Incroyable!

Anna and the French Kiss

By: Stephanie Perkins

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?

-Summary from Goodreads

Hey guys! Sorry it took me this long to write the review. I've been really busy lately, so I didn't have time. Before we start, here's a caveat: I am going to be rambling in the review. Why? Because it's just too flippin' awesome for me to address coherently. I can't believe I've missing out on the amazingness that is this book for A YEAR! I apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused by my maundering, but.. here goes:


How many times have you read of fake love? Unrealistic love? Love that, all in all, just doesn't make sense?


Anna and the French Kiss is a love story. A love story in and out, but isn't the only story the book has to share. It's not cheesy. It's not sappy and unrealistic.


It's real. 


I'm in awe. Stephanie Perkins really, really captured love. The feeling of it, the reactions stimulated by it. I could relate to everything she said in the book (well, that is, except for the hot English/American/French guy. How sad is that?). I immediately connected with Anna, the main character, because she was REAL. THIS BOOK IS REAL, PEOPLE (See, Anna? You inspired me to write in caps).  I always feel like a lot of authors nowadays are pushing their plot and using the characters just as tools, but that strongly severs the connection needed to hook a reader into your story.


In this book, even with its foreign and unfamiliar (to me) setting, I felt it. That connection I've been looking for. I was laughing and crying and shouting and giggling and can I just say that this book is definitely one of my favorites in the whole year? The characters were so well-developed, I felt like I knew them after reading two paragraphs of their dialogues. Anna is hilarious, and St. Clair.. oh, who doesn't love a hot guy with flaws? I love that Ms. Perkins wasn't afraid to make her characters real. I love how she forced Anna and St. Clair to go through all of those obstacles, because... to gain something, you have to sacrifice something of equal value. And they did. Both sacrificed and gained, and it was a thrilling journey to go on. I love how inside of the love layer, the story revolves around Anna finding out who she really is, what she really wants, and how much does she have to give up to satisfy that desire. She's such a strong character, and I admire her greatly for that.


So, because I'm still rambling and can't possibly write a helpful review, thanks to the disorientated state Anna and the French Kiss left me in (and I mean that in the best possible way), I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that this is a...

                                                                             

If you're looking for an adventure that will sweep you off your feet, and a story that will reach out to the very core of your heart, read Anna and the French Kiss. Yes, it's an order.


P.S. Incroyable means incredible. Just so you know.