Paris Bound: Review Paris Syndrome by Lisa Walker

Happy is absolutely passionate about Paris and dreams of going there one day, but is it possible she could be headed for disappointment?

Sublime, exciting, elegant and sophisticated. Everybody loves Paris but is it possible to love it too much?

New to Brisbane, Veronica Happiness Glass (Happy) is at a loose end in her new city. Her Mother is busy with work and her very best friend Rosie is back in Sydney.

Happy and Rosie share everything, including a passion for Paris and they have been planning the trip of a life time forever. Come graduation, Happy is determined that they will stick to their plan and immediately board a flight to ‘the city of love’.

After winning a French Tourism Board essay competition on ‘Why I Love Paris,’ things start to look up for Happy who is introduced to a whole new world of Francophiles, including the eccentric Professor Tanaka and two new friends, Alex one and Alex two.

Professor Tanaka fears that Happy is at great risk of suffering ‘Paris Syndrome,’ an ailment that those who are passionate about France suffer when they finally visit and it doesn’t live up to expectations. Professor Tanaka has first-hand experience as she was struck down with the syndrome on her first visit to Paris in her youth.

Friendship and romantic possibility are now on the horizon for Happy. Alex one is a very attractive young Frenchman who wants to sweep heroff her feet, Alex two, an Australian girl, is a smart and intuitive psychology student with distinctive blue hair. Constant texts to Rosie (often to no reply) give readers all the inside information.

When Professor Tanaka takes a turn and ends up in hospital, Happy and Alex two decide to try and find a cure for ‘Paris Syndrome.’ This leads to lots of adventures, rogue snails, trained chickens and a trip up the Brisbane Eiffel tower.

Paris Syndrome is a charming coming-of-age story for ages 14+ and definitely for those who love all things French and dream of the romantic city of Paris. But it’s also a very poignant story of divorce, grief and a young girl finding her feet in a new, romantic and increasingly adult world.

Littered with references to French films such as Amelie, Before Sunset and Gigi, Lisa Walker fills Paris Syndrome with wonderfully eccentric characters and lots of French cuisine.

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Lisa Walker lives on the far north coast of NSW where she is completing a PhD in creative writing.

Lisa has had a radio play produced for ABC RN and was the winner of the Byron Writers Festival short story award. She was a finalist in the ABC Short Story Award and won second place in the Henry Savery and Port Stephens Literature Awards.

Lisa is the author of Liar Bird (HarperCollins, 2012) and Sex, Lies and Bonsai (HarperCollins, 2013) and her debut YA novel is called Paris Syndrome (HarperCollins 2018).