Anna and the French Kiss – Review

Title – Anna and the French Kiss

Author – Stephanie Perkins

Publisher – Usbourne

Pages- 401 (Paperback)

Published – December 2nd 2010

Series – Anna and the French Kiss (1/3, Completed)

18 July 2017

“Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings named Louis. I’m not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day. The art museum is called the Louvre and it’s shaped like a pyramid and the Mona Lisa lives there along with that statue of the women missing her arms. And there are cafes and bistros or whatever they call them on every street corner. And mimes. The food is supposed to be good, and the people drink a lot of wine and smoke a lot of cigarettes.
I’ve heard they don’t like Americans, and they don’t like white sneakers.” 

Anna Oliphant is being forced by her pretentious, rich father into moving across the world to an American boarding school in Paris.

Anna feels like her life back home is where she belongs, the US is her home. It’s where all her friends, her family and the boy that she has a crush on live, so when she is removed from this home, she feels understandably lost. She is uncomfortable in Paris. Anna does not speak french and knows very little about the place that is supposed to be her home.

Throughout the book, Anna falls in love in many ways. With Etienne, with friends like Meredith and, eventually, with France. It is this theme of love that really drives the narrative and lets Anna grow as a character.

One issue I do have with the novel is that sometimes it is a little frustrating, but I suppose this tension helps me tear through the novel in one sitting as I am desperate to find out what happens next!

One of my favourite aspects of the book is the fun that Anna has with her new friends when exploring the city. She begins to learn about Paris as well as her school and how she can fit in. With Stephanie’s beautiful descriptions, I really felt like I was there. The characters in this book were probably my favourite aspect, I love Anna and Etienne. I love how they are flawed and real, both in their appearances and their personalities.

Overall, Anna and the French Kiss is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a fun story. I have read this book multiple times and it remains great. It also contains more substance and less fluff than you might first expect.

I really recommend this novel to get you out of a reading slump, after a particularly sad read or during one of those dreaded mourning periods after your favourite series ends.

Please like it if you like it and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Buy on Amazon:

Anna and the French Kiss (Book 1)