I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski Review

Hi ForeverBookers, 

I’ve just finished reading “I See London, I See France,” which I really enjoyed. It’s a fun, backpacking novel through Europe with our protagonists, Sydney and Leela and the adventures they have. 

3 Stars

I read “I See London, I See France,” for a couple readathons. They were:

Reading Rivalry - A library book - I got my copy of “I See London, I See France” from the library. 

Always Fully Booked Reading Challenge - A Country or City in the title - I See London, I See France” has both a country and a city in the title so it doubly works! 

Sydney is a 19 year old American girl is the main protagonist of “I See London, I See France,” who’s mom suffers with extreme anxiety. She doesn’t go out without Sydney anywhere. Neither does she talk to others. When Sydney first goes on this adventure to Europe with Leela, her best friend, she’s unsure of leaving her mom with her sister, Addison because she’s never looked after her before. While on their voyage across Europe, Sydney and Leela meet friends, fall in love and buy a lot of stuff! 

There’s talk of sex although it’s off page in “I See London, I See France.” Our main characters are above age 18, though. 

Spoilers Below

“It’s a trip of a lifetime,” my mom said. “I wish I had done it.”

She never would have. She hated travelling even when she was my age. 

I had done as much planning as I could in the three weeks I’d had. Leela had been kind of a mess after the breakup, so she’d lie on my bed while I looked things up and made reservations. I’d booked the first hostel, plus loosely planned our days, and reserved our train to Paris. There we’d stay with my friend Kat for five nights. After that we’d save more money by taking an overnight train to Berlin instead of a day train…But we would play it by ear. As I’d told Leela, nothing was set in stone.” 

This is at the start of “I See London, I See France.” Sydney’s mom wants her to go and have this adventure. Sydney is unsure about how this trip will work out. I liked Sydney’s character the most. She wasn’t selfish, like Leela came across to me. She was always thinking of others, even if those thoughts set her on a path towards her own depression/destruction. 

Leela comes across as a selfish character. She is the prissy, sort of princess character who’s all about the fun and not the consequences. When they meet Matt, her ex and his friend, Jackson, the man Sydney falls for what happens? I’ll let you read for yourself but there’s quite a few twists and turns with the relationships in “I See London, I See France,” I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. 

There are text conversations in “I See London, I See France” too between Sydney and Jackson, the boy she meets that’s with Leela’s ex, Matt. These were cute for the most part. 

Overall, I did enjoy “I See London, I See France.” I loved the geographical information. I could tell the author had been to the parts of Europe she wrote about in the novel. I loved the romances the most, I think. Sydney meets someone and gets intimate with them, not on page as I said above, but it’s there. I’m glad I read this in the summer, as it gives those beach read vibes.