Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
By Stephanie Perkins
Published on August 4, 2011
Published by Speak
372 Pages 
Book one in Anna and the French Kiss series 
5 Stars


Can Anna find love in the City of Light?
Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?


Opening Thoughts 

I could say I picked up this book a little scared. I wanted it to be a good book, but I did not want a cliche romance novel. I really hate to say it now but that is what I thought I was picking up. The second thought I had was everyone was going to be thinking I'm reading porn. I never really read it in public but I did have one run in with my Step-Mom. She thought the title was The Art of French Kissing. I never laughed so hard in my life. I showed her the title and explained that she was attending a French boarding school. Then we both started laughing. So if you want to read this, I would suggest putting a sticky note on the front saying, "She is at a boarding school IN FRANCE."

Characters  

I read a lot of reviews about how everyone fell head over heels in love with St. Clair. For me I loved him but I did not fall head over heels in love with him. I liked his personality and everything but I never really clicked that much with him. Anna was a different story, I really like Anna. I would have loved to be her friend. I could relate to her with her friendship troubles because I had a huge mess up with one of my guy friends I liked and screwed up everything. I was envious when she fixed her relationship with St, Clair. I loved Josh as much St. Clair. He was like an Alec to me (Alec Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments). I love it when authors put in that character just at the right time to make you go ugggggh. I always have a strange attraction to these kinds of characters. I don't know what it is about their bad timing but I find them desirable. I almost cried when I found out that Bridge was dating Toph. I personally went up to Amber after that scene and said I would never steal her somewhat boyfriend if she goes off to a French boarding school. She said the same to me, like I'll ever get a boyfriend. Now Amanda was one of the cliche characters that I did not want in the book. She was your classic, rumor spreading mean girl.  Even though she was not the main antagonist, it bugged me to have the classic, slutty, lying, mean girl. Yes, now that I think about it, she did fit in but if there was another way she could have defended Mer I think it would have been better. Now Ellie, St. Clair's girlfriend, came off as kind of a slut to me.  I didn't really seem like she cared. When she showed up in a slutty nurse costume I burst out laughing.

Plot 
  
I didn't have that much of a problem with the plot. It was beautiful. I did not get the cliche plot line I expected. There was one cliche moment when she punches Amanda and gets in trouble. I kind of saw that coming with Amanda's whole character. We all knew something was going to happen between them. 

I did not get the cliche book I expected. It was really heart warming and romantic. I really can not wait to read Lola and the Boy Next Door. This book deserved its five stars.


Hope you keep reading,
Grace