*This is a book review of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

For a synopsis of this book and picture cred, click here: Anna and the French Kiss.

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QUICK FACTS

Page count: 372
Genre: Young adult fiction
Released: December 2010

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THE REVIEW

I heard about Anna and the French Kiss before, and I didn’t think I’d like it. Then a friend recommended it to me, and I knew I needed a book for the inevitable boredom I’d face while I was traveling across the water for the week. Low and behold, I bought the book, and I’m happy I did. I actually really, really liked this book; it wasn’t what I expected (in a good way), even with the wording of the synopsis.

I’m not going to give away any of the plot (I think I’m getting better at writing these book reviews). However, I will say I loved how “unconventional” the main characters (the ones who inevitably fall in love) are. I don’t think “unconventional” is the right word, but I’m sticking with it. Often you read books where the main male character is super tall with muscle and a 6-pack, and the main female character is petite with smooth skin and is either a blonde or brunette.

St. Clair, the male lead, and Anna, the female lead, do not match the stereotypical physical characteristics you normally get from the young adult fiction genre.

Anna has a bleached strip in her hair and a gap between her two front teeth. St. Clair is on the shorter side and bites his nails to nubs. He is also an American with an English accent, and while I read it, I imagined everything he said in my horrible English accent and fell in love with him. Hence why the title of this book review is his name.

Though the book was pretty good (it’s a pure example of not judging a book by its cover), I found myself getting super frustrated with the main characters– all five of them. When fictional characters are getting you upset, you know it’s a good book.

Also, the sexual tension between St. Clair and Anna was palpable. I could feel it around me as I read the book.

Anna and the French Kiss is a beautifully written roller coaster ride of love, emotion, frustration (on my end), and sexual tension. When chapter forty-six hits, all the tension and frustration are relieved. It’s the kind of relief you get when you hold in your pee for an unhealthily long amount of time, and when you finally use the toilet, you let out a long sigh of relief. It was just like that. Chapter forty-six almost had me crying for a second because it was so dang beautiful; reading that second to last chapter made me want a St. Clair more than I already did while reading the book.

Again, hence why the title of this book review is his name (well, his last name).

One of my favorite moments/quotes from the book has little to no affect on the plot, which is why I’m going to include it in this review.

The English teacher is doing a lesson and says, “It’s often suggested that as a culture, we’re only interested in immediate gratification. Fast food. Self-checkout. Downloadable music, movies, books. Instant coffee, instant rebates, instant messaging. Instant weight loss!”

Take a moment to let that sink in.

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By the end of Anna and the French Kiss, I contemplated temporarily moving to Paris in the future to find a St. Clair of my own (I looked at apartments online and everything). Plus, there are comparisons of France and America throughout the book, and France sounds sooo much better than America.

There are three books in the series by Stephanie Perkins, and once I finish the final five books on my current reading list, I’m going to purchase Lola and the Boy Next Door and dive into another round of phenomenal characters.

Q: In your opinion, what is the most romantic city in the world? Paris? Rome?

Next up: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant