Author: Brodi Ashton
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss
Goodreads
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.Review by Nara
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?
So here I am trying to write a review for this novel half a year after reading it, and I'm kicking myself for having put it off for so long. Unfortunately, Diplomatic Immunity is quite unmemorable, and looking at my original rating of two Goodreads stars, it doesn't look like it's a book worth rereading to regain those threads of the plot. There are only a couple of things that stand out in my memory of the novel, so that's what I'll mention here. I probably can't really discuss anything in the plot that isn't spoilery, but we'll see how this review goes.
I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of Brodi Ashton's Everneath but I really loved My Lady Jane and so I thought I'd give another of her books a go. Maybe it was actually the combination of Ashton plus the other two authors in My Lady Jane that made that book so incredible, because unfortunately, Ashton solo was not great.
The portrayal of Rafael, who is the son of the Spanish ambassador, seemed rather stereotypical, and I'm not sure that I gleaned terribly much about his personality from the novel apart from the classic rich "bad boy" aspect. The romance wasn't the best either, mostly because I didn't care for the characters, and wasn't particularly invested in seeing the romance through. The whole book was quite drama filled, which is what I expected on some level, but instead of being a drama that was compelling, it was heading more towards melodrama.
Overall, probably wouldn't particularly be recommending this book to others, even if solely based on the fact that the only things that I remember about it are negative.
It was okay
RatingsOverall: 4/10
Plot: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Writing: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Cover: 2/5
