga's 14-year-old sister, Eugene is charming and the perfect crush. Eugene, however, is apathetic and bored by life, uncaring about whom he might hurt by his actions, even after a tragic accident ends Lensky's life. Ten years later, when he encounters Tatiana, an art history scholar, Eugene has a "gray man's soul": "He was used to his hope feeling numb, / used to hoping for nothing in particular." Now, as an adult, Eugene sees Tatiana as the solution to his listless, colorless life, his interest in her becoming an unchecked obsession. With the potential for a successful career and a move to the United States ahead of her, Tatiana isn't so sure a romance between herself and Eugene will last--not with his words after her teenage confession of love still ringing in her ears. Based on Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, the plot easily translates into a modern setting. Yet the complex structure--free verse originally published in French--becomes stilted, the flow frequently disrupted by asides from the omniscient narrator. Despite Paris' diversity, all characters appear to be white.A love story that goes nowhere. (Verse novel. 14-adult)

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October 29, 2018
Originally written in French, this novel in verse inspired by Pushkin’s serialized verse novel and Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin explores first love’s ability to linger. A chance meeting on the Paris Metro brings Tatiana and Eugene back together 10 years after the two spent time together one summer, when they were 14 and 17, respectively. Tatiana is now getting her PhD in art history, and Eugene is a business consultant. Neither is prepared for the feelings this encounter dredges up. For Eugene, it’s an opportunity to right a wrong; he rebuffed her years ago, and now he’s ready for a chance to love. For Tatiana, it’s a chance to find out what really happened to a mutual acquaintance, Lensky, who died tragically. Texts, emails, and even Skype messages appear throughout, but the meter and tempo of the words—and the placement of those words on the page—pack the most punch (“This friendship laid out, guts exposed,/ pinned down like a dying butterfly:/ either it will be a museum piece one day/ or it will survive, miraculously”). Anyone who has pined over a relationship will recognize Beauvais’s heartbreaking story. Ages 14–up.

March 1, 2019

Eugene and Tatiana could have fallen in love as teens, if they had just given each other a chance and no one else had been involved. Now they meet as adults in Paris only to conjure up the memories of what went wrong in the past. As their attraction spirals out of control, they must decide if they can make their relationship work. The clever use of indentation, italicizing, and bullet points adds to the emotion of this novel in verse, and lyrical writing ramps up the drama and pacing. Beauvais wastes no time drawing readers into Eugene and Tatiana's charming world and does not let go until the last verse. These adult characters have a mature relationship with sexually explicit scenes, making this a choice for older teens. Fans of romance written in verse will dig into this one, as well as those who have ever wondered about what might have been. VERDICT Hand this French import to readers of older YA and new adult romance.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

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