Even in Paradise

The Great Gatsby meets Looking for Alaska in this stunning debut from Chelsey Philpot. With inspiration drawn from Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, this novel perfectly captures the love and heartbreak that can change us most.

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about her. Most people do . . . or think they do. But as Charlotte is pulled into the larger-than-life new girl’s world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails—she realizes that behind Julia’s self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, she is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden . . . until now.

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne's at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about her. Most people do . . . or think they do.

Charlotte certainly never expects she'll be Julia's friend. But almost immediately, she dives headfirst into the larger-than-life new girl's world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails. And then Charlotte meets, and begins falling for, Julia's handsome older brother, Sebastian.

But behind her self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, Charlotte soon realizes that Julia is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden . . . until now.

A Teen Vogue Best YA Book You Should Read This Fall “If you’re a certain kind of reader, there’s a very good chance you have both Gossip Girl and The Great Gatsby on your bookshelf. Even in Paradise belongs right in the middle of the two.” - Teen Vogue

“Eloquent and suspenseful . . . While readers know early on that Charlie’s relationship with the Buchanans is headed for a fall, they’ll be as entranced as she is by this beguiling, Kennedy-esque family, for whom power and pain are inextricably entwined.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A modern romance and classic tragedy. Readers who enjoy deep explorations of emotions and human frailty will relish this work.” - School Library Journal

“Fluid, nimble prose, lush descriptive passages, and a tenderly nostalgic plot.” - Horn Book Magazine

“A wealthy family draws in an outsider, dazzling her with their ritzy parties and glamorous lifestyle. Underneath it all, a troubling secret lurks.” (in the article “10 Books for Fans of We Were Liars“) - Brightly

“Poignant and enigmatic.” - Leila Sales, author of This Song Will Save Your Life

“This intriguing and beautifully written-novel has it all—love, loss, friendships, secrets, and that startling concept that one mistake can change the course of your life forever.” - Elizabeth LaBan, author of The Tragedy Paper

“An homage to Brideshead Revisited that reverently paints the rush and the melancholy of the original, while reinventing itself brilliantly for mature young adult readers. A striking coming-of-age debut.” - Julie Berry, author of All the Truth That’s In Me