Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date:  December 2, 2010
Hardcover {p.372}
Source: Public Library
Genre: Young Adult
Characters: Anna Oliphant, Etienne St. Clair
Challenge: 100+

Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

From page one, I was drawn into this story. Anna is the average teen that everyone can relate to, who is crushing on a guy and hating to be separated from him. But indeed she must, because he parents are sending her to Paris for a year. Oh the horror!

All the characters are so well written that they come alive on the pages. I really enjoyed Anna's Paris friends, especially Rashmi. She wasn't a large character, but she was fundamental. It felt like I was along on the journey with Anna and her friends. I enjoyed it so much that I want to go back to high school just to be shipped off to boarding school.

Etienne is the greatest guy. He struggled a lot with his feelings for Anna and staying true to his girlfriend. That made him all the more endearing that he didn't drop his girlfriend at the first sight of Anna.

I had heard so many great things about this novel that I had to give it a try, and I'm so glad that I did. It was a truly amazing read. I so look forward to reading much, much more from Stephanie. This is the kind of fun-loving young adult novels that I enjoy.