Thursday, April 4, 2013

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

TITLE: Anna and the French Kiss
AUTHOR: Stephanie Perkins
PUBLISHER/YEAR: Dutton / 2010
SOURCE: Purchased

Goodreads / Author's Website

Okay, I really need to start immediately picking up the books that get rave reviews from all you guys. I waited so long to read Anna and the French Kiss and I have no idea why! I mean, the only reason I picked it up was because I forgot all my books for the bus, stopped into a Chapters and they didn't have any of the books from my read next list. But I am so so so glad I finally gave this one a shot; in fact, I'm so glad I can't remember what was stopping me from doing it earlier.

So Anna and the French Kiss starts when Anna Oliphant moves into the dorms at the American School in Paris. Her dad is a Nicholas Sparks style writer who wants her to gain some culture in her senior year. Of course, she's happy in Atlanta and doesn't want to leave her friends and family, but she meets some pretty interesting people and makes some great, new friends including Étienne St. Clair, the handsome British-American best friend who also happens to be taken.

I absolutely loved this book you guys. Like I wanted to reread it as soon as I finished it kind of love. It's been like a week since I finished it and I'm still in total fangirl mode, that combined with my lack of sleep after having moved is going to make for one um..interesting.. review. So let's start with Anna. I kind of loved her as the protagonist. The whole story is told through first person perspective which isn't something I normally love or point out, but it just worked so well with this one. I think Perkins did a great job creating a believable teenager. She's in like a constant state of angst over St. Clair, but that's okay because well it's just so cute and funny and authentic. And she gets overly emotional, and seems blind to a few things, but it all just works so well!

The romance too is just so CUTE. It's the kind of romance that makes me smile to myself as I'm reading it. It's not love at first sight. Anna's definitely infatuated at first sight but her feelings change and grow as she gets to know him which is exactly what I love seeing in this kind of book. Not only that, but so many romantic clichés are done away with. The romantic lead isn't some sort of save the world hero kind, he's not even so they say he's in high school but is just crazy mature kind. He's definitely a teenage boy. He doesn't always deal well and makes a ton of mistakes. I loved that! Both St. Clair and Anna act their age (the good and the bad) and you're rooting for them the whole time.

I really don't think I can talk about Anna and the French Kiss without talking about Paris. I loved reading about the culture and sights. I've always wanted to go and never have been able to. But this book just kind of reignited my love for the city (or at least the fictionalized version of it). It's instilled me with such wanderlust I can barely take it.

So if you want to read about an absolutely adorable romance and Paris just pick this one up if you haven't already. I've already recommended it to people; I've literally created a waiting list for my copy.

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