Author Stephanie Perkins
Publication: December 2nd, 2010
Source: Local Library
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary (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. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
My Thoughts
I can't believe that this novel was a debut, but besides being Stephanie Perkin's first book. It was also a nanowrimo novel meaning the first draft of this novel was written in 30 days. The only reason I picked up Anna and the French Kiss was to satisfy a reading challenge. I'm so glad I read this book because it has become one of my favorites of 2013. I always wanted to read this novel and often found it hard to put down when homework needed to be attended to.
The story starts with Anna, a teenager who is shipped off to paris to live in a boarding school for her senior year of high school. Anna doesn't want to go to Paris, but instead wants to continue going to high school in Atlanta with her friends. Everything changes when Anna meets beautiful, smart, and charming Etienne St. Clair.
If I could marry fictional characters I would seriously be married to St. Clair. He was hot in my mind and the whole novel I was rooting for him and Anna to get together. St. Clair was actually a very complex character. His actions sometimes were not justified and I was constantly questioning his actions. St. Clair went through some very hard times in this novel and I felt that his emotions were written in such a complex way that they felt very real.
Anna was also a great character. I really related to Anna because it was her first time being away from her family for a long period of time. I have also had to adjust to that this year with college. I think Anna is a very mature character and handled her challenges well. Anna also had to adjust to a different culture, which I think would be very difficult. I loved Anna's character and would love to read another novel with Anna as the main character. I found Anna to be highly relatable in the fact that she acted like a normal teenage girl would act when put in the situations she was put in.
The main focus of this novel was Anna and St. Clair's friendship, which went through many ups and downs throughout the novel that left it where the novel ended. Each interaction had me waiting to read more and wait until the next time they would talk. I was very intrigued by the whole situation.
Congratulations to Stephanie Perkins on a well crafted young adult novel. I loved every moment of this novel. I found every character to be a great addition. Meredith had to be my favorite besides Anna and St. Clair. I also thought that Stephanie Perkins did a great job with the setting being in Paris. I have never been to Paris, but her novel described in such a way that I felt like I was walking beneath the Paris lights. I highly recommend Anna and the French Kiss. It was way more than I ever expected it to be. I can't wait to read the companion novel Lola and the Boy Next Door.
My co-blogger just posted a review on this today as well! She loved it just as much and agreed about the romance :) I personally haven't read it but can not wait to.
ReplyDeleteAlise you need to get on reading this novel right now. It was amazing. Words can not describe how much I loved the novel.
DeleteI never knew Anna was a product of NaNoWriMo! That's super cool! Great review by the way
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