Anna and the French Kiss

Find this review and more at On The Shelf! So what can I say about Anna and the French Kiss? It was absolutely, brilliantly, marvelously AMAZING!! I am so glad I lsitened to all of the bloggers who raved about this book because it is simply wonderwul. I am definitely a fan of Stephanie Perkins now and will most likely read everything she publishes. There are so many things that make this book great. One thing is how realistic and relatable it is. I’m reading this whole book thinking “Wow I have definitely been there before.” The story is real, tbe place is real, the characters are real. I feel like I really know these characters and I could tell you about them as if they were someone I’ve known for quite some time. They may be fictional characters, but they have very real personalities. Mmmm, St. Clair. I was drooling over this boy from the first time Anna met him. He has certainly become a new favorite book boyfriend. He may even be #1! Edward Cullen can suck it! And how great was Anna? Awesomely so. Her freak outs, excitement, meltdowns, everything was put perfectly on the page. The descriptions of Paris are lovely, and though I have been to France, I didn’t get the chance to see Paris. It is a beautiful country and the author portays Paris beautifully. I have to make sure I get to go back and visit Paris. There have been books that have made me giggle here and there, but this book has me laughing so foten. It was such a fun read and I look forward to her other novels. This story will remind you of what it’s like to fall in love. Fabulous characters, wonderful story, humorous, playful writing, MUST READ!!

First of 3 : Anna and the French Kiss series. YA, romance.In her last year of school, Anna's father decides to send her to a new school. In a different city. In Paris, France, in fact. As well as being the new kid in school, Anna feels out of place in Paris, since she's never learned French before (only Spanish, which she keeps speaking accidentally).Thanks to Meredith, who has the room next door, she soon makes new friends, though, including Étienne St Clair who is funny and friendly and charming. Everyone likes St Clair; but maybe Anna more than likes him. She knows Meredith likes him, too, but he already has a girlfriend. And anyway, there's Toph, who kissed Anna on her last day at home, so she might already have a boyfriend.Will Anna get her French kiss before her year in Paris is over?This was a strongly written debut, and though it was from the YA section of the library, the characters had depth. There wasn't too much teen angst (which I've seen as a point against other YA books), though there were the usual romantic misunderstandings. I like the way that Paris and the Parisienne way of life featured throughout the book. I've been to Paris a few times (a while ago) and recognised some of the major landmarks, although I have no idea how accurate it actually is (the Latin Quarter, for instance), but it felt authentic, and the way it was brought into the story felt natural and not forced. There are other books in the series, but I suspect they deal with different characters. Though some of the resolutions at the end felt a little hasty, the story wraps up well (with a happy ending), so it works as a stand-alone novel.I picked this up (outside my usual comfort zone) based on heaps of favourable LT recommendations, and I have to agree with them. i enjoyed reading this book; once I had time to sit down to read it properly, it was very easy to keep going to the end. I'm glad there were no villainous villains to spoil things, and I do like happy endings. I also liked the fact that the 'hero', while good-looking and charming, wasn't especially tall i.e. wasn't 'flawless'. This was a 'feel good' book. I liked it so much, I think I'll hunt down a copy for my own shelves, so I can re-read it whenever I need some cheering up.

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: The cover is cute, but pretty typical of YA romance novels. Not something that would grab my attention on a shelf.

The Gist: Anna has been sent to Paris against her will. Her father has signed her up for a year at the School of America in Paris. There she meets Etienne, suave, charming and ... taken. As they grow closer, Anna learns about friendship, desire and love.

Review: Anna and the French kiss is one of those books that everyone seems to love. It was remarkable 1) how many of my Goodreads friends had read it and 2) how many of them raved about it.

I was not able to join them.

The writing was great. The romantic scenes were sweet and exciting. You cannot beat a setting like Paris. However, I hated both Anna and Etienne. When characters or scenes annoy me, I have a tendency to skip or skim over them. But while listening to the audio book, I wasn't able to do that. Instead, I found myself yelling at both Anna and Etienne for being idiots. They were both hypocritical and got angry at each other (and the other characters) for actions that they themselves committed earlier or later. They danced around each other for an entire book and were constantly doubting the other's feelings. Etienne was the "beautiful boy" that every girl wanted and Anna was the girl that every boy immediately lusted after. Come on. No girl is so hot that every male within sight falls at her feet and she HAS NO IDEA! This called for some serious eye rolling.

I read several reviews that claimed that this book was HILARIOUS. I did not get that. The only humorous passages that I can recall were where Anna was being a complete klutz (I hate the typical pretty, klutzy girl character) or acting like a moron - which annoyed me more than they amused me. The other characters only served to move the plot along and/or reveal information and did not really get a life of their own.

I could rant and rave about all the nit-picky things that I didn't like about this book BUT I can completely understand why teens love it. It was cute and romantic (even though I only wanted the characters together so that they wouldn't force their special brand of idocracy on anybody else).

No more Stephanie Perkins for me. I am far too cynical for this type of book.


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Talk of sex
Violence: Physical fighting
Inappropriate Language: Dick, Bastard, Shit, Prick, Fuck, Slut, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking

For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.Before I launch into what will be, for this book, a fairly negative review, I want to get some things straight. First, I don’t think Anna and the French Kiss is a bad book; in fact, I think it’s good, but in some ways not good for the particular person I am. Second, this review’s going to be somewhat ranty, but I really did like and sometimes even love much of Anna and the French Kiss. If my ranting will upset you because you love everything about this book, I’m envious that you had all the feels and send you on your way with my blessing.Perkins most definitely has the makings of a contemporary author who will write books that I personally will love. Even though this hasn’t been an entirely positive experience for me, I will undoubtedly be reading the rest of her books. She has great snappy dialogue and tons of pop culture references, both things that are total Christina bait. Plus, I totally adore the setting at SOAP (School of America Paris) with it’s dorm rooms that are small and awful to Anna but absurdly amazing as dorm rooms go. It’s great too because most boarding school books end up being so depressing and full of intense melodrama, but Anna and the French Kiss is free of that.The familial relationships and friendships in Anna and the French Kiss were largely great too. Anna’s father, James Ashley, an obvious reference to Nicholas Sparks, amused me no end. He forced her to go to Paris, so he can feel cultured. Initially, she’s very anti-Paris and doing the poor me having to go to France thing, but it’s really that her agency was taken away and not that Paris is awful. Plus, Anna’s very afraid of being rude or doing something wrong, which is something I can relate to in her fear of venturing out in France not knowing the language.I like the way that Anna’s new friends draw her out of her shell. She could, had she not found good friends, have ended up like Cath, shut up in her dorm room for much or all of her year at SOAP. Instead, she discovers resources within herself she never knew she had and ends up having an amazing experience.[Aside: St. Clair takes her out for panini and she's amazed at this rare and unusual sandwich, but this book came out in 2010 and Panera is everywhere. There are all kinds of sandwich places in Atlanta that serve paninis. It's possible, but seriously?] I think the whole crew of friends is interesting, though I would have liked to get to know Josh, Rashmi and Mer a bit better. I think Rashmi ends up getting the best development and their relationship helps Anna reevaluate a lot of how she perceives others.The problem is, though, that, in a romance, you’re pretty much sunk if you don’t ship the ship. Thankfully, I don’t quite unship the ship. For a while, I was walking up to board. I had my ticket purchased and my bags packed, ready to depart. Unfortunately, I got about three steps onboard, realized I didn’t like where it was headed and ran back off. This metaphor may have gotten out of my control a bit.What you need to understand about me is that I tend to have a very black and white sense of justice. I’m a bit like Darcy: “my good opinion once lost is lost forever.” Actually, like him, that’s not entirely true, but it is difficult to convince me to change my mind. My problems lie almost entirely with the character of St. Clair. I’ve tried to forgive him because he’s young and stupid, which is true, and because it’s believable, but I can’t. The last two chapters completely sealed me not wanting these characters to get together or at least not feeling happy that they are together.Anna and the French Kiss takes place over the course of almost a complete school year. During almost that entire time, St. Clair has a girlfriend called Ellie, who’s off at uni nearby. He spends the whole year alternately ignoring all of his friends and hanging out with Ellie or ignoring Ellie and hanging out with his friends, which also includes flirting with Anna. The flirting initially is mild, just some casual but intentional leg brushes, which is okay I guess. What bothered me from the start was the way that St. Clair would flip flop from friends to girlfriend, blowing off one then the other, like he can’t be a good boyfriend and a good friend at one time; it’s or the other. When he’s actually there, he’s great and so is the banter, but he’s not dependable.I’d be warned about the cheating thing and, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected in some ways. If the reactions to it had been different, I actually wouldn’t have been bothered so much by this particular scenario. Of course, it’s all gray areas with what counts as actually cheating and blah blah blah, but using the most common definition, St. Clair doesn’t behave too badly. View Spoiler » That I could live with if St. Clair was really incredibly apologetic, which he sort of was but also wasn’t. I’ll move into spoiler tags now for safety.St. Clair makes so many excuses, which okay he doesn’t want to be alone because his mother is dying, but he also has tons of good friends and doesn’t really like his girlfriend. Why the fuck is he still with Ellie when he’s liked Anna since the very first day he met her? He’s been wishing on that fucking zero point in Paris for her to want him ALL YEAR. He tells her, once they’re together, that he’s never felt this way about anyone. And yet, the amount that he cares for Anna still isn’t enough to make St. Clair risk having to be single. We’re meant to forgive him for sticking with the girlfriend because she’s vaguely horrible in her couple of scenes, an easy target. Plus, he didn’t have sex with Ellie again after the admittedly incredibly adorable Christmas email exchange. Let’s ignore the fact that a couple that was having regular sex just stops for months and neither of them will FUCKING END IT.St. Clair, despite having a girlfriend, is jealous any time a guy pays attention to Anna. He shames her for kissing someone else, when she has made no promises to anyone. Once everything comes out, he accuses her of being part of the problem because she lied and pretended he hadn’t confessed feelings for her back in November when St. Clair was drunk off his ass. Yup, clearly Anna’s fault that you kept dating a girl you didn’t like anymore. He basically says it’s all also her fault because she wasn’t willing to speak up about her feelings, which is so incredibly unfair and dickish that I cannot even with this guy. And, yeah, they’re young and stupid but there’s nothing in the book to say that this isn’t cool. Anna believes everything he says and takes a share of the blame. Yes, she sometimes pushed him away, but ONLY BECAUSE HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Pretty sure she would have eventually said or done something had he been single that whole time. It’s not her job to watch out for his relationship, but she did a better job of that than he did.Then, once they resolve everything and get together, they’re so damn cheesy and insufferable, which I can’t handle with how un-sorry St. Clair is. He gets everything he wanted and that whole situation worked out fabulously for him. He decides to go to California for her (365), not for his mother or to obtain freedom from his father. They’re not even dating yet! I mean, I know they were best friends most of the year, but he obviously was planning this before he’d broken up with his girlfriend, because of when college applications have to be in. Then the last three lines: “For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And we’re finally home.”I cannot. I can’t. The ability to can has been suspended. This about a guy who claims to have loved her basically all year but who kept dating another girl for pretty much all of that year. I wouldn’t build my home on that sort of a foundation, but best of luck to you Anna.So yeah, that didn’t really turn out like anybody hoped. There are lots of good things about it, but I also have many non-happy feelings about one of the most loved YA guys. I has a sad.

I’ve been avoiding writing this review, and even now, I’m having a hard time with it. I think this review would be easier to write if I loved or hated Anna and the French Kiss, but I didn’t. Even now, more than a week after finishing, I’m having a hard time figuring out my feelings for it.

Honestly, I think I just expected more from it. This is a book that I have been seeing people rave about online for months, so I think I just had too high of expectations. But it wasn’t terrible either. I know that I tend to not be a huge contemporary fan, but I have found some that I’ve loved, so I know that isn’t the only factor at play here.

I think the biggest problem for me was that I just didn’t connect with Anna or St. Clair. Anna seemed whiny to me. I get it. You were sent away to a foreign country, where you don’t know anyone or the language, and you miss everyone at home. But ugh. I just had had enough of it very quickly. Also, St. Clair seemed likable enough, but there was nothing swoon-worthy about him for me. Also, I felt like every time their relationship started to get interesting, one of them would just say or do something stupid to ruin it. It was insanely frustrating for me.

Another thing that I think this book had against it for me is that, unlike most people, I’m not a fan of France. Reading French words frustrates me, and while I think it might be nice to visit Paris, I don’t really have any strong desire to go there. I know, I’m totally the odd duck with this because most people DREAM about Paris, the city of love, but I just have no interest in it. (*runs and hides*)

What I did like about Anna and the French Kiss is that there was no insta-love. There was instant attraction on Anna’s part, but she didn’t think that she was in love with St. Clair right away. I liked that St. Clair had a British accent (I was DYING for an audiobook when I found that out! lol) I liked that Anna wasn’t a jerk when she realized she had feelings for St. Clair. She didn’t immediately set out to steal him from his girlfriend or anything, which did make me respect her some. There were also several funny moments.

Overall, I thought that Anna and the French Kiss was an okay book, but that it just wasn’t the right book for me. I think I had too high of expectations based on how many people I’ve seen love it, and was just left disappointed. However, I definitely see how many people would love this book, especially if you love Contemporaries, Romance, or Paris.

This review is also posted on my blog

I picked up this book because every YA reader and blogger I knew had reviewed it, and raved about it. I trust their opinions, so I knew I had to read it for myself. I wasn't disappointed! It's everything you could want in a YA novel - adventure, romance, heartbreak (ok, I guess you might not WANT heartbreak, but it's necessary!). Anna Oliphant is going to Paris! Sounds like fun, right? Except she's being sent away by her parents, she'll miss the senior year at her high school in Atlanta, and she'll have to attend a boarding school with other Americans. On top of all that, she's leaving behind her little brother she adores, her best friend, and the boy she was maybe-kinda starting something with. Understandably, Anna isn't too happy when she first arrives in Paris. Thankfully classmates take her under their wings and she grows to love the city. She even finds another boy to maybe-kinda start something with! Except there's one hitch… he has a girlfriend.

This was a very cliché book from the start, but it was a hidden guilty pleasure book of mine. Made me think back to my old favorite type of YA books I used to read.Could have had a bit more substance, in my opinion, but overall cute book to pass time on.

What do I say to explain this perfect book? The book is about Anna going off to Paris for her last year in high school. Truthfully, I didn't expect much of this book. I thought it would be a fun book to read over the Christmas break, but I was wrong. The book turned from a regular young adult romance novel into one of my favorite books. And it was because of how Stephanie Perkins writing style. The characters were the most relatable characters I've read. Anna and Etienne's romance which made me root for them from the beginning.

Specifically, Anna has to be one of my favorite fictional characters. I grew up as a military brat and while I never had to move around a lot, my sister did. I have heard her stories of all the moves she had to make, and I'm glad because it made me relate more to Anna. Anna may me slightly annoying at the beginning, to some people, but when you're forced to leave everything you know and not just go somewhere else for your senior year of high school, but to another country. Her anger and annoyance are justified. I love hear character and she grows a lot while in Paris. I couldn't have asked for a better book or a better character.

I loved everything about this book and have no complaints. I plan on re-reading it during the summer before I leave for London.

5/5

I have had this book on my e-reader for a few months, and with a push from a friend I finally started reading it at 2:00 p.m. today! From the very first page I couldn't stop reading. Anna and the French Kiss is sorta your typical YA romance, but with so much more.
We start off meeting Anna as her parents are dropping her off at a boarding school in Paris. Her dorm neighbor Meredith (Mer) comes in shortly after her parents leave, and while I have never been to a boarding school, i don't think that friendships are really formed as fast as these two formed a friendship. I did like the interaction with Etienne St. Clair from the beginning and I must say, he does make for one swoon worthy character. He is nice to Anna from the beginning, as are most of Mer's friends from the previous year.
We do run into a few snags along the way... Anna starts to like St. Clair, as he is called by his friends, and in turn we start to see St. Clair fall for Anna...but he's with Ellie, and has been for over a year now. And we can't forget Anna's almost but not quite boyfriend Toph!! So, where does that leave our to budding lovers?
The story progresses with some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and I was so glad to see that most of them were resolved. Stephanie could easily make this into a series of books, but alas we are all left to dream about what really happens with Anna and St. Clair after the story ends.

While I am an AVID reader of YA, I tend to steer clear of the romances, Stephanie is a wonderful writer and while this is mainly a romance, you do get to see a lot of Paris through Anna's eyes, and we meet some great additional characters in Rashmi, Meredith, St. Clair and even Josh. There are always the bad characters, you know the ones I am talking about, that you know are going to make trouble every time they are mentioned, and we get that with Amanda and Dave. But thankfully those two are handled in the book. Overall I really enjoyed the book ( seeing as i finished it in 7 hours!) and i will more than likely come back to it again and again when I am in the mood for a fluffy read.

"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home."I am actually giving this about 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed it and I agree with others that you will quickly find yourself flying through the story.This is a book about young love and you are put through a roller-coaster of teenage emotions. At times, some of this was repetitive and annoying, but then again it is about teenagers and was pretty realistic. One moment the character was on cloud 9, and the next not knowing what she was living for. How is that for real life with a teenage girl?I will say, this did keep my interest and the writing had a great flow to it. This was the first Stephanie Perkins book I have read, and I will continue to read the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed that this book approached teenagers in a realistic fashion. It's wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a young love story. With some twists and turns throughout but of course the best type of happy ending.

Cute, girly, funny romance.

<3

Seriously, if you haven't read this, you need to.

Well? What are you waiting for?

Much like the teen years in general, Anna and the French Kiss is a roller-coaster of emotion and drama! There were times I loved the main characters, times I hated them, times I thought they were insane...in summary, I feel that Stephanie Perkins has a real talent for creating wonderfully entertaining and flawed characters who grow and change.

I love that Perkins made Anna's character a film buff, and recommend readers some great movies. The international setting was a great escape. Although admittedly, it took me a while to process that anyone would NOT want to go to France.

Looking forward to finishing the other books in the series and what Perkins has in store for the future.

Yay! I finally got over the book slump!! I'm usually a fantasy reader and not very much into contemporaries but this book was exactly what I needed to start reading again. it was an easy read and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it at 2 AM. I have three exams waiting for me and I'm expected to study more than 10 hours a day (do every high school seniors around the world go through this or is it just the Japanese education system?) Well done, me. Anyways, enjoyed this book a lot and I'm looking forward to reading the next book (though not soon because I really really need to study)

The characters were interesting enough and there were strong romantic elements (which I'm a sucker for) but the end was too much, I hate you! I love you! I hate you! I love you! back and forth and got tiring.

I loved this book!

Absolutely lovely.

its sooooooooo cute omgggggggg (to be honest i liked anna and etienne more in lola and the boy next-door, but whatever)

“Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amélie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings with the name Louis. I’m not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day.”


Thus begins Anna and the French Kiss; the witty tale of Anna, a rich little poor girl, whose daddy - an author with a formulaic plot that usually involves people falling in love, contracting a life-threatening diseases and dying - sends her to Paris for school, to impress his wealthy friends.

Anna doesn’t want to be shipped away to Paris during her senior year, so, in true teenage spirit,* she throws a tantrum; a rather useless one as the story opens up with Anna in Paris, knowing next to nothing about the place in which she has to spend an entire year. She is a girl of privilege, attending a prestigious school in a city that many people love, yet she doesn’t try to learn anything useful about her new home, I found this slightly disturbing.

The biggest thing Anna has going for her is her wit and her funny narrative, which makes her character endearing. I think, without these, she might have come off a bit abrasive.

Through Anna, we are introduced to her new friends and love interest - Étienne, who is suppose to be shorter than Anna, even though she mistakes him for a wall when she walks into him in the very beginning of the story. We are also introduced to the school, then slowly to Paris, when Anna is practically dragged from the dorms by Étienne for a night around town.

Stephanie Perkins isn’t very descriptive in Anna’s exploration of Paris; and while it is primarily a love story, a little more description of Paris would have been perfect; after-all, it is the City of Love. We do, however, get to see a lot of Étienne’s hair, and eyes, and the things he says and the strange things he does.

I found it a little ironic that Anna’s story contained similar elements as her father’s bestseller novels (which she hated). Anna and the French Kiss is a book for the hopeless romantic, unfortunately, I’m not a hopeless romantic, but if you are you’ll definitely enjoy the witty prose.

*generalization of course

Okay, so this is one of those books that I can't remember why I requested it from the library, but I must have wanted to read it for some reason.

Anyway, it was pretty much marshmallow fluff, but it wasn't too stupid and it reminded me how I kind of miss having ridiculous crushes like I did in high school...or okay, like, three years ago.

And the main thing was that it was pretty much the exact opposite of the Game of Thrones books which was kind of what I needed after all 5,000 pages of war and torture and betrayal and so on.

Read from January 21 to 24, 2012Fun, cute love story. It isn't earth-shattering, but definitely a solid read. I love that the author started it during NaNoWriMo...having attempted that this year, I've got to give her mad props for having something good come out of it!

If there was one book that I picked up because of the buzz on blogs, 'Anna and the French Kiss' would be that book. If I passed this book in the bookstore, which I did many times due to work, I would probably take a peek at the back, give it a read, and then put it back because I don't do strict YA romance's. I usually prefer my romance with a dash of supernatural/sci-fi/dystopian mixed in. So, as you can imagine, 'Anna and the French Kiss' was quite a departure from my usual reads!


I enjoyed 'Anna and the French Kiss'. It was a quick, addictive read with good characters, a fun setting, and a realistic, well thought out plot. One of my favorite things about 'Anna and the French Kiss' was author Stephanie Perkins writing style. Main character Anna's voice was entertaining and often times, quite humorous. Having been in a foreign environment before with no family or friends to turn to, I could relate to Anna. Her 'culture shock' read as realistic to me. She wasn't annoy, clingy, or too mary jane of a main character, which are often the traits that come to my head when I think of strict ya romances and their characters.


I loved the location of this novel. Honesty alert: I've never had much of an inkling to go to France before. England, Italy, Wales, of course, but not so much France. Reading this book peaked my interested in the country and made me a twinge more interested in visiting one day.


St. Claire was darling. Yes, I fell for him, too. With the English accent, quick witted personality, and just awesome vibe he encompassed, he turned out to be a great male lead. The story of him and Anna was told sweetly, realistically, and really, really well. The romance wasn't over the top or bloated. It was just right.


This book gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. I loved reading it, but had to deduct a point. Looking back at it, it's not a book I need to buy or re-read. It was a good one off romance that had heart and likable characters. Even if you don't like strict YA romance, give this a shot. I think you'll like it.

So fluffy and delicious. The characters were not caricatures, which tends to happen in YA books, so that was nice. Paris was lovely but not overly descriptive or flowery or idolizing. I was less enchanted by St. Clair as I got further in, but isn't that how these things go? Lovely and enjoyable, I'm not sure what else to say.

I am going to do the unthinkable and say that I have mixed feelings about this review. Ack. Go ahead and gasp and tell me how horrid I am. I’m ready for it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this book; however, there were some things that keep me from proclaiming my undying love for it. First off, I’m one of those pesky people that want all lose ends wrapped up. So when I didn’t find out what happened with the Dave and Amanda situation, it left me a little disappointed. Of course, this was such a minor element in the story that it didn’t take away from the overall book, but still. There were a few other minor things, but they aren’t really worth mentioning. Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s just me. I honestly think it’s my lack of interest in contemporary novels that kept me from proclaiming the utter and complete awesomeness of this book. For me to say that a contemporary read is phenomenal, slap yourself wonderful, it has to leave me speechless. Anna and the French Kissdid not leave me speechless, but it did make me smile at times. What did I love about this book? Many, many things! First off, the setting. OMG. The author did such an amazing job with the setting. It was like I was back in France. Every little detail was so wonderfully descriptive. I could picture everything in my mind as I read. Instant love. In fact, it made me wish I was catching a flight to Paris right now so I could relive everything Anna and Etienne experienced. The way the catacombs in Notre Dame were described was perfect. The author was spot on… the entire time. I think I can safely say that Stephanie Perkins did one of the best jobs EVER in setting the stage for a novel. She did an equally amazing job with the characters. Seriously, what is there not to adore about Anna and her crew? Anna was witty and self-conscious. She was great. I loved her and her raisin sized front tooth gap. Then there is Etienne St. Clair. Le sigh. Simply charming. I swear he makes me want to go around calling everyone “mate” and “bloke” while I wear knickers and stare at wankers. So much fun! He is a perfect book boyfriend. The remainder of the crew is also fun… very Joyluck Club-ish. They were a perfect complement to one another. I also think it’s worth mentioning that there is a subtle theme in this story. It was a little unclear at first, but it became clear by the end of the story. I also loved that the English Literature teacher helped deliver this theme. Her lectures on translated works helped Anna discover a huge secret about herself, which translates beautifully to real life. This was a great contemporary read. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary works, but I did enjoy Anna and the French Kiss. It’s a well-developed story with fantastic characters. A perfect beach read.

What a gorgeous read.After reading something very intense, to say the least, I started this book with a hope for something light and refreshing. Boy, did this book deliver. And yes, before you say it, I know. I’m very late. Believe me, I’m kicking myself for not having read this sooner.Anna is very happy with her life in America - she's got her best friend Bridgette, a crush on a cute guy and a younger brother whom she adores. So when her father sends her to boarding school in Paris, she's far from happy. But things start looking up when she meets Meredith and all of her friends - Rashmi, Josh and Etienne St. Clair. Cue swoon.What immediately came to my attention with this book was how relatable Anna is. Stephanie Perkins has the teenage girl's voice down to a t. Anna's thoughts sound exactly like those of most teens. Sure, she was a tad melodramatic sometimes, but then we all are occasionally. And it elevated the humour. Straight away we get a feel of who Anna is and we can't help but feel sorry for her at the beginning. Forget being sent to boarding school, or even to a new country - she's being forced to go to a whole other continent. What kind of message are you supposed to get from that if you're the one its happening to? But luckily for Anna, she soon finds friends and settles down, so much so that Paris becomes her home. The way this was all described and set out was very well crafted, emotional and sweet.Anna and Etienne St. Clair hit it off from the moment they meet. I loved seeing the relationship between them evolve, from friends to best friends to falling in love. It was very believable, and very sweet. There are so many funny scenes between them, and also some heartstring-tugging ones. Etienne has so many different facets to him, and it was touching to see how Anna was the only one he truly let in. They balanced each other perfectly: both supported and encouraged each other when needed; both had their moments of stupidity and were called on it by the other. A couple of my favourite scenes were Thanksgiving when they were the only two of their group to stay at school, the time on the plane and the emails they sent each other.Overall, this is a fantastic book. I’ve always wanted to go to Paris; even more so after reading Die for Me ages ago; even more so after reading this. There just seems to be something about French guys. And French/American/British ones. This book is humourous and light, but also touches on a couple more serious themes. It’s crafted perfectly and entails believable characters and a believable relationship. If, like me, you’re a late reader, I strongly suggest you read this as soon as you can!

So yes, I know what you’re thinking: Caitlin, everyone has read this book already. Well everyone, I must admit: I put off reading Anna and the French Kiss. I know, I know. Shame on me. I had seen so many people review it on Youtube and I was worried that it would not live up to the hype. Welp, let me take back that statement. It lived up to the high standard I had set it to and so much more. This is no instalove novel, oh no. The romance in this novel was forged through friendship and trials. I nearly died of sweetness a few times, but I would recommend this to all those who like to read about love, but who are not into instalove relationships. Now, onto Lola and the Boy Next Door

I quite enjoyed this book. I felt Anna was developed well as a character and you got to see the good and the bad side of her. I loved the descriptions of the setting, they were detailed but not over done and lengthy like in some books. One thing that really annoyed me though is that Anna started calling her new friend in Paris St. Clair, his last name, them half way through the book she change it to Etienne, his first name. This kind of broke the link I had formed with the character. But apart from that I thought this book was a fun, easy read.

Anna is a girl taken from a life as close to perfect as she could want it: job she loves, amazing best friend, possible love interest in the boy at work and only one year left before she is done with high school for good. To this add the unwanted meddling of her father a mediocre author whose books of people who fall desperately in love until one of them get sick and slowly dies have gone from best sellers to blockbusters. It is all his idea that Anna get sent to boarding school in Paris a place she defiantly does not want to be. Everything changes as Anna makes friends and mets the irresistible Etienne St. Clair. How ever St. Clair is taken, and Anna still feels attached to the what could have beens/and what could be’s waiting for her at home. As Annas year in Paris unfolds the challenges and changes that life throws our way Anna realizes the person she is and the one she wants to grow in to. This was the second book I have read on the recommendation of John Green who claimed it was like him and Maureen Johnson had a french baby it would be this book. Since I enjoy the honesty of both of these authors and the romance and sweet quirkiness of characters found in Johnsons books I was exited to give this book a try. Anna right from the beginning of this story is a fantastic person though which to experience the story. Not being physically and temperamentally perfect makes her much more relatable and truly likable. She is like a real person in a way that I can not get enough of in good fiction. She also has something not enough fiction heroins have, more then two friends. Anna has a group of friends that read just like everyone I knows high school experience, she is closer with some and there are fights and relationships and no matter what at the end of the day there is a group. When it gets to the male protagonist/love interest Etienne St. Clair however he again reads like the perfect teenage boy romantic candidate. At least at first, just like The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, we pull out the english accent to make every one swoon. He is also the boy in school that every one likes, I literally rolled my eyes at his first introduction. As the story unfolds however St. Clair actually did become a character that I did like, even if I didn’t want to date him. I truly and completely loved this story. It is one of those stories where it would be hard to really point out big life changing events but at the same time every moment is important. It reads like real life, relationships aren’t built over night, not all questions are tied up with neat bows and mistakes are made. I positively consumed this book the pacing was perfect and as far as first novels go I don’t believe I have read one better.It has recently come to my attention that Lola and the Boy Next Door Stephanie Perkins in a small way continues the story of Anna and St. Clair and while it was already on my shelf of checked out library books it just may have pushed its way to the top of the list. I would highly recommend this book to any fans of Maureen Johnson, or fans of romantic young adult fiction in general.

A fun angsty romance set at a Paris boarding school for Americans. Anna is sent there for her senior year. She instantly falls into a pack of friends which includes Etienne St. Clair, a charming handsome guy who has a girlfriend. Anna is an aspiring film critic who is still dealing with her parent's split. St. Clair has family issues of his own. The two become fast friends and when they are the only ones left in the dorm for the Thanksgiving break, their relationship becomes more complicated. A fun romance full of self-discovery.