A review by seventhaurora
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
4.0
I don’t remember the last time I actually finished a book (as you might be able to tell from the 5 books in my ‘currently reading’ pile), but yesterday I got the urge to read a happy, fluffy contemporary, and Anna and the French Kiss was staring me down from across my room. I finished it today, and I must say, I’m quite impressed.
It’s not like I was expecting the book to be bad—all the reviews I’d seen about it had been raving—but it’s certainly true that books affect you differently depending on your own state of mind when you read them. I really needed a lighthearted love story with a character-focussed arc and solid writing, and that’s exactly what I got.
I really enjoyed Stephanie Perkins’ writing. It was easy to read, but captivating at the same time. Her dialogue was funny and endearing, and her descriptions made me feel like I was in Paris alongside her characters. Just thinking about the book makes me feel all warm and cosy inside.
One nit-picky thing I do have to say is about the protagonist, Anna. This has nothing to do with Stephanie’s writing really, but, at times, I found Anna to be a bit unlikeable. She was self-centred at times and—I do realise this is a young adult book but—quite immature. I do believe this was part of her character arc though, as she became self-aware of these things towards the end of the novel, but still... Did she /have/ to cry every 3 pages?
Even this, however, did not take away from the magical whirlwind that was this book. It was a lovely read overall, and I definitely recommend it for a cosy day inside, wrapped up with a blanket and a cuppa.
P.S. I reallllllllyyy like Isla’s character so far. She seems sweet and shy and very different to Anna. I’m excited to eventually get to hear her story.
It’s not like I was expecting the book to be bad—all the reviews I’d seen about it had been raving—but it’s certainly true that books affect you differently depending on your own state of mind when you read them. I really needed a lighthearted love story with a character-focussed arc and solid writing, and that’s exactly what I got.
I really enjoyed Stephanie Perkins’ writing. It was easy to read, but captivating at the same time. Her dialogue was funny and endearing, and her descriptions made me feel like I was in Paris alongside her characters. Just thinking about the book makes me feel all warm and cosy inside.
One nit-picky thing I do have to say is about the protagonist, Anna. This has nothing to do with Stephanie’s writing really, but, at times, I found Anna to be a bit unlikeable. She was self-centred at times and—I do realise this is a young adult book but—quite immature. I do believe this was part of her character arc though, as she became self-aware of these things towards the end of the novel, but still... Did she /have/ to cry every 3 pages?
Even this, however, did not take away from the magical whirlwind that was this book. It was a lovely read overall, and I definitely recommend it for a cosy day inside, wrapped up with a blanket and a cuppa.
P.S. I reallllllllyyy like Isla’s character so far. She seems sweet and shy and very different to Anna. I’m excited to eventually get to hear her story.