Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
What a cute, YA read! It made me very happy, however, to no longer be in high school...even in Paris, as it seems that teenagers will be teenagers, wherever they are!
Anna is the daughter of a famous author, who decides that he needs the prestige of sending his daughter to high school in Paris. Luckily for Anna, it's the School of America in Paris (known as SOAP to its' students), so everyone at school speaks English, including the handsome Etienne (who is an American of French and British descent).
Anna hates the idea of being uprooted for her Senior year, especially since she just kissed the handsome Toph from her place of work. Plus, she's terrified of living in a foreign country, even if it is Paris. But, she makes friends and discovers that she can go out on her own and watch movies with French subtitles - to review them for her future career as a film critic.
It's a typical story of Girl meets Boy, Boy has another Girlfriend, Teenagers Suck and can be Petty, Growing Up and Learning to be FRIENDS with people! It was well-written and a quick read. My main problem with this story was that it was mostly written in the present tense... that bugs me in a story!
What's so wonderful about this book is that it is so realistic. The kids have real problems and come up with fairly realistic solutions. Anna is an average girl who shops at Super Target and is completely insecure. You get a good sense of how Anna feels and like her, and hope that she finally stops misunderstanding and gets her 'Point Zero' star wish.
If you are looking for a quick read that's fun and flirty, and will have you either wishing to relive your high school experience, or simply to do it vicariously, then this is the book for you.
3.5 Stars
