By: Stephanie Perkins
Published: December 2nd 2010 by Dutton
372 pages
Source: Personal Library
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Goodreads description--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 Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
First off let me say that I enjoyed this book. However, I don't think that I enjoyed it as much as many other people have. I can't give it a 5 star rating.
I've read SEVERAL books recently that really blew me away, and whenever that happens sometimes books that I'd normally like more just don't end up measuring up to the ones that exceeded my expectations. Anna and the French Kiss was kind of that way for me.
I can't blame Anna for not actually being thrilled about going to Paris for her senior year. I have to be honest and say I'm quite terrified of new places and new experiences like this. And so I related to Anna in that way. Where her friends kid her for staying in her room and never leaving campus early on...yeah, that would SO be me. I'm not venturing out unless I have a guide.
Anna lucked out by getting sucked into a group of friends almost immediately. St. Clair being one of them. And of course feelings begin to develop. I liked the fact that Anna doesn't have a perfect appearance (neither does St. Clair), but they both overlook these imperfections and see beautiful people in each other anyway.
Sometimes I found myself really frustrated with Anna and St. Clair, both individually and as a collective. And the name swapping thing--one minute he's St. Clair and the next minute he's Etienne--really irked me. Maybe it was because I'm not a fan of the name Etienne anyway. It just seemed really unnatural to me. I don't know. It's one thing to have a pet name for someone, but this felt completely different and utterly awkward to me.
On the other hand, I very much enjoyed the character growth that both Anna and St. Clair have to go through. The book became about learning a lesson and using the multiple experiences around you to flesh out those life lessons. And I really loved how Stephanie Perkins used the Bridget and Meredith situations to bring about this character growth. Truthfully Bridget and Meredith also grew from the situation and so bonus points for secondary character growth.
All in all, I enjoyed it. I'm giving Anna and the French Kiss 4 stars. Have you read Anna and the French Kiss? If so, what did you think? Let me know!
Finally someone else who didnt like the name Etienne!!! I read this for a book club a while back and when I said I didn't like the name or how Anna used it as a term of affection, people thought I was crazy. ANYWAY I really liked the book, just not the name thing. And I can totally agree that when you read really amazing books other books seem not as good :)
ReplyDeleteYeah it definitely is an unusual name. I loved this book! So cute! Stephanie's other book "Lola and the Boy Next Door" is super cute too! :)
ReplyDeleteI believe I gave it 2 stars. I thought there was too much drama with such a simple solution. Etienne just wasn't fair to his girlfriend and I didn't appreciate that. Anna had her annoying moments, although I sometimes recognized myself in her (I'm really shy and not that adventerous on my own, so the first days in a strange country with nobody I know? The horror..)
ReplyDeleteGreat review :)
I hadn't read anything like this book at the time which is why I gave this one a five. I loved this book with all my heart and really wish I could get my hands on the second one. Great review, I liked your honesty. 8)
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting!
Awesome review, Sandy! I think I read this one exactly at the right time for me, because it was a great read, and something I hope to experience again this year when I host a re-read in a few months. I like what you said about Anna and St Clair not being perfect appearance wise - too often we see MC's that are larger than life and so beautiful it hurts, and the truth is, most people aren't that way. I loved all the character growth as well!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds sweet, and although I do not read a lot of ya contemps, this does intrigue me. Great review and delighted it has character growth.
ReplyDeleteI just finished this book and I really liked it but I totally agree -- I think I was expecting too much! Everyone has really built this book up and it was good but I don't know if it was great! My favorite part was when Anna was in Atlanta -- that seemed to be almost the most true she and Etienne ever were -- but I didn't understand his girlfriend thing and some of the stupid things that Anna did...
ReplyDeleteEntered in the Lunar Love giveaway
I bought this book about a year + ago and have picked it up and put it back down. I just really didn't know too much about it and thanks to your review it has been bumped up on my tbr pile. Yep, pile. Lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks and I am participating in the 2013 4th of July giveaway.
Haha...glad to help! I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it as much as many people out there--but I think my expectations may have been too high! Also, thanks for entering my giveaway! Good luck!
ReplyDelete