A Drop of Night

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Anouk has been chosen for an amazing opportunity: along with four other teens, she has received an all-expenses-paid trip to France, where she will be one of the first people in over 200 years to enter the Palais du Papillon—the Palace of the Butterfly—which was built underground. But soon after arriving in France, Anouk becomes suspicious. Something is very wrong, both with the people who chose her and with the palace itself. Woven throughout Anouk's story is the tale of another teen. Aurélie du Bessancourt, eldest daughter of the Marquis du Bessancourt, who lives under the reign of Louis XVI. When the townspeople march on Versailles and the royal family flees to Paris, Aurélie and her siblings are taken to live in the palace her father built below their château. But upon arrival, Aurélie is confused. If the palace is for safety, why is she being separated from her sisters? Why is she confined to one apartment? And why won't her father visit? Smooth writing, an engaging plot, and only wisps of romance place this work's focus squarely on two headstrong and rebellious girls. Aurélie's account offers readers just enough information to build suspense throughout Anouk's tale, and with so many oddities, teens will have a hard time recognizing the true villain of the story.