Synopsis: What if a beautiful dress could take you back in time?
When Louise Lambert receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure. Slipping on a gorgeous pink gown, Louise suddenly finds herself on board a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago and relishes the glamorous life of this decadent era. That is, until she realizes that she’s on not just any ship – she’s on the Titanic!
First off all, after reading this AMAZING book, my first reaction was “why in the world is this a YA novel?” When you look at the cover, you see a girl drowned in a beautiful gown. To me, I thought this girl was a teenager, like around sixteen maybe even seventeen but I suppose that is stretching it. But turns out, the main character Louise Lambert, is a thirteen year girl who’s a seventh grader. So this book, in my perspective at least, is a read for all ages. The only bad thing that could have placed it in the YA genre is that there is one tiny scene that lasts about two to three sentence where a creep is trying to play with her leg underneath the dining table. It is vulgar anything compared to other books I’ve read so I still think that all ages can read this book.
At first I was nervous about reading a book about such a young character because I’m more attracted with characters who are a bit older. Personally I thought I would hate this book because it would be too kiddish but in the end, I love it. In fact, it’s in my top favorites. If you are turned off by Louise’s age, I suggest you push through that feeling and give this book a chance.
Now, getting into the story line.
I have got to say that I’ve read quite a bunch of books based on the Titanic. We all know the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. And few years ago, one specific book called the Distant Waves also rose to popularity. I may do a review on this book again for a throw back Thursday post or something because it is totally worth your time. I’ll leave a link to the goodreads page for this book at the end of the post.
Louise Lambert is a thirteen year old girl who is quite mature compared other younger teens of her age. She’s into vintage clothes and has a special connection to them. Being raised by an upper class American father and a proper British woman, Louise has always been in contact with many different cultures. Her father an affluent lawyer, has all the money in the world to buy her beautiful, fresh off the shelf, dresses that every girl wants. Her mother insists that she takes her daughter shopping in the mall but Louise denies. Instead, she prefers to go shopping at old stores where vintage clothes are the Juicy Couture clothing.
I admire Louise’s vintage passion. I love how a thirteen year old girl can be so hooked on such a fashion style. Of course Louise grew up adorning Old Hollywood movies with her mother which birthed her passion for vintage but I feel like that as our modern society keeps racing towards the future, we’re forgetting the past.
Here are some quotes that explain Louise’s logic:
“If she couldn’t live in an old movie, at least she could dress the part.”
“What an exciting life the woman who owned this dress must have led! Going to parties wearing this fabulous sparkling garment – Louise guessed it was most likely a life of dancing in secret backroom joints, gambling, and gangsters.”
Guessing from the back’s summary, this is a time-traveling book. It’s not much of a spoiler considering the fact that it’s also part of the title. And that time-traveling addition only made this book even better. Ms. Bianca Turetsky takes us through the ship and introducing us to various fashion icons that I personally didn’t know of when I was watching the movie. I feel like all the facts and background on these famous people on board of this ship just made the whole story of the real Titanic ore surprising of how diverse society was on that ship and how so many lives have been changed because of their deaths/survival. Just imagine if those died survived? Just imagine if those who survived died? Ms. Turetsky really draws out these questions out of young Louise.
To top off the Titanic background, the depth of the story’s plot, and all vintage passion…there are pictures!
This book is filled with twenty-five full color fashion illustrations through out the book of the dresses and the Titanic. The pictures better help us visualize the beauty and richness of the era. I don’t know if the author drew these pictures or if someone else did because they really deserve a shout out. The pictures in this novel are absolutely gorgeous, stunning, and so intricate. If I have to describe them, I’d say the pictures are like colorful sketches with intricate designs. I wish I can better describe the beauty of these pictures but I’m in no shape or form artistic.
The plot basically is that Louise needs to find a dress for a dance that’s coming up and ends up getting an invitation for a vintage fashion sale. The plot picks right from there and things start to get interesting. Somehow, someway, Louise ends up on the Titanic and makes new friends. The background of Louise and the scenes prior to the time-travelling scenes are cut short. In other words, the introduction isn’t lengthy and I think that that was a good move by the author. This novel wouldn’t have been done justice with a long intro because it would have bored a lot of readers and I feel like the plot of the Titanic intertwining into her own was more significant to expand on. I also liked how Ms. Bianca Turetsky approached the scene where Louise realizes she’s on the Titanic because it just intensifies the plot and gets our hearts pumping.
I’m happy that Ms. Turetsky didn’t make this novel turn out too cheesy and under aged for us YA kids as the whole story revolved around a thirteen year old. Yes, of course there were some childish moments here and there with her best friend Brooke that made you go “what a kid” or “what a middle schooler” but it’s expected since Louise is of that age. I love the way she writes out Louise’s emotions through as the story progresses because readers are able to sense Louise’s innocence and youth through out the whole novel.
This novel is for all ages, a definite easy read, loaded with beautiful pictures, and has an interesting plot with a tint of mystery.
I would recommend to those who love vintage, fashion, young girls looking for a small read, or for those who simply want to look into the Titanic a little more.
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I’d give this book a 5 out of 6 thought bubbles 😀
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