Stephanie Perkins – Anna and the French Kiss

“Don’t you know anything about making wishes? You only get a limited number in life. Falling stars, eyelashes, dandelions […]. So you ought to take advantage of them when they arise, and superstition says if you make a wish on that star, it’ll come true.” (p. 86)

I just reread Anna and the French Kiss for the millionth time and I still love it so much!! Despite the fact that I’m much older than Anna and her friends in their senior year, but it doesn’t matter. Once I start the book, I’m attending boarding school in Paris with them. And I enjoy it. Always.

Anna is very happy with her life – until her father decides to send her off to a boarding school in Paris, that is. What about her crush Toph? What about her best friend? How can he destroy her life? And there is also another problem… Paris means France, and France means… French. Anna doesn’t speak a word of French, so her start in the new school, city and country is far from easy. Still, Anna learns to get along, and soon falls in love with the city of love itself. And maybe with someone else…

There are so many things I love about this book. The first to mention would probably be the rich, detailed descriptions of the city. You immediately feel sucked in, as if you’re in Paris, too. They are so vivid and multifaceted, you can’t help but see everything that Anna sees before your inner eye.

“The eyes of the city are fastened to me as I shoot across the Seine and onto the Ile de la Cité, but this time, I don’t care. The cathedral is as breathtaking as ever. A crowd of tourists is gathered around Point Zéro, and I admire the satr as I fly by, but I don’t wait for a turn, I just keep pushing pushing pushing forward until I’m inside. Once again, Paris leaves me awed. The high-vaulted ceiling, the intricate stained glass, the gold-and-marble statuary, the delicately carved woodwork… Notre-Dame is mesmerizing.” (p. 355 f.)

I love seeing Anna falling in love with Paris. She has had such a hard time in the beginning, without speaking a word of French, and seeing her growing more and more comfortable with her surroundings is very nice. Paris being a city with loads of cinemas (which Anna loves) helps her, as do her new friends.

Which brings me to the next point. I love Anna’s friends. How they are described – you get to know them and their personalities, and you can keep them all apart. I’ve mentioned in another review how in many books, the main characters either have too many friends or they don’t have their own proper characterizations, so it’s hard to keep them apart. That is not the case here. Mer, St. Clair, Josh and Rashmi are all individuals, and it’s nice to see them all get along (most of the time).

And of course, I love St. Clair. Étienne St. Clair. What a name. What a boy. How could you possibly not fall in love with him? So many plus points, and no negatives from me to mention. So of course I rate it with 5 stars! If you want to fall in love with Paris, read this book!

“’I love you as certain as dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadows and the soul.’” (p. 363)