Ohmygod, guys. OH. MY. GOD. THIS BOOK.

I am so glad that Anna and The French Kiss took off to a very awesome start right from its first page. You might think that with that, it would have nothing left to offer as the story went on. But NO. It was like a symphony of birds singing a melodious and harmonic song that constantly rose and rose to a crescendo until it reached its final climax with a bang. I devoured this book and flipped each page more hungrily than the previous. It’s so.. *searches through the whole Oxford English Dictionary* Nope. Not even a single word to describe how good this book is.

First, let’s talk about the setting. In the beginning, I was like, “Oh, okay. Paris, then.” But as I read on, I became like, “I WANT TO FLY TO PARIS NOW!” Stephanie Perkins made “The City of Light” even brighter and “The City of Love” lovelier and more romantic *sighs dreamily*. She took me to a vacation tour but made it so much more. 

It was also so nice to see the story unfold from Anna’s eyes. She was clumsy, awkward, a movie-junkie, hilarious, humble, shy, and she was real. Anna was real in a sense that what she feels, she feels. Although Anna may not say those thoughts aloud (which caused a bit of a conflict and misunderstanding a couple of times), she is true to herself. She tries to deny them sometimes but deep inside she knows what she really wants. She’s a strong and down-to-earth person who loves and protects her friends no matter what. I found Anna a really remarkable character.

Étienne St. Clair. Just the name itself is cool, right? There’s so much more, though. English/French/American St. Clair’s funny, caring, protective, compassionate, has perfect hair(!), jealous(!!), and afraid of heights(!!!). He wasn’t any of the stereotyped bad boy jock, goody two-shoes, or the dark and mysterious guy with a tragic and secret past. He was.. Étienne. He was unique and definitely one of the best guy protagonists I have met yet.

Now put Anna and Étienne together, my feels =

Seriously, their attraction towards one another and their relationship were absolutely endearing. The small moments and gestures they shared together were so cuuute, as well as the way they tried to dodge each other despite the very strong pull! Étienne’s tiny affectionate actions towards Anna were totally romantic. Another thing I also mentioned was Étienne’s jealousness. Yes, I love how jealous he could become because of Anna! I totally want to share EVERYTHING or at least MORE but that would be spoilery. You have to read this for yourself. (I literally mean for yourself. If you care about your own welfare, you will read this!)

The writing was easy and familiar, and it made the plot go on effortlessly. The pacing was seamless, and the timing and placement of events were perfect. The story didn’t only keep me from reading, but left me craving for more. The way Anna and Étienne overcame their problems was admirable. Also, I want to have friends like Rashmi, Meredith, and Josh! It would be totally awesome to be part of their circle! However, I thought that there were still some unknotted loose ends by the end of Anna and the French Kiss. Both Anna and Étienne’s family issues felt unresolved. Although aside from that and LOTS of Anna- Étienne scenes, I couldn’t ask for more.

I am just so frustrated over Anna and the French Kiss because of the length! [Okay.. that’s not fair. Haha.] If the length was longer than the whole LoTR trilogy, that would be totally fine with me because, guys, it’s Stephanie Perkins! I finished this book 2 days ago and I’m still in a hangover. Like, I don’t think I can read another book after this one’s awesomeness.

I’m not even close to justifying this book right now. Nope, not at all. All I can say is that I want to reread it already! XD And if there’s one book I would like to be with me in my casket or in my grave, it would be this. I'm actually considering rearranging my Top YA Contemporary list *waggles eyebrows*. Also, why did I put it off for this loooooong?!

To sum up, this book is what you call a Young Adult Contemporary Romance! Perkins was able to capture the true essence of teenage love and being broken-hearted, and accomplished it in writing. The next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, is more of a companion novel rather than a sequel. I was truthfully saddened by that, though I heard there still would be Anna- Étienne scenes. As long as I can read more of them, I’m totally buying that! What did you think of Anna and the French Kiss and/or Lola and the Boy Next Door? Have you read them or not yet?