What She Saw

What She Saw is a fun thrill ride through the streets of Paris, taking place over a span of about thirty-two hours, as an American woman on the run tries to escape from people who want something she has. Lana is bipolar and has come to Paris on a whim- she's in a manic phase- and while staying at the ritzy Hotel Chevalier she sees something she's not supposed to. Taking a ride up a private elevator, she becomes a witness to something and soon finds herself on the run in Paris with no friends to turn to.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this at first, I wasn't crazy about Lana and the writing style didn't work for me at first. However I soon got caught up in the story- this is a book where I needed to stick with it for a few chapters- and I soon came to like Lana and admire her determination and resourcefulness. Hampered as she is by her reckless behavior, she is canny and at times quite fearless, and I admired her snarkiness even when faced with overwhelming odds. This felt like a movie at times, with the Parisian locations and even a car chase. Lana is soon befriended by people who say they want to help her- but can she trust them, or are they just after the same information she has?

There are a few twists and a betrayal or two, and I loved how Paris was such an integral part of the story. Lana has been there before- and to make matters worse, she had an affair in the city. We are left to wonder (and Lana wonders herself) if her affair with Nathan, and the way it ended, had something to do with her decision to visit Paris again. And sure enough Nathan becomes part of the story- but can he help her? And will he, after the way she broke off the affair?

Another thing I liked was the way Lana grew throughout the story. She came to Paris without telling Brian, skips her meds, and basically acts very irresponsibly- recklessly- which is largely why I didn't like her at first. She grew on me though, and that's a testament to the writing. And she's tough, surprising not only herself but her pursuers. I loved a scene about halfway through where she's in a crowded market and realizes she's cornered- what she does to escape was a lot of fun.

Lana surprised me a few times with how ballsy she was given the forces arrayed against her. The story is told from her POV and also that of Ferdinand, a chauffeur who works for the people who are after her, and while his POV didn't wow me at first it soon became an excellent counterpoint to what Lana was seeing- the two storylines were intertwined very well. Once this story got going it took off and I had lots of fun speeding through the streets of Paris with Lana. I'm glad I stuck with it, this is a good one.