Book Review : Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published : December 2, 2010

Publisher : Dutton

Pages : 372

Genres : Contemporary, Chick lit, Romance

Blurb 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?

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                                                              Review Time!

Alright, the summary. Yea. I know. It makes it sound like it's just a regular teen romance novel.  But, I guarantee you, this novel is not just a regular YA novel, it is an amazing novel. The way Stephanie Perkins wrote this novel is incredible. The story plot was very easy to believe. Even their relationship was believable. I couldn't relate to the characters, but that's because I've never been in their situation before.

I love the way it's written! When I started this novel, right when we met St.Clair, I liked him immediately, especially because he has a British accent. I like how Stephanie had written it so that St.Clair says the words "me mum" and "shite" throughout the whole novel. It makes it more realistic because it's keeping true that St.Clair is British and that it is appropriate for him to use those words. 

Anna is the main protagonist. The story is centered on her relationship with St.Clair. However, there are other characters too, Rashmi, Josh, Meredith, Amanda, Toph and many more. They're supporting characters, but I like how Stephanie Perkins makes it so that they're not just in the background, but they're mainly part of the story too. They're just needed in the story. Period. 

Truth be told, I liked Anna as the main character. She was a very well written character. She could be annoying at times, but seriously, everyone is annoying at a lot of points in their life. So, that made it more interesting and realistic. Although, I think she could've handled some problems better, but heck(whatever), her life was in chaos. THE NEXT SENTENCE IS A SPOILER.Her friends abandoned her sometime in the book or maybe they betrayed her(I'll leave it a mystery, so you'll have to read the book to know), and St.Clair has a girlfriend and she keeps stressing out why he's not breaking up with her.

St.Clair is awesome! I love him. Yea..too bad he isn't real. Omgosh. Did that surprise you? I'm sorry, let me repeat : St.Clair isn't real. He's never existed in reality, except inside your mind. I mean, Stephanie's writing is so realistic that you thought he was real. Right?! Right. His relationship with her was very enjoyable to read. They got into arguments, they did some irresponsible things, but it's easy to connect to with real life, where anyone could simply do what they did. I just can't get over how Stephanie wrote this book! It's fascinating to read, and every time I have to set the book down, the only thing on my mind would be this book. Heck, it would take me an hour to fall asleep!

 

I love this book so much! It is officially on my favorites list! This book just makes me jump with joy with hearts in the air! Now, I need to read Lola and the Boy Next Door!

For those who read the book, I have a game for you. Near the end of the book(page 344), Anna writes the most difficult letter she's ever written to Bridge. The game is to make up what you think Anna wrote in her letter to Bridgette!(Write it in the comments). 

Quotes :

I whirl around. "What's your problem? So you can keep dating Ellie, but I can't even talk to Dave?"

"What I meant was," he says, flustered. "Your feelings haven't changed? Since you've been here?" 

Click 'read more' for an excerpt of this book!
Anna and the French Kiss

Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie 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 named 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. The art museum is called Louvre and it's shaped like a pyramid and the Mona Lisa lives there along with that statue of the woman missing her arms. And there are cafes or bistros or whatever they call them on every street corner. And mimes. The food is supposed to be good, and the people drink a lot of wine and smoke a lot of cigarettes.
     I've heard they don't like Americans, and they don't like white sneakers.
     A few months ago, my father enrolled me in boarding school. His air quotes practically crackled over the phone line as he declared living abroad to be a "good leaning experience" and a "keepsake I'd treasure forever." Yeah. Keepsake. And I would've pointed out his misuse of the word had I not already been freaking out.
     Since his announcement, I've tried yelling, begging, pleading, crying, but nothing has convinced him otherwise. And now I have a new student visa and a passport, each declaring me: Anna Oliphant, citizen of the United States of America. And now I'm here with my parents - unpacking my belongings in a room smaller than my suitcase - the newest senior at the School of America in Paris.