BY INVITATION ONLY

Teens navigate the twists and turns of a weeklong high-fashion fete in Paris.

Piper Woo Collins has a loving dad, won an international science fair, and was accepted to Columbia University, where she dreams of studying environmental science—if her scholarship is reinstated. Chapin Buckingham has a famous actor mom and a rock star dad; she was wait-listed by Columbia. Both girls need a win. Enter La Danse des Débutantes, “the teenage Met Gala,” and the answer to their problems. La Danse promises to fund Piper’s scholarship in return for her being their “Cinderella story,” while Chapin sees a chance to win Deb of the Year—which would please her critical mother and bring her out of the shadow of her perfect brother, Dalton. But nothing goes as expected: Chapin must room with Piper, whose natural charm draws the attention Chapin craves. Piper struggles to fit in and secure her scholarship, manage her feelings about living her late mother’s unfulfilled Paris dreams, and avoid falling for Dalton. This addictive coming-of-age debut with a splash of drama pays homage to the artistry of fashion while tackling the age-old question of whether to live for yourself or others. The portrayal of the girls feels uneven (Piper seems endlessly good while Chapin’s flaws are on full display), but both are likable characters who are easy to root for. Piper is described as “Asian American”; her surname may imply some non-Asian ancestry. Chapin reads white.

A treat from start to finish.