Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: (Hardcover) 372 pages
Series: Anna and the French Kiss (#1)
Summary: 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?
Favorite Quote: "Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?

My thoughts: One question: why isn't Etienne St. Clair a real person? I think it's safe to say that most of the readership of this novel fell in love with this witty, charming English boy. Stephanie Perkins has a way of making you feel like you know the characters. Like you attend the School of America in Paris and like St. Clair, Rashmi, Josh, Anna, and Meredith are your best friends there.

And not only are Perkins' characters colorful and relatable, but she has somehow made the city of Paris one of the characters in her captivating novel.  I felt like I was in the heart of Paris the whole time. I could feel the breeze coming off the Seine, I could smell the scent of baked goods wafting from the patisserie, I could hear the opera singer outside the residence halls, and it just made me want to visit the city of lights just that much more. Throughout Anna's and Etienne's trials and tribulations, I felt for them. I wanted to jump into the pages and comfort them. And when they were laughing, going to movies, and exploring Paris, I wanted to be there and experience this beautiful city with them.

Not only that, but I loved Anna as the narrator. She had tone that was serious when it needed to be, witty, and honest. More than anything, I loved how real this book felt. The descriptions were delicious, the dialogue was dynamic, and the characters had depth. Everything I want in a book and more.

From what I understand, the books in this series can operate as stand-alone's, but they are all linked together in some ways. Similar to Sarah Dessen's books, the characters from other books in the series will pop up or play a small role in the rest of the novels in the series. For example, the protagonist in Perkins Isla and the Happily Ever After made an appearance in this novel. I think this is a very creative way to go about writing a series, and it's fun to see how Perkins will tie in  these iconic characters.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a soft spot for the mushy (even though it's not that mushy, it just makes you feel like your heart is melting occasionally), and for anyone who enjoys a book where the setting is as much of a character as the protagonists. This was truly a wonderful novel, and I will definitely be rereading for years to come.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars