The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre
“The open door felt like an invitation, or a trap. Bastien wasn't sure which, but with no other choice, he stepped inside...and hoped he'd make it out again alive.”
Bastien Bonlivre is a boy with a big imagination, determined to finish the story his parents started, left to him in a red notebook. On the other side of Paris, bestselling author Olivier Odieux is struggling to complete his latest novel. Along with his villainous brothers, he is masterminding his greatest plot yet...one that will spread fear throughout the city and beyond.
What connects these two stories is a dangerous secret, a hidden mystery and an unexpected race across Paris for the truth. Can Bastien and his friends Alice, Theo and Sami be brave enough to stop Olivier stealing the ending they deserve?
A classic adventure story about friendship, hope, bravery and the power of imagination.
- Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month September 2021
- Bestseller in the Top 20 Children’s & YA Fiction Chart
Order your copy now with:
Amazon BOOKSHOP.ORG FOYLES HIVE usborne waterstones WHSMITHS wordery
Click through the Contents page and Bastien’s map of Paris, as well as the first few pages of the book!
Love for The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre
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“A charming and bookish tale of friendship, villainy and the power of stories”
Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander
*
“I loved THIS...it’s as wise as it is funny, packed with intrepid children, fearsome villains - and best of all - set above and below one of my favourite cities: Paris!”
Judith Eagle, author of The Pear Affair and The Secret Starling
*
“An absolutely delightful French mystery with plenty of tension and suspense alongside wonderful friendships.”
L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency trilogy
*
“A charming and page-turny Parisian mystery with the most dastardly villains and the loveliest of friendships. SUPER”
Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of How to Change the World
*
“A really fun read with plenty of Parisian mystery and shades of Lemony Snicket in its dastardly villainy.”
Peter Bunzl, author of Cogheart
*
“A delightful literary mystery with a dastardly villain to boot!”
Christopher Edge, author of The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day
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“A clever mystery with a completely charming cast. What more could you want? I expect we’ll be hearing a lot more from Bastien and Clare Povey”
Kelly McCaughrain, author of Flying Tips for Flightless Birds and Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland
*
“A love letter to all things bookish”
Marianne Levy, The i
*
“With plenty of twists and turns, this fun, fast-paced story is a great adventure.”
The Week Junior
*
”Set during the 1920s, scattered with French phrases and verbal flourishes, with its fast-paced plot and unforced emphasis on the power of stories to shape lives, this is a very bon livre indeed.”
Andrea Reece - LoveReading 4 Kids”