Review: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis from Goodreads:
Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

Published in the UK 5th March 2012 by Electric Monkey/ Egmont

 

I really enjoyed this. It is a fun, fast read that'll have you on the edge of your seat! It is very cool, completely action-packed and very thrilling. And that title is just genius!

Perry thinks he's being forced into taking the mousey dull exchange student to the senior prom. But actually she's a trained assassin on a mission through the streets of New York, and needs Perry to be her driver. Before his eyes she transforms from a shy and frumpy girl into this confident ballsy chick in a figure hugging dress.

This book definitely had me smiling at it's use of ironic action film cliches, and for how long it took Perry for the penny to drop! Gobi is absolutely hilarious, saying everything in such a pragmatic deadpan way, that Perry is never sure if she's kidding or not. I loved the character development of these two during the novel, as Perry sees that his original perceptions of Gobi as this dull, homely, quiet girl is so far from the truth, and likewise Perry starts off as a bit of a sap with no real ambition but very quickly grows up!

This is a unique feel-good coming of age story- but with explosions, shoot-outs and car chases through the streets of New York! A real adrenaline fueled rush that feels dangerous and right at the same time. Perry starts to come into his own and is made to lie to gangsters, floor it away from exploding buildings, and... is even encouraged to stand up to his father! What can I say- this book is pacy, hip, exciting and definitely original!

Each chapter is headed up with a question from a college application form, which somehow links in an ironic way to the action taking place in that chapter. This is very creative and seems to tie the story together really well. All of the questions made me so glad that I'm not applying to American colleges and having to try and answer any of them!

This is such a visual book, and all the way through I couldn't help feeling that this would make such a fantastic film. The film rights have actually been bought by Paramount Pictures, and I can't wait to see this played out on the big screen. This book would definitely appeal to male and female YA readers because it isn't just a gun-toting action thriller, it has humour and heart to it as well. Read it before the movie is made definitely!


Thanks to UK Book Tours and Electric Monkey the advance copy for review.


Alternate cover:

Published in the US October 2011 by Houghton Mifflin.