Anna and the French Kiss [Hardcover]

Stephanie Perkins (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 2, 2010

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 Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up–Anna Oliphant has big plans for her senior year in Atlanta: hang out with her best friend, Bridgette, and flirt with her coworker at the Royal Midtown 14 multiplex. So she is none too happy when her father sends her off to boarding school in Paris. However, things begin to look up when she meets Étienne St. Clair, a gorgeous guy–with a girlfriend. As he and Anna become closer friends, things get infinitely more complicated. Will Anna get her French kiss? Or are some things just not meant to be? Perkins has written a delightful debut novel with refreshingly witty characters. There is strong language and mention of sexual topics that make the book more appropriate for older teens. The chapters are concise, and the steady pacing leading up to the “will they or won't they?” moments will capture even reluctant readers. Teens will feel like they are strolling through the City of Lights in this starry-eyed story of finding love when you least expect it.–Kimberly Castle, Medina County District Library, OH. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Anna is not happy about spending senior year at a Paris boarding school, away from her Atlanta home, best friend Bridgette, and crush Toph. Adapting isn’t easy, but she soon finds friends and starts enjoying French life, especially its many cinemas; she is an aspiring film critic. Complications arise, though, when she develops feelings for cute—and taken—classmate Etienne, even though she remains interested in Toph. Her return home for the holidays brings both surprises, betrayals, unexpected support, and a new perspective on what matters in life—and love. Featuring vivid descriptions of Parisian culture and places, and a cast of diverse, multifaceted characters, including adults, this lively title incorporates plenty of issues that will resonate with teens, from mean girls to the quest for confidence and the complexities of relationships in all their forms. Despite its length and predictable crossed-signal plot twists, Perkins’ debut, narrated in Anna’s likable, introspective voice, is an absorbing and enjoyable read that highlights how home can refer to someone, not just somewhere. Grades 9-12. --Shelle Rosenfeld

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (December 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525423273
• ISBN-13: 978-0525423270
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.2 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (452 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephanie Perkins has always worked with books--first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She and her husband live in the mountains of North Carolina. Every room of their house is painted a different color of the rainbow.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best contemporary YA novels I've ever read! December 2, 2010

By Katie Dahlberg

Format:Hardcover

Anna And The French Kiss is probably one of the best contemporary novels I've ever read. Stephanie Perkins writes a believable romance with completely believable characters to create a novel that was so unbelievably good that I didn't put it down once.

Anna Oliphant will go down in history as one of my favorite female characters of all-time. From the very first page, I knew I'd love her. She's quirky and eccentric, but still has plenty of those girly "teenage" emotions. And I also loved that her and Étienne St. Clair, a gorgeous student at her new boarding school, are just best friends for a good chunk of the novel. With a story like this, Perkins could've easily did the whole "love at first sight" thing, but I'm so glad that she didn't. Another thing I admired was that Anna is not a damsel in distress. St. Clair helps her out a lot, but if anything, I think that she saves him a lot more. It really breaks from the mold of typical YA romance.

This is not a perfect, fairy-tale romance either. Anna and St. Clair's relationship has a lot of ups and downs. He's got a serious girlfriend and Anna is still harboring feelings for an old co-worker back in America. But even with those obstacles in the way, the story still progresses, as do their feelings. And it literally leaps off the pages. At times, I would hold the book away from me so that I could squeal/swoon without damaging it!

Overall, I have no appropriate words to do justice to how much I loved Anna And The French Kiss. This book is cute, intense, romantic, funny, dramatic and so much more. Even if you're not into contemporary novels, I definitely recommend you check this one out. I think it might just change your mind!

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, poignant, and sexy December 11, 2010

By CMiller

Format:Hardcover

As cute as I think the cover of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is, I don't think it does the book justice. For one thing, this cover implies that the book is just some sweet, cute little romance about a girl and a boy in Paris. And while it is at times cute--and romantic--and even sweet...it's so much more than that. For one thing, I laughed like a freak reading this. ANNA has a razor sharp sense of humor that appeals to one's intelligence while still maintaining a youthful world-view. Any book that can make me that smiley must be something special. But it's more than just quick-witted humor, you know? Anna's voice is so strong, so incredibly real. All of her actions and dialogue are consistent with who she is. I would have LOVED to have a friend like Anna--no, check that. I would LOVE to be Anna, just like her, down to the bleached stripe and all. Anna is just so genuinely, so beautifully seventeen.

Everything about her is spot on, down to the way she views her dad. I mean, at first I thought to myself, okay, the dad is kind of a weaselly dork, but, whatever, people like him are nothing to get upset about. But to a seventeen year old girl like Anna, a dad like hers would feel like a nightmare, and through her eyes, I actually found myself detesting him just as much--talk about brilliant characterization.

But Anna is more than just a well-written seventeen year old, she's also a stranger in a foreign land, and Perkins does a remarkable job illustrating the trials and tribulations of an expat's life. I've been an expat, and I can't tell you how many times I thought, "Yes YES YES! That's what it's like!" I have to believe that Perkins must have actually studied abroad. Anna's Paris was the same Paris I've experienced, down to the nutella-filled crepes and the sticky sweetness of mille-feuille. She even goes to Shakespeare and Co, my favorite book store ever! Except Anna's experience was colored by her age, her love of films, and (at first) her fear and resentment (also a sign of excellent characterization). I'll just be upfront with you, if you read this, the first thing you will want to do is plan a trip to Paris. And then you will fantasize what it would be to like to go to school there...and fall in love with a hot English boy. It's just so dang bittersweet because I CAN'T BE SEVENTEEN AGAIN.

Okay, I'll be honest, the way that Étienne St. Claire is described doesn't exactly appeal to my tastes. Which is okay because I'm an old person. And he's a teenager. But seeing him through Anna's eyes, it's pretty much impossible not to fall in love with him. He's just so...dreamy. Indeed, every scene is filled with live-wire tension. The romance in ANNA is naturally progressed, but the desire feels so alive, so palpable that these characters and their relationship come to feel so real. But like I said, it's more than just a romance. It's a representation of what it is to be on the cusp of adulthood...the fears and dreams and hopes and embarrassment and sweetness of discovery--all of it reflected in Anna's experience living in a foreign country, which is essentially a perfect analogy for adolescence's evolution (a journey to a place where you haven't yet learned the customs and may not even speak the language). ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is a smooth read--funny, poignant, full of heart and sexy as all get out.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Best Book of 2010! December 2, 2010

By Daisy Whitney

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am absolutely in love with this book! The story whisks you away to Paris and evokes the city completely. The romance is delicious and tingly and real - these are well-drawn characters grappling with real emotions and, dare I say, true love. Stephanie has crafted rich characters who come alive with flaws and complexities. You will root for them and your heart will melt. Amazing!!!!!!