Where do I begin with this book? It had been on my “to read” shelf for a long time and I finally found it at the main branch of my local libraries. I can successfully say I was not disappointed one bit!
Goodread summary:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris–until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all…including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
This book is excellent. I really liked the main character Anna. She has a lot of insecurities, but then again, what major character isn’t flawed? I think any person would be upset they were being shipped off to another country during their senior year of high school – leaving everything and everyone they know. Especially with the language barrier. Luckily, she goes to an American school, so it’s not that bad.
Then there’s Étienne St. Clair. Wow, an American, yet French, yet British with an English accent? My kind of guy. I also really liked her other friends, and they played about as equally as big of a part as Anna and Étienne did. I like that Stephanie Perkins didn’t just shove them off to the side in regards to the angst between Anna and Étienne, but that they all were affected by their actions as well.
The way that Anna and Étienne just became friends rather flawlessly was excellent. It’s kind of my picture of how true love is supposed to be: your partner is indeed your best friend. That’s what I really liked about these two as well, they were first and foremost friends.
The last thing I will comment on is Anna’s love for films. I’m not as a big of a film geek as some are, but I do love to watch movies. I really liked how that all tied in with the story and how Anna had her blog as well.
Final Thoughts: If you like stories about boarding schools, foreign countries, and flailing over guys with accents, this is definitely the book for you. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will read anything by Ms. Perkins! 5 star rating.
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