Postcard For Reader

The Pale Assassin

The Pale Assassin
Author: Patricia Elliott
Series: ---
Publisher: Holiday House
How Received: library
Summary from Barnes & Noble's website.

Spoiled, beautiful fourteen-year-old Eugénie de Boncoeur is accustomed to outrageous privilege. The French Revolution may rage around her, but Eugénie's luxurious lifestyle is only improved by visits from her brother, Armand, especially doting since the two were orphaned. What Eugénie doesn't know is that their guardian has promised her in marriage to the wealthy, vengeful Le Fantome, a revolutionary nursing a secret grudge against her family. As the Revolution becomes increasingly violent, Eugénie is shipped off to convent school. Finally, there is no place in France that is safe for her. Eugénie dusts off her lightly used brains and rises to the challenge of survival; and soon she is in the thick of turmoil and romance, confronting spies, secret agents, and double-crossing suitors in her quest to get out of France alive.
Got to page: 164

I got to page 164 - about halfway through the book - when I finally gave up trying to finish it. T'was a three week struggle to get that far.

It's not that Patricia Elliot has a bad writing style. I like the way she wrote it. It was just... the plot. And the characters. It's described as if there's action! and romance! and there's not. It's a slow read, trudging through unnecessary scenes to get a glimpse of action that ends just as abruptly as it appears. And Eugénie? She doesn't dust off her lightly used brains. In the middle of all of the turmoil floating around her, her biggest concern is when she's next going to see the man-of-her-choice.

Even Le Fantome, who I thought would be an interesting character, fell flat. He's your typical evil villain - without a background as to why he became that way. (Or, if there was, I hadn't gotten to it yet.)

I just couldn't get into it or relate to any of the characters.

Final Comments: Not worth the time, for me, anyway.
Cover Comments: I adore the dress. But don't you love the mysterious bad-Photoshop glow of the guy in the background?