Finding Paris

by Joy Preble

Overview

An evocative and compelling story of two sisters who would do anything for each other—perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and Speak. Joy Preble's stirring new novel explores the lengths to which sisters go to protect each other, and the winding road that brings two strangers into each other's lives.

Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can't trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who's moved them all to Las Vegas. It's just the two of them: Paris, who's always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind—going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love. But Leo isn't going anywhere right now, except driving around Vegas all night with her sister.

Until Paris ditches Leo at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris—a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared? When Leo reluctantly accepts Max's offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold inside.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062321329
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/21/2015
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	634 KB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Joy Preble is a Texas girl who grew up in Chicago and a former high school teacher who now writes full-time, which means she gets paid for making up stuff. No one has ever left her mysterious notes. She is, however, a fan of cross-country road trips. Joy is also the author of the Dreaming Anastasia series and the Sweet Dead Life series.

Editorial Reviews

An intricate guessing game of sisterly devotion, romance, and quiet desperation.” — School Library Journal

“A compelling page turner—the perfect mix of heart-stopping plot and memorable characters—fully formed, flawed, and worth cheering for. A road trip story, a mystery, and a romance, along with Preble’s pitch perfect descriptions of place and you’ve got a real winner. I couldn’t put it down.” — Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice

“Joy Preble’s signature style-breakneck pace, whip-sharp dialogue and sly humor—is the perfect fit for this ride-or-die novel of Leonora and Max. An inspiring story of lost souls, and the hope and compassion that must piece together a family long exiled and devastated by secrets.” — Adele Griffin, author of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

“Fast-paced with intriguing teen characters, a budding relationship and a bit of mystery—curiosity will keep those pages turning.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Preble skillfully paces the quest as her character development gently unfolds along the desert highway.” — Booklist

“Readers who appreciate adventure with a dose of romance will certainly enjoy…Finding Paris.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Publisher

Joy Preble’s signature style-breakneck pace, whip-sharp dialogue and sly humor—is the perfect fit for this ride-or-die novel of Leonora and Max. An inspiring story of lost souls, and the hope and compassion that must piece together a family long exiled and devastated by secrets.

Adele Griffin

A compelling page turner—the perfect mix of heart-stopping plot and memorable characters—fully formed, flawed, and worth cheering for. A road trip story, a mystery, and a romance, along with Preble’s pitch perfect descriptions of place and you’ve got a real winner. I couldn’t put it down.

Jennifer Mathieu

Readers who appreciate adventure with a dose of romance will certainly enjoy…Finding Paris.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Preble skillfully paces the quest as her character development gently unfolds along the desert highway.

Booklist

Preble skillfully paces the quest as her character development gently unfolds along the desert highway.

Booklist

2015-01-10
Paranormal author Preble (The A-Word, 2014, etc.) crosses over to straight teen fiction with this drama wrapped in a mystery. Studious Leo and artistic older sister Paris live in Las Vegas with their mother and stepfather ("Tommy Davis, who shouldn't be anybody's idea of permanent, only our mother married him anyway"). Leo studies for the SAT and dreams of her escape; "eventually I will be something…maybe even a surgeon. Surgeons don't hesitate once they've decided what they need to do." For now, the sisters watch out for each other—at least they do until Paris sets Leo up with Max and then drops out of sight, leaving behind a scavenger hunt of worrisome clues that draws Leo and Max together. A road trip (complete with analysis of the metaphorical content of country songs and the sharing of life-altering secrets) ensues as messages from Paris increase in urgency. With her lodestar AWOL, Leo is forced to consider whom to trust and who is really protecting whom. Adults are somewhat clichéd (waitress-with-a-heart-of-gold, creepy stepdad, distracted mom), but the teens have character and complexity to spare. Leo's heart may pound, hop, race, skip, skitter and thud, but her straight-A, Stanford-bound personality has depth, and the more mercurial—and mostly absent—Paris remains engaging and believable. Fast-paced with intriguing teen characters, a budding relationship and a bit of mystery—curiosity will keep those pages turning. (Fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews