Silvermay
by James MoloneySixteen-year-old Silvermay Hawker feels drawn to the newcomer in her village - a young man of solemn
Read ReviewAnna and the French Kiss
Genre:
8
9
Anna was 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. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne 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?
Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.
(6 votes)
Reviews
Nov 24,2011
Anna and the French kiss written by Stephanie Perkins was first published in 2010 by the Penguin Group. Anna and the French kiss is set in the love capital of Paris, France and although a romance book, Anna and the French kiss, still captures the day to day basis of a teenage girl. The stresses of study, the new home, the new best friends, the conflict between old best friends, parents and of course boys. Anna and the French Kiss has it all.
Anna Oliphant has been transported all the way across to a new country, just to complete year 12. Anna and her best friend Bridge have been inseparable ever since they could remember, and are torn by the fact that they will both be on other sides of the world, in a few days time. Anna is also upset about leaving her boyfriend Christopher or Toph as she likes to call him. But finally after all of the stresses of packing and the tearful goodbyes, Anna finds that she fits in to Paris better than she thought she would. Here she meets her new best friends and Étienne, who she finds she is falling for. However, Anna has to deal with the struggles of having a boyfriend back in America, and betraying her new best friend, who has helped her ever since she has arrived, before she can even consider getting with Etienne, who might I add has a girlfriend. Until, the unthinkable happens and everything Anna does and hears is bad news. After all the excitement and hype of moving to Paris, all Anna wants to do is sink in a hole and never be seen again.
Anna and the French kiss is a capturing book that will have your eyes glued to the text, with the endless amount of surprises. A recommended book for teens of any age and adults who as Stephanie likes to say ‘just don’t want to admit that teen books are awesome’.
Jul 23,2011
I found Anna incredibly easy to like. Her love of film was something that really resonated with me (like Anna, I went to uni to learn and write about film and really wanted to become a film critic) and some of her favourite film choices were freakishly similar to my own (Rushmore, Sixteen Candles). She’s also a bit neurotic, has a tendency to over-think everything, and a bit of a neat-freak and ongoing inner-monologue is endearing and easy to read.
Now for the collective sighs – Etienne St Clair! He is English, with an American mother and speaks fluent French. Etienne is charming and friendly and it’s easy to see why Anna (and everyone else) falls for him so quickly. He is also short and has flaws and is a believable love interest (as opposed to the Edward Cullens of YA). Anna and Etienne’s relationship develops throughout the course of their novel and their banter comes across as genuine and charming. I also enjoyed the fact that for a romance, there is also a focus on friendships – as I do feel a bit with some love stories that the supporting characters and friendships get neglected, but Perkins gives Meredith, Rashimi and Josh (swoon, I have to admit I was rather fond of Josh) their own personalities and are well-developed.
It’s easy to fall in love with the Parisian setting – Stephanie Perkins swirls us around on a (slightly touristy) journey through the city of light. For me, this aspect was really appealing and having been to Paris myself (though only for two days – not long enough!), it was fun to hear Anna and her friends visit places I had been to, and made me realise I really, really want to travel again!
Anna and the French Kiss is an engaging debut novel and whilst it’s super sweet and lovely, it also handles serious issues with sensitive. It's perfect for a Sunday afternoon read - preferably whilst nibbling on some macaroons!
It’s easy to fall in love with the Parisian setting – Stephanie Perkins swirls us around on a (slightly touristy) journey through the city of light. For me, this aspect was really appealing and having been to Paris myself (though only for two days – not long enough!), it was fun to hear Anna and her friends visit places I had been to, and made me realise I really, really want to travel again!
Anna and the French Kiss is an engaging debut novel and whilst it’s super sweet and lovely, it also handles serious issues with sensitive. It's perfect for a Sunday afternoon read - preferably whilst nibbling on some macaroons!
My full review of Anna and the French Kiss is here
Apr 12,2011
‘Anna and the French Kiss’ is the debut YA novel from Stephanie Perkins.
Anna’s senior year is not going as planned. Instead of living it up in her home town of Atlanta, Georgia and crushing on her cinemaplex fantasy boyfriend, Anna is being shipped to a French boarding school. Really, it’s like something out of a Charlotte Bronte novel. Anna’s father has hit the big-time with his schmaltzy romance-depression novels, and he insists on giving Anna some cultural learning. So Anna is going to the School of America in Paris. Paris – where the French are renowned for hating Americans, white sneakers and fast food. What is a little Georgia-peach like Anna supposed to do?
Anna’s homesickness is eased when she is befriended by the football-loving Meredith – who then introduces her to Josh and Rashmi. . . and Étienne St. Clair. Étienne is the boarding school’s resident heartthrob – every girl wants to date him, and every boy wants to hate him. And it doesn’t take long until Anna joins the St. Clair fanclub. But he has a girlfriend. Plus he’s British – well, British/American/French. . . still, far too refined for little ol’ Anna. But what does it mean when St. Clair starts spending all his free time with Anna. What does it mean when she starts calling him Étienne and a drunken revelation could change everything. . .?
I started reading this book at 8PM one night, and found myself inhaling the last page at midnight. I literally could not pry the book from my hands, it was so darn good! And it’s definitely going on my 2010 favourite’s list!
Perkin’s debut is very much a contemporary teen romance, with all the trimmings. It’s boy meets girl, except with a Paris setting and heightened teen melodrama when homesickness and distance factor into the emotional equation.
Anna is a fantastic protagonist. I loved the fact that she was a shy, clean-freak (mostly because I could relate!). Anna gets to Paris and can only think about how homesick she is, and self-conscious at being a ‘crass’ American. I think she had a very relatable and understandable reaction to her boarding school experience. Of course Perkins could have gone to the other end of the spectrum and written about Anna cutting loose and going crazy on her freedom (and the French drinking age of 16!). But I really related to Anna’s shyness, and it was interesting to read her intimidation of Paris. Anna has a really big hang-up at not being able to speak the language, and this made for interesting reading and insight into the life of an international student. Little things become big anxieties – like going to the cinema and asking for movie ticket! I loved the ‘Lost in Translation’ examination. It also made for some pretty hilarious moments in the novel;
The only French word I know is oui, which means ‘yes,’ and only recently did I learn it’s spelled o-u-i and not w-e-e.
Anna was really terrific – a perfect teen bundle of neuroses and bravery. Because she was so scared of her Paris experience, it made her small triumphs that much more epic!
And then there’s Étienne St. Clair. . . *dreamy sigh*. Ahhh. . . never has there been a more swoon-worthy fictional teen pin-up. Étienne is the whole package – he has the accent (British!) he’s got a crooked smile, effortlessly mussed hair, a killer sense of humour and a romantic-steak a mile wide. I loved him! I especially loved that his complications weren’t always easy to decipher. . . it’s up to Anna (and readers) to interpret his actions, from drunken ramblings to ‘is he touching Anna’s leg on purpose in the darkened movie theatre’? I loved the melodrama and emotional roller-coaster that Étienne and Anna go on – because I was invested in these two from the get-go.
‘Anna and the French Kiss’ is unabashedly romantic. I loved the tension, the will-they-or-won’t-they guess-work was fantastic. . . and Étienne + Anna were too freakin cute!
We have a perfect view of the entrance – hundreds and hundreds of tiny figures carved into three colossal archways. The statues look like stone dolls, each one separated and individualized. “They’re incredible,” I whisper.
“Not there. Here.” He points to my feet.
I look down, and I’m surprised to find myself standing in the middle of a small stone circle. In the centre, directly between my feet, is a coppery-bronze octagon with a star. Words are engraved in the stone around it: POINT ZÉRO DES ROUTES DE FRANCE.
“Mademoiselle Oliphant. It translates to ‘Point zero of the roads of France.’ In other words, it’s the point from which all other distances in France are measured.” St. Clair clears his throat. “It’s the beginning of everything.”
I look back up. He’s smiling.
“Welcome to Paris, Anna. I’m glad you’ve come.”
One thing I really loved about this book was the examination of family. It’s not an all-consuming focus of the novel, but Perkins at least touches on familial issues. So often in contemporary YA books parents are convenient no-shows, swept under the rug for storyline’s sake without a believable reason for their absence. That’s not the case in ‘Anna and the French Kiss’, though it easily could have been. Shipping her protagonist off to a boarding school could have given Perkins a legitimate excuse to skip over discussions of family. . . but instead she writes about these teenagers feelings of abandonment and displacement that comes with their family sending them away. It’s a big deal for Étienne especially, who has never been close to his father. And for Anna, whose father changed when he gained success. . . and I've got to say, Anna’s father (hilariously!) reminded me of a certain American pulp-writer of schmaltzy love stories. . . *cough* Nicholas Sparks! *cough*.
There are two more books planned as companions to Anna’s novel. ‘Lola and the Boy Next Door’ is set for a Fall 2011 release, while ‘Isla and the Happily Ever After’ is slated for Fall 2012. Isla has a cameo appearance in ‘Anna and the French Kiss’, but I’m not so sure I know who Lola is. . . regardless, I did think at the end of ‘Anna and the French Kiss’ that the story could go on (and I would like little glimpses into Anna and Étienne’s ongoing romance! *squee!*). So I was thrilled to learn of these ‘companion’ sequels!
‘Anna and the French Kiss’ is the literary equivalent of a chocolate éclair. Chocolatey, creamy goodness you can gorge yourself on and then come back for seconds. . . in other words – delicious!
Mar 20,2011
Anna and the French Kiss is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books ever! Stephanie Perkins is a fabulous author and she created a romantic, fun, and addicting debut.
Anna Oliphant was an awesome main character. She was so realistic and believable, and best of all, she wasn’t perfect. Anna was an ordinary teenager and reading about her experiences was so much fun. She never failed to add humor to the story and I really wanted to know her in real life. Anna is one of those characters you can’t help but like and want the best for and I was constantly rooting for her throughout the novel. Her family wasn’t perfect either but I enjoyed reading about them. Her father especially. I always find it interesting when a character in a book is an author and Mr. Oliphant was no expectation. He reminded me of Nicholas Sparks in a way, or at least his books and movies did. Sean was a sweet younger brother and he really did love Anna. She had a lot of ups and downs with her friends in America, but I’m satisfied with how everything turned out.
The characters that played the largest role in Anna and the French Kiss were Anna’s friends at the School of America in Paris. It was such an original idea to have Anna go to boarding school in Paris and made the story that much more magical and intriguing then if it was just in the US. All of the people Anna meet in Paris made an impact on both Anna and the reader and I loved them all. Especially her best friends; Meredith, Rashmi, Josh, and St. Clair. They were a great group and each of them played a large role in the story. Especially Etienne St. Clair.
St. Clair deserves his own paragraph in this review - he is just that awesome. I loved his character and every page he was on. St. Clair was not your standard typical, gorgeous, popular guy, but rather a sweet and realistic character that adds so much to the story. I especially liked watching Anna and St. Clair’s friendship grow and develop into something more.
The setting and plot was also great. The idea of attending boarding school in Paris was so original and reading about all the places they visited and people they met was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Another part of the novel I liked was reading about Anna’s love for movies, especially old classics. Stephanie Perkins wrote a magical and romantic first novel that will steal the hearts of readers everywhere and leave them dying to visit Paris. Anna and St. Clair were awesome main characters and the writing was fabulous. I can't wait to read Stephanie's next release!
Mar 15,2011
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and read it all in one sitting.
Setting the story in Paris was such a brilliant idea. Paris is one of those cities that draws you in and just reading the pages made me feel like I was back in Paris (and made me remember all the things I love about that city; I am so going back again soon).
Anna's new friends are the kind of people you would want to hang out with. There were so many moments that made me want to smile, whether it was between Anna and St. Clair or others in their group. I loved their friendly, teasing banter but also the fact that the characters all have other things going on in their lives besides just worrying about if the person they are crushing on likes them back. I like that they make mistakes, that they have heart. There is a depth to Anna and the French Kiss that not alot of YA romance novels have.
Anna is an awesome protagonist who is very easy to relate to; she's very real. She's kind of neurotic, she's funny and she's always trying to do the right thing. St.Clair is absolutely crush-worthy but of course he's human and makes plenty of mistakes. He is charming and sensitive and has alot of his own issues to deal with. Both characters can be so frustrating when they are together, you can feel the romantic tension between them and the awkward moments when you just want them to hurry up and admit how much they like each other. God that tension! There are sweet moments, tear-jerking moments and times when you just wish you could trade places with Anna.
Simply put, you will fall in love with this book.
Mar 11,2011
WOW! I managed to read Anna & The French Kiss in one day and couldn’t be more pleased with what I found between the pages! Stephanie Perkins has really raised the bar for contemporary YA novels! A must read!
Anyone that has been following my blog from the ground up has known about my yearning to read Anna & The French Kiss for months. Everything about this tale grabbed me! I’ve been long obsessed with anything French, especially Parisian, so a contemporary YA novel was just what I needed and had been lusting for for years!
So with so much hype and rave reviews, did Anna live up to the amazing novel I’d been dreaming about? YES!
Although the story was very different from what I had initially expecting, I was not disappointed in the slightest! Anna was a great voice for the story and I was rooting for her from the word go. She was funny, witty and easy to relate to for all readers. I really admired how Stephanie made her a film-critic who ran her own website. That’s something that kept her from being like any other leading lady I’ve read recently!
Another thing I admired about the story was Stephanie’s ability to put into words the feeling of returning home after a long trip away. It’s not as peachy and welcoming as you expected it to be and you start to realize that you feel like an alien in your own house. Things you once accepted and enjoyed now pale in comparison to your new experiences and you start to almost ‘detest’ a place you once loved.
So, let’s talk about the boy – St. Claire. He has his flaws, but yes he absolutely swoon-worthy and I would defintely be one of the girls at SOAP who fell head over heels for him. He can change from completely endearing to being quite vulnerable and I think Stephanie wrote him in a way that made him very human. He wasn’t one of those unattainable fictional boys that you chide yourself about for thinking they could exist.
And the relationship with our main girl, Anna? Well it sure did build up over 300 pages! The romance wasn’t quickly rushed into, you felt the tension and their escalating feelings for one another. There were real problems and potholes on the way to a happy relationship and it was highly believable. There was the steady stream of teen drama, but what’s life without a bit of drama? It’s something we’ve all been through (or are going through) and to make this aspect of growing up invisible would be a step in the wrong direction.
Of course, the setting for this story adds a lot of depth and new material. Paris! The magic of the city isn’t lost within this book and that’s something I’m grateful for. The city is almost like a third main character, a breathtaking backdrop for an amazing story!
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone. I know there are a lot of other bloggers out there reading this book right now and I can’t say I could be more pleased. This book needs to be out there and loved and I might even go as far as saying this is one of my favourite books of the year!
Recommended to: Anyone really; fans of Sarah Dessen and other contemp YA authors will be very satisfied.
