I'm back again with a new review. This time I'm going to discuss Anna and the French Kiss, by the lovely Stephanie Perkins, which is a YA contemporary published in 2011. I hesitated for a long time to buy it but I'm so glad I finally did 'cause it turned out to be one of my favourite contemporaries. So let's get started!
Short summary:
Anna is sent to a boarding school in Paris by her father for her senior year. And she's not excited at all because she loves living in Atlanta. But when she arrives in Paris it doesn't seem that bad after all. She meets new people and already finds a new friend on her first night. And then she comes across the handsome Étienne St. Clair. In spite of him being in a serious relationship Anna can't help but fall for him. Will she get her French Kiss? [More Informaton]
Ok, so where do I start? BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH I WANNA TALK ABOUT! First of all a round of applause for Stephanie Perkins' writing style! It's very simple and funny and I fell in love with it immediately. Second of all I gotta say that this story is so freaking cute like I can't even handle it. I haven't read such a heart-warming and funny novel in a while and picking up this book was the best decision ever!
I always say that what makes a good story are the characters. If the characters aren't relatable the story isn't as good as it could be. Perkins created the loveliest and most delightful characters you could imagine.
We have Anna who is this 17 year old girl who isn't necessarily shy but she's not very confident either. At first she's scared because she has no idea what to expect and she even refuses go outside by herself. But as the story goes on she grows more confident.
Then we have St. Clair. Besides the fact that he is described devastatingly handsome, he has a british accent. I repeat: ST.CLAIR HAS A BRITISH ACCENT! And just when you think it can't get any better you can't stop yourself from falling in love with his personality. He's super polite to everyone and very caring. Especially when it comes to Anna. Throughout the story both develop a very close friendship. Anna obviously falls for him but then there's St.Clair's girlfriend Ellie. In addition to that Anna is constantly torn between St.Clair and her almost-boyfriend Toph who lives in Atlanta.
Another character that plays a big role in Anna and St.Clair's confusing friendship/relationship is Meredith. She is the first person to befriend Anna in Paris. It turns out that Mer also has a thing for St.Clair which makes everything even worse. As hard as Anna tries to shake off her feelings for him she ends up accepting the fact that she loves him.
Lastly we have Josh and Rashmi who're a couple you think will never break up. But their relationship does involve problems and in the end they end up going seperate ways.
Meredith, Josh and Rashmi turn out be wonderful friends to Anna. In spite of all the trouble she causes unintentionally they stick to her just as friends are supposed to do.
After all St.Clair is Anna's best friend. He's there for there when she needs him and she's also there for him when he needs her. He goes through a hard time because his mother suffers from cancer and his dad won't let him see her. At the end of the day Anna and St.Clair help each other out and prove true friendship. Eventually they confess their love for each other and St.Clair breaks up with Ellie.
Anna and the French Kiss isn't just another love story. I mean IT IS a love story and some parts may be predictable but a very important topic in this book is friendship and family. It's about wanting to please everyone but to learn that it's not possible. In life you will dissapoint your loved ones and your loved ones will dissapoint but you will learn to accept that and to forgive. And most importantly you will learn that home doesn't always have to be a place but a person.
I give this novel 5/5 stars. It was very easy to read and the story made me extremely happy. I'm looking forward to reading Lola And The Boy Next Door and Isla And The Happily Ever After very soon! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary.
I hope you guys enjoyed my review! - V
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