Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
-Pablo Neruda
Book Synopsis:
“French name, English accent, American school. Anna confused.”
Anna is looking forward to starting her senior year in Atlanta--she's got a car, a great job, a great best friend, and a smoldering crush that may be evolving into more. Her father has other plans though. He wants her to experience "culture" and enrolls her in an American school in Paris. What? Anna doesn't speak a word of French and has no idea how she'll get through the year. That is until she meets the quite gorgeous and charming Etienne St. Claire. He is all that Anna could ever want in a boyfriend except for the fact that he already has a girlfriend. And doesn't Anna have an almost-boyfriend back home? As the year in the romantic City of Lights comes to an end, will all of the romantic near-misses finally come to something more for Anna and Etienne.
Review :
In this book, Anna is shipped off to SOAP, School of America in Paris by her Nicholas Sparky-type author dad; and she’s absolutely homesick, lost and insecure as she doesn’t speak a lick of French. Along comes the best crew of characters and not only befriend Anna, but drag her out of her dorm to experience the city of Paris and all of its wonders. As the book progresses, Anna and St. Clair develop a lovey type friendship that they eventually must acknowledge, but not without some messy stitches along the way.
My favorite scenes in the book: Anna and St. Clair’s tour of the city, their Turkey dinner in Paris, yelling down the halls and stairwell during the holiday, sleepovers, multiple trips to the cinema, the flight home, the emails back and forth, the New Year’s telephone call, the banana bead, Pablo Neruda poetry book... I love Neruda! I could go on and on, so let’s just say I loved it all.
St. Clair is absolute perfection, yummier than a fluffy croissant. Anna is adorably awesome and flawed. Together, their story is full of enjoyable moments that reminded me how sporadically awesome it is to be a teenager. I’m in love with the theaters, Notre Dame, Point Zero des routes de France, Luxembourg Gardens and what not!! Every place in this book deserves to be fallen in love with!
And the friends! Gosh, Friends like Mer, Rashmi & Josh are what everyone needs. And the 'BEST FRIEND' St. Clair. I want to hear him say “Ba-nah-na”. Endless love :)
This book made me real happy, when I was depressed. It’s a cute book for those who love Paris, Friendship & Love!
Favorite Quotes :
-“I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”
-“Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?”
-“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.”
-“I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it.”
It’s a Parisian delight, just the right choice for book worms with a sweet tooth searching for a sugary and romantic read.
I’ll rate it:
****
Reviewed by Fouzia Umer
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