When You Open Your Eyes

Gr 9 Up—Tessa's life takes an exciting turn when her family moves from suburban Virginia to Buenos Aires where her father is an American FBI employee affiliated with the embassy. Her new circle of friends includes a group of worldly teenagers with access to many features of an adult lifestyle. Among them is her fellow-artist and new boyfriend, Lucien, the son of a French diplomat. Then Tessa's father, who has recently returned from a two-year stint in Colombia, forbids her to see Lucien. Determined to maintain her relationship with the one person who makes her feel beautiful, talented, and needed, Tessa sneaks around. As her estrangement from her family grows, Lucien's alluring behavior is becoming suspect and at times dangerous. When Tessa learns the latest trigger for his manic outbursts, she has a breakdown of her own. The story reaches a frenzied climax in which Tessa attempts to save Lucien from himself only to learn that she may be lucky to save her own life. The characters' voices ring true and the plot moves along at an engaging pace. The subplots involving Tessa's family add to the portrayal of the protagonist's changing personality. Teen girls will recognize the urgency of first love and the ways in which it can take over one's life. This is a solid addition to the darker side of the chick-lit genre.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD