Review: Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot

Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot

Publication: October 14, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about the former senator’s daughter. Most people do... or think they do.

Charlotte certainly never expects she’ll be Julia’s friend. But almost immediately, she is drawn into the larger than-life-new girl’s world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails. And then Charlotte meets, and begins falling for, Julia’s handsome older brother, Sebastian.

But behind her self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, Charlotte soon realizes that Julia is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden … until now.

My Thoughts

I don’t know what there is about reading about the privileged and a look into their world but I loved it. There is always this mystery behind the glitz and glam of the rich yet underneath it all they have more problems than most. While they may try to cover up their mistakes like all things they will always come up to the surface. In Even in Paradise this tradition of the rich who continue to think they are untouchable and that life rules don’t apply to them focuses on Julia. 

Julia is a typical cool girl with a bunch of friends who will do anything to be near her. One night average Charlotte finds her drunk and decides to help her out. Next thing you know Charlotte is in with “in crowd”. She soon finds herself wrapped up in Julia’s world. She is invited to the family house and invited to parties not to mention The Buchanan's love her. With time I started to wonder who was really using whom. Julia and her family depended on Charlotte to keep Julia in check while Charlotte wanted into that world so bad. Soon she starts to fall for Sebastian, Julia’s brother and is soon sucked into this amazing idyllic world that is the total opposite of anything Charlotte has ever known. Julia is known to be eccentric but there is something more than just a rebel kid, she is dealing with some inner demons that she has suppressed for so long that it’s only a matter of time when everything comes to the surface.

This read can almost be read like two stories in one. There is the glamour happy side and then there is the Julia who can’t deal with real life. This is the part that I loved. I enjoyed Julia when the layers are peeled back and we see her for the broken person that she is. This fragile person is where the real story lies. Once we find out what happens you can’t help but feel for her or can you? While money can buy and cover up certain things it will never fix the problem. So the question is do you will really feel sorry for her? Or is she just anything little rich girl who will never face her responsibilities? This is why I loved this book. I love books that have me questioning things long after I closed the book. This will suck you in with all the glam but keeps you glued by the amazing writing and storyline that will have you wanting more.