Genre: YA-Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Date Published: December 2, 2010
Number of Pages: 372
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?
What I loved about Anna and the French Kiss was the world. I absolutely loved her friends, and am excited to see that Lola (who is mentioned in 2 scenes) and Josh have a book all to themselves coming out. I also loved everything about Paris. I loved the exploration of food, and to the various places (the tombs...oh my gosh the tombs!! I want to be there!)
Things I didn't really like: First World Rich American Brats Problems. Seriously. It was EXACTLY how you expect a rich white kid abroad to be: every kid at this place has daddy issues. There wasn't a single character who talked about their father and had good things to say. Just no. Realistically, I went to a private high school. I can name on 1 hand how many people in my class that had some kind of daddy issues. Seriously. And the one I can realistically say had issues was because her dad died when we were freshman. NOT REALISTIC AT ALL.
Problem number 2 (and biggest problem): The main love interests (both of them!!) were kind of douches when it came to the "treating women with respect" department. Anna's love interest at home is just a raging asshat. Lucky they didn't actually make that official. And St. Clair is just...without spoiling anything...he's wonderful to some people and kind of crappy towards others. And the other being a fellow woman, that's kind of not cool.
All that aside, it was so enjoyable, and I read it in under a day. This was a fantastically written, one of the best romance-YA novels I have ever read. Plus lack of sexual instances was a wonderful breath of fresh air, and I'm glad that it was put out there that not every girl has to have sex with the hot guy!! Sometimes I worry about my daughter growing up because tv and a lot of YA novels make it seem like sex is absolutely necessary when you're in high school, and if you aren't doing it you're not normal. That's a bad example to be setting. Anna and the French Kiss is a force to be reckoned with in the YA community.
5 out of 5 Very Happy Clouds :)
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