jacisbooks's review against another edition
5.0
What a perfect ending for this series!
I'm still in awe of how all three books still kinda came together in the end. I honestly never thought I'd like this series as much as I did.
I could relate to Isla on a lot of things, even in the scenes where she was frustrating I could relate. Because I know so bad what it feels like to be this insecure about yourself and not being sure you're worth being loved.
This book has this very important message, at least it was very important for me, and surely has thought me that everyone is worth being loved even if they don't think they are.
I'm so sad it's all over now but so happy I decided to read those books!
I'm still in awe of how all three books still kinda came together in the end. I honestly never thought I'd like this series as much as I did.
I could relate to Isla on a lot of things, even in the scenes where she was frustrating I could relate. Because I know so bad what it feels like to be this insecure about yourself and not being sure you're worth being loved.
This book has this very important message, at least it was very important for me, and surely has thought me that everyone is worth being loved even if they don't think they are.
I'm so sad it's all over now but so happy I decided to read those books!
bibliocai_'s review against another edition
5.0
OCTOBER 2021 —
Done rereading one of my all-time favorite YA contemporary series. I just love Isla and Josh so much, this is definitely my favorite from the trilogy, without a doubt.
Rereading all 3 books just solidified my love for this series even more. It’s been almost 10 years since I last read Anna & Lola, and 7 years since I read Isla but the giddiness and excitement never faded, it was even ignited more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEPTEMBER 2014 —
“I am hard on myself. But isn’t it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn’t it better to break it yourself? I thought honesty made people strong.”
I feel sad that Isla feels that way about herself. Sometimes, it's hard for us to accept that other people can love us, flaws and all. I understand her because i sometimes feel that way about myself and i learned that the only way to accept the love that other's are giving us, is to accept ourselves first. That's why it should always start on us. Aaaaaannnnnddddd, I'm glad that Josh and Isla were able to fix whatever issues they had with their past and with themselves, and they finally got their happily ever after.
So, i also want to babble about how i love Josh and Isla sooooooo much, i think they exceeded my love for Anna and Etienne.. hahah!! i just feel like their story is more realistic and true-to-life.. i can easily relate to them and they are definitely a cute couple and they are perfect for each other. So, i loooooooove them sooooooooo much.. ♥♥♥ and i love the book so much, i love everything about it.. My long wait for this last installment is totally worth it..
I AM CRYING SOOOOOO MUCH RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP!!!!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!***
OMG! i can't believe that Anna and Etienne are now engaged.. i am sooooooo happy for them!!!! :)) x
Done rereading one of my all-time favorite YA contemporary series. I just love Isla and Josh so much, this is definitely my favorite from the trilogy, without a doubt.
Rereading all 3 books just solidified my love for this series even more. It’s been almost 10 years since I last read Anna & Lola, and 7 years since I read Isla but the giddiness and excitement never faded, it was even ignited more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEPTEMBER 2014 —
“I am hard on myself. But isn’t it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn’t it better to break it yourself? I thought honesty made people strong.”
I feel sad that Isla feels that way about herself. Sometimes, it's hard for us to accept that other people can love us, flaws and all. I understand her because i sometimes feel that way about myself and i learned that the only way to accept the love that other's are giving us, is to accept ourselves first. That's why it should always start on us. Aaaaaannnnnddddd, I'm glad that Josh and Isla were able to fix whatever issues they had with their past and with themselves, and they finally got their happily ever after.
So, i also want to babble about how i love Josh and Isla sooooooo much, i think they exceeded my love for Anna and Etienne.. hahah!! i just feel like their story is more realistic and true-to-life.. i can easily relate to them and they are definitely a cute couple and they are perfect for each other. So, i loooooooove them sooooooooo much.. ♥♥♥ and i love the book so much, i love everything about it.. My long wait for this last installment is totally worth it..
I AM CRYING SOOOOOO MUCH RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP!!!!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!***
OMG! i can't believe that Anna and Etienne are now engaged.. i am sooooooo happy for them!!!! :)) x
elisainbookland's review against another edition
2.0
Reading the other reviews I came to realization that I did like this book, but I liked the others better.
Although I do think that having read "Anna and the French Kiss" I already knew about Isla and Josh. Reading it in 2016 with all the books already out I knew there was this book, so there were no news to me.
I liked how she told the story, even if it was weird and surreal in some parts. But the idea of Josh's book was good to get to know his perspective.
The best part to me was Anna and St. Clair.. on Point Zero, that scene had me at my happiest.
After all I liked it anyway.
Although I do think that having read "Anna and the French Kiss" I already knew about Isla and Josh. Reading it in 2016 with all the books already out I knew there was this book, so there were no news to me.
I liked how she told the story, even if it was weird and surreal in some parts. But the idea of Josh's book was good to get to know his perspective.
The best part to me was Anna and St. Clair.. on Point Zero, that scene had me at my happiest.
After all I liked it anyway.
broccolini's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
5.0
Just So You Know: You DO NOT have to read the other books in the series to enjoy this book!!
The thing I love about reading Stephanie Perkins books is that I can get lost and engrossed in the atmosphere and the feelings. I read Anna and Lola, so I was really looking forward (and waiting a looooong time) to read this book. I didn't remember Isla (or Josh that much) from [b:Anna and the French Kiss|6936382|Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271931s/6936382.jpg|7168450]. I have to admit when I was reading that book, all I cared about was St. Clair and Anna. The other characters didn't exactly stick with me. And it was a long time ago that I read it, so that could be another reason.
This book though.... it's not really ABOUT much. Somehow the author managed to write a book about nothing else besides a teenage relationship and make it not at all boring or annoying. I'm not sure how she does it. But the feelings and romance sucked me in.
The book is set in Paris and New York... and Barcelona a little bit. Isla and Josh are falling in love in all 3 cities and it was SO cute and romantic. I feel like all of the different atmospheres ended up playing a role in their romance, and I loved that. Isla is so unsure of herself and her goals, whereas Josh is a serious artist and knows that's what he's going to do for the rest of his life. He suggests she apply to Dartmouth, a college she'd never even heard of, so that she could be close to him after high school. That's sort of where her doubts start creeping in. She doesn't want to be this blank piece of paper that follows a guy around. She wants to have a purpose and she can't understand how anyone would want to be with someone who doesn't have one. She also doesn't think that Josh could truly love her without her being a fully established person.
My favorite part of this book was definitely Isla's wity and cute sense of humor. She always had great timing with the things she said. It made me wish I could be more like that. I also really liked the relationship that she had with her best friend, Kurt, and her sisters.
If you were a fan of Anna and the French Kiss and/or Lola and the Boy Next Door, you won't be disappointed by this. It holds that same chemistry and magic that those books do, same cute boy/girl interactions. Same overall feeling that to me is warm and magical. And bonus- appearances by Cricket, Lola, St. Clair, Anna, Meredith, and Calliope (sort of).
OVERALL: Yes to this final book in the series!! I loved going back to the American School in Paris and I loved falling in love with Isla and Josh. Stephanie Perkins is definitely a go-to for YA Contemporary Romance. This book was full of life, warmth, and a journey of one girl to find herself. I recommend to ALL!!!
My Blog:
The thing I love about reading Stephanie Perkins books is that I can get lost and engrossed in the atmosphere and the feelings. I read Anna and Lola, so I was really looking forward (and waiting a looooong time) to read this book. I didn't remember Isla (or Josh that much) from [b:Anna and the French Kiss|6936382|Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271931s/6936382.jpg|7168450]. I have to admit when I was reading that book, all I cared about was St. Clair and Anna. The other characters didn't exactly stick with me. And it was a long time ago that I read it, so that could be another reason.
This book though.... it's not really ABOUT much. Somehow the author managed to write a book about nothing else besides a teenage relationship and make it not at all boring or annoying. I'm not sure how she does it. But the feelings and romance sucked me in.
The book is set in Paris and New York... and Barcelona a little bit. Isla and Josh are falling in love in all 3 cities and it was SO cute and romantic. I feel like all of the different atmospheres ended up playing a role in their romance, and I loved that. Isla is so unsure of herself and her goals, whereas Josh is a serious artist and knows that's what he's going to do for the rest of his life. He suggests she apply to Dartmouth, a college she'd never even heard of, so that she could be close to him after high school. That's sort of where her doubts start creeping in. She doesn't want to be this blank piece of paper that follows a guy around. She wants to have a purpose and she can't understand how anyone would want to be with someone who doesn't have one. She also doesn't think that Josh could truly love her without her being a fully established person.
My favorite part of this book was definitely Isla's wity and cute sense of humor. She always had great timing with the things she said. It made me wish I could be more like that. I also really liked the relationship that she had with her best friend, Kurt, and her sisters.
If you were a fan of Anna and the French Kiss and/or Lola and the Boy Next Door, you won't be disappointed by this. It holds that same chemistry and magic that those books do, same cute boy/girl interactions. Same overall feeling that to me is warm and magical. And bonus- appearances by Cricket, Lola, St. Clair, Anna, Meredith, and Calliope (sort of).
OVERALL: Yes to this final book in the series!! I loved going back to the American School in Paris and I loved falling in love with Isla and Josh. Stephanie Perkins is definitely a go-to for YA Contemporary Romance. This book was full of life, warmth, and a journey of one girl to find herself. I recommend to ALL!!!
My Blog:
hotlibra26's review against another edition
my comfort book i fear…. i pick it up so often that the glue has started to crack from the spine and the pages are slightly wonky from the summer heat. and yet every single time i eat it up faster than the last, hoping and yearning …
lena09's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
4.0
Whaaaaat?! Where did the fifth star go?! Weeeeell...
I have been anticipating this book for such a long time, so my expectations were high. And Isla herself lived up to my expectations, she proved herself to be my favourite Stephanie Perkins' heroine, which is no mean feat given that her predecessors are Anna and Lola. What I loved about Isla was the number of sides we see of her: her shyness, her smarts, her uncertainty about the future, her ability to see everyone else clearly but not herself. She was flawed and awesome and I related to her like nobody's business.
So why not five stars? It would be unfair to lay all the blame at Josh's feet but unlike his lady love, he could not surpass his predecessors. And though I was gripped throughout, I found the same magic encountered before wasn't quite matched. So maybe if this was the ONLY book by Ms Perkins I would be in five star bliss but for me, reading Anna and Lola's adventures was something else.
Stephanie Perkins is such a fantastic writer and I eagerly await her next book. Following her blog in the past year was also interesting and I have a helluva lot of respect for her and her honesty. She writes such depth of feeling and with a remarkably astute world view, she will easily continue to claim a place on my favourites list in the years to come.
I have been anticipating this book for such a long time, so my expectations were high. And Isla herself lived up to my expectations, she proved herself to be my favourite Stephanie Perkins' heroine, which is no mean feat given that her predecessors are Anna and Lola. What I loved about Isla was the number of sides we see of her: her shyness, her smarts, her uncertainty about the future, her ability to see everyone else clearly but not herself. She was flawed and awesome and I related to her like nobody's business.
So why not five stars? It would be unfair to lay all the blame at Josh's feet but unlike his lady love, he could not surpass his predecessors. And though I was gripped throughout, I found the same magic encountered before wasn't quite matched. So maybe if this was the ONLY book by Ms Perkins I would be in five star bliss but for me, reading Anna and Lola's adventures was something else.
Stephanie Perkins is such a fantastic writer and I eagerly await her next book. Following her blog in the past year was also interesting and I have a helluva lot of respect for her and her honesty. She writes such depth of feeling and with a remarkably astute world view, she will easily continue to claim a place on my favourites list in the years to come.
gabbyreadswithtea's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 2.5
I was disappointed in this. I really enjoyed Anna, loved Lola but Isla was my least favourite of the girls. This book took me so long to read because I was so incredibly frustrated with her. I found that Isla and I are so similar in the way we think, but what we do with those thoughts are completely different.
Eg. reading about Joshs life before her, like she says “it’s weird to know that he had a whole life before her” - I thought the same thing now that I’m in a serious relationship, but while Isla got upset and angry to Josh about what she saw. I took it as knowing my partner better than I could have without knowing all that stuff about his past. While I used that information to improve my relationship, Isla used it to ruin it.
And honestly, those sex scenes were so incredibly cringy. I could feel my face curl up like I’d just eaten a lemon when I read them. It wasn’t that they were unrealistic, just, CRINGE.
I wanted to love her. As I said above, we are so similar! I couldn’t believe how similar we were. But the more I read, the more I realised our differences. Isla is rash and always makes bad decisions. I have to think things through a billion times before I do anything.
I did like how Stephanie Perkins wrote the girls so differently. They didn’t seem like the same person sectioned into three books, with different lovers. They were all unique.
And the cover change *sigh* I like both editions of the covers they made for this series, but I saw nothing wrong with the first set! They should have saved these new covers for a different series. A completely unnecessary change.
——————OLDER COMMENTS—————
The cover is pretty...but...it doesn't MATCH the other covers at all! I hate it when they do that! *Huff!*
[bc:Anna and the French Kiss|6936382|Anna and the French Kiss|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271931s/6936382.jpg|7168450][bc:Lola and the Boy Next Door|9961796|Lola and the Boy Next Door|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271832s/9961796.jpg|7149084][bc:Isla and the Happily Ever After|9627755|Isla and the Happily Ever After|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362064564s/9627755.jpg|14515040]<---see?
I was disappointed in this. I really enjoyed Anna, loved Lola but Isla was my least favourite of the girls. This book took me so long to read because I was so incredibly frustrated with her. I found that Isla and I are so similar in the way we think, but what we do with those thoughts are completely different.
Eg. reading about Joshs life before her, like she says “it’s weird to know that he had a whole life before her” - I thought the same thing now that I’m in a serious relationship, but while Isla got upset and angry to Josh about what she saw. I took it as knowing my partner better than I could have without knowing all that stuff about his past. While I used that information to improve my relationship, Isla used it to ruin it.
And honestly, those sex scenes were so incredibly cringy. I could feel my face curl up like I’d just eaten a lemon when I read them. It wasn’t that they were unrealistic, just, CRINGE.
I wanted to love her. As I said above, we are so similar! I couldn’t believe how similar we were. But the more I read, the more I realised our differences. Isla is rash and always makes bad decisions. I have to think things through a billion times before I do anything.
I did like how Stephanie Perkins wrote the girls so differently. They didn’t seem like the same person sectioned into three books, with different lovers. They were all unique.
And the cover change *sigh* I like both editions of the covers they made for this series, but I saw nothing wrong with the first set! They should have saved these new covers for a different series. A completely unnecessary change.
——————OLDER COMMENTS—————
The cover is pretty...but...it doesn't MATCH the other covers at all! I hate it when they do that! *Huff!*
[bc:Anna and the French Kiss|6936382|Anna and the French Kiss|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271931s/6936382.jpg|7168450][bc:Lola and the Boy Next Door|9961796|Lola and the Boy Next Door|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271832s/9961796.jpg|7149084][bc:Isla and the Happily Ever After|9627755|Isla and the Happily Ever After|Stephanie Perkins|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362064564s/9627755.jpg|14515040]<---see?