Book Review: Diplomatic Immunity
Diplomatic Immunity
By: Brodi Ashton
Published By: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
Page Count: 368
Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound
Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via Edelweiss
Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary
Piper Baird has landed the scholarship of a lifetime. She will be attending the prestigious Chiswick Academy in Washington, D.C. with the elite of the political and social scene. It's not easy being a scholarship kid when your classmates have tons of money and are well connected, but Piper knows this is where she needs to be in order to win a prestigious journalism prize, the Bennington, that will make sure she gets a full ride to Columbia.
Piper soon learns that the competition for the Bennington is fierce and she is going to have to write an amazing piece to knock out her competition. After an embarrassing accident puts her in the path of Rafael Amador, son of the Spanish Ambassador, Piper realizes that she may just have a subject for her story. She decides that focusing on the diplomats' kids and their behavior could be an amazing expose that will launch her right into a desk at Columbia.
As with most plans in life, they don't always work out the way they are intended. Piper soon realizes that she values Rafael's friendship and she might even have a bit of a crush on him. Can she push her personal feelings aside to pursue the scoop?
While I enjoyed this story and the development of the relationship between Piper and Rafael, I did find Piper a bit annoying. She felt immature and whiny at times. I had to work to like her as I felt like she was often judgmental of her classmates; it felt like she was engaging in the behavior that she abhorred. She is constantly talking about how the scholarship kids are judged based on their socioeconomic status and then she turns around and does the exact same thing to her rich peers.
Piper eventually grew on me. One of my favorite things about this novel was her relationship with her family. In spite of the financial difficulties, the family managed to work together to make things as smooth as possible. I also gravitated to the relationship between Rafael and his brother.
The romance certainly has a Pride and Prejudice element to it. Both Piper and Rafael have to take close looks at themselves to see that maybe they both have misjudged others.
Piper Baird has landed the scholarship of a lifetime. She will be attending the prestigious Chiswick Academy in Washington, D.C. with the elite of the political and social scene. It's not easy being a scholarship kid when your classmates have tons of money and are well connected, but Piper knows this is where she needs to be in order to win a prestigious journalism prize, the Bennington, that will make sure she gets a full ride to Columbia.
Piper soon learns that the competition for the Bennington is fierce and she is going to have to write an amazing piece to knock out her competition. After an embarrassing accident puts her in the path of Rafael Amador, son of the Spanish Ambassador, Piper realizes that she may just have a subject for her story. She decides that focusing on the diplomats' kids and their behavior could be an amazing expose that will launch her right into a desk at Columbia.
As with most plans in life, they don't always work out the way they are intended. Piper soon realizes that she values Rafael's friendship and she might even have a bit of a crush on him. Can she push her personal feelings aside to pursue the scoop?
While I enjoyed this story and the development of the relationship between Piper and Rafael, I did find Piper a bit annoying. She felt immature and whiny at times. I had to work to like her as I felt like she was often judgmental of her classmates; it felt like she was engaging in the behavior that she abhorred. She is constantly talking about how the scholarship kids are judged based on their socioeconomic status and then she turns around and does the exact same thing to her rich peers.
Piper eventually grew on me. One of my favorite things about this novel was her relationship with her family. In spite of the financial difficulties, the family managed to work together to make things as smooth as possible. I also gravitated to the relationship between Rafael and his brother.
The romance certainly has a Pride and Prejudice element to it. Both Piper and Rafael have to take close looks at themselves to see that maybe they both have misjudged others.
One Last Gripe: The plot was fairly predictable.
Favorite Thing About This Book: Piper's relationships with her family members
First Sentence: In seeking truth, you have to get both sides of a story.
Favorite Character: Rafael
Least Favorite Character: Ambassador Amador
Aspiring reporter Piper Baird decides to write a scathing exposé on the overprivileged students at an elite Washington, DC, school, only for her life to change when she begins to fall for the story's main subject, in this new realistic contemporary romance from Brodi Ashton, the author of the Everneath trilogy.
Raucous parties, privileged attitudes, underage drinking, and diplomatic immunity...it’s all part of student life on Embassy Row.
Piper Baird has always dreamed of becoming a journalist. So when she scores a scholarship to exclusive Chiswick Academy in Washington, DC, she knows it’s her big opportunity. Chiswick offers the country’s most competitive prize for teen journalists—the Bennington scholarship—and winning will ensure her acceptance to one of the best schools in the country.
Piper isn’t at Chiswick for two days before she witnesses the intense competition in the journalism program—and the extreme privilege of the young and wealthy elite who attend her school. And Piper knows access to these untouchable students just might give her the edge she’ll need to blow the lid off life at the school in a scathing and unforgettable exposé worthy of the Bennington.
The key to the whole story lies with Rafael Amador, the son of the Spanish ambassador—and the boy at the center of the most explosive secrets and scandals on Embassy Row. Rafael is big trouble—and when he drops into her bedroom window one night, asking for help, it’s Piper’s chance to get the full scoop. But as they spend time together, Piper discovers that despite his dark streak, Rafael is smart, kind, funny, and gorgeous—and she might have real feelings for him. How can she break the story of a lifetime if it could destroy the boy she just might love?
Raucous parties, privileged attitudes, underage drinking, and diplomatic immunity...it’s all part of student life on Embassy Row.
Piper Baird has always dreamed of becoming a journalist. So when she scores a scholarship to exclusive Chiswick Academy in Washington, DC, she knows it’s her big opportunity. Chiswick offers the country’s most competitive prize for teen journalists—the Bennington scholarship—and winning will ensure her acceptance to one of the best schools in the country.
Piper isn’t at Chiswick for two days before she witnesses the intense competition in the journalism program—and the extreme privilege of the young and wealthy elite who attend her school. And Piper knows access to these untouchable students just might give her the edge she’ll need to blow the lid off life at the school in a scathing and unforgettable exposé worthy of the Bennington.
The key to the whole story lies with Rafael Amador, the son of the Spanish ambassador—and the boy at the center of the most explosive secrets and scandals on Embassy Row. Rafael is big trouble—and when he drops into her bedroom window one night, asking for help, it’s Piper’s chance to get the full scoop. But as they spend time together, Piper discovers that despite his dark streak, Rafael is smart, kind, funny, and gorgeous—and she might have real feelings for him. How can she break the story of a lifetime if it could destroy the boy she just might love?
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