[(Anna and the French Kiss )] [Author: Stephanie Perkins] [Jan-2014]

I feel almost like Anna right now, writing reviews on my blog. Except instead of movies its books. I had heard good reviews on this book but was still skeptical to reading it mainly because of the name. Anna and the French Kiss. It sounds almost like a Disney Channel Original Movie, the cheesy and stupid 2015 ones not the 2000 good movies. But once I dove into it, I was hooked.It begins with Anna being forced to move to Paris for the school year, which I could relate to having moved to different states in the course of two years. Nobody wants to have to start all over, let alone in a new country where they don't speak English.I love stories where the characters meet and it's instant chemistry, whether it be friendships, love, or even a hate chemistry. And Anna and St. Clair is one of my favorites out of them all.I'm a sucker for Brits, so put in a cute guy with an accent who calls his mom, "mum," and Anna, "Ah-nah," and I'm in deep.This story was so riveting and chalked up with romance, I was constantly smiling through every page. My heart beat faster when Anna's did and whenever she laughed I found myself doing the same.The only think I didn't enjoy was the petty fights between everyone. It's not really the story itself, just mostly how I hate how girls "Call" guys, not allowing the guy to even make the decision if he likes one of them, or none. It gets annoying; stop turning against each other, just chill out, and be nice.When it comes down to it all though, I give this book a 4/5. The diction was beautiful, scenery made me feel like I was in Paris, and the chemistry was divine. If this book is the closest I'll get to Paris, I am quite content with that.

This is one book that I've had on my TBR list for a really long time but for some reason never got around to it. Everyone seems to absolutely love this one so I wanted to finally pick it up and see what all of the fuss was about. This was my very first read by Stephanie Perkins too!I really enjoyed all of the different character's personalities. Anna was so completely lost at the beginning of the story and I really felt for her. I would be really scared to be in a completely different place where I didn't know the language and I didn't know anyone, and I'm 32! She's only a teenager! St. Clair was equal parts sweet and completely frustrating for me. I HATED that he had a girlfriend for almost the entire story. I'm not a fan of cheaters. He ran so hot and cold with Anna but somehow expected her to understand that his behavior meant he cared about her....but refused to break up with his girlfriend. He also had some really sweet moments with her, and was really protective of her. It also made me a little mad that even though he refused to leave his girlfriend for her, he didn't want her dating anyone else. Sooo, she was supposed to wait around for him to make up his mind? Nope. I don't blame her for trying to move on.In typical young adult fashion, there is a lot of friendship drama, with both her Paris friends and also her friends back home in Atlanta. I don't remember having too much friendship drama when I was a teenager but I know it was definitely a thing. It all felt pretty realistic. There's bound to be trouble when both you and your friend like the same guy. Along with the friendship drama, there was a lot of parent drama. Both St. Clair and Anna have "jerk dads" but we don't hear much more about them other than "he's a jerk". We know a little more about St. Clair's father, who definitely earns the jerk title, but I would have liked to know what made Anna's dad a bad guy.I've never been to Paris, but it is one of those places one my bucket list, so I'm always interested in reading books that take place there. I mean, who doesn't swoon a little over a cute accent?! I really enjoyed reading about Anna discovering parts of the city. She spent most of her time at the theater but she talks about visiting different places and monuments too. This one is good for a case of wanderlust, that's for sure.Unfortunately, I didn't end up loving this one as much as I had hoped, and I am definitely the unpopular opinion with that feeling. haha! I think this one was a case of "it's not you, it's me". I really enjoyed the parts of the story about discovering Paris, but St. Clair and Anna drove me a little nuts. With as much back and forth that happened between them throughout the story, by the time they finally got together I was already over it. lol! Maybe I'm just burnt out on young adult?? I'm not sure. I may still give the others in the series a try one day.

This was such an amazing read! I'll be honest, I don't usually seek out contemporary reads. I enjoy contemporary YA but I much prefer paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. Basically anything that takes place in a world unlike our own. But I absolutely love it when I find a contemporary novel that I really enjoy. Anna and the French Kiss was a book that I had been neglecting to read. I think it was all the hype that kept me away from it.Well, it took no time at all for this book to grab my attention. I had so much fun reading it and I was just so in love with the story! I cannot believe that it took me this long to read it!Anna and the French Kiss is such an amazing contemporary. It is a realistic setting that Stephanie Perkins has made feel magical. It was such an experience to read because of the characters. I adored St. Clair and Anna as well as the rest of the group. Each character had his or her's own personality and I loved each one. The relationship between St. Clair and Anna was my favorite part of the book. They were friends first and it was great to see two people have so much fun together. Aside from watching their relationship grow it was also nice to see them grow as individuals. Anna and St. Clair grew up and figured out who they are and what they want to do with their lives.I'm having a difficult time correctly putting into words how I feel about this book and why you should read it. So I'm just going to say that it is now one of my favorite contemporary YA's. The story is a mix of fun times as well as some touching and serious moments. Stephanie Perkins brings readers to a magical setting in Paris with lively characters that won't soon leave the mind. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from her! Check this out now if you haven't!