Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Pages: 372

Rating: 4 Stars

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Anna does not want to leave her home in Atlanta, but her rich and famous author-father believes that attending a boarding school in Paris will be "beneficial". So, Anna packs her bags and sets off for the City of Light. However, when she gets there, she discovers that maybe Paris won't be as bad as she thinks- especially once she's set her eyes on the charismatic Étienne St. Clair. 

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This book was so cute! I don't read that much contemporary, and even less romance, but I was pleasantly surprised here. The Parisian setting along with the adorable characters create a lovable, fun novel.

My favorite aspect of Anna and the French Kiss is definitely the setting. Reading a book that takes place in Paris is just flat out fun. A lot of contemporary books are set in the states, a setting I'm familiar with, so it doesn't have the new and exciting feel to it. Paris is a place so different and distant from what I'm used to, and it made the book all that more enjoyable. I also take French, so I do know about the culture, geography, and language.  I think my background knowledge on the location allowed me to appreciate things in the story even more. 

The characters are fun, too. Sure, "charismatic, confident boy meets shy, new girl" is a little cliché, but it doesn't matter because their relationship is so unique. They're strong friends throughout the book, rather than instantly a couple. Plus, they aren't the only characters in the novel. Their other friends have unique personalities that make the book special and different. 

I will have to say that the writing in the book wasn't always the best. Sometimes I felt like the sentence structure was too choppy and disruptive. Too flat. And there were a few points in the plot that were way too convenient/predictable.  But, the story was super addictive, and I just really enjoyed getting to sit down and read this book. 

I read in the acknowledgements that this novel started out as a National Novel Writing Month book- how cool is that? So, I'm giving Anna and the French Kiss four stars for it's lovely characters, adorable romance, and fresh plot line. If you're reluctant about contemporary and/or romance, give this book a try! I think you'll like it.