The French Impressionist

by Rebecca Bischoff

Rosemary is fifteen and gloriously free, on her own for the very first time. Part of an exchange program for aspiring artists, she arrives in sunny southern France with a single goal: she doesn’t plan to leave, ever. She wants a new life, a new family, and a new identity. But her situation, crafted from lies big and small, is precarious.

Desperate to escape haunting images from her past and a stage one helicopter parent, Rosemary struggles to hide her lack of artistic talent and a communication disorder that has tormented her all her life. She believes her dream of a new start will come true, until she unwittingly finds herself enveloped in a decades-old mystery that threatens to ruin her only chance for success. Determined to stay, Rosemary must choose whether or not she’ll tell the biggest lie of all, even if it means destroying the life of someone she cares about.

Dramatic, heartwarming, and full of teenage angst, The French Impressionist perfectly captures the struggle of those who feel they have no voice, and also shows the courage it takes to speak up and show the world who we really are.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, France

250 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

Rebecca Bischoff is the author of five books including: "The French Impressionist," a contemporary YA novel, "The Grave Digger," a middle grade historical fiction mystery set in the Civil War era, "Hole in the Rock," a humorous middle grade novel, and "Streets of Shadow," a historical YA mystery set in 17th century Scotland. Both "The Grave Digger" and "Hole in the Rock" were honored as finalists in the Best Book Awards for 2019 and 2021, respectively. "Streets of Shadow" was recently honored with a silver medal in the Reader's Choice Awards of 2023. A new historical middle grade novel, "The Summer of Mud," is being released in May, 2024. Rebecca is an avid reader, Netflix binge-watcher and chocolate eater. She lives in Idaho with her family.

Reviews

[Lucy Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring communication disorders, not to mention lies, deceit and desperate measures.

I really enjoyed this. Being set in Nice (France), I was expecting sunshine and happiness all around, but actually, the heart of this book is surprisingly dark, intricate and thought-provoking.

Rosemary is 15 and for the first time in her life, she's escaped her mother's control. She's fled to Nice, where she lives with Sylvie and Emile - a kindly couple who think she's there to do an art course. Why? Because Rosemary lied. Turns out, this is a bit of a habit for this young lady, who will go to great lengths to ensure that she stays free.

Of course, things start going wrong when the web of lies she's created start to fray at the edges. An old woman in the flat next door accuses her of stealing. An American lad on holiday won't stop pestering her. Her best friend is disillusioned by her. And worst (or perhaps best) of all, her mother and step-father are hot on her heels.

The thing I loved most about this book was the examination of a girl with a communication disorder. Every time I see an under-represented character included in a book I want to cheer. Hurrah! This book provided such fascinating insight into how torturous it must be at times to not be able to get the right words out, and also the damaging effects of past trauma.

I loved the ambiguity of it all too. Yes, Rosemary behaves appallingly at times, but throughout, her behaviour is often justifiable or at least understandable. There's one terrible thing she nearly does at the end, but thankfully she doesn't go through with it. And her self-awareness makes her actions far more relateable.

I also loved the twist with the mother - and how the author makes us finally see it through her eyes. Clever indeed.

Overall, I totally enjoyed this book and I'm clearly not the target audience as an adult rather than a YA or teen. Impressive!

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF-25%

You know when you start disliking a book you just nitpick at every. Little. Thing. Well...

I just couldn't get into this book. The main character Rosemary is unnecessarily snarky at times and a little too immature for me. I get it. She is 15 years old but still. I like the idea of her having a communication disorder because it isn't something you come across that often. However, I just couldn't connect with her. Something about her just irritates me. Maybe I need to read a bit more to learn more about her but I just can't read anymore. I got to a point where I started skimming so I knew it was time to put the book down.

Also how does a 15 year old that isn't a genius or a spy or something like that make her way from Idaho to Nice, France while finding a way to lie and trick everyone else into thinking she is somewhere else. I don't get how she pulled that off.

The writing is a bit choppy for me as well. Maybe I am being a little too harsh but there wasn't enough working for me to keep reading.


I received an ARC via Netgalley.

[Suba Wijesinghe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An Advanced Review Copy is Provided by the Publisher Through NetGalley in Exchange for an Honest Review."

4 Star Rating
Mind-Blowing & Heartfelt novella filled with pack of lies.... And

A REMARKABLE BATTLE OF EMOTIONS!!!
If anyone asked from me " how you perceive the story?", I'll definitely utter above words. A remarkable battle of emotions!

["My phone is beeping and shaking again. It's like the ghost of my former life, still haunting me. Inside me, something dawns bright as a sunrise. Since coming to Nice, I've never been so terrified, and yet... I've never been so happy."]

When I saw the front cover of the book first time, I astonished by the paint of the girl who hasn't a mouth. It's very unique & communicative cover about the story. [But I couldn't figure out what is actually represent from the book cover until I read the point where it described.] Story was bit unclear & enigmatic in the beginning. I was struggling to understand what's up with Rosemary, what she really intend to do, why she's trying to hiding from her former life & why she tells so many lies to others....... It's really really secretive & I think that's why some of readers give up the reading en route. But that mysterious beginning was the delusion that enchanted me & gripped me into the story & kept me turning pages. I felt amazing... Most of the incidents of the story was extremely sensitive & able to brought tears to my eyes. Everyone else can think that Rosemary is a Selfish brat. But she is a girl
who trying to find a right place in this world, a place everyone treat her like a normal person regardless her communication disorder.

["I'm selfish.
I have been all along. I chose Sylvie & Emile as my host family only because they lost a son. I chose them only because Sylvie has suffered so much in her life I knew I'd find a compassionate, loving soul who would embrace me. And I hate myself for it."]

In this passionate heartwarming tale relish with full of emotions such as sorrow, fear, anger, surprise, joy, happiness, desire, guilty, etc. That's why I indicate this as a battle of emotions. And Rosemary was able to unravel another mystery that buried nearly 5 decades. Overall, this was enjoyable, exciting and captivating reading for me. Let me finish this review with one of the catchy quotes in the story that really feels to my heart.

"You can't ever take back the horrible things you say. They're always there, hanging in the air between you and the one who was hurt by them. All you can do is hope you will be forgiven."

[Melissa (thereaderandthechef) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review can also be found on YA Books Central! Thanks to the publisher for the courtesy copy in exchange of my honest opinion.*

I rarely pick up books and start reading them immediately just because of a cover, but this happened with The French Impressionist. It was a "love at first sight" kind of thing that I knew I had to read and I'm glad I did since I ended up enjoying it.

What I Liked:

This is the first time I read a book where the main character has a communication disorder and it was interesting to learn about it along with how the character handles it. Rosemary's struggle is that when she tries to speak, her words come out tangled and not always understandable. She even practices in her head exactly what she's going to say in an effort to get it right, but most often than not, it still doesn't come out the way she wants them to. This impediment is something that weighs heavily on her and what drives her to do the stuff she does in this book, yet I like how it doesn't stop her from having a lively personality, the need to learn and practice a foreign language, or to try out new things.

I also enjoyed The French Impressionist's setting. This book takes place in the beautiful city of Nice, France, where there's a perfect balance of old and modern architecture, a great deal of sunshine, and vibrant shops and markets. It was a true joy to explore this colorful city in Rosemary's shoes, especially Sylvie and Emile's shop and apartment. It was a nice change visiting a different destination in France!

What didn't do it for me:

Most of the characters in The French Impressionist are likeable and/or interesting, but I had a hard time accepting Rosemary's mother and her boyfriend. Mostly because I feel that they deserve another ending and not the "nice" one they get. At least her mother since her attitude is simply unacceptable, despite her reasons.

And, while I did like Rosemary, I can't deny the fact that in some parts she disappoints me too. It's just that her need to keep hold of her freedom makes her say and do stuff that are not okay at all, making it too hard to pass them up for young age. I expected more from her.

Final Verdict:

There are a few things that I disagree about in The French Impressionist, but I still had a great time reading it. The writing is great and the story is quite vivid—great read for a day at the beach!

[Harker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I don't know why I expected this story to be better than what I found on the page. I thought that the premise sounded interesting. A teenage girl abroad that wants to stay there and not return to her home? That sounds familiar and at the very least relatable. However, the more I read about Rosemary, the less I liked about her and the more I hated about her situation, whether the events of it where of her own making or someone else's.

In the beginning, without really knowing what the dark events alluded to in the summary are and how they might influence Rosemary or her mother or either person's action, I couldn't feel sympathy for Rosemary. While the revelation of these events might have eventually made me feel a modicum of sympathy for her, the time that it took to get there made it impossible to like her.

With each chapter, I heard more about the lies that it took to get Rosemary to Nice, France and into the artist program. What came to mind, aside from the lying to her mother that her mother's boyfriend assisted in, was the plagiarism (is it plagiarism if it's art?) and lying she had to do to get into the program. It is obvious from the get go that Rosemary has no artistic talent and not much artistic interest. How many people did she take opportunities from in order to pursue her own selfish desires? That infuriated me the more I thought about it, but the same thought didn't seem to cross Rosemary's mind.

During the course of the story, there was simply too much time spent on actions of hers that were annoying in the best of terms (average teenage behavior) and aggravating at worst (lying to the tune of traveling out of the country without her mother's permission, lying to multiple people, semi-stalking a couple in an attempt to guilt them into allowing her to stay with them as a new daughter). I just hated Rosemary too much by the end to really care why she was doing these things; the fact that she did them erased any reasonable excuse for it.

I also cannot believe the extent to which the adults in this book believed anything that Rosemary came up with, from her mother's boyfriend helping her get a passport to the host parents Sylvie and Emile. The passport thing, actually, infuriates me because it is simply not possible. Do you know how hard it is to get an American passport for a minor? You must have either both parents present or a signed document saying that the present parent is the sole guardian and there is no other parent to protest removing the child from the country. How would someone totally unrelated to Rosemary have been able to do this? THEY WOULDN'T! It's all in the details and overlooking something so simple to Google annoyed me.

The fact that Rosemary was so childish to even think about lying about Zander "doing something bad to her" and that it wouldn't have any consequences for him made me hate her even more. How stupid could you possibly be? Even if Sylvie and Emile bought that story, of course Zander would find out! They'd contact your mother and either she would tell him or she'd press charges. Something would happen and Rosemary not understanding that just adds another tic to the column of how woefully under prepared she was for this "escape" from her old life.

Rosemary just kept getting worse the more the story went on. She was stealing the paintings from the apartment next door, knowing perfectly well that is what she was doing regardless of her reasoning. She even mailed one off to her mother to pose as one of her own, not realizing that this would come back to bite her. I think it was at this moment that, aside from her multiple criminal actions, was when I couldn't figure out why Rosemary picked art of all things to base her new life around. Why not something she actually knew something about? She had no clue about art or any artists.

Once the events of her past were revealed, I honestly did get to feel sympathetic, but not for her. I started to understand her mother more and though she was still a helicopter parent, her reasons were justified. If your child were lost and kidnapped for four days, wouldn't that send you over the edge, even a little bit? The fact that Rosemary never seemed to understand this, never understood why her mother might have acted in the way that she did, just highlighted her selfishness.

This story wrapped up entirely too neatly and in Rosemary's favor. I don't think there would have been a good way to end this mess, but she ended up getting everything she wanted and suffering no consequences for any of the damage that she had done. I despise it when this happens because it teaches them nothing and is utterly unrealistic.

Now, putting the horrible actions of the main character aside, let me talk for a moment about the pacing of the story. It was, as mentioned previously, too caught up in Rosemary's despicable actions. It dragged on and to be quite frank, I got quite bored with the text. I found myself skimming the majority of the book because the writing was so dull. It did not keep my interest. This might very well have been fixed if the characters weren't so deplorable, but I cannot judge that as this is a debut, so I haven't anything else to compare it to.

[Heidi Mastrogiovanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be deeply moving. The challenges the main character faced were heartbreaking. All the characters were very compelling, and I thought the setting of the story and the twists and turns were fascinating. I was very involved from beginning to end, and I found the writing to be quite lyrical and beautiful.

[January Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it although it wasn't my favorite. It was okay for one time read.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know when you get those books, the ones that you're really excited about when you read the synopsis and then you start reading, all excited only to have your hopes quickly dashed. That was sort of this book for me. I thought the premise of this book was great, but unfortunately, that's where it stopped.
Rosemary, to begin with, was not a very likable character. I found it hard to root for her when I didn't particularly like her.
My main issue with this book, however, was that I just didn't buy into it. Rosemary comes from this family where she's been drastically overprotected her whole life. Her mom never lets her be alone, she picks her one friend and locks her in her room each night. So, my issue is, how exactly does a girl with a parent so protective, end up getting her mom to agree to her going away, alone, to an art program? If her mom won't even let her go to school unless she works in that school, and she won't let her be alone with her friend, how did she pull that one off? It makes no sense to me. I know she mentions how her mom's boyfriend helped to convince her mom and they hadn't told her it was in France, but still. If he can help her sneak off to France while convincing her mom to let her go away to an art program, how come he can't convince her mom to just ease off a little?
Speaking of the mom's boyfriend, this is one of the things that made me really dislike Rosemary. He helped her, had been nice to her, yet she was willing to spread horrible rumors about him in order to escape her mom's overprotection. Urg!
Moving onto her time in France, I found it annoying at best. The whole mystery thing seemed to lack any real plot or mystery to it, mostly it was just random and dull.
Her speech impediment was never really fully explained or handled in any way. It was just strange. If you're making this a part of your character, then make it a part of your character!
The synopsis talks about her wanting to escape haunting images from her past, but once again this wasn't developed. What images? What bad things happened in her past!? Why tempt us with descriptions of a novel that sounds great, then don't put any of it in there! URG!
I didn't understand why they had Gavin at all, his character didn't really add anything and if it was supposed to be a romance, it was way underdeveloped.
The whole theme seems to be that this book had such potential, but there were things in it that weren't needed and added nothing. Then you had good parts that were entirely left out. It was hard to read by the end.
Which leads me to my final point. The ending. What was that ending!? How is it that suddenly every character, even the random ones connected to the weak mystery plot, were there at the end? How did her mom manage to track her down? Yes by now she'd told her friend that she was in Nice, not Paris like everyone previously thought, or still in America like her mom thought, but I'm sorry, how did her mom manage to track her down to the exact apartment in Nice, with no other details than that she was in Nice? If there was a viable reason, it was never given.
The ending was rushed, random and didn't really pull anything together. I was left feeling frustrated. I wanted to love this book, I just couldn't. This was definitely not the book for me, which was a shame because it had such huge potential.

[A. Musquiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved getting to learn more about Rosemary's character and the communication disorder that she struggles with throughout the book. It's the first time I've ever read a book with a main character dealing with a communication disorder so I loved getting to learn more about it as Rosemary's story unfolds. I thought the characters were fun, interesting, and great compliments to the story. I adored Sylvie and Emile and enjoyed seeing how much they cared about Rosemary even though they didn't know much about her and had no idea why Rosemary was really there in France other than the lie she gave them. I thought the characters were very realistic and even though our main character came off as a little bit immature at times, I felt like she was very mature for her age at other moments in the book. It was a good balance that kept me caring about Rosemary and her story.

I loved that this book is set in France but this time not in the well-known city of Paris. Instead, it takes place in Nice, France which I loved since it's a setting that not many books choose to take place. I loved going with Rosemary as she experiences the vibrant shops and markets with their bright colors and rich architecture that mixes the old with the new and I wanted to explore even more of the city along with her. It was a colorful backdrop to the more serious topics this book handles and I think it added a nice contrast that made the story so interesting to read.

Overall, this book is emotional at times but still a great read and I had fun watching the story progress until the very end. I think it would be a great read for the beach or if you're missing summer and need something lighthearted with just a dash of emotion to entertain you. The writing is great, the story is vivid, and I could see myself rereading this one in the future.

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because I would have loved to see a different ending than the one this book got. I felt it was just a little too "nice" especially after everything that happened in the story. I also thought Rosemary's mother's reasoning for treating her daughter the way she did despite being afraid to lose her was a bit much and came across as a little extreme. I think if her character's actions had been toned down just a bit, it would have made her character a little more enjoyable. I also thought Rosemary's mother and her boyfriend didn't have big enough parts in this story. I would have loved to have seen just a little more of them in the story to really get to know them as characters.

[Niña Magsael · Rating 2 out of 5]

full review at: https://ninireadspng.wordpress.com/20...

THOUGHTS: The portrayal was told from Rosemary's perspective and was composed well, in that, I trusted it was a 15 year old recounting the story. Notwithstanding, I just couldn't associate with her. Something about her fair annoys and irritates me.Unfortunately, I started getting irritated with Rosemary's character since she continued complaining and pointing out her "communication disorder", through the book.

She's picked a couple to remain with exclusively in light of the way that they lost their child and she wants to persuade them to let her stay there with them until the end of time. Her mom believes she's in Arizona, her mom's boyfriend believes she's in Paris, and one and only individual knows where she truly is is her best friend, Jada. How could she have been able to she pull that off? I don't get it.There was a little anticipation toward the end, yet the ending likewise felt somewhat sudden and forced. I can't depict the dissatisfaction I had while perusing the entire thing. Once more, the commence sounded promising, yet the execution missed the mark.

[Melissa]

DNF - 50% (I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review)


I'm trying to give this book more time but I'm already halfway through and I finally decided to give up. The synopsis of the book is quite promising, I haven't read many books about people with deficiencies and I thought this would be a good book to start reading about that topic considering that it is quite short. I do not expect anything at all about this book BUT it is very disappointing still.

The narrator/main character is very very annoying. I'm still trying to figure out what is more annoying, the narrator or the plot itself. I thought this book has so much to offer but there is not. I feel like it's such a waste of time. I don't like rating a book or writing a review without finishing it but this is too much. It feels like a chore to read and that's what convinced me to stop reading this book or else I'll be having a slump.

[Carolien · Rating 1 out of 5]

* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review *

My first impression of this book was good! The story sounded original with a girl who has a communication problem. After reading a few pages ( and discovering about the problem)the cover also made more sense. Shoutout to the designer cause it really fits the book wel!

I thought I was in for an unique yet fun story, boy was I wrong. It's a story like I read a hundred before and probably will read a 100 more. The boy she meets is a typical story boy. The 'parents' are the same as in a thousand books. She is a total brad..

The writer holds a lot of information behind. I know it's the way the story is build but for me it's also the reason I couldn't connect to this book. I felt like I was watching the story from a big big distance instead of living it.

The idea for the book was good and original. The way the story is brought not..

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The French Impressionist has protagonist Rosemary going on an exchange program for aspiring artists to Paris. What her friends and family don't know upon her leaving: She doesn't plan on going back ever. She wants a new life and an escape from her hovering mother who never leaves her alone. She struggles to hide her communication disorder and her lack of artistic talent. But then she gets wrapped up in a decades-old mystery that threatens to ruin her chance at staying.

I didn't have any strong feelings about this book. The story was interesting enough, but forgettable, as are the characters. It is a fun read for in between and interestingly done, but I felt like it lacked in the department of getting the reader engaged in the story.

[Tanya Grech Welden · Rating 2 out of 5]

This failed to strike a chord and I read 1/4 of it before I just got bored with it. I think the author's withholding of information worked against her with the reader failing to connect with the reasons the main character in in France in the first place. I felt that character development was a little one dimensional. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and so I didn't care. All of the above is a tremendous shame because I was honestly looking forward to reading this title and it just did not deliver as promised.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm seeing a lot of low ratings for this book, but I absolutely loved it. I loved the mysteries - what is wrong with Rosie? What is going on with the secret apartment and the creepy neighbours next door? The setting was gorgeous, as were her host parents. Rosie was an intriguing character, and the story was so different to anything else I've ever come across. Loved it.

[Spring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to be one of the lucky beta readers for this book, and I can't wait to see it in print! Rosemary is spunky and determined, in spite of her challenges. Rebecca Bischoff paints a vivid setting, and brings her characters to life. I can't wait for everyone else to get to read it!

[Breeana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story in a beautiful setting! How interesting to view life from the perspective of one who struggles with words and communication. I find it very symbolic of the fact that many people (who may utter words perfectly fine) struggle with opening up and being TRULY honest and vulnerable with themselves and other people.

Although the main character Rosemary was a bit negative and her lying a little tiresome at times, I find her very courageous and daring. I am inspired by her plight. She took big risks and conquered more than one fear. I absolutely fell in love with Sylvie and Emile's sweet relationship and way of life. I would've thoroughly enjoyed reading MORE about them and their relationship with Rosemary.

The author depicted beautiful scenery and made me want to actually visit Nice, France! The sounds, views, smells, and tastes of Nice were so enticing. A definite good read.

A. Musquiz wrote this review (below) and I agree with every single word except for the part regarding the ending. I really liked the ending and am very pleased.

*** Written by A. Musquiz ***
"I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved getting to learn more about Rosemary's character and the communication disorder that she struggles with throughout the book. It's the first time I've ever read a book with a main character dealing with a communication disorder so I loved getting to learn more about it as Rosemary's story unfolds. I thought the characters were fun, interesting, and great compliments to the story. I adored Sylvie and Emile and enjoyed seeing how much they cared about Rosemary even though they didn't know much about her and had no idea why Rosemary was really there in France other than the lie she gave them. I thought the characters were very realistic and even though our main character came off as a little bit immature at times, I felt like she was very mature for her age at other moments in the book. It was a good balance that kept me caring about Rosemary and her story.

I loved that this book is set in France but this time not in the well-known city of Paris. Instead, it takes place in Nice, France which I loved since it's a setting that not many books choose to take place. I loved going with Rosemary as she experiences the vibrant shops and markets with their bright colors and rich architecture that mixes the old with the new and I wanted to explore even more of the city along with her. It was a colorful backdrop to the more serious topics this book handles and I think it added a nice contrast that made the story so interesting to read.

Overall, this book is emotional at times but still a great read and I had fun watching the story progress until the very end. I think it would be a great read for the beach or if you're missing summer and need something lighthearted with just a dash of emotion to entertain you. The writing is great, the story is vivid, and I could see myself rereading this one in the future.

The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because I would have loved to see a different ending than the one this book got. I felt it was just a little too "nice" especially after everything that happened in the story. I also thought Rosemary's mother's reasoning for treating her daughter the way she did despite being afraid to lose her was a bit much and came across as a little extreme. I think if her character's actions had been toned down just a bit, it would have made her character a little more enjoyable. I also thought Rosemary's mother and her boyfriend didn't have big enough parts in this story. I would have loved to have seen just a little more of them in the story to really get to know them as characters."

[Elsie Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST by Rebecca Bischoff is a book akin to WONDER by R.J. Palacio in the sense that it puts the reader in the shoes of another with social and/or physical challenges, or in this case, apraxia of speech. Notice on the cover that the girl has no mouth. That's significant. Being that the author works as a speech-language pathologist, she has a wonderful background for writing this story. The French Impressionist follows the adventure (for it certainly is an adventure) of a 15-year-old girl, Rosemary, whose well-intentioned, but overprotective, mother doesn't realize she's pushing her daughter away. Rosemary feels forced to lie, deceive and move to another country in order to break free of her mother's hovering. This frustrated girl indeed finds freedom in her "new residence," but also that her problems don't go away like she thought they would. There’s a bit of a mystery worked into the story as well that keeps the reader going in order to discover the secrets.

Rosemary does some things that are socially unacceptable, like yelling at strangers, pushing, stealing, trespassing, and lying, and the reader might be tempted to label her an "immature brat" if it’s not remembered that she has been cloistered all her life and is, in all fairness, socially awkward in addition to feeling utter resentment for her speech impediment. She’s a lost girl who needs understanding and patience from others rather than anger and spurning. I ached for Rosemary in one particular scene where she tries to order something at a cafe and can't get the words out correctly. She is impatiently swept aside and ignored by those around her. I wanted to scream, "How can you treat another person like that? Take the time to help, not hurt."

Here are some memorable lines from the story: “I know what I’m afraid of. That fear is always with me. I’m scared I’ll get the funny looks and the sideways glances. I don’t want to see the faces wrinkled in confusion, the annoyance, the impatience, or the expressions of dawning comprehension when people learn that I can’t speak correctly. Hashtag hate being me.” "When you have to consciously think about every single thing that’s going to come from your lips, and never know if it will even come out right, talking is torture." Rebecca Bischoff does a remarkable job bringing to light the feelings of rejection in those with speech challenges. I came away from this book with a better understanding for those harboring such difficulties.

I don't want to give away the story, so I will end by saying that I am satisfied with the things that Rosemary learns about herself, and what those around her learn as well. This is a wonderful eye-opening story for kids, teens and adults alike.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shout-out to Netgalley for providing me with an electronic advanced copy of this book.

Let me start off by saying that I'm really into books where the main character travels to different countries, I just feel like it allows me as a reader to live vicariously through them. I picked this book cause it sounded like it would have so much mystery and it just reminded me of Anna and the French Kiss somehow. Sadly this book was a big let down.
Rosemary has got to be the most naïve girl I've ever come across. How in the world she thought she was going to pull off lying to Emile and Sylvie about something so sensitive, is beyond me. Even if Ansel was dead (spoiler alert) there's no possible way you can try and replace someone's kid in just one summer. I lost my interest in the book really early on, but I just soldiered on because I don't like to accept defeat.

How the author expected me to believe Rosemary had never seen or met a boy in her life, I don't know. I mean she wasn't homeschooled plus she did travel all by herself to France, so you can't tell me how she could have not come across or interacted with a boy in at least one of those situations.

Plus I felt like she came off incredibly childish, she just exploded at everyone she felt like and then tried to justify it with her disorder. She had a bad case of oral diarrhea and I felt like people tip toed too much around her, instead of telling her like it is. Honestly there was very little of her character that was left to be desired.

I felt like there were a lot of issues which weren't tackled in the best manner. I still don't get how it's justifiable to lock your kid up in their room, even if you are afraid of losing them. Plus disability doesn't give people an excuse to do bad things and be petty and shitty and just plain mean to other people.

Overall the story felt rushed (especially towards the end) and not too well thought of. There wasn't good character development in the story. The relationship between characters wasn't well developed. Rosie and Gavin for example, yes they liked each other and made out a little but why and how did they end up liking each other enough to make out and what happened to Gavin at the end of the summer, did they still communicate or have a relationship?

I got the general idea that the author had but I felt the execution was way off, Rosie wasn't a character I felt for, I mean she was a trainwreck. I will give the author some credit, the writing in general and the flow of words and sentences was good. The storyline was wanting though. Overall I'd give the book 2.5 stars.

[Ashley Soran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story very interesting and moving at it's conclusion. Rebecca Bischoff does a great job in her description of Nice, making it an interesting setting for the story to unfold. I loved the dynamic between Rosemary, Sylvie, and Emile and thought their characters were really well thought out and executed fantastically in this book. The story made me want to escape to Nice and learn how to paint and I think that says a lot to the excellence of the author. I felt real, genuine emotions for Rosemary and her situation with her over-protective mother and the other character's situations, as well- I will be recommending this book to my family and friends :)

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this because of the character with disabilities. I myself have disabilities and I don't think there are enough characters with them in books. I have Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, visual impairments and dysarthria, which is a speech disorder caused by the brain damage I have.

Rebecca Bischoff does a really great job of making the novel The French Impressionist atmospheric.

Rosemary is a character to root for.

Although I'm not very into art, I really champion it as a way for people with disabilities to express themselves.

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Rebecca Bischoff and publisher for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

[Teri Emory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator of THE FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST begins her story with a lie and continues to weave a tangled web around her. She presents a challenge to those who try to like and help her. But despite her weaknesses, Rosemary is so sympathetic that the reader can't help but cheer her on as she figures out what to make of her troubled childhood, learns how to trust adults and peers, and finally finds her voice. With lovely, evocative descriptions of day-to-day life in Southern France and a sharp eye for the nuances of adolescent angst, Rebecca Bischoff has written an engaging and touching book.

[Anna Knutson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advanced copy from publisher and Net Galley for an honest review.

This story follows Rosemary, a teenage girl with speech problems, on her journey to find independence in Nice, France. She lies about being an artist so she can go live with Sylvie and learn to paint. I enjoyed this book, but somewhere in the middle there was so much going on that it felt like the author was trying too hard to keep my attention.

[bookSmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the start. The voice and tone of this novel make it easy to connect with the main character. I love the setting, perfect for escapism. Plus, even though Rosemary's problems are unique to her, the conflict with her family is so relatable. I get it. She wants to be heard. To be seen for who she is and be allowed to become her own person. More voices like Rosemary's need to be amplified.
(e-arc Netgalley)

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story with a sweet message.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was okay to start with, but then it got weird and confusing. It picked up toward the end to the point where I really wanted to know what happened.

[Ekta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teen tries to initiate her plan for a new life and family only to find herself working hard to keep up with her lies. As she navigates challenges, the girl will have to decide whether freedom from an over-protective parent is worth all the new trouble. Debut author Rebecca Bischoff fortifies her first book with her professional background in the slightly clunky but mostly compelling novel The French Impressionist.

Rosemary arrives in Nice, France, with a single objective: to start over in a new life. She’s done all her research. The family she’s chosen has posted on a blog about accepting aspiring art students on a summer exchange program. Her best friend has backed up her fake travel plans in front of her mother, Darla. Even Darla’s boyfriend helps out by loaning Rosemary the credit card she uses to book her flight.

Many kids who run away do so because of neglect, but Rosemary definitely doesn’t have that problem. She’d be mortified if any of her friends in school knew that even though she’s 15, her mother still does her hair. Darla is the one who insists they share lunch at school every day, and her mother is also the one who locks her in her room every night. If there were an Olympics for helicopter parenting, Darla would win the gold every single time.

She has to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that her mother has some cause for concern. Because of a motor speech disorder, Rosemary can’t talk like most people do. Her brain knows all the words and always offers her snappy comebacks. She just can’t get her mouth to move at the same speed or with the same efficiency. So she gets that her mother worries.

But the worrying has driven her nuts—and out of the house. Rosemary packs her things and goes to Nice for a summer of art, never mind that she doesn’t even know which end of a paint brush to use on a canvas. She moves into the home of Sylvie and Emile, a charming couple whose son suffered tragically in an awful accident. Rosemary knows she’s the perfect candidate to slide into the son’s place. She certainly doesn’t discount the importance of losing a child, but she also knows that she can’t go back home. No matter what happens, she’s not leaving France.

However, now that she’s dealing with people face to face, Rosemary finds herself teetering on the tower of lies she’s built. She’s in danger of losing her footing, thanks to the creepy old lady and her menacing son who live next door to Sylvie and Emile. The incredibly annoying family visiting from Texas doesn’t help either, never mind that their son is cute and her age.

Rosemary doesn’t want anyone intruding on the new life she’s trying to build for herself. The longer she stays in France, however, the more she realizes that lies make for a shaky foundation. If she really wants to establish a new life, at some point she’ll have to find something solid to build it on.

Author Rebecca Bischoff’s professional work as a speech pathologist shines in this book. She shows with a great deal of honesty Rosemary’s emotions and frustrations with herself as well as those around her. Readers in her target audience as well as older readers will appreciate whole sections of Bischoff’s prose. She uses fresh phrasing that delight as much for her word choice as for taking the story forward.

The book could have used one more round of light editing. Rosemary tends to spend a great deal of time acting out her frustrations with minimal consequences. Sylvie and Emile come across as sweet, affectionate, and possibly too tolerant. After all, they’ve invited a complete stranger into their home and let her exhibit what is, on the surface, flat out rudeness.

Also, while Bischoff makes a clear point about Darla’s dread, the memories that surface late in the book for Rosemary feel a little rushed and forced. Weaving them into the narrative with more subtlety and a little earlier would have helped them come across as a natural part of Rosemary’s story instead of as a necessary plot device. Along with that, the climax also feels like it got crammed into the story. Rosemary makes a choice that could potentially ruin someone else’s life and doesn’t stop to think through the consequences of that choice, which is hard to believe given today’s overload of information. The book would have benefited from someone helping to untangle the knots so the tension could remain taut without seeming overly complicated.

For the most part, however, readers will enjoy Bischoff’s debut novel and will almost certainly read the last line wanting only the best for Rosemary. I recommend readers Borrow The French Impressionist.

(I volunteered to write an honest, objective review after receiving a review copy of this book from the publisher.)

[Puput]

DNF at 50%

I received the book from netgalley in exchange of honest feedback

I really wanted to like this book because the synopsis sounds really interesting (also Paris!) but I just can't. I'm gonna go ahead and be honest here : I hate Rosemary. She irritated me so much and I just couldn't understand her actions nor her thought process. She was lying and stealing and I just can't even with it. It was simply beyond me. I did however like the portrayal of disability, I think it was pretty great. However, I still hate Rosemary because of her PERSONALITY. And to make it even worse, it doesn't get better. She became even more annoying, in fact, but I didn't finish the book so I wouldn't know about her character development. Sigh.

To me character is the most important point of a book. But, I was willing to give this book the benefit of the doubt because I hate Aelin and Rowan yet I still enjoyed Empire of Storms. But... no, it was a wrong choice. The plot was equally annoying. It wasn't even believable, I mean, a 15-year old girl deceiving so many adults and made her way to France, all by herself??? She's a minor and international flight/immigration is strict. I also didn't like the witholding of information.

As a I read more, I started to hate everything and got annoyed if the character so much as talked, that's why I knew I had to DNF it or else I'm gonna go an a full rant. But life is too short to read bad books when I have so many (possibly) great books on my TBR, so I'm putting it down and never picking it up again.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'm here because I lied. A lot. I know it was wrong, but I don't care. I got away"

See Reviews first on my blog

And that my friends is how this book starts. Immediately you start questioning what did she lie about and what is so bad at home that she felt she had to lie to get away. We get to meet Rosemary's new parents for the summer and what she will or is supposed to be doing this summer as well. (Honestly I still can't believe she was able to fool so many people to get to this point.) Rosemary is very unsure of herself and what she is doing until she finds some older letters from a person named Marguerite who appears to have had some speech problems as well. Through reading these letters and making up her own idea of who Marguerite was starts gaining confidence of her own and having hope for herself. She also learns because of what she finds of Marguerite a friend/s who truly care for her and will do what they can to help her. Sure nothing works like Rosemary wanted it to that summer, but things still managed to turn out pretty good for her, which was nice to see after you learn about her childhood so far.


"I've planted my feet here and can already feel the tender roots growing under them, connecting me to the earth in this place of sunshine and sand, mountains and ocean."


Sylvie and Emile who are her parents for the summer are extremely kind people who actively not only let Rosemary into their lives. But teach her things and don't pressure her into doing things. They let her be young and carefree all while keeping her safe. Sure they don't communicate much with her, but that can just be written off on the partial language barrier and the fact that they themselves are dealing with things as well.


"New home. New Family. New Rosemary."


Honestly I'm very torn on how to rate and review this book. One one hand I did enjoy it. But I also found the way the author dealt with things rather annoying at times. Not telling us for so long what exactly the main character was struggling with made me frustrated for the first quarter of the book until I was able to start putting pieces together. But it's still not explained why she is treated a certain way by her mother until the very end. I feel like if that was told sooner I would have liked this book more. Then we also have the problem of a teenager who is incredibly naive now in a foreign country that speaks a different language and has lied to everyone around her to get to said country. I found it incredibly hard most of the time to like the main character because of her actions. But I also really felt for her and just wanted the best for her. To me if things had been told sooner and we could have seen Rosemary actually start finding her voice and becoming her own person I would have loved this book. Instead this was just a start for Rosemary and while I am so glad she if finally getting freedom, I just wish she didn't have to go to such great links to get it.


Just an idea for the author I would love to see either novella or companion novel about Rosemary's best friend Jada. She seems like a really good character and it would be interesting to see her take on this whole thing as well as her side of the friendship with Rosemary.

"Jada never lets anyone make fun of her. She always has a comeback."

Plus we don't have enough books that actively deal with disability and show it in a positive light.


"You have made me realize that my own foolish dreams are not as foolish as I may have thought. My speech difficulty does not mean that I may not obtain what I truly desire... I will never forget what you have done for me."



Thank you to Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

Spoilers

Honestly, I struggled with this book and almost gave up. Little things piqued my curiosity to pick it up again over the last day and I finished the second half, but it wasn't very enjoyable. Not every book is; so be it. This was a tough read for all the wrong reasons. The teenaged narrator is extraordinarily unlikeable, even taking into account her mysterious "communication disorder", teased out until we're three quarters through the book. The other characters aren't very well fleshed-out either, with the possible exception of Émile and Slyvie, Rosemary's host family in Nice, France. She has an unrevealed plan to stay with them past the summer after her exchange programme finishes. The exchange programme she fraudulently applied to, claiming to be a lover and imitator of the French Impressionist painters. She is no such thing; she just wanted to be rid of her extremely controlling mother. Since everything is from Rosemary's point of view and she has brain damage, it's possible though not certain that her mother is simply following guidelines over how to deal with her disabled child. However, Rosemary seems to hold her own in France, except when speaking, and not being able to paint as well as she claimed. Suspension of disbelief can only take you so far in this story.

My other problem with the novel is that huge chunks of plot are just explained away, important plot developments fly past with a mere mention to update us. Imagine Harry Potter ending with Lord Voldemort arriving at Hogwarts, and the next line being "Voldemort was defeated, and the trio returned to the common room" with no explanation. That's what you get here. At other times, so much melodrama! People exploding, angry and emotional and such and such, never quite explained or followed through. Characters violently changing personality between sentences. Someone spoken of as dead throughout the book revealed to be merely in hospital with life-changing injuries near to the end. I felt cheated and deceived reading this book. It is the first novel I can recall reading since The Fault in Our Stars where the narrator has any kind of serious illness - lifelong in this case, rather than terminal - and I would like to read more. But this was too frustrating.

As for the positive: I shared the annoyance of the narrator when communicating with her disabled friend Jada, who uses a computer voice to speak. It reminded me of dialup internet, and how much we take fast broadband speeds today for granted, as much as we take having our own voice working for granted. I also enjoyed the description of Rosemary's adopted house and shop, and the town area. It somehow felt like home, whenever Rosemary went outside. The subplot of the empty and abandoned apartment next door was interesting but the narrator's entitlement to do as she pleased irritated me. The dialogue with Thomas in there was very hackneyed, and until we learnt Mrs Thackeray - shortened over-familiarly to Mrs T. later - owned the whole building and presumably has floor plans, it wasn't at all clear how she knew Rosemary was going inside and stealing. Just another thing the author presumed we would trust to be revealed later. Too much later, in my opinion.