Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag

What happens in Paris... Secrets--PJ's deep blue eyes and angelic long blond hair conceal a truth that's anything but. Will her dark past stay where it belongs in the backwoods of Vermont, or haunt her in the city of light? Passion--Always the good girl, Olivia plans to twirl her way to the top of the Parisian ballet scene. But that's not supposed to include dancing on a table all night...or stumbling into the arms of the wrong boy. Lies--With his emo-trendy bedhead, hilarious comebacks and Southern drawl, Zack could win over anyone. Too bad he's after the only one who's forbidden... Scandal--All Alex wants from Paris is to nab that berry-red Dior coat and seduce the perfect penny-loafer-wearing boy - and Alex always gets what she wants. But will her scheming pay off? Or is she risking more than she knows...? Alex, Olivia, Zack and PJ are spending a year at the prestigious Lycée de Monceau in the sparkling city of Paris. This is their chance to sip cafe au lait in Le Marais, throw secret parties in their host families' Versailles-size apartments, and have the time of their lives. But when the secrets they thought they left behind come out, everything could be ruined...
Never has Paris sounded so alluring! Lucy Silag does an amazing job bringing the city of lights to life—incorporating the language and culture into her descriptive writing. By adding the tang of mystery to each character, Silag allows her book to move beyond chick-lit, into a broader audience. I found that the characters were either you love them or you hate them. I loved the layers PJ and the snarkiness Zack, but found Olivia extremely whiny and Alex just a spoiled brat. What really kept me reading was the need to discover the characters’ secrets, which for some cases weren’t revealed until the very end, leaving an open invitation for a series. Beautiful Americans ends at Christmastime, with still half the year left, and I’m sure plenty of drama still left to unravel.

P.S. I'm at school, so I can't add my signature...:(