Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Per
Genres
Collection
Publication
Speak (2011), Edition: 44882nd, 400 pages
Description
When Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of the fact that they both want something more.
Original publication date
2010-12-02
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member poetrytoprose
Honestly, this book makes me want to do some keysmashing with an abundance of exclamation points attached at the end. Let's get it out of the way: ASKDJAKLSDJAKSJDKAS!KSDJDASKDJSAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No one is more surprised about my love for this novel than I am. Maybe it's just the
Here's the thing: this could have easily been cheesy, corny, and awful. Instead, I found it absolutely charming and delightful. I've never been to Paris, but it was so easy to experience it along with Anna for the first time. The descriptions were so detailed that it was impossible not to fall in love with the city just from the book. Now I just need to get myself there in person. ;)
ANNA ANNA ANNA. She was damn cool. It was easy to relate to her in many ways and even if she did something that I wouldn't do, it was believable. So many protagonists feel so forced with their traits and quirks, but everything about Anna felt realistic. I loved that she had her own film review website and that it wasn't just a passing mention -- we actually saw her take interest in film.
Of course I can't review this without talking about Étienne St. Clair. *insert swoon here* I loved all of the relationships in the book, but the one between him and Anna was obviously my favorite. It had such a natural progression, from their friendship to their growing feelings for each other. Their chemistry was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G: I held my breath through their Thanksgiving break together and their Christmas interactions had me grinning from ear to ear.
I've loved a lot of books this year, but it has definitely been some time since one left me smiling like an idiot. Although I did purchase it on my Kindle, I definitely plan to get a hard copy because how could I not? I want to share it with all my friends so they, too, can enjoy this wonderful story. Go out and get it!
No one is more surprised about my love for this novel than I am. Maybe it's just the
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books I've picked up, but so many of the YA contemporary novels I've read have absolutely bored me due to the lack of originality and ability to be realistic. The glowing reviews for this piqued my interest, but I remained wary. However, despite that and my growing to-read list, I found myself purchasing it - my very first buy for my Kindle! Within the first page or so, I took a liking to it, but I planned to stop reading after a few chapters to get some sleep. Imagine my surprise when I was still wide awake at 4AM, absorbing every word of Anna's story. Here's the thing: this could have easily been cheesy, corny, and awful. Instead, I found it absolutely charming and delightful. I've never been to Paris, but it was so easy to experience it along with Anna for the first time. The descriptions were so detailed that it was impossible not to fall in love with the city just from the book. Now I just need to get myself there in person. ;)
ANNA ANNA ANNA. She was damn cool. It was easy to relate to her in many ways and even if she did something that I wouldn't do, it was believable. So many protagonists feel so forced with their traits and quirks, but everything about Anna felt realistic. I loved that she had her own film review website and that it wasn't just a passing mention -- we actually saw her take interest in film.
Of course I can't review this without talking about Étienne St. Clair. *insert swoon here* I loved all of the relationships in the book, but the one between him and Anna was obviously my favorite. It had such a natural progression, from their friendship to their growing feelings for each other. Their chemistry was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G: I held my breath through their Thanksgiving break together and their Christmas interactions had me grinning from ear to ear.
I've loved a lot of books this year, but it has definitely been some time since one left me smiling like an idiot. Although I did purchase it on my Kindle, I definitely plan to get a hard copy because how could I not? I want to share it with all my friends so they, too, can enjoy this wonderful story. Go out and get it!
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LibraryThing member Krissy724
It’s very, very rare that a book can make me cry hysterically while at the same time making me feel like a million bucks! This novel is beautiful, amazing, real, funny, and wonderful. The list of adjectives describing the awesomeness of this book can go on forever! It’s that great! Honestly,
Anna and the French Kiss is about Anna, whose father forces her to go to an American boarding school in Paris because he thinks it will be an amazing learning experience for her. Anna is reluctant because she doesn’t want to leave her friends and little brother back home. On her first night alone in Paris, she meets her neighbor, Meredith, who introduces Anna to all of her friends, including the gorgeous, Étienne St. Clair, who everyone calls St. Clair. St. Clair is every girl’s fantasy-beautiful, sweet, smart and bi-lingual (he knows French and English). He’s also American, born in San Francisco, but raised in London, so he’s got that cute English accent that’s just swoon-worthy. St. Clair is a great guy and it really shows.
St. Clair has this horrible father that I just wanted to kill. His father bullies and controls his mom and him, and when his mother is dying of cancer-his jerk of a father won’t even let him visit her. It was very stressful and I was crying for St Clair.
All of the characters were well developed. Even thought the narrative was Anna, I had a good connection with all the supporting characters. St. Clair especially because as mature as he is, he is still afraid of his father and the things he could do to his mom and him and he had to learn to stand up for himself.
Anna and St. Clair have this wonderful connection and I loved watching them go from strangers to best friends. St. Clair had a girlfriend, which kept messing things up, and Anna had this sort-of, but not really boyfriend back home but I wasn’t going to give up on the two of them falling in love. Anna and the French Kiss is a beautifully written love story and Stephanie Perkins delivered! I was also pleased that it wasn’t a “love at first sight” story, it was a love that happened gradually, which is more realistic and hard to find in today’s YA books. This book is the ultimate love story, but it’s also so much more. It’s about growing up and finding yourself.
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the only problem with this book is that it ended! I love this book so much I even went up to some random girl at Barnes & Noble last night and told her to she has to read it because it’s the greatest book ever!Anna and the French Kiss is about Anna, whose father forces her to go to an American boarding school in Paris because he thinks it will be an amazing learning experience for her. Anna is reluctant because she doesn’t want to leave her friends and little brother back home. On her first night alone in Paris, she meets her neighbor, Meredith, who introduces Anna to all of her friends, including the gorgeous, Étienne St. Clair, who everyone calls St. Clair. St. Clair is every girl’s fantasy-beautiful, sweet, smart and bi-lingual (he knows French and English). He’s also American, born in San Francisco, but raised in London, so he’s got that cute English accent that’s just swoon-worthy. St. Clair is a great guy and it really shows.
St. Clair has this horrible father that I just wanted to kill. His father bullies and controls his mom and him, and when his mother is dying of cancer-his jerk of a father won’t even let him visit her. It was very stressful and I was crying for St Clair.
All of the characters were well developed. Even thought the narrative was Anna, I had a good connection with all the supporting characters. St. Clair especially because as mature as he is, he is still afraid of his father and the things he could do to his mom and him and he had to learn to stand up for himself.
Anna and St. Clair have this wonderful connection and I loved watching them go from strangers to best friends. St. Clair had a girlfriend, which kept messing things up, and Anna had this sort-of, but not really boyfriend back home but I wasn’t going to give up on the two of them falling in love. Anna and the French Kiss is a beautifully written love story and Stephanie Perkins delivered! I was also pleased that it wasn’t a “love at first sight” story, it was a love that happened gradually, which is more realistic and hard to find in today’s YA books. This book is the ultimate love story, but it’s also so much more. It’s about growing up and finding yourself.
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LibraryThing member sopolite
After hearing so many rave reviews about Anna and the French Kiss, I knew I had to read it. Though, with all the hype about this book I thought it was too good to be true. I mean how good could it possibly be? You want to know how good? Absolutely beyond amazing. I was very happy to find out that
Anna and the French Kiss is a story about friendship, love, heartbreak and making mistakes that’ll leave you wanting more. I found myself completely enthralled with every word. The humorous dialogue was something I just couldn’t get enough of. It had me giggling and wanting to cry right along with its characters. Perkins authentic ability to tell the story from a teenager’s perspective was phenomenal. I really felt that I connected with Anna. She’s funny, witty, eccentric and has her own quirks and awkward moments, but honestly, who doesn’t? I think that made her all the more believable than some façade of perfection. She’s a great, strong character that anyone can easily relate to.
Étienne St. Clair… *swooooooon* I need to point out the fact that he is American, British AND Parisian (Don’t get it? Go read the book ASAP to find out! ) and has beautiful hair. Who could resist that?! It’s totally a swoon-worthy combination. He’s endearing, sometimes vulnerable, sweet and compassionate and everything you could want in a cute boy. I loved all his Briticisms throughout the book!
One of my most favorite things about this novel is how effortlessly Anna and him became best friends above everything else. They have such a solid relationship and great chemistry. The romance between the two was gradually built up instead of a kind of “love at first sight” thing, which gave it a sense of realism. They took the time to really know each other first. I could literally feel the tension every time they brushed legs whilst sitting next to each other or glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. You always know you’ve found an author with a true talent for writing when you get butterflies while reading as if all these interactions are happening to you.
The setting is just to die for. I’ve never been to Paris or really had much of an interest in it – trust me, I do now – but Perkins is so stunningly detailed in her descriptions of the city that you feel like you are experiencing it right there alongside Anna. I truly enjoyed imagining the museums, theatres and restaurants – I think I need to go there just to taste the yummy sounding food! I most certainly wouldn’t mind being shipped off to boarding school in Paris, especially if I met someone like Étienne!
I’m glad Anna and the French Kiss lived up to my expectations and that it was so huge in the blog world or I probably would have gone forever without this fantastic book in my life. It’s charming, romantic, funny and just left me with a good feeling after reading it. Ms. Perkins’ writing style is unique and invigorating. I’m eager to see what epicness she has written about in the companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door, which comes out later this year.
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every single one of those reviews were 100 percent true!Anna and the French Kiss is a story about friendship, love, heartbreak and making mistakes that’ll leave you wanting more. I found myself completely enthralled with every word. The humorous dialogue was something I just couldn’t get enough of. It had me giggling and wanting to cry right along with its characters. Perkins authentic ability to tell the story from a teenager’s perspective was phenomenal. I really felt that I connected with Anna. She’s funny, witty, eccentric and has her own quirks and awkward moments, but honestly, who doesn’t? I think that made her all the more believable than some façade of perfection. She’s a great, strong character that anyone can easily relate to.
Étienne St. Clair… *swooooooon* I need to point out the fact that he is American, British AND Parisian (Don’t get it? Go read the book ASAP to find out! ) and has beautiful hair. Who could resist that?! It’s totally a swoon-worthy combination. He’s endearing, sometimes vulnerable, sweet and compassionate and everything you could want in a cute boy. I loved all his Briticisms throughout the book!
One of my most favorite things about this novel is how effortlessly Anna and him became best friends above everything else. They have such a solid relationship and great chemistry. The romance between the two was gradually built up instead of a kind of “love at first sight” thing, which gave it a sense of realism. They took the time to really know each other first. I could literally feel the tension every time they brushed legs whilst sitting next to each other or glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. You always know you’ve found an author with a true talent for writing when you get butterflies while reading as if all these interactions are happening to you.
The setting is just to die for. I’ve never been to Paris or really had much of an interest in it – trust me, I do now – but Perkins is so stunningly detailed in her descriptions of the city that you feel like you are experiencing it right there alongside Anna. I truly enjoyed imagining the museums, theatres and restaurants – I think I need to go there just to taste the yummy sounding food! I most certainly wouldn’t mind being shipped off to boarding school in Paris, especially if I met someone like Étienne!
I’m glad Anna and the French Kiss lived up to my expectations and that it was so huge in the blog world or I probably would have gone forever without this fantastic book in my life. It’s charming, romantic, funny and just left me with a good feeling after reading it. Ms. Perkins’ writing style is unique and invigorating. I’m eager to see what epicness she has written about in the companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door, which comes out later this year.
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LibraryThing member gubry
I was a bit reluctant to read this one, mainly because even though I like reading Sarah Dessen and what not, I'm not always that into reading those type of novels. I did plan to, however, read it, but not soon as expected. But once my friend sent me it, I knew I'd read it. Because all that praise
So obviously that meant I liked this one. I liked it a lot. And even though I'm not much of a reader of chick lit (despite the title and cover, Anna and the French Kiss is not all chick-lit material), it always seems to make me feel giddy. And this book received much giddiness from me. The book's writing itself is clever, witty, and well-written. I won't lie, because in some ways, the plot is kind of cliche in a way. But it's done well in this novel.
Anna is easily, a kind of protagonist that one can relate to. But that doesn't mean they have flaws as well. Even the (swoon-worthy?) St. Clair and sometimes, you'd get annoyed at some of the things Anna does in the novel. But that's what makes you enjoy these cast of characters and feel like you know them. The vivid descriptions of Paris makes it more than a setting, really. Kind of like another character. And don't get me started with the food descriptions. Because they're just going to make you hungry.
I'm really looking forward to Lola & The Boy Next Door, not to mention Isla & The Happily Ever After as well because I didn't want to leave this novel as I was closing to the end.
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this novel got made me want to read it. And let me tell you something: that praise is true. Which you've already heard of, I've bet.So obviously that meant I liked this one. I liked it a lot. And even though I'm not much of a reader of chick lit (despite the title and cover, Anna and the French Kiss is not all chick-lit material), it always seems to make me feel giddy. And this book received much giddiness from me. The book's writing itself is clever, witty, and well-written. I won't lie, because in some ways, the plot is kind of cliche in a way. But it's done well in this novel.
Anna is easily, a kind of protagonist that one can relate to. But that doesn't mean they have flaws as well. Even the (swoon-worthy?) St. Clair and sometimes, you'd get annoyed at some of the things Anna does in the novel. But that's what makes you enjoy these cast of characters and feel like you know them. The vivid descriptions of Paris makes it more than a setting, really. Kind of like another character. And don't get me started with the food descriptions. Because they're just going to make you hungry.
I'm really looking forward to Lola & The Boy Next Door, not to mention Isla & The Happily Ever After as well because I didn't want to leave this novel as I was closing to the end.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Before I launch into what will be, for this book, a fairly negative review, I want to get some things straight. First, I don’t think Anna and the French Kiss is a bad book; in fact, I think it’s good, but in some ways not good
Perkins most definitely has the makings of a contemporary author who will write books that I personally will love. Even though this hasn’t been an entirely positive experience for me, I will undoubtedly be reading the rest of her books. She has great snappy dialogue and tons of pop culture references, both things that are total Christina bait. Plus, I totally adore the setting at SOAP (School of America Paris) with it’s dorm rooms that are small and awful to Anna but absurdly amazing as dorm rooms go. It’s great too because most boarding school books end up being so depressing and full of intense melodrama, but Anna and the French Kiss is free of that.
The familial relationships and friendships in Anna and the French Kiss were largely great too. Anna’s father, James Ashley, an obvious reference to Nicholas Sparks, amused me no end. He forced her to go to Paris, so he can feel cultured. Initially, she’s very anti-Paris and doing the poor me having to go to France thing, but it’s really that her agency was taken away and not that Paris is awful. Plus, Anna’s very afraid of being rude or doing something wrong, which is something I can relate to in her fear of venturing out in France not knowing the language.
I like the way that Anna’s new friends draw her out of her shell. She could, had she not found good friends, have ended up like Cath, shut up in her dorm room for much or all of her year at SOAP. Instead, she discovers resources within herself she never knew she had and ends up having an amazing experience.[Aside: St. Clair takes her out for panini and she's amazed at this rare and unusual sandwich, but this book came out in 2010 and Panera is everywhere. There are all kinds of sandwich places in Atlanta that serve paninis. It's possible, but seriously?] I think the whole crew of friends is interesting, though I would have liked to get to know Josh, Rashmi and Mer a bit better. I think Rashmi ends up getting the best development and their relationship helps Anna reevaluate a lot of how she perceives others.
The problem is, though, that, in a romance, you’re pretty much sunk if you don’t ship the ship. Thankfully, I don’t quite unship the ship. For a while, I was walking up to board. I had my ticket purchased and my bags packed, ready to depart. Unfortunately, I got about three steps onboard, realized I didn’t like where it was headed and ran back off. This metaphor may have gotten out of my control a bit.
What you need to understand about me is that I tend to have a very black and white sense of justice. I’m a bit like Darcy: “my good opinion once lost is lost forever.” Actually, like him, that’s not entirely true, but it is difficult to convince me to change my mind. My problems lie almost entirely with the character of St. Clair. I’ve tried to forgive him because he’s young and stupid, which is true, and because it’s believable, but I can’t. The last two chapters completely sealed me not wanting these characters to get together or at least not feeling happy that they are together.
Anna and the French Kiss takes place over the course of almost a complete school year. During almost that entire time, St. Clair has a girlfriend called Ellie, who’s off at uni nearby. He spends the whole year alternately ignoring all of his friends and hanging out with Ellie or ignoring Ellie and hanging out with his friends, which also includes flirting with Anna. The flirting initially is mild, just some casual but intentional leg brushes, which is okay I guess. What bothered me from the start was the way that St. Clair would flip flop from friends to girlfriend, blowing off one then the other, like he can’t be a good boyfriend and a good friend at one time; it’s or the other. When he’s actually there, he’s great and so is the banter, but he’s not dependable.
I’d be warned about the cheating thing and, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected in some ways. If the reactions to it had been different, I actually wouldn’t have been bothered so much by this particular scenario. Of course, it’s all gray areas with what counts as actually cheating and blah blah blah, but using the most common definition, St. Clair doesn’t behave too badly. View Spoiler » That I could live with if St. Clair was really incredibly apologetic, which he sort of was but also wasn’t. I’ll move into spoiler tags now for safety.
St. Clair makes so many excuses, which okay he doesn’t want to be alone because his mother is dying, but he also has tons of good friends and doesn’t really like his girlfriend. Why the f*ck is he still with Ellie when he’s liked Anna since the very first day he met her? He’s been wishing on that f*ck*ng zero point in Paris for her to want him ALL YEAR. He tells her, once they’re together, that he’s never felt this way about anyone. And yet, the amount that he cares for Anna still isn’t enough to make St. Clair risk having to be single. We’re meant to forgive him for sticking with the girlfriend because she’s vaguely horrible in her couple of scenes, an easy target. Plus, he didn’t have sex with Ellie again after the admittedly incredibly adorable Christmas email exchange. Let’s ignore the fact that a couple that was having regular sex just stops for months and neither of them will F*CK*NG END IT.
St. Clair, despite having a girlfriend, is jealous any time a guy pays attention to Anna. He shames her for kissing someone else, when she has made no promises to anyone. Once everything comes out, he accuses her of being part of the problem because she lied and pretended he hadn’t confessed feelings for her back in November when St. Clair was drunk off his ass. Yup, clearly Anna’s fault that you kept dating a girl you didn’t like anymore. He basically says it’s all also her fault because she wasn’t willing to speak up about her feelings, which is so incredibly unfair and dickish that I cannot even with this guy. And, yeah, they’re young and stupid but there’s nothing in the book to say that this isn’t cool. Anna believes everything he says and takes a share of the blame. Yes, she sometimes pushed him away, but ONLY BECAUSE HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Pretty sure she would have eventually said or done something had he been single that whole time. It’s not her job to watch out for his relationship, but she did a better job of that than he did.
Then, once they resolve everything and get together, they’re so damn cheesy and insufferable, which I can’t handle with how un-sorry St. Clair is. He gets everything he wanted and that whole situation worked out fabulously for him. He decides to go to California for her (365), not for his mother or to obtain freedom from his father. They’re not even dating yet! I mean, I know they were best friends most of the year, but he obviously was planning this before he’d broken up with his girlfriend, because of when college applications have to be in. Then the last three lines: “For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And we’re finally home.”
I cannot. I can’t. The ability to can has been suspended. This about a guy who claims to have loved her basically all year but who kept dating another girl for pretty much all of that year. I wouldn’t build my home on that sort of a foundation, but best of luck to you Anna.
So yeah, that didn’t really turn out like anybody hoped. There are lots of good things about it, but I also have many non-happy feelings about one of the most loved YA guys. I has a sad.
Before I launch into what will be, for this book, a fairly negative review, I want to get some things straight. First, I don’t think Anna and the French Kiss is a bad book; in fact, I think it’s good, but in some ways not good
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for the particular person I am. Second, this review’s going to be somewhat ranty, but I really did like and sometimes even love much of Anna and the French Kiss. If my ranting will upset you because you love everything about this book, I’m envious that you had all the feels and send you on your way with my blessing.Perkins most definitely has the makings of a contemporary author who will write books that I personally will love. Even though this hasn’t been an entirely positive experience for me, I will undoubtedly be reading the rest of her books. She has great snappy dialogue and tons of pop culture references, both things that are total Christina bait. Plus, I totally adore the setting at SOAP (School of America Paris) with it’s dorm rooms that are small and awful to Anna but absurdly amazing as dorm rooms go. It’s great too because most boarding school books end up being so depressing and full of intense melodrama, but Anna and the French Kiss is free of that.
The familial relationships and friendships in Anna and the French Kiss were largely great too. Anna’s father, James Ashley, an obvious reference to Nicholas Sparks, amused me no end. He forced her to go to Paris, so he can feel cultured. Initially, she’s very anti-Paris and doing the poor me having to go to France thing, but it’s really that her agency was taken away and not that Paris is awful. Plus, Anna’s very afraid of being rude or doing something wrong, which is something I can relate to in her fear of venturing out in France not knowing the language.
I like the way that Anna’s new friends draw her out of her shell. She could, had she not found good friends, have ended up like Cath, shut up in her dorm room for much or all of her year at SOAP. Instead, she discovers resources within herself she never knew she had and ends up having an amazing experience.[Aside: St. Clair takes her out for panini and she's amazed at this rare and unusual sandwich, but this book came out in 2010 and Panera is everywhere. There are all kinds of sandwich places in Atlanta that serve paninis. It's possible, but seriously?] I think the whole crew of friends is interesting, though I would have liked to get to know Josh, Rashmi and Mer a bit better. I think Rashmi ends up getting the best development and their relationship helps Anna reevaluate a lot of how she perceives others.
The problem is, though, that, in a romance, you’re pretty much sunk if you don’t ship the ship. Thankfully, I don’t quite unship the ship. For a while, I was walking up to board. I had my ticket purchased and my bags packed, ready to depart. Unfortunately, I got about three steps onboard, realized I didn’t like where it was headed and ran back off. This metaphor may have gotten out of my control a bit.
What you need to understand about me is that I tend to have a very black and white sense of justice. I’m a bit like Darcy: “my good opinion once lost is lost forever.” Actually, like him, that’s not entirely true, but it is difficult to convince me to change my mind. My problems lie almost entirely with the character of St. Clair. I’ve tried to forgive him because he’s young and stupid, which is true, and because it’s believable, but I can’t. The last two chapters completely sealed me not wanting these characters to get together or at least not feeling happy that they are together.
Anna and the French Kiss takes place over the course of almost a complete school year. During almost that entire time, St. Clair has a girlfriend called Ellie, who’s off at uni nearby. He spends the whole year alternately ignoring all of his friends and hanging out with Ellie or ignoring Ellie and hanging out with his friends, which also includes flirting with Anna. The flirting initially is mild, just some casual but intentional leg brushes, which is okay I guess. What bothered me from the start was the way that St. Clair would flip flop from friends to girlfriend, blowing off one then the other, like he can’t be a good boyfriend and a good friend at one time; it’s or the other. When he’s actually there, he’s great and so is the banter, but he’s not dependable.
I’d be warned about the cheating thing and, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected in some ways. If the reactions to it had been different, I actually wouldn’t have been bothered so much by this particular scenario. Of course, it’s all gray areas with what counts as actually cheating and blah blah blah, but using the most common definition, St. Clair doesn’t behave too badly. View Spoiler » That I could live with if St. Clair was really incredibly apologetic, which he sort of was but also wasn’t. I’ll move into spoiler tags now for safety.
St. Clair, despite having a girlfriend, is jealous any time a guy pays attention to Anna. He shames her for kissing someone else, when she has made no promises to anyone. Once everything comes out, he accuses her of being part of the problem because she lied and pretended he hadn’t confessed feelings for her back in November when St. Clair was drunk off his ass. Yup, clearly Anna’s fault that you kept dating a girl you didn’t like anymore. He basically says it’s all also her fault because she wasn’t willing to speak up about her feelings, which is so incredibly unfair and dickish that I cannot even with this guy. And, yeah, they’re young and stupid but there’s nothing in the book to say that this isn’t cool. Anna believes everything he says and takes a share of the blame. Yes, she sometimes pushed him away, but ONLY BECAUSE HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Pretty sure she would have eventually said or done something had he been single that whole time. It’s not her job to watch out for his relationship, but she did a better job of that than he did.
Then, once they resolve everything and get together, they’re so damn cheesy and insufferable, which I can’t handle with how un-sorry St. Clair is. He gets everything he wanted and that whole situation worked out fabulously for him. He decides to go to California for her (365), not for his mother or to obtain freedom from his father. They’re not even dating yet! I mean, I know they were best friends most of the year, but he obviously was planning this before he’d broken up with his girlfriend, because of when college applications have to be in. Then the last three lines: “For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And we’re finally home.”
I cannot. I can’t. The ability to can has been suspended. This about a guy who claims to have loved her basically all year but who kept dating another girl for pretty much all of that year. I wouldn’t build my home on that sort of a foundation, but best of luck to you Anna.
So yeah, that didn’t really turn out like anybody hoped. There are lots of good things about it, but I also have many non-happy feelings about one of the most loved YA guys. I has a sad.
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LibraryThing member sunset_x_cocktail
Initially I got this book after a bad day and needed some fluff to make me feel better at the end of June this year. I read the first few chapters and then sort of forgot about it. But then saw a a read along! which I signed up for. So I put it on the back burner and picked it up again for the read
I bought this one and the next one in paperback and pre ordered Isla. I'd heard of this one but sort of ignored it thinking fluffy contemporary is not my thing but this year I've been finding myself reading a lot of contemporary and this turned out to be a fantastic book. I loved it from start to finish.
I had a goofy grin on my face whilst reading. I loved everything from Anna's tone, to the Paris setting. St Clair wasn't really a swoon worthy book boyfriend for me, I did grow to like him quite a lot throughout, and can totally understand why Anna fell head over heels. I loved the way that some serious things were brought in and at once it could go from being fun and cute to angsty and be smoothed out. (Some of it was kind of unrealistic, but hey, its a fluffy romance and fluffy happiness is what I discovered I want with this type of book).
I thought the story telling was exceptional, just right on the feels and the swoon. I could read this book again and again and again.
I just loved it.
Also crosses off a square for my Summer Bingo reading challenge - Set in Europe.
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along. I bought this one and the next one in paperback and pre ordered Isla. I'd heard of this one but sort of ignored it thinking fluffy contemporary is not my thing but this year I've been finding myself reading a lot of contemporary and this turned out to be a fantastic book. I loved it from start to finish.
I had a goofy grin on my face whilst reading. I loved everything from Anna's tone, to the Paris setting. St Clair wasn't really a swoon worthy book boyfriend for me, I did grow to like him quite a lot throughout, and can totally understand why Anna fell head over heels. I loved the way that some serious things were brought in and at once it could go from being fun and cute to angsty and be smoothed out. (Some of it was kind of unrealistic, but hey, its a fluffy romance and fluffy happiness is what I discovered I want with this type of book).
I thought the story telling was exceptional, just right on the feels and the swoon. I could read this book again and again and again.
I just loved it.
Also crosses off a square for my Summer Bingo reading challenge - Set in Europe.
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LibraryThing member weener
I picked this up after Gayle Foreman (If I Stay, which I loved) talked it up on her blog. It didn't look like my kind of thing and the premise looked overdone, but if Gayle Foreman liked it...
I should have trusted my judgement. I really didn't enjoy reading it. The love interest is introduced on
Yeah. Great. I've been 17 before, I know how it is. It doesn't make me want to read about it at 26. Not that I can't enjoy a YA novel that includes romance, but I prefer the characters have other things on their minds as well. These two: sheesh. They'll break up sophomore year in college when he's tired of traveling to see her every week and she can't forget how he messed with her mind for a year while keeping his old girlfriend.
I will say, however, that the writing wasn't terrible and I wouldn't be surprised if Stephanie Perkins develops as a writer and goes on to write stronger books. I would read another book by her ina few years to see if this is the case.
I should have trusted my judgement. I really didn't enjoy reading it. The love interest is introduced on
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page 15, jerks the protagonist around until page 367, and then they have a relationship for the last six pages of the book. SIX PAGES. The rest of it is a high school senior overthinking glances, words and gestures. Obsessing over him brushing against her leg. Falling on her face if he compliments her. Yeah. Great. I've been 17 before, I know how it is. It doesn't make me want to read about it at 26. Not that I can't enjoy a YA novel that includes romance, but I prefer the characters have other things on their minds as well. These two: sheesh. They'll break up sophomore year in college when he's tired of traveling to see her every week and she can't forget how he messed with her mind for a year while keeping his old girlfriend.
I will say, however, that the writing wasn't terrible and I wouldn't be surprised if Stephanie Perkins develops as a writer and goes on to write stronger books. I would read another book by her ina few years to see if this is the case.
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LibraryThing member danitronmc
This is adorable and cute and snort-inducing and sad and frustrating all rolled into one!
There were so many times in this book that I wanted to strangle both Anna AND St. Clair! GAAAHHH!!! From their very first interaction with each other, you can tell they have some chemistry. Soooo yeah. Can you
Seriously. CUTEST THING.
I have a little bone to pick with St. Clair, though. I mean, you have a girlfriend, so what exactly are you thinking? But even when it seems like the only logical thing to do would be to break up with her, you don’t. Because you can’t just man up and do it.
And Anna, whew-boy can you hold a grudge! WHY do you keep holding on to these nobodies who mean nothing? For heaven’s sake, get over them! And stop assuming you know what everyone else is thinking and feeling, because chances are you’re WRONG.
WHY CAN’T YOU BOTH JUST GET OVER YOUR ISSUES AND BE WITH EACH OTHER?!
Sheesh, there was so much back and forth between these two–forward/flirtatious one minute and avoiding each other the next. And so many assumptions were made! How about before you take what you think as fact, you actually, oh, talk about it?
And let’s not forget all that good ol’ turmoil that comes with the teenage territory which held me completely engrossed with this story! I couldn’t get enough of it;) Add in Anna’s hilarious voice and I found this book entirely addicting. In fact, I’m feeling the need for more from Stephanie because there’s Lola and the Boy Next Door out there in the book world, teasing me to read it;)
This book was seriously swoony, and I loved it! It had me invested wholeheartedly in the outcome and I can say I am positively jovial with it’s finish:)
4/5 stars;)
There were so many times in this book that I wanted to strangle both Anna AND St. Clair! GAAAHHH!!! From their very first interaction with each other, you can tell they have some chemistry. Soooo yeah. Can you
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say SWOON? Here, I’ll spell it out for you: S-T C-L-A-I-R. BUT St. Clair has a serious girlfriend, and Anna might have an almost-boyfriend back home. So while they clearly are just friends (initially), their friendship is THE cutest thing.Seriously. CUTEST THING.
I have a little bone to pick with St. Clair, though. I mean, you have a girlfriend, so what exactly are you thinking? But even when it seems like the only logical thing to do would be to break up with her, you don’t. Because you can’t just man up and do it.
And Anna, whew-boy can you hold a grudge! WHY do you keep holding on to these nobodies who mean nothing? For heaven’s sake, get over them! And stop assuming you know what everyone else is thinking and feeling, because chances are you’re WRONG.
WHY CAN’T YOU BOTH JUST GET OVER YOUR ISSUES AND BE WITH EACH OTHER?!
Sheesh, there was so much back and forth between these two–forward/flirtatious one minute and avoiding each other the next. And so many assumptions were made! How about before you take what you think as fact, you actually, oh, talk about it?
And let’s not forget all that good ol’ turmoil that comes with the teenage territory which held me completely engrossed with this story! I couldn’t get enough of it;) Add in Anna’s hilarious voice and I found this book entirely addicting. In fact, I’m feeling the need for more from Stephanie because there’s Lola and the Boy Next Door out there in the book world, teasing me to read it;)
This book was seriously swoony, and I loved it! It had me invested wholeheartedly in the outcome and I can say I am positively jovial with it’s finish:)
4/5 stars;)
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LibraryThing member noahsmae
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, the first half of the book (when Anna and Etienne were getting to know each other) was some of the best relationship building I have seen in a YA book. It reminded me of Terra and Jacob in North of Beautiful. You could tell they really connected and felt
The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of the second half of the book -- so much drama! I understood that both Anna and Etienne were highly emotional but was disappointed in some of their behavior and choices that they made. The more courageous thing to do would have been to be totally honest with each other about how they felt. They just let circumstances get to the point where they were forced to deal with their feelings for each other rather than CHOOSING to deal with them.
Overall, it was thrilling reading this story and I literally couldn't put it down. It makes me so happy to discover a new author with so much potential. Can't wait to see what else Stephanie Perkins will write.
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happiest when together. Some of these early scenes were fantastically written and really captured those intense feelings of awareness of every moment, every look, of that person whom you are so attracted to. The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of the second half of the book -- so much drama! I understood that both Anna and Etienne were highly emotional but was disappointed in some of their behavior and choices that they made. The more courageous thing to do would have been to be totally honest with each other about how they felt. They just let circumstances get to the point where they were forced to deal with their feelings for each other rather than CHOOSING to deal with them.
Overall, it was thrilling reading this story and I literally couldn't put it down. It makes me so happy to discover a new author with so much potential. Can't wait to see what else Stephanie Perkins will write.
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LibraryThing member BookRatMisty
I'm not going to lie, I was resistant to this. When it first came out and bloggers the world over lost their sh*t over Anna, I just figured it was another in a line of contemporary books that I would not read or care to. It looked and sounded so girly and cutesy and fluttery and things that I try
And then Liz and Allison cornered me on Twitter and insisted that I read it as soon as humanly possible. And since I was in the planning stages of the whole Beach Reads thing, I said okay. Maybe. We'll see.... And then it showed up in my mailbox. Okaymaybewe'llsee is not good enough for Liz, it seems.
And thank god for that.
For real, you guys. I don't even know if I can explain why I love this book so much. I mean, it's not like anything earth-shattering ever happens. It's just a slice-of-life kind of story, and one that I would expect to be a little disconnected from (you have to be pretty fancy-pants rich to go to a French boarding school, afterall. I don't much care for reading about fancy-pantses trying to make out). Thank god it's not some Richie Rich boarding school story. Though Paris is a bit of a character in its own right and plays a role in Anna's awakening, the boarding school is almost incidental. This is much more a story of friends and family and how, sometimes your family is what you make it (and friends are the family you choose, and any other cliche you'd like to insert here).
It just felt real. The characters are funny and flawed and they interact with each other in such an authentic way. There are times when an author is trying to write a funny teen book and everyone becomes very quippy and witty and over the top. They're caricatures, and it makes them hard to connect to. The characters in Anna aren't like this. They are funny, but in the way that your friends are funny. It's situational and comfortable, and it feels really true. They all have their issues and they grow and change, and sometimes that means they grow apart, and it's all very believable. It's not just The Anna & Etienne Show. All of the core characters felt like real people and - more importantly - real teens on the cusp of adulthood.
But of course I can't talk about this book without talking about the romance. I judge a good romance on whether it gives me butterflies. This passed the butterfly test easily. And it's not because it's so swooning and lusty and hawt. Like the characterization, the romance felt really real. It is flawed, and there are times you think it's never going to come together, and times you think maybe it shouldn't come together, and all the while you're breathless with anticipation. It's not the melodramatic, substance-less fare that is typical to YA romance. There is a basis to it, Anna and Etienne do and will work at it, but most importantly of all, it's backed by friendship. It's a companionable romance story, which I trust so much more than a lust-at-first-sight, death do us part, manic "romance". There's a really solid, strong friendship being built throughout the story, and that, I think, creates longing and satisfaction in the reader just as much as any hoped-for french kiss.
And of course, Paris makes everything romantic.
So if you're dragging your feet, doubting whether to read this and keeping it on the back burner for "some day", or are embarrassed to read something with this title/cover combo, do yourself a favor and bump it up on your list. Remove the dust jacket if need be, find yourself a quiet, comfortable place to hide your flutters, and commence equal parts laughing and swooning.
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to deny I am or ever was... But the hype just built and built and everyone kept saying how funny it was, and I thought, "Well okay, I can do funny. And I have been saying I am going to try more contemporary and more *gulp* romance." So I added it to the to-read list and didn't really think much more about it. It was always a "some day" read.And then Liz and Allison cornered me on Twitter and insisted that I read it as soon as humanly possible. And since I was in the planning stages of the whole Beach Reads thing, I said okay. Maybe. We'll see.... And then it showed up in my mailbox. Okaymaybewe'llsee is not good enough for Liz, it seems.
And thank god for that.
For real, you guys. I don't even know if I can explain why I love this book so much. I mean, it's not like anything earth-shattering ever happens. It's just a slice-of-life kind of story, and one that I would expect to be a little disconnected from (you have to be pretty fancy-pants rich to go to a French boarding school, afterall. I don't much care for reading about fancy-pantses trying to make out). Thank god it's not some Richie Rich boarding school story. Though Paris is a bit of a character in its own right and plays a role in Anna's awakening, the boarding school is almost incidental. This is much more a story of friends and family and how, sometimes your family is what you make it (and friends are the family you choose, and any other cliche you'd like to insert here).
It just felt real. The characters are funny and flawed and they interact with each other in such an authentic way. There are times when an author is trying to write a funny teen book and everyone becomes very quippy and witty and over the top. They're caricatures, and it makes them hard to connect to. The characters in Anna aren't like this. They are funny, but in the way that your friends are funny. It's situational and comfortable, and it feels really true. They all have their issues and they grow and change, and sometimes that means they grow apart, and it's all very believable. It's not just The Anna & Etienne Show. All of the core characters felt like real people and - more importantly - real teens on the cusp of adulthood.
But of course I can't talk about this book without talking about the romance. I judge a good romance on whether it gives me butterflies. This passed the butterfly test easily. And it's not because it's so swooning and lusty and hawt. Like the characterization, the romance felt really real. It is flawed, and there are times you think it's never going to come together, and times you think maybe it shouldn't come together, and all the while you're breathless with anticipation. It's not the melodramatic, substance-less fare that is typical to YA romance. There is a basis to it, Anna and Etienne do and will work at it, but most importantly of all, it's backed by friendship. It's a companionable romance story, which I trust so much more than a lust-at-first-sight, death do us part, manic "romance". There's a really solid, strong friendship being built throughout the story, and that, I think, creates longing and satisfaction in the reader just as much as any hoped-for french kiss.
And of course, Paris makes everything romantic.
So if you're dragging your feet, doubting whether to read this and keeping it on the back burner for "some day", or are embarrassed to read something with this title/cover combo, do yourself a favor and bump it up on your list. Remove the dust jacket if need be, find yourself a quiet, comfortable place to hide your flutters, and commence equal parts laughing and swooning.
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LibraryThing member alana_leigh
I know that we're only a few months into 2011, but I find it hard to believe that I'll read another novel as perfect as Anna and the French Kiss, the debut novel of Stephanie Perkins. I'm not even limiting that statement to the young adult market. I can't call it the best book of the year, because
In any case, Anna and the French Kiss is a deceptively simple teenage love story where the emphasis is on storytelling and character development. Stephanie Perkins doesn't go for the bells and whistles of ridiculous situations; instead she crafts a narrator that any young female reader doesn't simply want to read about, she wants to BE. Perkins, unlike so many other well-meaning YA writers, also seems to understand the difference between *telling* the reader that the main character is smart and funny... and actually *demonstrating* that she's smart and funny by virtue of her words and actions. That said, Anna's not a genius or some perfect creation, she's a realistic teenager who makes the occasional poor decision, but readers are always on her side because we've come to love her.
Anna Oliphant (called "Banana Elephant" by her best friend Brigette) has been sent to the School of America in Paris (fondly called SOAP by its students) by her nouveau riche father for her senior year of high school. Her parents are divorced and after the break seven years ago, dad dropped all dreams of being a great writer and sold out to become a best-seller, cranking out novels that the female market seems to gobble up, where the plot always seems to include an Illness and Doomed Love. Dad's stated reasoning for shipping his eldest off to Paris involves showing her the world and giving her a great experience, but Anna is convinced he's doing this so *he* can appear worldly and cultured by having a daughter at an international boarding school. Pulled away from her family and friends, Anna's now in a country where she doesn't speak the language and doesn't know a soul. Thankfully, while high school will always suck on some level, there are some decent people to be found. Anna's next-door-neighbor in the dorm, Meredith, takes Anna under her wing and draws her into a group of friends where Anna tries to find a place despite being the very new addition to a group with some history. One of the members of this group is Étienne St. Clair (called St. Clair by his friends), an "American" by birth raised in London (so he has a British accent). Unfortunately, he also has a girlfriend and is therefore off limits. (That *always* stops us from falling for these kinds of boys, right ladies?) Needless to say, Anna's lost from the start and this novel is the story of her senior year where she discovers Paris, herself, and the perils of navigating relationships on two continents.
In a time where every other YA novel seems to feature a vampire or werewolf, Anna and the French Kiss features a refreshingly mortal cast written in to the world as the reader knows it to be. No one's destined to be the Summer Queen and the only thing that seems immortal or endless is French class. The plot is refreshingly real and familiar -- a girl likes a boy but there's an obstacle. Novels about a teen in a new place have defined the YA genre (long before Bella moved to Forks), and yet there's fresh life breathed into this tale by Stephanie Perkins. Paris is practically the main character and the location is essential to the story, as opposed to just being a pretty backdrop. The really remarkable part of the novel rests in reviving this easily identifiable plot and using it to convey a fresh voice. Perkins creates a narrator that's full of charm and deep emotions. Anna is witty and sharp, quick to notice some details and totally blind to others. She's real, her friends are real, and their problems seem even more so. Perhaps the two most shocking things of all in the novel are that (1) Anna has actual interests of her own and (2) there's never a moment where phrases like "we talked all night" are substituted for the dialogue that proves real connection as opposed to just summoning it at whim and expecting this to be enough for the reader. Even if these high school seniors are rather mature (they act more like college study abroad students than seniors in high school), it's easy to accept and move past it. If you weren't already smitten, then the humor would do you in -- seriously, Anna/Perkins is one of the funniest narrators I've encountered in a long time -- and it never lets up, even as we move into the all-too-easy-to-identify-with torment of wondering whether Anna's imagining the details that mean so much when it comes to making a connection with a boy. I'm someone who tires quickly of novels where girls pine after boys ad nauseum, and while the reader may want to shake sense into Anna on occasion, it's in a good way... a "why do we all seem to make this exact same mistake when we know better" way.
It helps, of course, that Anna's love interest is a delight. You had me at British accent, Stephanie. Étienne St. Clair's complicated background and family life seethe beneath the surface of a charismatic teenage boy, one who isn't some unreachable ideal (he's short, he's moody, he has realistic relationship issues) and yet he's also adorable in all the right ways (he's short, he's moody, and he wears "The Hat," a visually offensive hat that his mother knit for him but since he loves his mother, he wears the hat... OMGCUTE). The connection between Anna and St. Clair has actual roots (that go beyond proximity and author whim) and St. Clair takes an interest in Anna's love of cinema, helping her explore Paris via movie theaters. When St. Clair's home life takes a dramatic and terrible turn, Anna is there for him -- and like a real boy, he allows himself to lean on the friend he needs and the complications that ensue make sure everything seems tangled and no issues are clear cut. The reader might be screaming for St. Clair to leave his girlfriend and date Anna, but it's impossible to not understand his hesitations in light of his character, which provide a very real problem for him (and, consequently, Anna).
Added to the mix are a supporting cast of friends with their own issues -- who are almost perfectly measured so they can remind us that Anna and St. Clair are not the only people in the world and yet the supporting characters never overpower the main plotline or do anything to draw real focus away and confuse. The end result? You've got a superb group for being young and in Paris... which, let's face it, we all wish we could be, even if it came at the cost of reliving the follies of our late teenage years. Maybe *that's* the true miracle of this book -- Perkins makes the tortured angst of unrequited teenage love seem appealing. Sure, it's awful for Anna as she over-analyzes every single word and gesture, but we readers all remember what it was to be in her shoes and so this is the perfect way to experience those emotions without actually enduring twin extra long beds. (Incidentally, this book also features one of the sweetest and most awkward scenes that defines an unspoken attraction in all of young adult literature. A scene that had me shifting in my seat and making a noise that resembled a smothered squeal.) Stephanie Perkins never hits a wrong note and the ending will have the reader internally wrestling with the best dilemma a book can offer: do you gobble it all down and race to the end or do you try to pace yourself and savor every word? (Solution: gobble, then take your time with a second helping/reading.)
Do yourself a favor and go read this book right now. It will be the best thing you'll do all week, if not all month or even year (unless you're giving birth or getting married or something... then I can kind of understand how that might win out). I specifically bought the hardcover version because even before reading it, I knew this would be one I'd want to pass around. I've been delighted to loan this book to several girlfriends, all of whom now share my giant, goofy grin whenever Anna is mentioned. I keep loaning it out because if I have Anna back in my possession for more than a day, I abandon all other reading selections to re-read it. What more can I say? Hurry up and join the Anna and the French Kiss party -- teenage romance has never been so charming. C'est magnifique to say the very least.
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it was published in December of 2010, but I highly doubt I'll read anything this fabulous for a very long time (or if I do, I'll be very lucky, because this is really that good). If only I had read it when it was published! I would have had the perfect Christmas present for all my reading friends -- now I simply have to hope they don't talk to each other as the year ticks by and I slowly parcel out surprisingly familiar-looking birthday presents. It would be weird to just say to them, "Surprise! I bought you your birthday present in March!" for each and every one of them, right? ... No seriously, right? Because I could still do it...In any case, Anna and the French Kiss is a deceptively simple teenage love story where the emphasis is on storytelling and character development. Stephanie Perkins doesn't go for the bells and whistles of ridiculous situations; instead she crafts a narrator that any young female reader doesn't simply want to read about, she wants to BE. Perkins, unlike so many other well-meaning YA writers, also seems to understand the difference between *telling* the reader that the main character is smart and funny... and actually *demonstrating* that she's smart and funny by virtue of her words and actions. That said, Anna's not a genius or some perfect creation, she's a realistic teenager who makes the occasional poor decision, but readers are always on her side because we've come to love her.
Anna Oliphant (called "Banana Elephant" by her best friend Brigette) has been sent to the School of America in Paris (fondly called SOAP by its students) by her nouveau riche father for her senior year of high school. Her parents are divorced and after the break seven years ago, dad dropped all dreams of being a great writer and sold out to become a best-seller, cranking out novels that the female market seems to gobble up, where the plot always seems to include an Illness and Doomed Love. Dad's stated reasoning for shipping his eldest off to Paris involves showing her the world and giving her a great experience, but Anna is convinced he's doing this so *he* can appear worldly and cultured by having a daughter at an international boarding school. Pulled away from her family and friends, Anna's now in a country where she doesn't speak the language and doesn't know a soul. Thankfully, while high school will always suck on some level, there are some decent people to be found. Anna's next-door-neighbor in the dorm, Meredith, takes Anna under her wing and draws her into a group of friends where Anna tries to find a place despite being the very new addition to a group with some history. One of the members of this group is Étienne St. Clair (called St. Clair by his friends), an "American" by birth raised in London (so he has a British accent). Unfortunately, he also has a girlfriend and is therefore off limits. (That *always* stops us from falling for these kinds of boys, right ladies?) Needless to say, Anna's lost from the start and this novel is the story of her senior year where she discovers Paris, herself, and the perils of navigating relationships on two continents.
In a time where every other YA novel seems to feature a vampire or werewolf, Anna and the French Kiss features a refreshingly mortal cast written in to the world as the reader knows it to be. No one's destined to be the Summer Queen and the only thing that seems immortal or endless is French class. The plot is refreshingly real and familiar -- a girl likes a boy but there's an obstacle. Novels about a teen in a new place have defined the YA genre (long before Bella moved to Forks), and yet there's fresh life breathed into this tale by Stephanie Perkins. Paris is practically the main character and the location is essential to the story, as opposed to just being a pretty backdrop. The really remarkable part of the novel rests in reviving this easily identifiable plot and using it to convey a fresh voice. Perkins creates a narrator that's full of charm and deep emotions. Anna is witty and sharp, quick to notice some details and totally blind to others. She's real, her friends are real, and their problems seem even more so. Perhaps the two most shocking things of all in the novel are that (1) Anna has actual interests of her own and (2) there's never a moment where phrases like "we talked all night" are substituted for the dialogue that proves real connection as opposed to just summoning it at whim and expecting this to be enough for the reader. Even if these high school seniors are rather mature (they act more like college study abroad students than seniors in high school), it's easy to accept and move past it. If you weren't already smitten, then the humor would do you in -- seriously, Anna/Perkins is one of the funniest narrators I've encountered in a long time -- and it never lets up, even as we move into the all-too-easy-to-identify-with torment of wondering whether Anna's imagining the details that mean so much when it comes to making a connection with a boy. I'm someone who tires quickly of novels where girls pine after boys ad nauseum, and while the reader may want to shake sense into Anna on occasion, it's in a good way... a "why do we all seem to make this exact same mistake when we know better" way.
It helps, of course, that Anna's love interest is a delight. You had me at British accent, Stephanie. Étienne St. Clair's complicated background and family life seethe beneath the surface of a charismatic teenage boy, one who isn't some unreachable ideal (he's short, he's moody, he has realistic relationship issues) and yet he's also adorable in all the right ways (he's short, he's moody, and he wears "The Hat," a visually offensive hat that his mother knit for him but since he loves his mother, he wears the hat... OMGCUTE). The connection between Anna and St. Clair has actual roots (that go beyond proximity and author whim) and St. Clair takes an interest in Anna's love of cinema, helping her explore Paris via movie theaters. When St. Clair's home life takes a dramatic and terrible turn, Anna is there for him -- and like a real boy, he allows himself to lean on the friend he needs and the complications that ensue make sure everything seems tangled and no issues are clear cut. The reader might be screaming for St. Clair to leave his girlfriend and date Anna, but it's impossible to not understand his hesitations in light of his character, which provide a very real problem for him (and, consequently, Anna).
Added to the mix are a supporting cast of friends with their own issues -- who are almost perfectly measured so they can remind us that Anna and St. Clair are not the only people in the world and yet the supporting characters never overpower the main plotline or do anything to draw real focus away and confuse. The end result? You've got a superb group for being young and in Paris... which, let's face it, we all wish we could be, even if it came at the cost of reliving the follies of our late teenage years. Maybe *that's* the true miracle of this book -- Perkins makes the tortured angst of unrequited teenage love seem appealing. Sure, it's awful for Anna as she over-analyzes every single word and gesture, but we readers all remember what it was to be in her shoes and so this is the perfect way to experience those emotions without actually enduring twin extra long beds. (Incidentally, this book also features one of the sweetest and most awkward scenes that defines an unspoken attraction in all of young adult literature. A scene that had me shifting in my seat and making a noise that resembled a smothered squeal.) Stephanie Perkins never hits a wrong note and the ending will have the reader internally wrestling with the best dilemma a book can offer: do you gobble it all down and race to the end or do you try to pace yourself and savor every word? (Solution: gobble, then take your time with a second helping/reading.)
Do yourself a favor and go read this book right now. It will be the best thing you'll do all week, if not all month or even year (unless you're giving birth or getting married or something... then I can kind of understand how that might win out). I specifically bought the hardcover version because even before reading it, I knew this would be one I'd want to pass around. I've been delighted to loan this book to several girlfriends, all of whom now share my giant, goofy grin whenever Anna is mentioned. I keep loaning it out because if I have Anna back in my possession for more than a day, I abandon all other reading selections to re-read it. What more can I say? Hurry up and join the Anna and the French Kiss party -- teenage romance has never been so charming. C'est magnifique to say the very least.
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LibraryThing member mrsderaps
J'aime le livre! From what I remember of my high school French, I think I'm saying that I loved this book! From the very start, Anna and the French Kiss was a fun escape from the doldrums this cold, yucky afternoon. It brought a freshness and a sunshine to my day that would definitely not have
A little bit of the plot. Anna is forced to move to Paris by her fame-seeking father. He's the author of several books-turned-to-movies and wants his daughter to go to school with the children of the international set. At first, Anna absolutely hates this plan and rebels against it mightily, but she finally gives in after she starts school in Paris and makes some new friends.
And one of those friends is a handsome American-English-Frenchman named Etienne St. Clair. And he's handsome. And smart. And funny. And he has a girlfriend of more than a year. So, he's off limits to Anna as a boyfriend, but not as a best friend. They quickly find that they have everything in common, including a similar wit.
The problem? As soon as Anna's able to, she goes back to Atlanta for her holiday break. She quickly realizes that life back home went on without her. Her best friend has changed, and her high school crush might not have the attention span for an across-seas romance. Even her family acts differently toward her.
It's as though Anna is facing the separation and the adjustment that happens when teens go to college, but she's still in high school. She's having to redefine her relationships and what it means to be "home."
Again, I loved this book. It was a lighthearted, but funny and smart read. I enjoyed the banter-filled dialogue of the characters and the relationship between Anna and Etienne. It was fun to romp around Paris from the comfort of my living room. I did manage to eat a few macarons whilst reading today, which I am happy to have read about in this book. They are a favorite dessert of mine!
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otherwise come. I loved it.A little bit of the plot. Anna is forced to move to Paris by her fame-seeking father. He's the author of several books-turned-to-movies and wants his daughter to go to school with the children of the international set. At first, Anna absolutely hates this plan and rebels against it mightily, but she finally gives in after she starts school in Paris and makes some new friends.
And one of those friends is a handsome American-English-Frenchman named Etienne St. Clair. And he's handsome. And smart. And funny. And he has a girlfriend of more than a year. So, he's off limits to Anna as a boyfriend, but not as a best friend. They quickly find that they have everything in common, including a similar wit.
The problem? As soon as Anna's able to, she goes back to Atlanta for her holiday break. She quickly realizes that life back home went on without her. Her best friend has changed, and her high school crush might not have the attention span for an across-seas romance. Even her family acts differently toward her.
It's as though Anna is facing the separation and the adjustment that happens when teens go to college, but she's still in high school. She's having to redefine her relationships and what it means to be "home."
Again, I loved this book. It was a lighthearted, but funny and smart read. I enjoyed the banter-filled dialogue of the characters and the relationship between Anna and Etienne. It was fun to romp around Paris from the comfort of my living room. I did manage to eat a few macarons whilst reading today, which I am happy to have read about in this book. They are a favorite dessert of mine!
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LibraryThing member ericajsc
Perfect. The end.
Okay, not really the end. But there’s a reason that people are raving about this book, and that’s ultimately what it is. This book is virtually flawless. Seriously, I’ve pondered this from many different angles, trying to come up with something that was lacking, and I just
Having lived in a foreign place, I could definitely understand Anna’s reluctance to get outside the comfort of her school. Although it is easy to assume someone would be so enamored with the new surroundings (Hello, Paris!), it feels completely different when it’s a new home instead of a temporary setting. “If this were a vacation, I’m sure I’d be charmed,” Anna thinks during her early days in Paris. “But I’m not on vacation. I am here to live, and I feel small.” That’s just how it is to be somewhere new, and even though it’s exciting, it’s absolutely terrifying. Especially when you don’t speak the language (or if you do, but quite poorly and are too scared to use it for fear that people will then think you have a working comprehension of the language and then start, you know, actually talking to you and expecting you to understand them). The way that Anna responds to both her new home and her new classmates was ultimately what won me over from the very beginning.
If you’ve read anything at all about this book, you’re probably aware of the boy that is Étienne St. Clair. I would say that I’m not all that impressed by him and am totally immune to his charms, but that would be a lie. I mean, he’s an English French American Boy Masterpiece. But more than the English accent and the fluency in French, he has substance. You know how people talk about coffee or wine and that phrase “full-bodied” gets thrown around a lot to describe something that has depth and complexity? He’s like that. If I listed his attributes, it would just be this boring list, but you can’t completely understand until you read the book and see the way he and Anna interact. Just like the coffee, you have to experience it yourself to fully grasp the wonder. Also, I’m sure that there will be people who say that he is a fantasy and has no basis in reality so it’s insane to hold out hope for a boy like him. Do not believe the naysayers! Boys like this do exist; I know because I married one. (I’m not just saying that because I love my husband and I love Étienne. There were actual moments when I read the book that I knew exactly what he would say next because my husband and I had the exact conversation when we first met/dated/fell in love.)
There are contemporary romances out there that make me feel all woozy from the kisses or whatever, but I’ve felt that they were lacking that extra something, that something that made me believe that the characters had a deep connection beyond thinking the other was hot and funny/dangerous/forbidden/nice. For the first time, I’ve read a story that had me both swooning and believing that the characters loved each other fully and completely.
This book is what falling in love feels like.
Okay, not really the end. But there’s a reason that people are raving about this book, and that’s ultimately what it is. This book is virtually flawless. Seriously, I’ve pondered this from many different angles, trying to come up with something that was lacking, and I just
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can’t. The writing? Brilliant. The story? Marvelous. The characters? I want to scoop them up in my hand and put them in my pocket so they can go everywhere with me. (Actually I kind of did. I bought this in hardcover because it’s beautiful, but I also got it for my Nook so now I have it on the Nook app on my phone. Basically I have it with me always and can read it anywhere. Like at work. But I never do that. Not me. Wouldn’t dream of it.)Having lived in a foreign place, I could definitely understand Anna’s reluctance to get outside the comfort of her school. Although it is easy to assume someone would be so enamored with the new surroundings (Hello, Paris!), it feels completely different when it’s a new home instead of a temporary setting. “If this were a vacation, I’m sure I’d be charmed,” Anna thinks during her early days in Paris. “But I’m not on vacation. I am here to live, and I feel small.” That’s just how it is to be somewhere new, and even though it’s exciting, it’s absolutely terrifying. Especially when you don’t speak the language (or if you do, but quite poorly and are too scared to use it for fear that people will then think you have a working comprehension of the language and then start, you know, actually talking to you and expecting you to understand them). The way that Anna responds to both her new home and her new classmates was ultimately what won me over from the very beginning.
If you’ve read anything at all about this book, you’re probably aware of the boy that is Étienne St. Clair. I would say that I’m not all that impressed by him and am totally immune to his charms, but that would be a lie. I mean, he’s an English French American Boy Masterpiece. But more than the English accent and the fluency in French, he has substance. You know how people talk about coffee or wine and that phrase “full-bodied” gets thrown around a lot to describe something that has depth and complexity? He’s like that. If I listed his attributes, it would just be this boring list, but you can’t completely understand until you read the book and see the way he and Anna interact. Just like the coffee, you have to experience it yourself to fully grasp the wonder. Also, I’m sure that there will be people who say that he is a fantasy and has no basis in reality so it’s insane to hold out hope for a boy like him. Do not believe the naysayers! Boys like this do exist; I know because I married one. (I’m not just saying that because I love my husband and I love Étienne. There were actual moments when I read the book that I knew exactly what he would say next because my husband and I had the exact conversation when we first met/dated/fell in love.)
There are contemporary romances out there that make me feel all woozy from the kisses or whatever, but I’ve felt that they were lacking that extra something, that something that made me believe that the characters had a deep connection beyond thinking the other was hot and funny/dangerous/forbidden/nice. For the first time, I’ve read a story that had me both swooning and believing that the characters loved each other fully and completely.
This book is what falling in love feels like.
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LibraryThing member perpetualpageturner
I will review this later. Pretty much my thoughts are this right now upon finishing it--- "OMG. SWOON. FAINT. AMAZING. AHHH"...and I'm pretty sure I'm a bit more articulate than that!
LibraryThing member angelgirl122193
There are only so many words to express how in love with this book I am! This definitely fits in my top 10 books of this year. Perkins has developed some pretty amazing and special characters who had me rooting for them throughout the story. I also loved how she described Paris. I went there on
Anna is such a great heroine! I sympathized for all that she had to go through and she is a very relatable heroine. Though there were so moments where I wanted to go into the book and talk some sense into her, she did eventually figure out what was obvious to everyone around her. Anna is such a sweet person and I loved how she interacted with St. Clair. Their moments together gave me butterflies! Though it took them awhile to come to terms with their feelings, it was understandable due to the baggage that they both carried.
St. Clair is one of my all time favorite hero's. He is such a quirky and funny guy! He and Anna get along so well and I love it when he and Anna are together, which is most of the book, thankfully! Their relationship develops at the perfect speed which makes the story even better! Every moment means something in their relationship. St. Clair is definitely a heart-breaker! Can I please find someone out there like him???
All of the side characters were developed nicely! I especially loved Josh! He is so funny and he is a great friend to St. Clair. I am hoping that Stephanie Perkins will come out with a book with him as the love interest, though it's probably unlikely. A girl can only hope, right?
Overall, this was an amazing, quirky, and funny book that I will definitely be re-reading in the future. The story moves quickly and it was torture putting this book down! St. Clair and Anna are the perfect couple and I am hoping for more from them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone out there who loves a great teen romance!
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vacation a couple of years ago so this book brought back some fond memories for me. Anna and the French Kiss was everything that I expected and more!Anna is such a great heroine! I sympathized for all that she had to go through and she is a very relatable heroine. Though there were so moments where I wanted to go into the book and talk some sense into her, she did eventually figure out what was obvious to everyone around her. Anna is such a sweet person and I loved how she interacted with St. Clair. Their moments together gave me butterflies! Though it took them awhile to come to terms with their feelings, it was understandable due to the baggage that they both carried.
St. Clair is one of my all time favorite hero's. He is such a quirky and funny guy! He and Anna get along so well and I love it when he and Anna are together, which is most of the book, thankfully! Their relationship develops at the perfect speed which makes the story even better! Every moment means something in their relationship. St. Clair is definitely a heart-breaker! Can I please find someone out there like him???
All of the side characters were developed nicely! I especially loved Josh! He is so funny and he is a great friend to St. Clair. I am hoping that Stephanie Perkins will come out with a book with him as the love interest, though it's probably unlikely. A girl can only hope, right?
Overall, this was an amazing, quirky, and funny book that I will definitely be re-reading in the future. The story moves quickly and it was torture putting this book down! St. Clair and Anna are the perfect couple and I am hoping for more from them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone out there who loves a great teen romance!
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LibraryThing member Tatiana_G
If you are looking for a feel-good chick-lit to read by your Christmas tree, Anna and the French Kiss is a book for you. This novel is as chick-y a lit as it gets.
Anna is sent to Paris to spend her senior year at a boarding school. Of course she doesn't want to go - her life, her best friend, her
Anna and the French Kiss doesn't break any new ground, doesn't provide insight into anything of importance, it doesn't strive to be realistic or profound. I can find a hundred flaws with it. But I don't want to. This novel is light, clean, funny (I especially enjoyed Anna's father, who I imagine to be just like Nicholas Sparks with his books where someone always dies in the end), cute and sweet, with likable characters and a measured amount of teen angst. It is a quick and engaging read and a perfect holiday story.
Anna and the French Kiss will never make it to my shelf of favorites, but I will probably read Stephanie Perkins's next novel if it comes out around the same time next year and is equally cute and inoffensive.
P.S. Why, in every YA romance, the two love interests always end up sleeping together in the same bed, but of course in a chaste way?
Anna is sent to Paris to spend her senior year at a boarding school. Of course she doesn't want to go - her life, her best friend, her
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potential boyfriend, her little brother and mom are in Atlanta. But Anna doesn't sulk for long, she quickly meets new friends and this one totally hot and totally unavailable boy Etienne St. Clair. I wonder what happens next;o)Anna and the French Kiss doesn't break any new ground, doesn't provide insight into anything of importance, it doesn't strive to be realistic or profound. I can find a hundred flaws with it. But I don't want to. This novel is light, clean, funny (I especially enjoyed Anna's father, who I imagine to be just like Nicholas Sparks with his books where someone always dies in the end), cute and sweet, with likable characters and a measured amount of teen angst. It is a quick and engaging read and a perfect holiday story.
Anna and the French Kiss will never make it to my shelf of favorites, but I will probably read Stephanie Perkins's next novel if it comes out around the same time next year and is equally cute and inoffensive.
P.S. Why, in every YA romance, the two love interests always end up sleeping together in the same bed, but of course in a chaste way?
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LibraryThing member bookwormygirl
Anna and the French Kiss... What a great title, don't you think? I absolutely fell in love with this story - about American Anna being sent off to boarding school in none other than Paris. With no friends or family in Paris - Anna finds herself alone and crying over her circumstance. Luckily the
I loved the relationship between Anna and Etienne. Ms. Perkins realistically captures this couple's relationship perfectly. Although I do believe in love at first sight, that is usually not the case. Relationships take time - sometimes they start through friendship and slowly evolve into more. That is the case with Anna and Etienne. Two individuals who are not perfect, yet they are perfectly flawed. I loved everything about them.
Aside from the romance (le sigh), the descriptions of Paris are so stunningly visual. I loved reading about the local hangouts, the museums, the restaurants, the theatre... but especially, the food. I think I may just need a trip to Paris to verify facts (wink wink).
In conclusion, I can honestly say that Anna and the French Kiss lives up to the hype. It really is awesome. It is a sweet romance that will have you feeling so warm and fuzzy inside I guarantee you'll feel all yummy for a while just thinking about it. One of the best books I've read this year. I cannot recommend it enough.
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girl next door hears her wailing and takes pity on poor Anna and invites her over for some hot chocolate (because really, hot chocolate is soothing to the soul). Through her new friend she meets other kids that also attend the school, but she especially meets Etienne St. Claire. Etienne - the perfect boy, he's cute, funny, smart, he's into history, has a British accent (which I find quite sexy), and he is a great friend to Anna. I loved the relationship between Anna and Etienne. Ms. Perkins realistically captures this couple's relationship perfectly. Although I do believe in love at first sight, that is usually not the case. Relationships take time - sometimes they start through friendship and slowly evolve into more. That is the case with Anna and Etienne. Two individuals who are not perfect, yet they are perfectly flawed. I loved everything about them.
Aside from the romance (le sigh), the descriptions of Paris are so stunningly visual. I loved reading about the local hangouts, the museums, the restaurants, the theatre... but especially, the food. I think I may just need a trip to Paris to verify facts (wink wink).
In conclusion, I can honestly say that Anna and the French Kiss lives up to the hype. It really is awesome. It is a sweet romance that will have you feeling so warm and fuzzy inside I guarantee you'll feel all yummy for a while just thinking about it. One of the best books I've read this year. I cannot recommend it enough.
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LibraryThing member molliekay
A fast-paced romance featuring Anna, an American from Georgia, who is forced by her parents to spend her senior year at a boarding school in Paris, France. Anna meets St. Clair, an American with an irresistible British accent. Perkins kept this reader on the edge of her seat with the sparks that
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flew between Anna and St. Clair. A must-read for any fan of John Green or Maureen Johnson. Show Less
LibraryThing member ethel55
Anna would have given anything just to have been part of the decision to spend her highschool senior year at a boarding school in Paris. No prom, no best friend, no Star Wars crazy little brother...Anna begins the story kind of upset with what will become the adventure of her life. Relegated to the
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Latin Quarter, she's unsure of how to fit in her small class at school. I really enjoyed this new novel by Stephanie Perkins. It's the kind of book I would have read and re-read as a teen, she really captures the feelings of her characters, and pretty much all of them are very well done. Anna's interest in film adds a nice touch to the story, as does their English class dealing in translated works. Show Less
LibraryThing member dasuzuki
I have been seeing this book mentioned every where and I think almost every review has given it 4 or 5 stars out of 5 stars. So of course I had to pick it up but did so with some reservations. It seems like it never fails that books that other people love fall flat for me, perhaps due to all the
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hype raising my expectations. Fortunately this did not happen with this book. I gobbled up the story and could not wait to finish it to see just how the happy ending we all know is coming will pan out. Anna is pretty self-involved and has a habit of thinking the world revolves around her but I still enjoyed watching her experiences in France and the budding relationship with Etienne. Etienne on the other hand is the most lovable character you could meet. He's charming, handsome, sweet and has that one flaw of being short for a guy that keeps him from being irritatingly perfect. The only thing I have to say was strange was I had to keep reminding myself that these were all high school kids. They all come across as older and I would sometimes slip into the mind set that they were college seniors instead of high school seniors. Still a wonderful romance story that you should definitely pick up. Show Less
LibraryThing member scoutlee
It’s Anna’s senior year and she’s not happy. Her dad (without consulting her) decided she needed a good learning experience and living in Paris would accomplish that. Just like that, Anna is whisked away to the School of America in Paris. Of course that summer, things were finally starting to
Her first night in Paris, she meets her neighbor Meredith. And St. Clair. St. Clair is the gorgeous guy every girl has a crush on, but he’s currently dating Ellie.
As Anna settles into her new school and begins to make friends, she finds herself gradually falling for St. Clair. Could the beautiful St. Clair also be falling for her too?
Anna and the French Kiss is a story the reader can easily get lost in. I read most of it on a Sunday afternoon and could not wait to pick it up again Monday after work. I found myself interested in Anna and her budding friendship (and romance) with St. Clair. Although I thought Anna’s holiday break was very predictable, it didn’t take away from the story. In fact, I think it helped with Anna’s character growth.
There’s a lot of buzz about this book. So much so, I almost did not want to read it. I wondered if the book would live up to its hype. But after I finished the book, I’m so glad I did. Anna and the French Kiss is a wonderful addition to the young adult genre. What’s even better? Perkins has two companion novels in the works: Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After to be published in September 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Adult fans of young adult fiction will not be embarrassed to be caught reading this book in public. It’s a heartwarming love story. Highly recommended.
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happen with her crush Toph. Anna is almost certain they would become a couple. Now thanks to her father, she’ll have to wait until holiday break to see if her hunch is correct.Her first night in Paris, she meets her neighbor Meredith. And St. Clair. St. Clair is the gorgeous guy every girl has a crush on, but he’s currently dating Ellie.
As Anna settles into her new school and begins to make friends, she finds herself gradually falling for St. Clair. Could the beautiful St. Clair also be falling for her too?
Anna and the French Kiss is a story the reader can easily get lost in. I read most of it on a Sunday afternoon and could not wait to pick it up again Monday after work. I found myself interested in Anna and her budding friendship (and romance) with St. Clair. Although I thought Anna’s holiday break was very predictable, it didn’t take away from the story. In fact, I think it helped with Anna’s character growth.
There’s a lot of buzz about this book. So much so, I almost did not want to read it. I wondered if the book would live up to its hype. But after I finished the book, I’m so glad I did. Anna and the French Kiss is a wonderful addition to the young adult genre. What’s even better? Perkins has two companion novels in the works: Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After to be published in September 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Adult fans of young adult fiction will not be embarrassed to be caught reading this book in public. It’s a heartwarming love story. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Anna Oliphant was all ready for a nice, normal senior year of high school, but that was before her father, a famous author, decided that she needed to spend senior year going to school in Paris... where she knows no one. And doesn't even speak the language. Anna's dreading a year away from
Review: I read a lot of YA, but they're mostly genre novels; I read very few straight-up contemporary YA books (except for John Green, almost none.) But if Anna and the French Kiss is any indication of what I've been missing, I'm going to have to seriously rethink my reading habits. Because it was great. Not perfect, and not serious literature, but thoroughly charming, fun, fluffy, flirty brain candy, and I had a blast reading it. (Not to mention that I devoured it in less than 24 hours; both because it's a fast read and because I kept wanting to drop everything else and go back to reading it.)
In addition to all of that, it has a number of smaller points in its favor. It's well-written, funny, and very able to capture the feeling of a high school romance - there were a number of scenes where Perkins got the sweaty-palms awkwardness down so well that I was almost convinced that she'd been spying on me during my own high school years. She's also very good at evoking Paris - or at the very least, of making me want to go back there and spend a few days wandering around the Latin Quarter with a cute boy. And Étienne is very cute, a thoroughly crush-able leading man, despite the fact that he's way too short for me. To top things off, it's a boarding school story! That right there would have been enough to sell me, even if it weren't for the other good points.
There were a few not-so-good points, too. First is that it is predictable as hell; any reader with her salt can give you the basic plot outline without knowing anything more than the back-cover copy. That's actually not as bad as it may seem: instead of the suspenseful tension of a will-they-or-won't-they (because of course they will eventually), we get the giddy anticipation of a hurry-up-and-"will-they"-already. And, as any romance reader knows, anticipation is at least half the fun. More problematic for me was the lack of characterization on some of the secondary characters. The leads are interesting and well-developed, but a lot of the other characters felt a little flat. This particularly bothered me with Ellie, Étienne's girlfriend. She wasn't on screen often, but when she was, she was basically an unrelenting b*tch, and it would have added a more interesting layer to the story if she'd had a few more shades of grey.
Regardless, I enjoyed the heck out of this book, and will definitely be looking for Perkins's next novel. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Definitely recommended for anyone who likes a good love story and is looking for a fun feel-good diversion from their more heavy, serious reading.
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her family, her best friend Bridget, and her sort-of-maybe crush Topher. As soon as school starts, however, Anna decides that things might not be all bad. She's made some friends, including Étienne St. Clair, one of the most handsome and charming boys in school. She starts falling for him, and it seems like he might be returning her interest. But he's got a girlfriend who's every bit as perfect as he is, so his flirting is probably just wishful thinking on Anna's part... or is it? Review: I read a lot of YA, but they're mostly genre novels; I read very few straight-up contemporary YA books (except for John Green, almost none.) But if Anna and the French Kiss is any indication of what I've been missing, I'm going to have to seriously rethink my reading habits. Because it was great. Not perfect, and not serious literature, but thoroughly charming, fun, fluffy, flirty brain candy, and I had a blast reading it. (Not to mention that I devoured it in less than 24 hours; both because it's a fast read and because I kept wanting to drop everything else and go back to reading it.)
In addition to all of that, it has a number of smaller points in its favor. It's well-written, funny, and very able to capture the feeling of a high school romance - there were a number of scenes where Perkins got the sweaty-palms awkwardness down so well that I was almost convinced that she'd been spying on me during my own high school years. She's also very good at evoking Paris - or at the very least, of making me want to go back there and spend a few days wandering around the Latin Quarter with a cute boy. And Étienne is very cute, a thoroughly crush-able leading man, despite the fact that he's way too short for me. To top things off, it's a boarding school story! That right there would have been enough to sell me, even if it weren't for the other good points.
There were a few not-so-good points, too. First is that it is predictable as hell; any reader with her salt can give you the basic plot outline without knowing anything more than the back-cover copy. That's actually not as bad as it may seem: instead of the suspenseful tension of a will-they-or-won't-they (because of course they will eventually), we get the giddy anticipation of a hurry-up-and-"will-they"-already. And, as any romance reader knows, anticipation is at least half the fun. More problematic for me was the lack of characterization on some of the secondary characters. The leads are interesting and well-developed, but a lot of the other characters felt a little flat. This particularly bothered me with Ellie, Étienne's girlfriend. She wasn't on screen often, but when she was, she was basically an unrelenting b*tch, and it would have added a more interesting layer to the story if she'd had a few more shades of grey.
Regardless, I enjoyed the heck out of this book, and will definitely be looking for Perkins's next novel. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Definitely recommended for anyone who likes a good love story and is looking for a fun feel-good diversion from their more heavy, serious reading.
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LibraryThing member coolmama
After hearing so much buzz about this new YA book, I decided to give it a try. I was NOT disappointed!
Anna Oliphant has been sent to SOAP -- School of America in Paris for her senior High School year by her father - a bestselling author of cheesy novels made into cheesier Hollywood movies.. She
While there, she meets Eitenne St. Clair - adorable, English/French/American, great accent, and all around good guy - however, he has been in a relationship for over a year. They become great friends.
Really really well written, didn't talk "down" to YA at all. Wonderful character development and storyline. Yeah, a few hole in the plot but it was unputdownable. Read it in one sitting. If this is Stephanie's first attempt at novel writing, can't wait to see what comes next!
Anna Oliphant has been sent to SOAP -- School of America in Paris for her senior High School year by her father - a bestselling author of cheesy novels made into cheesier Hollywood movies.. She
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doesn't want to leave her mother, brother, best friend and almost boyfriend - Toph, back in Atlanta.While there, she meets Eitenne St. Clair - adorable, English/French/American, great accent, and all around good guy - however, he has been in a relationship for over a year. They become great friends.
Really really well written, didn't talk "down" to YA at all. Wonderful character development and storyline. Yeah, a few hole in the plot but it was unputdownable. Read it in one sitting. If this is Stephanie's first attempt at novel writing, can't wait to see what comes next!
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LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
Anna and the French Kiss was simply divine. An absolutely good read that I could not put down. I think what I loved most about this book was that everything was at the right pace, right words, right timing. Nothing was thrown at you and you weren't spinned out of control with info.
Anna is
I liked St. Claire. I loved his accent, the way he talks, his perspective of things. He guided Anna when she need him and they had fun together. What I didn't like was that he was selfish. Sorry, but I had to say it. I know he didn't mean to but he used her as his crutch when he felt lonely and that upset me. While I was glad that he like and fell in love with her genuinely, I was still saddened by his actions.
Anna reminded me of me when I was in school. Scared to go to new places, try new things, and suffered in silence. Anna was so brave and took everything in stride. The character was likable and could relate to well. I like that she was strong. Even in a new and scary place, she held up her head high and made do with what she had. She is an easy person to make friends with and funny at times. He sarcastic side is something I l loved reading.
Anna and the French Kiss is a great book. I think I may have even learned a french word or two. The love between St. Claire and Anna is sweet. It is a kind of loves that grows in time within the book and you just fall in love with them. I rooted for them all the way. I was extremely happy that they made it. If you have not, read this book. Read it!
Anna is
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devastated. She is being sent around the world to a bordering school where she is alone. No one to help her. She is ALONE! All she sees is a year of exil. What she doesn't see is the cute boy who will soon walk into her future.I liked St. Claire. I loved his accent, the way he talks, his perspective of things. He guided Anna when she need him and they had fun together. What I didn't like was that he was selfish. Sorry, but I had to say it. I know he didn't mean to but he used her as his crutch when he felt lonely and that upset me. While I was glad that he like and fell in love with her genuinely, I was still saddened by his actions.
Anna reminded me of me when I was in school. Scared to go to new places, try new things, and suffered in silence. Anna was so brave and took everything in stride. The character was likable and could relate to well. I like that she was strong. Even in a new and scary place, she held up her head high and made do with what she had. She is an easy person to make friends with and funny at times. He sarcastic side is something I l loved reading.
Anna and the French Kiss is a great book. I think I may have even learned a french word or two. The love between St. Claire and Anna is sweet. It is a kind of loves that grows in time within the book and you just fall in love with them. I rooted for them all the way. I was extremely happy that they made it. If you have not, read this book. Read it!
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LibraryThing member ShaEliPar
There was/is a lot of hype surrounding this novel, which is not only completely justified but doesn't nearly do it justice either.
Anna is the best kind of protagonist because she's so easy to relate to. She's a smart girl with a quick wit, that often leaves other people speechless. She also talks
Anna becomes fast friends with a quartet of amusing characters. Meredith the shy, sweet girl who loves sports and harboring a secret crush on St. Clair. St. Clair the handsome, charming Brit that can match Anna's humor like no one else. Rashmi the brutally honest, straight A student desperate to attend Brown and Josh, Rashmi's laid back artist boyfriend, who loves to cut class.
No one in this novel is perfect, not even St. Clair with his amazing accent and beautiful hair. Every character has their own set of problems, which makes them all the more real. I don't want to spoil anything that happens between the various characters, but I will say that I loved all the ups and downs. Sure sometimes I wanted to smack the sense into a few people, but isn't that what your suppose to want to do? Stephanie Perkins had me fully invested in these characters and allowed me to feel like I was part of their group.
Paris is like another character in this novel, it literally breathes. You can see, hear, and taste the city in every word the author writes. As someone that's been to Paris, I can tell you that this is an incredible feat and allows the city to be truly magical.
I adore this novel and I will definitely be reading more from Ms Perkins! She has a real gift for showing the honesty, heartache and humor that love can bring!
Anna is the best kind of protagonist because she's so easy to relate to. She's a smart girl with a quick wit, that often leaves other people speechless. She also talks
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to herself constantly, which makes for some pretty hilarious moments when her thoughts come spilling out. I laughed out loud several times with the different things Anna would say and do.Anna becomes fast friends with a quartet of amusing characters. Meredith the shy, sweet girl who loves sports and harboring a secret crush on St. Clair. St. Clair the handsome, charming Brit that can match Anna's humor like no one else. Rashmi the brutally honest, straight A student desperate to attend Brown and Josh, Rashmi's laid back artist boyfriend, who loves to cut class.
No one in this novel is perfect, not even St. Clair with his amazing accent and beautiful hair. Every character has their own set of problems, which makes them all the more real. I don't want to spoil anything that happens between the various characters, but I will say that I loved all the ups and downs. Sure sometimes I wanted to smack the sense into a few people, but isn't that what your suppose to want to do? Stephanie Perkins had me fully invested in these characters and allowed me to feel like I was part of their group.
Paris is like another character in this novel, it literally breathes. You can see, hear, and taste the city in every word the author writes. As someone that's been to Paris, I can tell you that this is an incredible feat and allows the city to be truly magical.
I adore this novel and I will definitely be reading more from Ms Perkins! She has a real gift for showing the honesty, heartache and humor that love can bring!
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Pages
400