Review | Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1
Published By: Usborne Publishing
Published On: January 1, 2014
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

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Anna has everything figured out - she was about to start senior year with her best friend, she had a great weekend job, and her huge work crush looked as if it might finally be going somewhere... Until her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away to Paris. On her own. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna finds herself making new friends, including Etienne, the smart, beautiful boy from the floor above. But he’s taken – and Anna might be too. Will a year of romantic near-missed end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

When Anna is forced to attend boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she is thrown into a life completely different from what she is used to. Despite having no knowledge of France and not able to speak French, Anna find friends and meets the boy everyone in the school wants, Etienne St Clair.

Stephanie Perkins is a literary genius. There are so many things that I love about this book and one of those is the way it is written. I love her writing style. She has managed to write the most adorable, yet slightly frustrating, book that will make you laugh and cry, possibly at the same time. She has become an auto-buy author for me after just one book.

I love all of the characters. Somehow all of the main and secondary characters in the book were relatable and likeable. From the feisty main character, to the confused love interest, to the jealous best friend, there is something in all of the characters you can relate to. Anna was a great main character and I loved that she was not afraid to stand up for herself or her friends.

The Paris setting was perfect. I have never been to Paris but having read this book, I feel like I have. It was full of descriptions of the city that were so beautifully written you felt like you were there yourself.

There was more to the story than just Anna and St Clair’s relationship. I really enjoyed the background stories to this book. Not only was there a focus on romantic relationships but relationships with friends and family were also an important aspect. These background stories added a more serious note in some cases and reminded readers that life can be tough. 

I loved the slow-building relationship instead on insta-love. Yes, this did mean angst and I definitely wanted them to just hurry up and be together but I did enjoy that they didn’t rush into anything. The fact that they grew to be best friends before there was any romantic involvement was refreshing to read about.

I am not entirely sure whether I approve of the “cheating” aspect. This is the only thing I didn’t really like with this book. St Clair has a girlfriend throughout the majority of the book while clearly developing feelings for Anna. I found this a bit unpleasant to read about as I felt for Ellie, St Clair’s girlfriend, and found myself wishing they would just break up, as that would have been more comfortable to read.

Overall, I love this book. Stephanie Perkins has done an incredible job of writing a cute and funny story, which will forever be one of my favourites. The characters were very fun to read about and they will always have a place in my heart.