Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: December 2nd 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Quick thoughts: I absolutely adored this book! Definitely a must read. 

From Goodreads: "Anna is 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. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"

I have waited for my hold of this book to come into my library for (I kid you not) 3 months at the least. So I have been waiting a good long while to be able to read this one. When I finally got the email that it had come in I was so excited. I have read Lola and the Boy Next Door and really enjoyed it, though I would have liked to read this one first since both Anna and Etienne (<3<3<3 siiiiighhh) were mentioned.

Anna and the French Kiss follows the story of Anna and the gorgeous St. Clair, or as he is later known, Etienne (at the start of this book this really confused me, I thought they were two different people for a while... Oops! Pay attention Amy!) Anna is sent to Paris, against her wishes, to the American school there. She doesn't want to leave her friends, how will she survive a whole year away from her best friend when they do everything together? Her first night there, after her parents leave, she breaks down, she can't imagine what life will be like here and frankly she doesn't want to. That is until Meredith knocks on her door to check on her. The walls are paper thin and Meredith is her neighbour, she heard Anna crying. She invites Anna to her room where Anna discovers walls of endless posters. On leaving Merediths room for the night she (literally) runs in to Etienne, the most dreamy boy at the school. Later she finds out that Etienne is the St. Clair that Meredith told her about. Meredith introduces Anna to the rest of her friends and they integrate Anna into the group.

Along the way Anna finds herself falling for Etienne, er - St. Clair.. Even though she knows he has a girlfriend (booo!) and that Meredith likes him and has liked him for long time. All of that aside she and Etienne spend more and more time together. Especially when they are two of only a few who stay at the school over the break. They become best friends. He becomes the one who knows her better than anyone else there, and he is the one who steals her heart.

Stephanie Perkins has succeeded in creating a contemporary YA novel that is light hearted but at the same time invigorating. Anna and the French Kiss is a book that I could easily read over and over, which I rarely do, without getting bored. I anxiously await Isla and the Happy Ever After, said to be released in 2013. How on earth will I wait that long??!!

For those of you who have read both Anna and Lola, I ask you this: Etienne or Cricket?
Tough question for myself to answer... I think would have to say Etienne <3

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29th 2011
Publisher: Penguin Books
Edition: UK paperback
Goodreads | Book Depository


My Rating 4.5/5


From Goodreads: "Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. 

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door."

Let me start by saying that I started and finished this book in one afternoon. This very rarely happens for me anymore, not necessarily because the book is bad, just because I get tired of reading for however any hours straight. But I found Lola and the Boy Next Door to be a fairly quick and a very good read!

I really did love this book, it was a lot of fun, but with some deeper issues as well. It starts out with Lola, a 17 year old girl who has had an interesting upbringing. Her birth mum is an alcoholic and a drug addict who gave her up for adoption. She doesn't know her birth father, but she has heard stories. She was adopted by a relative of her mother, and now she has two dads. Well technically I guess you would say three dads? Nathan and Andy are her adoptive parents who are very protective of her. Especially when it comes to her older boyfriend Max. Max is 22 and in a band. Her parents do not approve. She says she is in love with him, and he with her. But there is one person that she never really got over. His name is Cricket, her old neighbour. 

Things didn't end well with Cricket before him and his family moved. But there is always the possibility that they will move back in. Lola dreads the day. Every time there is a moving van she freaks out, until she confirms it's not them. Only this time, the moving van is theirs and Cricket is back. 

I love Cricket (though I don't really like the name), he is lovely, though Lola doesn't think so after the way he treated her 2 years ago. We later find out that it was all his sisters doing and both Cricket and Lola were hurt in the process. When he moves back, he sends Lola through a loop. They talk more and more and Cricket expresses feelings for her, but there is a problem - Max.

I really enjoyed this book, it's the first one I have read of Stephanie Perkins. I have Anna and the French Kiss on order from my local library. Though Anna and St Clair are in this book as friends of Lola's, you don't need to read Anna and the French Kiss first. Perkins has created a great story with believable characters that I just loved. If you haven't read this one yet, then I would say, you should get on that soon! 

Happy reading!

- Amy

Books I NEED!

Now I know that my pile of to-be-read books is getting increasingly bigger. But of course there are still books that I NEED to read and have not picked up yet. My book wishlist is honestly never ending! Which isn't good for someone trying to save her money to go to Europe next year... But the temptation is just so great! So here are the books that I am trying to convince myself not to go out and buy right this second!


1. Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) - Ally Carter 

I finished Heist Society last week and I desperately need the second book. I first heard about Heist Society through Priscilla's vlog review, if your interested you can check her out here.  I am very seriously contemplating going to my local Big W to get this one right now. If you haven't read Heist Society, I highly recommend it. It was such a fun read that I didn't want to put down.




2. Divergent - Veronica Roth
I have heard so many good reviews for this that I'm honestly surprised at myself that I still haven't bought it. This is a dystopian novel that has had many good reviews! I'm honestly surprised at myself that I still haven't picked this one up! 






3. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
I really can't wait until I pick this one up. Again this one has received such good reviews. I'm hoping that I will be able to borrow this one out from my library soon, if I ever get to the top of the hold list! 














Happy reading!! 


- Amy

3VR97UGTBSFK