Rome Reframed is an entertaining and fascinating time-travel romp through one of the world's great cities, seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old kid from Texas.
Can you imagine watching gladiators fight to the death at the Colosseum? Chatting with Michelangelo as he works on the Sistine Chapel ceiling? Celebrating Rome's birthday with the Emperor Hadrian?
While a six-month trip around western Europe might seem like a dream come true for many adults, (and some kids), it's Lucas Duran's worst nightmare. He's missing out on the last months of eighth grade at home, but more so his friends and beloved soccer. His academic parents and younger brothers are having the time of their lives, but Lucas is glum and resentful and can't wait for the trip to be over.
A wake-up call from his teachers in Texas forces Lucas to reconsider his attitude and behaviour - unless he turns in a superlative assignment about this last stop on their journey, he'll fail grade 8 and won't proceed to High School with his friends!
With the assistance of a mysterious fortune teller and a new Italian friend, Vivi, Lucas sets out to learn about Rome, in the process finding new insight into himself and what he can achieve when he puts his mind to it.
While the time-travel segments were great fun, the underlying message of Rome Reframed is finding self-confidence and accountability for one's own attitude and behaviour. Lucas grows up a lot over the course of a few days in Rome, developing a whole new way of looking at the world and understanding his own place in it.
As a longtime lover of the Eternal City, I really enjoyed Amy Bearce's descriptions, including her imaginative depictions of past Rome. She really captures the essence of her setting, not only the major tourist landmarks, but the feel of the streets, piazzas and people of the living city. Her main and supporting characters are well-developed and I enjoyed the very innocent romantic sub-plot as Lucas realises his feelings for Vivi.
I loved time-travel novels as a kid and young adult, and would have devoured this in middle school, despite not having the same sort of outlook as the protagonist - a European soujourn would have been heaven to me from the outset. As an adult reader, I initially found myself sympathising with Lucas's parents' frustration at his disinterestedness. However, Lucas really grew on me over the course of the book, and by the end I was cheering for him.
Highly recommended for middle-grade readers, especially those with an interest in history, travel and self-discovery.
My thanks to the author, Amy Bearce, publisher Jolly Fish Press (an imprint of North Star Editions) and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.