Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss

By: Stephanie Perkins

Published by: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: December 2, 2010

384 pages

I bought this book (because everyone said it was amazing =)

5 stars (It was =)


From Goodreads...

Anna is 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. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

What a sweet little breath of fresh air this was! No paranormal activity, no curses, no slaying to be done (not that I don't love that stuff.) Just a lovely tale of romance in the most romantic city in the world. Man, I am dying to go to Paris now =) Anna, for me at least, was such a true to life teen. I was one once (yes, I can remember that far back) and I happen to own one (she would KILL me for saying that lol) so I have a pretty good idea what they are like, and this book gets it right. It actually brought back memories of my first crushes and that whole questioning phase...does he like me? Did he mean to brush his hand against mine? WILL HE EVER KISS ME???

The pacing of the book was spot on. Anna and Etienne get to know each other and they are friends so you believe in the emotion. Love that. Vital part of romance that a lot of authors seem to forget in favor of getting to the so-called good parts if you know what I mean. I like the build-up and anticipation. It makes you more invested in the characters and caring whether or not they end up together.

There were some great laugh out loud moments. I am convinced Anna's father was Nicholas Sparks...did you feel that way too lol?? Oh, and there was a great scene where Anna said something that could be SO misinterpreted and was inwardly horrified. We've all done that, no? Said something innocently that ends up sounding so wrong! I must also commend the character for her love of Nutella. The girl has got taste =)

Besides the charming romance and the beautiful setting, Anna was also faced with some opportunities to learn a lot about herself and others, so it was great to see her grow as a person. I think that's another thing that sometimes gets ignored...when a character goes through a life changing event you expect them to learn something from it and be a little wiser than they were when you first met them. Perkins pulls this off beautifully and it made for a very rewarding experience to witness Anna come to the realizations she did.

If you are looking for a sweet romance with a cast of likable characters, look no further, this is the book for you. Prepare to be swept away...ooh la la!!

(Typed on a borrowed computer...the blog must go on!!!)