I love YA. I love romance. So any book that combines the two, especially the emotional upheaval of that totally overwhelming first love, is off to a head start with me.
Anna is sent away to boarding school in Paris by her author father. She can't speak a word of French, doesn't want to leave her best friend and she is convinced she will hate it. The book follows her year in Paris- her friendships, her 'long distance relationship' with Toph, adapting to a culture different to her own and of course, that teen staple of first love.
Etienne St. Clair is possibly the closest I have come to a full on book crush since Mr Rochester. His floppy hair, his small stature, his insecurities-everything about him is attractive and I was falling head over heels in love with him. No wonder every girl at SOAP is mesmerised by him. In my eyes he's Harry Styles- cheeky, well liked and full of little quirks which only make him more irresistible. I can't imagine that there is any girl out there strong enough to fight the Etienne feels. And I'll be honest, I didn't want to. And he loves books! I mean, is there anything more attractive than a boy who loves books?! No! Except a beautiful, charming, swoonsome boy who loves books, of course...
However, it wasn't just Etienne that won me over. I loved Anna, her teen angst spilling off the page, feeling like the proverbial fish out of water in an unfamiliar environment. The rest of their friendship group were also quirky, likeable and a tightknit team- they are well crafted characters that I wholeheartedly cared about. I also loved the plot, the 'will they/won't they?' of Anna and Etienne and the glamorous Paris setting.
Overall, Anna and the French Kiss is an atmospheric read perfect for dreamy romantics like me. Stephanie Perkins took me right back to those awkward days of teen crushes, the agony, the ecstacy, the power of it all.
It's the perfect YA book. Wonderful.
Anna and the French Kiss is out now.
10/10
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| Gratuitous picture of Harry Styles, just because in my mind he IS Etienne. |
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