Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

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 Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

---From Goodreads----
 

Paris. It’s my dream place. I wanted to climb the Eiffel Tower myself and just be there. I’ve always wanted to go there someday when my pocket allows me to. I know that it’s the city of love and that the French may be the inventors of love(eye-rolling) but it wasn’t a big deal for me until I read Stephanie Perkins Anna and the French Kiss. That feeling that you’re so close and yet so far. That is what I felt about Anna and Etienne. That feeling that you’re having a mutual understanding, but then you’re mind breaks the moment with the already-known revelation that “HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND” and “YOU HAVE A GUY WAITING AT HOME”. It’s unbelievably frustrating. You’re heart says that you should go with it but your minds says that you should stay on the safe side.

Their actions speak louder than their words but then without words, they were both confused by the situation. It was like they were having a push-and-pull scenario. They get carried away when they’re together and then when reality strikes, they then avoid each other.

Etienne’s character was absolutely the type any girl would have crush on.

Image from Photobucket

It’s a fact. Meredith, Amanda, Ellie and Anna are head over heels on him. He’s funny, smart and sensitive. I think the only thing that I hated about him was that he was scared of change. I understand that he was going through some rough times with his mother with cancer and his father being a jerk but still, I think risking some changes for the sake of happiness is worth doing and I’m glad he did that later on.

Anna on the other hand, was a different story. There was a sudden shift of attitude. In the beginning, she was this shy girl and she was not that talkative while with her new SOAP buddies but during the Thanksgiving, she just changed. I enjoyed the change though. I was just disappointed with her when she got drunk on her birthday and started pressuring Etienne why he hasn’t broke up with Ellie yet. Blame it to the alcohol. But the next day, she just lost it again and then they fought and settled as friends, which is really awkward. But here’s the bummer, the certified super-duper bummer. She dated DAVE and I was like... “WHAAATT???”

Image from Stubborn Thoughts

You’re having the best buddies already and then you started dating an overrated jerk. Wow! I didn’t see that coming. It must be jealous-defense-mechanism.

Anyway, I admired her courage especially when she ate her pride and contacted Bridgette. It’s unbelievably crazy that it took her a long time before she realized that her anger with Bridgette is nonsense. Seriously, what she and Toph had was a single date and a kiss and I think she held unto it too much, way too much. And to think that she and Bridgette are just on the same boat. Bridgette likes Toph even she knew that Anna likes him too and Anna loves Etienne even when she knew Meredith likes him too. How could she miss that? But at least she realized it. It sucks to lose a friend just because of some Guy.

Chapters 45 and 47 are the epic parts I love. I mean love to the nth level. Ha-ha. When everything just made sense and there’s only few weeks left and Anna decided to climb Notre Dame while on that very moment she enters Notre Dame, Etienne was also just nearby making a wish on Point Zero. Then, he follows her there and the confrontations and everything was revealed. I was literally on KILIG-MODE when Etienne quoted the passage from the Neruda book.

~~~~“I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul” I starred the passage. Why didn’t you open it?~~~~

Image from Tumblr

Damn. I wanted to laugh out loud for this epic moment. I can only imagine his accent saying this.

Wow. Stephanie Perkins deserved a standing ovation for this plot. I love the way she has connected everything and the simple things which actually are symbols but the meanings where only revealed at the later parts. Like Bridgette and Toph being an item and the Neruda book as love poetry book and not just an ordinary schoolbook. But what I like most is the significance of Point Zero Des Routes De France. It is basically where everything starts and it’s also in the same place when Etienne saw her when she went to Notre Dame and after then, they have started something more than just friends. A round of applause for Stephanie Perkin.

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