Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: August 4th 2011 (originally December 2nd 2010)
Publisher: Speak
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 375
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
"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 Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
I had very high expectations for this book, as it seemed that everyone and their mother adored it, and it didn't disappoint... too much. I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this book, some incredible romance surrounding a fantastic plot? I don't know. But overall this book turned out to be nothing more than I romance. This review is starting to sound like a bad review, but honestly it's not. Take a look at those shiny 4 stars above if you don't believe me. I just couldn't give it 5 stars because I couldn't find a sub plot to keep me utterly captivated.
I'm used to reading adult contemporary where the main character goes on this journey doing 'whatever' (there are so many different things that I can't pick one example) and upon this journey she falls in love. Relationships grow stronger, unsure whether feelings are reciprocated, when finally in the last chapter the main character and the love interest fall madly in love with a satisfying first kiss. But this isn't the main plot. This is normally the sub plot, where only snippets of this relationship are given though out leaving you dying for more, but with Anna, it was the whole plot with nothing else to hook you except the relationship between Anna and Etienne. Now don't get me wrong, I loved the romance. The aged of the characters were captured perfectly, and definitely brought back memories of my own fairy tale romance when my husband and I first met. Anna's voice is witty and Etienne is (if I have to admit it) damn fine, but I think I expected a little more.
Dare I say it, I've read better. It will have pride place on my bookshelf, and sit amongst some great reads, but unfortunately for me doesn't quite make it to my favourites. I wish it did, because Stephanie Perkins' writing is brilliant, and because of that I'm still looking forward to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door. I think that if I'd just started out in reading, and this was one of the first contemporary romance I'd ever read, and I guess if I was in Perkins target audience, I would have adored this story. So if that is you, then please don't hesitate to pick up Anna and the French Kiss, but if you're a little older then please lower your expectations slightly and I'm sure you will love it.
Happy Reading!
Katie
P.S Superficially this book is beautiful. Yes we're going to go there, I had to. Yes the cover is a little cheesy, and admittedly the girl on the cover is not how I pictured Anna, but the quality of this book is incredible. This book has scalloped edge french flaps, textured pages, and the book falls open of the page you want to read which makes reading this book effortless. If I have to admit my favourite part of reading this book was actually reading this book. Sounds a little weird?! I know, but I blooming love this book. haha. I wish publishes made all paperback to this quality. Ahhh... enough said.
This book sounds like a divine read, I just ordered it and I finally got a confirmed receipt saying it shipped out to me yesterday :) I cannot wait to see for myself if it is as good as everyone has been saying... thank you for such a well written review :)
ReplyDeleteNew follower! Happy reading :)