Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: Paperback from Kelly
Read: 5/16/2012 — 5/17/2012
In Six Words: Anna is well worth the hype.
Links
Stephanie Perkins — Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Amazon — Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle
Add it to Goodreads
Synopsis
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris – until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he’s taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near – misses end with the French kiss Anna – and readers – have long awaited?
-from Goodreads
Why I Started Reading This Book and Final Verdict
If it hadn’t been for Kelly going to a signing with Stephanie Perkins, I don’t think I would have even read Anna and the French Kiss. And wouldn’t that be tragic? I absolutely adored this book, and it has me wanting to gallivant off to Paris for a year. Anna and the French Kiss made me feel good on a day that started out bad, and that in itself is worth the read. It will make you feel good. And indeed. Originally I rated Anna and the French Kiss a 9, but the day after I finished it, I woke up wanting to reread all my favorite parts, and that, my friends, is a sign of a book worthy of a 10.
My Thoughts
Please excuse me as I squee in my pants (to quote Missie). I don’t know that I have ever really done such an act in a review to date, but it was bound to happen eventually, and Anna and the French Kiss is definitely the kind of book that makes you swoon to embarrassing degrees. I want to crawl into Anna’s world and roll around in it (bonus points if I can roll around with St. Clair). Why have I avoided this book for so long? Oh, right. Because it’s a YA contemporary, and I just. don’t. read. those.
Let’s take a few minutes to kick me for pure idiocy.
Yes, it’s true that I can’t handle angst (Woe! Angst!) and there is definitely some of that here. But! (there’s always a but where a good book is concerned; and, let’s face it, good books always have butts in addition to buts) But more than anything, this book feels real. The characters are real and tangible and accessible. Anna had me completely charmed by page 24. It takes a very well written character to have me admitting to being in love with the book by page 24. I am not always so easily charmed, except maybe by Etienne St. Clair.
Anna and the French Kiss made me feel like I was in the book. I read faster when Anna did something stupid and her thoughts raced on. I wanted to eat the cuteness on every page. If you’ve read the book, I think you understand the sentiment. It had me laughing and smiling and smirking and swooning my fool head off, and it did so on a day that I was feeling down and glum and sad. I wanted to point out every real life moment that could be related to and held a valuable lesson, because this is why books are AWESOME.
I stopped writing this review to go look at quotes from the book to see if I could pull out one of favorite FAVORITE parts and I got distracted by the pure awesomeness that is Stephanie Perkins’s writing. My quote isn’t there, so I’ll sum it up here: there’s a part where a teacher discusses translations and what happens to words and meaning when something is translated. And I just about died at how amazing and insightful this part is, because it’s true. It’s true for the story, it’s true from a language perspective, and it’s true for life. LIFE. I want to huggle this book.
And yes. If that’s not enough, then Sarah says it best:
@BookBender You liked? I swear it is one of the funnest, sweetest, most… ADORABLE books I’ve ever read. AND ST.CLAIR. OH MY GOODNESS O___O
— Sarah (@sazbah) May 18, 2012
Smash Attack June 6, 2012 at 7:00 am
I haven’t read this one yet either, mainly because I don’t do a ton of contemporary reading like you, but I know I will enjoy it when I finally give it a go. People have praised this book up and down and all around. I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 8:47 am
If you’re going to pick up a good contemporary, I’d definitely suggest this one! :)
Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal June 6, 2012 at 9:55 am
Annnnnnna! My review goes up next Monday. Squeee!
I kinda love your review and want to eat it up. Like candy. And St. Clair.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that Anna feels so real. She does stupid things and she does brilliant things and she does things that shows she cares in little ways. OMG! I want to read Lola now!
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 10:17 am
We will have to read Lola together soon! I’m still working on finishing the second Soul Screamers book. I have not been very good at reading lately. :(
Missie, The Unread Reader June 6, 2012 at 10:10 am
Doesn’t it feel so good to squee in your pants? It’s the greatest release of all. hehehe
Well, I fail. I still haven’t read this book, but you are right, any book that turns a bad day into a happy one deserves high praise.
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 10:18 am
Missie, we need to make squee-proof pants. Squee in your pants all you wish! No more embarrassing moments!
Honestly, if Kelly hadn’t gone to a signing that Stephanie Perkins was at, I probably would have never read this book. BUT I’M SO VERY GLAD I DID.
ShootingStarsMag June 6, 2012 at 11:54 am
I’m so glad you enjoyed this. I haven’t read it yet but I really really want too and I just love contemporay books, so it’s great when someone enjoys one a whole TON!
-Lauren
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 4:46 pm
This was definitely a good one! Well. Of my limited experience anyway. ;)
Rummanah June 6, 2012 at 12:21 pm
This one really filled the void of watching a really good rom-com movie. And yeah, rolling around with St. Clair would definitely be a highlight. ;)
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Yes! This would make a really good rom-com! :)
Felicia June 6, 2012 at 1:02 pm
This sounds adorably cute! If it got a 10 from you then it goes on my YA list :)
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Eeep! I hope you like it, then! :)
(and yes, it is adorably cute)
Alissa June 6, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Some contemps are worth it! ;)
Of course, I only say that because I’m a YA contemp fiend.
But ANYWAY. So St. Clair. If he were here, there wouldn’t be enough of him to go around.
So glad you read this, and so glad you enjoyed it.
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 4:49 pm
I know! It’s not that I dislike contemps, it’s just that I… am more on a paranormal kick right now.
Natalie @ Mindful Musings June 6, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Wow? A 10 on a YA contemp from you? Lol. I have to admit that I had to do a double take when I first saw that. I was like…uh…Amanda…how late did YOU stay up last night, because that’s definitely a 10 I see on your rating scale. Haha. So glad you took a step out of your comfort zone and it paid off. Yay! Now I just need to get around to reading this one. It’s on my shelf. That’s a step in the right direction, right? :)
P.S. Lol! Sarah always manages to say it best. :)
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I’ve been smoking special YA contemp crack, Natalie. It’s wonderful! You should try it. ;)
I’ve been trying to rate more books as a 10. I don’t very often, and I think there are some books that really do deserve it. For me, this is one of them.
Natalie @ Mindful Musings June 6, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Hmm….where does one locate this “crack?” Am I missing out on some sort of underground book blogger black market? :)
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 6:49 pm
*looks around to make sure the coast is clear* I may have a special deal on it. I know people who know people.
*whispers* Or you could probably just find some at your local bookstore. ;)
Amy @bookgoonie June 6, 2012 at 5:00 pm
I was hooked by chapter 1. It cracked me up.
I have Lola cued up for my very own Standalone June Reading Mania.
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 6:47 pm
It was hard not to get hooked.
Kelly and I are considering Lola to be part of a series so that we can read it this summer. *wicked grin*
Anne June 6, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Isn’t this book SO AWESOME?! You’ll have to read Lola soon – I still can’t quite decide which I like better, but I definitely know I’ll take Cricket over St. Clair (Bonus points – there’s a guy who totally looks like him in the community band I play with. Sometimes I have trouble concentrating in band…).
I’m so glad you liked this book and I can’t wait to see what you think of Lola!
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 6, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Yes, Lola is on my list! I’ve seen people say that Lola is better, so I am very curious! (especially since I loved Anna so much.
Isalys June 7, 2012 at 11:34 am
Ahhh, I want to squish-huggle you for loving this book as much as I did :D
I’m not big on contemp YA either so I dragged my feet on reading it but one day, I just decided that I needed some more fluff in my life and this book delivered. I was practically walking on sunshine when I finished! This is a book that when you finish the last page, you close it, sigh and just feel good. It was just an absolute joy to read!
And St. Clair…oh, love him so hard! American w/ a British accent and just a dash of French…pardoné moi while I swoon ;)
I haven’t read LOLA yet but I will. Someone promised to send it to me as a RAK so I am totes excited!
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 7, 2012 at 12:33 pm
*revels in the squish huggle* I’ve heard Lola is just as good/even better than Anna!
Mandi Kaye June 7, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Whoa, a 10! If this weren’t already in my TBR, I’d be rushing off to add it now!
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm
I know! There aren’t many 10s around these parts. :)
Bianca June 7, 2012 at 11:57 pm
I still haven’t read this but I haven’t heard a bad thing about it. It must really be great. I will need to read it eventually. Thanks for the great review.
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 8, 2012 at 8:16 am
It’s a really good book to read if you’ve had a bad day or need something to cheer you up!
Hanna @ Booking In Heels June 10, 2012 at 10:46 am
It’s weird, I’m not usually a massive fan of contemporary YA, but I REALLY want to read this. I got it right after Christmas, but I got distracted by so many other books.
I don’t think I’ve actually read a negative review of it yet… Aww, I think you’ve inspired me to bump it up the TBR pile!
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 10, 2012 at 1:21 pm
I’m not a fan of YA contemp either, but this one just hit all the right spots.
:) :) :)
Sarah (saz101) June 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm
“It will make you feel good.”
THIS! YES YES YES YES YESSSS!
And this: “Please excuse me as I squee in my pants (to quote Missie). I don’t know that I have ever really done such an act in a review to date.” SAME O___O AND I THINK I ENDED MY REVIEW WITH A PARAGRAPH LONG SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
AMANDA.
YOUR REVIEW.
IT PERFECT.
SARAH DOES NOT SAY IT BEST BECAUSE YOU DID! I want to scoop up every word you wrote and cuddle them, and cuddle the book and then cry with glee. I just. can’t. even.
SERIOUSLY. It’s one of those books that just made me so damn happy I can’t even explain. SO GLAD YOU LOVED IT! ♥
Amanda @ On a Book Bender June 11, 2012 at 10:05 pm
I think this is possibly my favorite comment EVER. *huggles you*