Michelle R. (mreneerouser) -
Helpful Score: 5
I'm not the contemporary romance type of girl. I find them cheesy and boring. I hate how they usually revolve around a misunderstanding between boy and girl usually involving girl 2 or boy 2. I didn't come into this book with a bad attitude but I came with very low expectations.
Im probably STILL not the contemporary romance type of the girl but I will easily say that I am now a HUGE fan of Stephanie Perkins and Anna and the French Kiss . My face hurts from smiling. I was sitting by myself in my bedroom and I was smiling from ear to ear. I hate when I do that, since no one can see you smile but you cannot help yourself. That was me- grinning like the Joker. I laughed, and I cried. I felt like a teenager because the author managed to bring me back to my teenage years with such ease that I forgot I was not a teenager for a few hours.
Simply one of the best YA books Ive read in YEARS.
Im probably STILL not the contemporary romance type of the girl but I will easily say that I am now a HUGE fan of Stephanie Perkins and Anna and the French Kiss . My face hurts from smiling. I was sitting by myself in my bedroom and I was smiling from ear to ear. I hate when I do that, since no one can see you smile but you cannot help yourself. That was me- grinning like the Joker. I laughed, and I cried. I felt like a teenager because the author managed to bring me back to my teenage years with such ease that I forgot I was not a teenager for a few hours.
Simply one of the best YA books Ive read in YEARS.
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Anna and the French Kiss (French Kiss, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have been hearing how awesome this book is forever and finally got it from my library to read. I read nearly the whole thing straight through in one night. It was really good. It was funny, sweet, and just touches on so many things about growing up and being away from home.
Anna is sent to an American school in Paris by her father. She doesn't want to be there, but she tries to make the best of it. Right off the bat she meets a great group of students and then there is St. Clair. St. Clair is everything she has ever wanted in a boyfriend; beautiful, funny, and just all around wonderful to hang out with. Only problem is he has a girlfriend...oh and Anna has an almost boyfriend back in Atlanta, Georgia. So Anna is not only trying to learn how to navigate a foreign country but she is also navigating a difficult balance between herself and St. Clair.
This is seriously one of the most readable books I have read all year. By that I mean the language is so natural, the characters so real and interesting. I seriously sat down and started to read and suddenly realized I had been reading for quite a while and was 100 pages into the book. The story just flows off the pages. It is one of those stories that will have you giggling at points and will have you almost in tears at others.
Anna, St. Claire, and their friends are some of the most real, yet admirable, characters I have read about in a while. They make mistakes but are all trying to be decent people. They are all kind of quirky and have things they are really passionate about; instead of trying to hide their passions they embrace them as being part of who they are.
I really enjoyed watching Anna learn to navigate Paris. Perkins is just spot on with some of the things she has Anna go through and with some of the things Anna thinks. I remember being in Paris last year and I was self conscious; I did constantly wonder "Do I look too American?". The accuracy of these experiences and how well I related to Anna had me laughing out loud a number of times.
Watching Anna and her friends deal with their family issues was insightful, heartbreaking, and engaging. I guess in a way you could say this book is about navigation. How to navigate a new country, how to navigate through family issues, and how to navigate through love.
I was a bit leery about reading this book because it just sounded a bit too "high school" for me; I ended up picking it up because of how good I heard it was and I wanted to read a book set in Paris. I am glad I picked it up. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would actually reread it a few times if I had more time.
Overall I loved this book. If you like travel and you like reading coming of age type stories give it a read. In fact I think everyone should give it a read. Sure most of it is from Anna's perspective, but it wasn't too girly or too full of teenage angst, and it definitely wasn't shallow. It covered a lot of serious issues and was entertaining, funny, and completely engrossing...so, just read it already! I look forward to reading Perkins next book, Lola and the boy Next Door, when it comes out in September.
Anna is sent to an American school in Paris by her father. She doesn't want to be there, but she tries to make the best of it. Right off the bat she meets a great group of students and then there is St. Clair. St. Clair is everything she has ever wanted in a boyfriend; beautiful, funny, and just all around wonderful to hang out with. Only problem is he has a girlfriend...oh and Anna has an almost boyfriend back in Atlanta, Georgia. So Anna is not only trying to learn how to navigate a foreign country but she is also navigating a difficult balance between herself and St. Clair.
This is seriously one of the most readable books I have read all year. By that I mean the language is so natural, the characters so real and interesting. I seriously sat down and started to read and suddenly realized I had been reading for quite a while and was 100 pages into the book. The story just flows off the pages. It is one of those stories that will have you giggling at points and will have you almost in tears at others.
Anna, St. Claire, and their friends are some of the most real, yet admirable, characters I have read about in a while. They make mistakes but are all trying to be decent people. They are all kind of quirky and have things they are really passionate about; instead of trying to hide their passions they embrace them as being part of who they are.
I really enjoyed watching Anna learn to navigate Paris. Perkins is just spot on with some of the things she has Anna go through and with some of the things Anna thinks. I remember being in Paris last year and I was self conscious; I did constantly wonder "Do I look too American?". The accuracy of these experiences and how well I related to Anna had me laughing out loud a number of times.
Watching Anna and her friends deal with their family issues was insightful, heartbreaking, and engaging. I guess in a way you could say this book is about navigation. How to navigate a new country, how to navigate through family issues, and how to navigate through love.
I was a bit leery about reading this book because it just sounded a bit too "high school" for me; I ended up picking it up because of how good I heard it was and I wanted to read a book set in Paris. I am glad I picked it up. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would actually reread it a few times if I had more time.
Overall I loved this book. If you like travel and you like reading coming of age type stories give it a read. In fact I think everyone should give it a read. Sure most of it is from Anna's perspective, but it wasn't too girly or too full of teenage angst, and it definitely wasn't shallow. It covered a lot of serious issues and was entertaining, funny, and completely engrossing...so, just read it already! I look forward to reading Perkins next book, Lola and the boy Next Door, when it comes out in September.
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Helpful Score: 1
If youre craving a heartfelt contemporary YA romance with splendid character development, you absolutely must check out Stephanie Perkins debut novel. Set against the wondrous backdrop of Parisian city life, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is nevertheless a thoroughly down-to-earth book with a realistic romance guaranteed to warm the core of your very being.
Anna and St. Clairs relationship is nearly unmatched in terms of realistic development. Anna does initially acknowledge St. Clairs looksbut he turns out to be so much more than just a pretty face. If you like nice guys, then St. Clair is your man. Hes friendly, sensitive, and loyal, exactly the kind of guy that every girl should have. As Anna and St. Clair gradually become friends and then perhaps something more, readers will no doubt be able to relate to the alternating giddiness and tensions that are all part of a budding romance.
If St. Clair is the perfect nice guy, then Anna feels a bit like the everygirl. Shes believably uncertain when circumstances call for it, yet she is also not entirely a social pariah and is able to make friends. I wouldve liked a bit more exploration of Anna and St. Clairs family troubles, but it hardly deterred from my enjoyment of their story. Stephanie Perkins also makes great use of the storys setting: Anna and St. Clair wander Paris with the fascination and familiarity that a foreign student in an amazing city would feel.
Stephanie Perkins has written a wonderful contemporary YA novel that will no doubt work its way into many readers hearts. Im genuinely looking forward to more wonderful stories by this talented author!
Anna and St. Clairs relationship is nearly unmatched in terms of realistic development. Anna does initially acknowledge St. Clairs looksbut he turns out to be so much more than just a pretty face. If you like nice guys, then St. Clair is your man. Hes friendly, sensitive, and loyal, exactly the kind of guy that every girl should have. As Anna and St. Clair gradually become friends and then perhaps something more, readers will no doubt be able to relate to the alternating giddiness and tensions that are all part of a budding romance.
If St. Clair is the perfect nice guy, then Anna feels a bit like the everygirl. Shes believably uncertain when circumstances call for it, yet she is also not entirely a social pariah and is able to make friends. I wouldve liked a bit more exploration of Anna and St. Clairs family troubles, but it hardly deterred from my enjoyment of their story. Stephanie Perkins also makes great use of the storys setting: Anna and St. Clair wander Paris with the fascination and familiarity that a foreign student in an amazing city would feel.
Stephanie Perkins has written a wonderful contemporary YA novel that will no doubt work its way into many readers hearts. Im genuinely looking forward to more wonderful stories by this talented author!
