Books like Wanderlust

i have a lot to say about this book. first, i have to admit that when i first started it, i was worried. it seemed too superficial, almost, especially knowing where we left off. luckily, i shouldn't have worried a wit. the plot revolves around penelope jane (PJ) who has run away from the lycee. (i think it's important to read the first book in this series before picking this one up. you'll spend too much time trying to figuring out the wrong things. there is a lot in this book that you don't know realize.) alex, jay, zack and olivia go to find PJ. but PJ doesn't really want to be found, even though she misses her friends and realizes that what she hoped to find was a dream like, in a way, paris. alex is running from her own mistakes. zack is running because he's been rejected but is still in love, and then he runs from people who irritate him. jay is running after PJ and running after love. olivia doesn't start out running from everything, though in a way, she almost runs the most despite staying in paris. i'll admit, olivia got on my nerves the most in this installment. but anyway. i have to give this a more thorough review, but. however, i will say this:this book is more than you think. this book left me feeling rather shocked and unsettled. this isn't just about some teenagers running around france, europe with first world problems. this isn't about dance, or school, or clothing. it's about family. the family we make, the family we choose, and the family that shares our blood. what happens when they come into conflict? what happens when one lets you down? there is so much more than you think. this is a heavy, careful book that resonates well after the first read. and i pretty much guarantee that you'll start thinking about family yourself, the one you choose and the one you don't. because the thing is: both of them bleed. (i am so proud of lucy's work here. seriously. i really love this book.)