Anna and the French Kiss is a book I kept hearing about. There was great buzz, if you will. Before I read it I would have assumed that this book wasn’t really my cup of tea, as it YA Romance. What is that saying about judging a book by its cover again? Well, I now think I shall have to say don’t judge a book by its genre as well as I absolutely loved this book.
Anna loves life in Atlanta. She has her best mate and a crush that seems to be on the verge of ‘something’. Her life comes crashing down around her when she is packed off to attend boarding school in Paris. Quite daunting for anyone who doesn’t speak the language. That is until she claps eyes on Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all … including a serious girlfriend.
The characters are not sappy as you would expect, rather the opposite. Yet it deals with the yearn of forbidden love/lust with realism.
I was sucked into this book. It is one of those books that you have a magnet to. As soon as you put it down you just want to pick it back up again. Who needs sleep anyway?
I am stunned that this is a debut novel from author Stephanie Perkins, her writing crackles with humour and her characterisation is beautiful.
I never thought I would say this but, it’s romance, and it’s damn good. Buzz, buzz, buzz!
You can have a look yourself with an extract from the lovely Penguin website here.
Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Penguin, $19.95 RRP
Publication Date: 4 Jan 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780143206262
For ages: Young Adult
Type: Novel
