Allison: Anna and the French Kiss || Stephanie Perkins || Book Review

Since I started reviewing books and became part of the book blogging community, I have heard so much about Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It has been so hyped up and nearly everyone I encountered was continuously telling me that I should read it. Admittedly, I was a hesitant because I wasn’t sure about all the hype but I finally relented and borrowed the book from my local library. Was it worth borrowing? Absol-fricken-lutely!

First of all, I’m a sucker for books that take place in a foreign country. Especially foreign countries that I have never been too, which honestly are any of them because I have never been outside of the United States, and there are a lot of places I want to go visit someday! I loved the scenic descriptions in the book. They pulled me right in and made me feel as if I was a part of what was going on. I could visualize every little bit of it – from the sights, to the sounds, to the smells, and everything in between.

Another thing that I really enjoyed about Anna and the French Kiss was the characters. I loved Anna. I loved her obsession with film. It was so interesting to read about a character who loved going to the movies and who got her friends to be passionate about it as well. I felt that Anna was so relatable because she was just so awkward and real. Like, she’s in a foreign country, and she doesn’t really know the language so she doesn’t want to order any of the food because she’s afraid she’d say or do the wrong this. That is so me! I would be so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and accidentally offending someone. Also, another reason she felt so real to me was because she doesn’t have all the answers to the things that happen to her, such as being sent to boarding school in Paris, or making new friends, or fighting with her best friend, or developing a crush on a boy who she believes is out of her league. She makes mistakes but instead of hiding from things, she tries to learn from them, and keeps doing the best that she can to survive.

Now onto that boy that Anna falls for….his name is Etienne St. Clair…and I adore him. He’s not an over the top mold of a dream boy. He’s not flawless. In fact, he has many flaws both physically and characteristically but, it was these flaws that made me love him even more. He actually felt human! He wasn’t built up to be more than he was. I mean, there were a few different girls who wanted to be with him but, he never pretended to be something that he wasn’t. They were the ones who built up his image in their minds. He always appeared to keep himself more of less grounded in who he was and that made me really like him. Flaws and all. Also, he and Anna don’t just fall in love over night. Their relationship is very well-developed, and it takes a lot of time for them both to be comfortable enough to admit that there may be something more going on than just simple friendship.

I really loved the way that Anna and the French Kiss was written. It was the perfect contemporary story. It had boy issues, friend issues, parent issues, and just overall life issues. There were so many quotable passages. For instance:

“Boys turn girls into such idiots.”

AND

“How many times can our emotions be tied to someone else’s – be pulled and stretched and twisted – before they snap? Before they can never be mended again?”

*happy sigh*

I’m really looking forward to hopefully reading the companion novels to Anna and the French Kiss very soon. If they’re anything like the first one, I will be a very happy camper. Kudos Stephanie Perkins!

Disclosure: Borrowed from local library

Other reviews of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins:

April’s Review: “J’adore Anna And The French Kiss…”

Drugs Called Books: “it was gripping, well written, with captivating characters and a sweet romance and it was just so. damn. cute!”

Reading in Winter: “If you like chick-lit, or romance, or just reading fun books, pick this one up. Just be sure to give yourself enough time in the day to read it because you will not want to put it down!”

Sash & Em: A Tale of Two Bookies: “This book made me feel warm and fuzzy and just plain HAPPY.”

The Allure of Books: “Make sure and savor the details, they’re what really make this book shine!“