Anna and the French Kiss http://www.yabookscentral.com/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x285s/04/f8/9d/10075_6936382_1323823656.jpg

I don't even know where to start. This book was amazingly sweet and wonderful. First of all it takes place in Paris which is a city I have been dying to see and after reading this book I want to go there even more. I loved the descriptions of the city.

I loved all the characters in this book. St Clair is just dreamy, sweet and romantic with a sexy BRITISH accent!! What's not to like? Anna is a little insecure and is upset with her father about having to leave her friends at home to attend a boarding school in Paris.

I would trade places with Anna in a heartbeat. I could not put this book down I just had to find out what was going to happen next. Even though at times St Clair and Anna irritated the heck out of me!

If you have not read this one yet pick up and get started you will not be disappointed!

Review originally posted at my blog: http://www.ramblingsofabooknerd.com/2013/02/review-anna-and-french-kiss-by.html

I really love Stephanies two books. She write amazing yet unique stories and wonderful characters.

When i began to read Anna and the french kiss, i thought it would be lame and borring. But i was SO wrong!

Anna and the French Kiss has been hyped beyond belief in the book blogging community. Sometimes hype turns out to be really right, and sometimes it ends up letting me down. Either way, I knew I had to buy Anna and the French Kiss the day it came out. There was no way I could not.

And luckily – Anna and the French Kiss more than impressed me. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was my favourite book of 2010. Really. I really, truly mean that. There was such an awesome combination of various elements in Anna and the French Kiss that really worked and made it what it was. Separately, I don’t know that I would have liked it as much, but the way everything in the story came together rocked.

I am a sucker for boarding schools. And books that take place in foreign countries. And books that deal with issues other than just getting the guy. Anna and the French Kiss had several other issues – friend problems, parent problems, etc. I’m also a fan of sexy guys. And you know what? Not only was the love interest in this book totally sexy, he was British. Do you guys see how all these elements are starting to add up?

And Anna? I loved her. And I love Stephanie Perkins. I AM SUCH A FILM GEEK. So add into the melting pot of awesome elements Anna’s film geekiness that rivaled my own. Seriously. I want her to be my best friend. Anna is my version of Anna and Jen’s Jessica Darling.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Etienne St. Clair. I have no other words. Isn’t his name enough?

What really, really gets me about Anna and the French Kiss, though, is that Stephanie Perkins is a debut author. And she is phenomenal. Her characters, her story – her writing. She is phenomenal. Here, see for yourself -

If this were vacation, I’m sure I’d be charmed. I’d buy an Eiffel Tower key chain, take pictures of the cobblestones, and order a platter of escargot. But I’m not on vacation. I am here to live, and I feel small. – Anna and the French Kiss, page 19

I just don’t know what else to say about Anna and the French Kiss. It is SO FREAKING GOOD. Stephanie Perkins has another book coming out, Lola and the Boy Next Door (2011), and recently announced the sale of her third book, Isla and the Happily Ever After (2013). Both are companion novels to Anna and I am so freaking ecstatic. Stephanie Perkins has wormed her way up my “will read anything by” list and I am so pleased she did!

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2010/12/anna-and-the-french-kiss-by-stephanie-perkins/

I really love Stephanie Perkins. She knows just how to write amazing contemporary love stories that will leave you smiling.

Anna and the French Kiss is stunning--a poignant portrayal of the pains and triumphs true love must conquer.

I love the setting of this novel--Paris! And even though I have never been there, when I closed my eyes, I felt like I was there! I could hear the people walking around me chatting, taste the buttery croissants, and feel the cool air rushing off the river. Perkins knows exactly how to set up a scene, and I fell straight into her world.

I loved Anna and Etienne. Their friendship was sweet and innocent, and it broke my heart about their circumstances. But that didn't keep me from falling for the humorous with a touch of bad Etienne. While I still like Cricket (from Lola) better, Etienne is definitely on my list of great YA book boyfriends!

A brilliant and fun read, I recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet romance that won't leave you in tears.

Reasons I wasn't sure if this book would appeal to me:

1) It sounds like a cheating book. I hate cheating books.

2) It takes place in Paris. I don't like Paris. I know, I'm weird, but when I visited Paris, I just didn't like it. For whatever reason. I don't know. I just don't like it.

3) The summary uses the phrase "swoon-worthy," which makes me cringe.

HOWEVER.

None of my problems with this book turned out to actually be problems with this book. Which was a pleasant surprise.

I loved Anna. First off, Anna also kind of hates Paris, and thus I felt a kinship with her. She also is socially awkward and goes to painstaking and impractical lengths to keep from coming in contact with other humans, and I was like, YES. I can relate to this!

And then I also liked her friends. So often in books, I wind up liking the protagonist and then hating their friends, and then wondering why they're friends in the first place. Not so in this book. They had a natural friend dynamic, where every member of the group had a distinct personality and role to play, and you could see why they would all have gravitated toward each other.

Of course, the majority of the plot circles around her relationship with Etienne St. Clair, and her struggle to determine how she feels when she knows he has a girlfriend and she has a maybe-something-or-other back in Atlanta. I was prepared for this to be extremely irritating, either because their friendship wouldn't feel like a real friendship, or because one of them was going to cheat. And I just can't root for cheaters. Period.

But. It wasn't irritating. Or at least, not irritating in a way that kept me from enjoying the book. I was irritated alongside Anna. She berated herself for looking for hidden meaning in his actions, and I could completely sympathize. And while there were a few times I just wanted to throttle St. Clair (who, while not a cheater, was a monumentally crappy boyfriend on several occasions), he never crossed that point-of-no-return line where I simply would not be able to hold out hope for him and Anna anymore, because I'd be too busy thinking he was scum.

I liked that their friendship was real. They were comfortable, their personalities were complementary, and they just worked well together. One of my favorite chapters was their back-and-forth holiday email exchanges, which is normally one of my least favorite book gimmicks. But their banter seemed natural and easy, and I enjoyed it.

Anyway. I could keep talking about this book and how much fun it was and how I loved Anna's snarky yet awkwardly endearing inner monologue and how happy it made me to read about friendships that felt real and a friendship-turned-romance that didn't feel forced. Or I could stop talking and you could just go read it. Which you should.

I simply adored this from the very first words of the book to the very last-- and yes, I'm including her acknowledgements in this.(Said last note of acknowledgement: "I am deeply in love with you. Thank you for being you, because you are my favorite." Gah, so sweet!) This book held so many spectacular moments, & I felt transported to a place I've never been (although I have longed to go to Paris, who wouldn't?), yet by the end, it felt absolutely familiar. Anna's character was completely adorable, and I fell in love with the voice that Stephanie gave her. So much of her lingo was mine; maybe we were separated a birth-- supposing it were a fictional birth because of course she isn't real. She has a slight flare for dramatics, but it endeared me to her so much.

Then, there's Étienne St. Clair. *girly sigh* Honestly, where can I find one of him for my own? I became one of *those* girls. You know, the ones that make goo-goo eyes, sighs dreamily at everything he says, laughs at every jokes he makes, & desperately searches for any way possible to relate to anything he stands for... Ugh, gag me. He's too incredible for an adequate description; words truly fail me. I'll just say this: a French boy that was born in America and grew up in London, how can you possibly go wrong with that? (Someone, quick, bottle up his brand and sell it!) In all seriousness, though, I was smitten with him from his and Anna's very first interaction.

I'm trying to remember if there was much in the way of plot, and I can't recall any-- probably because I was too busy being a *girl* and swooning over St. Clair to see through the fog-- but don't let that deter you from reading it. It's a super-quick and enjoyable read meant for days that you just need to giggle and act like a girl in love.

I'll admit that I have a wall up when it comes to books that revolve around romance. Too often I find that the relationship is the book is wholly unbelievable and it hampers my appreciation of the story. However sometimes I find a book that completely changes my mind, and makes me question my stance. Anna and the French Kiss was one of the few romantic books I've read that drew me in and stole my heart. That alone earns it my seal of approval.

Anna was initially a bit difficult for me to relate to, since she seemed to be so set on being bitter about her situation. I understood where she was coming from, but I really wanted to see her realization that she had been given a completely amazing opportunity! Once that happened, I saw the real Anna underneath and I fell in love with her. A sweet girl, Anna's open minded thought process and introspective personality really spoke to me. I think I saw a little bit of myself in her.

St. Clair is the type of swoon-worthy guy that many will fall in love with. His British side shines off the page, and his overall goofiness is a sweet addition to some otherwise awkward situations he seems to get himself into. My favorite part about St. Clair's character was his ability to see things in such a positive light. Even when he made a poor decision, which then in a true to life manner was blown out of proportion by Anna, he was able to look at the problem with positivity. He is the type of friend everyone wishes they had, always willing to talk things out before jumping to conclusions.

What really struck me most about this story, besides the gorgeous Paris setting, was the relatively small cast of characters presented. The story revolves around Anna and St. Clair mostly, with St. Clair's three original friends supporting. As a person who reads a lot of fantasy books, with huge amounts of characters, this was a refreshing change for me. The small cast allowed the characters to come to life and the reader to really get to know them. Stephanie Perkin's writing created a feeling of belonging. I felt as though I was a part of Anna's group from the moment they were introduced. It's a nice feeling to have while reading.

As I'm sure you can tell, I absolutely adored this book! In terms of a romance, it was perfection for me. The delicious tension between Anna and St. Clair, the beautiful setting, the sweet storyline, it all melded together into a stunning debut for Stephanie Perkins! I'm in love.

What can I say about this book aside from the fact that I LOVE IT.

I started reading the book because I felt like I had been under a rock, having not already read it. They hype over the book is well deserved. Anna Oliphant is a brilliant character. Shes one of the most realistic female leads I've read in a long time. The relationship between her and her male love interest is one to die for. Not only is he dreamy and foreign, but he's a great friend to her and they're both great together. I was a bit unsure about this novel in the first couple of chapters, but just as Anna slowly falls in love with her love interest, I fell in love with this book. It was both sickeningly sweet and heart breaking.

St. Clair has ruined my chance of finding a boy who will fit my standards. (A French-American guy with an English accent? To DIE for.)

LOVE IT!

This book in one word? Fantastique! Seriously, I loved everything about this book. The characters were great, the setting was great, the writing was great. I'm could just go on and on about this book. Why have I not read it before now?!?

First off, I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Anna had such a great voice. I thought I'd read books with believable high school girls, but she totally blows everyone else right off the page. Her thoughts were the kind almost everyone can relate to. Especially the inner SCREAMING in capital letters. Of course, I want to hit her on the head and tell her she was a dummy sometimes, but I'm sure others would have been doing the same to me had they been following me around and listening to my every thought. Everyone else was great too. So great, in fact, I wanted them to be my friends instead of Anna's sometimes. And, of course, who could forget St. Clair? Personally, I prefer his first name, but I shall not delve into French on the keyboard. He's totally droolworthy, but not just in the looks department. He's funny and just naturally charming. And amazing. Enough about Euro boy though.

How could someone not love a book set in Paris? All of the descriptions whether it be about the weather or Notre Dame were great. I also loved the little peppering of French words throughout the story. It really helped in making me feel like I was actually in Paris. Plus, the whole French thing adds to the hilarity of Anna's situation (I love when she orders lunch for herself the first time!). And speaking of food: the descriptions alone made me want to shove some things in a bag and board a plane for the City of Light immediately.

I absolutely loved the relationship drama in Anna and the French Kiss. It was a totally new take on the high school boy-meets-girl scenario for me. It was much more emotional and engrossing than I ever could have possibly imagined. I hurt for Anna when she hurt and was pulling out my hair right along with her in frustration.

Final thoughts: This book was amazing. You absolutely must read it. I was cracking up all over the place and loving every minute. This book is a great escape that takes you not only to the City of Light, but captures your heart in the process.

I must say, Stephanie Perkins has seriously outdone herself here. This book was absolutely amazing. I'm not one to read a teen romance without any magic involved. I picked up this book because of all the rave it was receiving from fellow YA bloggers. After getting into the first few chapters, I set the book aside saying "Why do people even write this crap?". But, that was when I thought this would be you're average 'girl-loves-boy', 'boy-likes-girl', 'boy-breaks-girls-heart' story. After really getting into it, I realized it was that plus so much more. I found I couldn't put the book down! I laughed at Anna's experiences, I cried at her heartache. Along with the romance, I actually felt like I was in Paris! Perkins packed in so many facts about the city along with some French language. After reading this, I felt like I could have an easy conversation in French. This book was excellently written and left me wanting more of Etienne St. Clair. Ohh-la-laa!

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 Kiss did 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 Jenkins 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.

I enjoyed laughing with this book. I enjoy laughing with any book really but this one had a different air of humor. I loved the characters especially Anna. St. Claire irritates me a lot...well I might be exaggerating. But he irritated me enough. It actually had REAL teenagers in here, unlike other books. These characters all had different flaws, and were all confused. I really enjoyed reading this

Anna and the French Kiss is what I call a truly magical book. This book captured the true feeling of being in love and all the troubles that come with it. This book has a sparkling plot with glowing characters that I just fell in love with. This book makes me want to sing, cry, laugh and scream, its so beautiful.

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true.

This book made my heart melt from when I read the very first page. I loved this so much and its one of my most favorite young adult books so far. I wanted to be Anna half the time, with that beautiful English/American boy. All the characters had so much more than some books that I have read. They all had their own personalities instead of being just names that had no feeling.

In this book was set in the eyes of Anna herself, so there was a lot more insight into her life, emotions and reasons. When reading this book I actually felt everything Anna was feeling, the good parts, the bad parts and everything in between. I could understand her actions quite but sometimes I was clueless. Unexpected parts made me think and react differently to the characters but after I could understand them.

My favorite character was definitely Etienne St. Clair. All his quirks and his description made me fall in love with him. I loved how Stephanie Perkin made him English, I thought that was pretty funny. This was one of the books that me want to be in a character's boots. His character felt real, unlike some other books. He isn't perfect but everything he does has a hidden meaning behind it, which doesn't happen often. Sometimes people do things for the sake of it. His relationship with Anna is beautiful and purely real, not because of her beauty or his looks, real love.

The idea of this book set in Paris is brilliant. What place is better for romance than Paris? The troubles and fights between the characters is real as all friends fight. The plot was vibrant and stunning. I loved this so much. I may read Lola and the Boy Next Door, I hope its as amazing as this one. This great a book is super rare and don't miss this amazing opportunity.

There are some books that make you cry. There are some books that make you laugh. Then there are those that make you laugh so hard that you cry. Anna and the French Kiss falls under the last category. I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary. It was all I really read in High School and Middle School. It's like eating too much cheesecake. You love cheesecake, but since it's the only dessert you ever ate for four years you start to get a little sick of it. Then by the time you reach college the very sight of cheesecake makes you want to gag.


Okay, so the cheesecake metaphor isn't a true story...but you get my gist, right?
I have been dodging contemporary for some time now, but am I glad that I finally dove back in with Stephanie Perkin's novel! It was funny and it felt REAL! All the awkward moments made me feel so bad for Anna and I too felt that awkwardness. It's also very rare (at least for me) to find a light read that has depth. This book had depth. The characters were three dimensional and had emotions and feelings. They weren't there just to throw out some quips. In short, they weren't caricatures...and sometimes I feel like many YA characters become just that.


So yeah, I loved it. I adored it. I want to go to Paris and fall magically in love with an English man. If only. I'm actually from Atlanta, GA...which made it that much more entertaining since Anna is from Atlanta. There is a line about how everyone from GA goes to Panama City Beach...well this is soooo true! I have been to PCB (yes we abbreviate it) or around PCB every year for every Spring Break along with the rest of the state.


Lastly, don't think I forgot...Etienne St. Clair. Who has now taken the position as one of my all time favorite guys in YA. He's English, he's hot, and he's not perfect. Yeah, that last line may be weird...but I adore guys who aren't perfect in books. Because let's face it - that guy DOES NOT exist. Etienne isn't perfect, which makes him more real and give his character more depth. His relationship with Anna is really natural and definitely not insta-love, which is a plus. I swoon. He's the best almost-perfect guy you could get.


I have Lola and the Boy Next Door on my shelf, so I'll be reading that soon. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a good laugh, loves Paris, and who has a soft spot for accents. If you're hesitant to read contemporary like I was, this book may be the best pick-me-up for the genre! Be brave and take a chance! I know I did, and it sure as hell paid off !