Monday, January 24, 2011

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
Stephanie Perkins
Young Adult
372 pages
Dutton Books/Penguin
Available Now

THE STORY
Most young people would be thrilled with the prospect of spending an entire school year abroad in Paris, but Anna is most certainly not one of those people at the moment. Forced to attend an American boarding school in the City of Light on the whim of her famous-author father, Anna finds herself alone in her dorm room on her first night, crying into her pillowcase.

Luckily for Anna, her next door neighbor Meredith is familiar with both the school and Paris and quickly introduces Anna to her core group of friends. Handsome, funny, and deliciously English St. Clair quickly catches her attention, and despite his commitment to longtime girlfriend Ellie, Anna can't help but find herself increasingly drawn to him.

Soon, Anna finds that not only is St. Clair handsome, but he's also very easy to talk to and seems quite interested in helping her get to know Paris. Relationship drama, family discord, and friendship turmoil find their way into Anna's everyday life, and the one person who helps her through it all and the one person she wants most remains frustratingly and heartbreakingly unavailable.

MY THOUGHTS
Anna and the French Kiss is one of those rare stories where we find ourselves instantly enamored, so swept up in the emotional conflict our facial muscles become sore from the constant oscillation between the dopey grin we are helpless to stifle during moments of innocent flirting, and the furrowed brow and drawn mouth that result when events don't go the way we hoped. It's a sweet, honest, and endearing tale illustrating how often we get in our own way in relationships, our ability to communicate utterly foiled by overthinking and overanalyzing every minute detail, thereby keeping us from the very thing we crave most and might actually acquire if we could overcome our paralyzing fear of rejection and find our voice. We clutch the pages with palms gone sweaty from the prevalent romantic tension, leaving behind a physical imprint on the book in reciprocation for the intangible but powerful impression it leaves on our hearts.

Anna is adorable and lovable, full of anxiety and insecurity over attending an international boarding school, but she impresses us by putting on a brave face most of the time, making friends of both the other students and us as readers very easily. Her inner monologues and quips are a constant source of humor, and we seamlessly slip into her mind and vicariously live out her story as though it were our own, sharing with her the dreamy stares in St. Clair's direction and the constant longing to be viewed as someone other than the best friend. Though Anna has intense feelings for St. Clair, she doesn't mope, pine, or lose herself completely in her infatuation, instead building a camaraderie and a touching friendship that simmers with a nail-biting amorous suspense, and overflows with a potential we want to see fulfilled with every fiber of our being.

St. Clair is undeniably worthy of Anna's attention, exuding blissfully believable levels of charm and wit, and leaving the overconfident bravado and pretty-boy swagger to less worthy and less interesting fictional leading men. He's physically attractive enough to warrant the ample amount of female attention he receives, but he's not so inhumanly beautiful that we can't conceive of his interest in Anna, and while he possesses an impressive number of positive attributes, he also makes several infuriating and hurtful decisions that bring him down off an unreachable pedestal and make him both more accessible and more intriguing for his flaws. Their courtship is almost painfully slow, but it's the type of pain that tingles with sensual restraint, and we find ourselves positively vibrating with tension as we not so patiently wait for the moment when passion will overtake propriety, and romantic satisfaction will finally replace the anticipation and anxiety coursing through our veins.

Anna and the French Kiss is a story that makes us smile and laugh, but also one that keeps our insides in knots as we walk the sometimes painful and uncomfortable path toward love. Anna welcomes us into her life with open arms, holding nothing back and allowing us to see all of her insecurities coupled with her extraordinary strengths, and we can't help but adore her for the joy she brings us as we fumble our way through the City of Light together. A heartwarming tale at it's finest, this book is one that can be read again and again as we never tire of the butterflies in our stomachs, the flush to our skin, and the catch in our breathing as we experience first love and all it entails.

Rating: 5/5

45 comments:

  1. I'm in the middle of this book, and loving it! It's so sweet. Great review, you've really captured all the things I love about this book.

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  2. YAY! Glad you like it. I reviewed it too! This is a great book and I can't wait to read what Ms. Perkins puts out next. Her writing is great. She even made me cry!! Nice review!!

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  3. I keep meaning to get this book but then I talk myself down whenever I'm at a bookstore. Great review; I'll have to go pick it up now. :)

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  4. I've heard nothing but great things about this book, and I can't wait to get a chance to read it for myself! Glad you enjoyed it!

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  5. Great review, Jenny! You've pretty much written down (in more eloquent terms) exactly why I loved Anna and the French Kiss too.

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  6. I bought this last week and am hoping to get to it soon. Your review is amazing and makes me want to read it right now!

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  7. So glad you loved it Jenny! Amazing review. You really summed it up perfectly :)

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  8. Fantastic review! I can't wait to read this book. I've been hearing great things about it.

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  9. I've heard nothing but great things about this book. I can't wait to read it soon!

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  10. Wonderful review! I have a copy and can't wait to finally read it. Thanks, Jenny!

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  11. I really liked reading this review!
    I've heard nothing but good things about this book, I really want to read it.

    ~Ailsa

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  12. Everybody is loving this book, maybe I should look into.

    It's nice to hear that the male character is realistic in his charm, looks, and attitude. There seems to be an abundance of one dimensional cookie cutter male leads.

    Jennifer (An Abundance of Books)

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  13. Ok, seriously...if you're giving Anna a 5/5, too, then there must be something seriously amazing about this book. I'm so wary of the hype, but I'm trusting you on this! Great review, Jenny!

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  14. Great review and I agree about loving this book too.

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  15. Beautiful review Jenny! I still haven't compiled my abundance of notes for this book into a coherent review but your thoughts were right on the money. This is definitely a 5-star book for me and I'm glad you enjoyed it as well!

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  16. Great Review! I think this has to be one of the most beloved books right now. I haven't seen a bad thing written about it at all :)

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  17. I love your comment about facial muscles becoming sore as you grin and frown while you read. I find that happens to me when I'm reading a particularly good, emotional read, too! Really well put. Amazing review!

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  18. Must....read....this....book.

    :)

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  19. Thanks for review, you just made me wanna go buy it NOW. Love the facial muscles comment.
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  20. Thanks for all the wonderful comments everyone, I just adored this book (I think it's really hard not to):)

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  21. I like your review so much better then mine! Agree with you about this book. It's just so full of goodness.

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  22. This is the second review I read for this story today. I am really missing out. The romantic element sounds nerve wracking, longing and lovely!

    I can't believe I don't own this book yet, especially one that you'd stamp as a good re-read. Talk about fail.

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  23. Awesome, awesome review Jenny! Will be looking for this one in the future!

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  24. I know AATFK has bee getting rave reviews all around and your review just makes me want to read it more.

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  25. I'm totally getting this book now! There's been a lot of buzz on this one and I wasn't sure. I really trust your reviews. I love books that make me flush and smile. Sounds like a great romantic read!

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  26. Colette - Ha! I loved your review:) This book was so full of goodness, it just made me smile.

    Missie - Get on it Missie, I think you'll like this one!

    Carissa - I hope you give it a try. I don't read much contemporary YA, but this one was fabulous and well worth stepping outside of my normal supernatural realm.

    Jenny - It's a must read:)

    Julie - It is a great romantic read, I devoured it in one sitting and then sat there wishing I had more pages:)

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  27. You know.. I don't think that the cover or the title thrill me and I admit *hangs head* I stayed away from this one because of it. Now your review rocked! I must have this one. Darn you and your great reviews!! I have to add this one to my wishlist now. :)

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  28. Another excellent review, Jenny! I just started this one last night and am really enjoying it.

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  29. I'm so glad you liked this book. It was was really cute and a fun read.

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  30. LOVE this one! Can't wait till the next book comes out!

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  31. Melissa - I was not overjoyed at the cover or title either and passed it over for a while, MISTAKE! It's fabulous:)

    Rummanah - Can't wait to see what you think!

    Najela - I agree, loved it!

    Mollie - Me either!

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  32. Jenny- what a lovely lovely review...I just bought this one due to all the GREAT reviews Ive read and cant wait to sit down and read it..:D

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  33. Awesome review! This was the first book I read this year (started and finished it the first weekend in January) and I loved it so much! I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!

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  34. Oh, I just got this one in the mail today! Can't wait to be swept away by it =)

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  35. Tina - Thank you! I hope you love it, I just couldn't put it down:)

    Laura - Me too, she's going on my auto-buy list:)

    Angelique - Yay! Can't wait to see what you think, I hope you like it as much as I did!

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  36. I have this one waiting to be read. Maybe I'll move it up in my stack. With such a great review I really want to read it, now. I'm such a sucker for a teenage love story. Thanks for the review.

    Heather

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  37. I've been reading good things about his book, everywhere it seems. I went to purchase it today, but sadly no book stores in my surrounding area had it. I'm going to have to order it :) Lovely review, Jenny!

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  38. You just made me want to read it even more than I did before, just bought it yesterday. I've heard amazing things! :)

    Thanks for the review, Jenny.

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  39. 5/5?! Even though it seemed liked everyone was loving this one, I still didn't add it to my TBR. However, I recently added a "out of the norm" section and I think this has to go on it. Another amazing review! I love how described Anna longing to be her friend without becoming mopey.

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  41. Jenny, I really do wish I could write a review as half as good as you! You have captured Anna and the French Kiss PERFECTLY! I loved the novel, though I'm not sure how Stephanie Perkins can possibly top it with Lola and the Boy Next Door... ^_^

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  42. Gosh yes. Everything you said = true. It's just such a perfect contemporary... and I love how that even though there are companion novels, the story is a stand alone. I'm DYING for more contemp standalones. Can't wait for Sarah Dessen's to come out, or for someone to feel sorry for me and donate an ARC, lol.

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  43. I really want to read this one! Everybody are raving about it!

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  44. You've made me want to go and re-read this book. Fantastic review. (:

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  45. I am loving this book for too much! ❤️

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