Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 372
Format: Print/ Paperback
Published: December 2nd 2010
Publisher: Dutton

So basically this review will rave about everything you've already heard about this book. This is a warning!

What can I say? This was such a cute and romantic read. I needed a break from the paranormal/supernatural genre for a little. This was the perfect contemporary read. Gah, this was swoon worthy. Yeah, I know, boys and men are usually swoon worthy, but I think books can be added to this list of swoon-worthy-things.

Where do we begin? Ah, we begin in Paris. The city of love. The city of great food and cheese. The city when I think of it I think of Madeline. Who wouldn't want to live in Paris? Anna, of course! She much rather be back home in Atlanta, with her friends, and Toph... that's just fantasy, her award winning writer of a father won't let Anna return. So she is stuck in Paris. Paa-lease, if I were stuck in Paris I'd visit the Notre Dame and pretend the Hunchback actually lived there. I really like the hunchback. People with hunchbacks are good looking too, you know.

As it turns out, living in Paris isn't all that bad. She meets a group of friends, and totally falls in love with St. Clair. Ettien St. Clair. You know what I love about St. Clair? He's short. Yeah, how witty was the author on that one? Most boys in YA fiction are tall, have abs, muscular arms, and are tall. But St. Clair, he's just a regular guy, which probably makes him THAT much more hot. We don't know if he has abs, we know he is short (but not too short), and we know, by what Anna has told us, that he has great hair. I think Perkins crafted the most handsome-est and hot-est of boys in YA literature, EVER! Wouldn't you agree?

Anna is such a funny person. Ahaha, this book was funny! Jeesh, it had me laughing at 1 in the morning. I'm surprised no one woke up. Anna Olphant. Weird, eh? Or, Banana Elephant is her nickname. She has a bleached chunk of hair that coins her the nickname "skunk" by some very mean characters. Stupid bullies. But you know what is so great about Anna. She's human! Everything she says, does, acts, feels, is SO human. She doesn't let people get to her. If you're a complete asshole, she'll kickass your ass to another Universe. But, despite St. Clair kind of being an ass, she still loves him. I just really love how human she is. You can really relate to her. This, my friends, is probably another reason why so many love this book. St. Clair being the first, of course.

The overall plot was great. Some things I wasn't expecting, too. For example, you'd finish a chapter on a cliff hanger, so what do you do? Turn the page! This is what all great books should make you do. Keep turning those pages until your teacher is yelling at you for attention. So after turning that page you'd begin the next chapter. TaDa! Perkins, you are successful in keeping your audiences' attention. This is a page turning book. Nay I say more? Every scene, happening, or whatever, in this book was perfect. No complaints. Zelch. Zip. Zero.

So overall, what would I give Anna and the French Kiss?

Cinq retournement de délicieux croissants
(translation: five flipping delicious croissants)

I had to say something french somewhere in this review, eh?

Cheese, St. Clair, Paris, St. Clair,

Angela