Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 📚 BOOK REVIEW

Stephanie Perkins

I read a Norwegian paperback edition of Anna and the French Kiss.

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Originally published: December, 2010

Pages: 380 (paperback)

Synopsis by the publisher:

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her attention. So she’s less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking of word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he’s taken—and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

My thoughts:

YA/Teenage romance novels aren’t really the kind of books that I tend to gravitate towards. But once in a while, I crave some light and fluffy romance as my escapism from the world.
I’ve had Anna and the French Kiss on my shelf for years and while I was trying to pick my next read it just caught my eye. I have to admit that I was skeptical because I haven’t read a romance specifically targeted for teens in a really long time.

Right of the bat I just found the novel incredibly teen angsty which came as no surprise to be fair. Anna started as a very unlikeable character to me at first, but there was some character development there that made her less so after she came to Paris and had to grow up a little bit.
There were some things that I just found weird about the whole story. If Anna is such a movie nut (that wants to become the next big movie critic in the US) I just found it very unlikely that her knowledge of Paris and its love for movies and theatres were so extremely limited. It just seems unlikely that anyone who’s supposed to be a complete movie buff would’ve overlooked Paris as much as she had.
The teen romance in itself was cute enough. I don’t expect characters who are 17/18 to have the same insight and understanding of romance and emotions as those who I meet in adult romance novels. Even so, the back and forth between Anna and Étienne was a bit much for my taste.
I did appreciate the way that this story tried to put some focus on friendship as well, but I would’ve loved to see more of it. I think that YA novels tend to focus a bit too much on unrealistic love and relationships, and have way too much girl-hate in them.
But again, I’m not the targeted audience for this novel.

Anna and the French Kiss just wasn’t my cup of tea. I seem to have outgrown the angsty teen romance stories a bit, and especially when they’re filled with a lot of the tropes that generally dislike.
Would I have felt differently if I read this as a teenager? Probably. And I can see how a lot of younger readers could like this book, but for me, it was more of a reminder as to why I don’t find myself gravitating towards these kinds of stories anymore.

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t particularly like it either. It was okay, but just not for me.

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Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella – REVIEW

Finding Audrey was sent to my by the publisher via NetGalley to read and give an honest review. Thank you Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley!

Sophie Kinsella is known for her Shopaholic series. Finding Audrey is her first YA novel.

Published: June 4th, 2015 (June 9th, 2015 in the U.S.)

Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (Random House)

Pages: 288 (hardback)

Audiobook length: 6 hrs, 36 min

 

 

 

Synopsis by the publisher:

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

***

The Writing

I have no prior experience with Kinsella’s writing so I can’t compare the writing in this novel to her other novels. I found the writing in Finding Audrey to be witty and interesting. It’s written from a first person perspective as if Audrey is talking directly to the reader. It certainly is written for a younger audience, but it still didn’t become cheesy.

The dialogue was very quick and funny. And I really enjoyed being inside the angsty brain of Audrey.

The Characters

Audrey was a very different kind of character but also relatable even though she was definitely struggling with a lot of anxiety. As the story progressed I felt that there was a lot more depth to Audrey that could have been explored further.

I just loved her mother’s craziness though! She was all over the place but making a lot of sense at the same time, like most moms are at some point.

Linus and Frank were both sweethearts! Linus for getting Audrey out of her comfort zone. Frank for being the good protective brother!

The Plot

The story grabbed me at the very beginning when Audrey’s mother is about to throw Frank’s computer out the window. Had me giggling and thinking that a lot of moms can relate to her frustration.

The story flowed very easily and it was a fast read, but when I reached the end I felt like there should have been more. I still had some unanswered questions, but that might have been Kinsella’s intention as well.

There wasn’t really any big twists or turns in the story but it was never boring either.

Thoughts

Finding Audrey is a lighthearted contemporary read about a somewhat heavy subject of anxiety. A perfect summer read that you will fly through.

I felt like it could have had more depth. For me it was just a little bit missing even though I really enjoyed the story and the characters.

Definitely recommend if you want something easy and witty but with somewhat of a more serious theme as well. Just don’t expect too much for it to be a very enjoyable read.

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I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson – REVIEW

 

I listened to I’ll Give You The Sun on Audible. 

Published: September 16th, 2014

Publisher: Dial Books 

Pages: 371 (hardback)

Audiobook length: 12 hrs, 57 min

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis by the publisher:

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

***

The Writing

Nelson’s writing in this book is so beautiful and unique! The way she makes you see all the paintings in front of you so vividly is amazingly well done!

It was funny, puzzling, different, beautiful and heart breaking.

The beautiful pros and flows of the book captivated me from the very beginning and held me in its grip the whole way through.

The Characters

Noah: He was such an interesting character. To follow him as he struggled with love and his sexual orientation was both heart warming and breaking at the same time. I just wanted to jump into the book and help him out.

And these invisible portraits that he makes in his mind described all of his feelings in such a unique way with so few words.

Jude: She was definitely my favorite and it was probably because she was the one that was easiest to relate to for me. Her thoughts on love, boys and family was really a treat to read. And how she follows her grandmother’s “bible” made me laugh out loud while listening.

The Plot

I think this is the first time that I’ve read a book that has two different plot lines that does not go over the same period of time. But it worked out so beautifully and it was one of the things that really made this book so different and wonderful.

And the way that Nelson intertwine those timelines was handled perfectly!

I did see some of the plot twists coming, but it didn’t really spoil the joy of the book in any way and I can’t really pinpoint why.

Thoughts

I’d heard so many good things about this book before I started it and I was a little afraid that I had gotten too high expectations, but amazingly enough it lived up to my expectations and then some!

It was just a beautiful book that had me going through so many emotions as the story progressed and the characters developed. I really connected with the twins and when the story was over I wanted it to be more.

A gripping and wonderful story about family, love, growing up and realizing that life is not going to be what you expected. Just as this book ended up meaning so much more to me than I ever expected!

Definitely one of my favorites for 2015!

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A Magic Dark and Bright by Jenny Adams Perinovic – REVIEW

A Magic Dark and Bright was sent to my by Patchwork Press via Netgalley for an honest review. 

This is the first book in The Asylum Saga.

Published: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Bookish Group Press

Pages: 330

***

A Magic Dark and Bright is the story of Amelia Dupree who lives in the city Asylum, Pennsylvania. She’s been seeing a ghost from the night that her brother died.

Amelia set out to help the lady in white that turns up at the edge of the forest behind her house hoping to in someway connect with her brother. She had no idea that trying to help will unleash a curse on the town.

Charlie moves in to the creepy MacAllister house and Amelia immediately likes him even though she spent most of her childhood fearing Charlie’s grandmother because of the rumor that she’s a witch.

And when young girls start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one after the other, the people of Asylum looks for someone to blame. And the blame falls on the MacAllister’s.

Amelia and Charlie work together to uncover the dark secrets of the town and realize that they might have unleashed an evil bigger than they could have ever imagined. Is it too late to save everyone that they love?

***

The Writing

I found this novel to be really well written. The surroundings and events were written in a way that really had me feeling like I was there and could experience all the emotions that Amelia went through. I thought that the dynamic between the characters and in the town felt very real. The story was creepy at times but I feel like it could easily have been written even creepier.

The Characters

Let’s start with out female protagonist here. I really liked Amelia and felt that I connected with her pretty early in the story. She’s curious and funny. And  even though she has her issues she came off as a strong character. I miss her already!

When Charlie showed up I was curious but did not trust him. I felt that there was something off about his character, but he definitely grew on me.

There were loads of other characters that I enjoyed, but Ransom annoyed me from the moment he appeared. I do believe that was the intent of the writer and so I hold no grudges. I enjoyed to dislike him.

The Plot

I have to say that some of the plot twists I did kind of see coming and then there were some that definitely took me by surprise.

I thought that the build up was done beautifully and the story had me entertained and curious all the way from beginning to end. Well done Perinovic!

***

This was a book that I really did enjoy and flew through in about a day. I already miss it and I definitely look forward to the next book! The wait will be too long, but I have good feeling that it will be worth the wait! 

The perfect blend of teenage romance, magic, creepiness and mystery! Highly recommend!

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To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jennifer Han – REVIEW

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a young-adult contemporary, published by Simon & Schuster. I read this one on my Kindle Paperwhite. 

This is the story of Lara Jean. Lara Jean never told any of the boys she had feelings for, just how she felt. She wrote it down. She wrote letters and put them away in her hatbox. This way she got the feelings out of her system and could move on.

One day one of the boys she wrote a letter to walks up to her in school and starts to talk about a letter. Lara Jean panics when she realizes that all of her letters are missing. One of the letters were to her sisters Margot’s ex-boyfriend: Josh.  They’ve been together for quite sometime, but recently broke up right before Margot went to college in Scotland.

To avoid having to face this with Josh she pretends that she’s dating one of the most popular guys in school (who also got a letter) but how long can she hold on to this lie? How far will she go to avoid talking about her feelings?

***

The Writing

Jenny Han’s writing style is absolutely lovely. She had me all giggling and remembering what it was like to be in love for the very first time. She has this wonderful way of writing about emotions without it becoming cheesy. It was just very relatable.

The dialogues felt very natural and real. It was written in a very light hearted, but captivating way.

The Characters

Lara Jean was such a funny character to follow through this story. She felt very real and relatable. There were a few of her choices of action that frustrated me, but which teen doesn’t make wrong and too rash decisions? That might even be one of the things that made me love her so much.

I also loved the love between the sisters Lara Jean, Margot and Kitty.

Kitty was my absolute favorite in this book! At the age of ten she is all kinds of sassy in such a wonderful way!

Josh and Peter made for great characters as well and throughout the story I was going back and forth between the two, not really knowing who I liked the most.

The Plot

I went into this, not really knowing what the story was about except for some letters and past loves. The thought of her writing these letters was so amazing. I think that’s a thing that so many does at one time or another, writing something just to get it out of ones system.

The story grabbed me and held tight throughout the whole story. The plot was very consistent, but with some twists here and there that I didn’t see coming. Parts of the ending I did kind of see coming, but it was the journey to the ending that made this book so beautiful!

I have mixed feelings about there being a second book because I felt that the ending was just perfect, but I will definitely read the next book!

An absolute treat and one I highly recommend if you want a quick read that’s light hearted, warm and fuzzy!

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This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner – REVIEW

This Shattered World is the second novel in the Starbound trilogy. You can read my review of These Broken Stars (the first book) HERE 🙂

In the second book we meet Jubilee “Lee” Chase, captain in the forces that was sent to the terraformed planet Avon to keep the rebellious movement under control. Lee is different from the others who comes to Avon. She has her own personal reasons for fighting the rebels and for some reason she is still sane after staying on a planet that slowly drives so many others insane. We also meet Flynn Cormac, leader of the rebels. A man who wants to find peace for his home planet without having to resolve to violence and war.

Lee and Flynn were never supposed to meet, but when their paths cross one day Flynn does the only thing that makes sense to him. He takes her as a prisoner and brings her back to the rebel base hoping to exchange her for medicine and other valuables much needed, but instead he makes a decision that changes everything. When the rebels want to execute Lee to send a message, Flynn escapes the base together with her and suddenly they find themselves caught between two sides of a senseless war.

On the run they also discover that there’s something horribly wrong with Avon.

***

The Writing:

I enjoyed the writing just as much in this one as in These Broken Stars. The fact that they shift between the perspectives of Flynn and Lee throughout the book gives us a good insight to two different sides of the same story. The short in-between chapters also adds to the mystery of the book, but felt kind of confusing in the beginning.

Kaufman and Spooner paints beautiful pictures in these books that makes you feel like you’re right there beside them on Avon.

The Characters:

Lee is a strong, independent and mysterious female lead. I enjoyed her sassiness and how she wanted to be in control of every situation that was thrown towards her. As we get to know her past and how she grew up, she really grows as a character.

Flynn had the classic rebel charm to him and I did not feel like there were as many surprises to his character as Lee’s, but I did like him a lot. He’s a rational thinker that wants peace and understanding.

They were both strong protagonists that worked well together in this story.

The Plot:

Let’s just air the frustration that so many had when we found out about the plot of This Shattered World:

No more Lilac and Tarver??!!?!?!

I was (as so many others) disappointed to read that the characters from the first novel would not be the lead characters in this one. I was very curious to find out what would happen next with them.

But do calm down, they are not left out of the trilogy even though they are not the lead characters of this novel.

The mystery of the planet I found very intriguing. Something is clearly wrong. And I was also very interested in finding out what made Jubilee different from everyone else. Why doesn’t she get the dreams that most do right before going insane? What happened to her as a child to make her into such a tough-hearted soldier?

I found the romance part of the novel to be a little too predictable. You kind of expect it from the very beginning of the story. But even though there’s a fair share of romance in This Shattered World it doesn’t have the same focus  on romance and passion as These Broken Stars. This story is much crueler and harsher in comparison, but that also made it less predictable in some ways.

***

All in all I really liked This Shattered World and I’m still very curious to see how they will wrap it all up in the third and last novel Their Fractured Light (expected publication: December 29th, 2015)

Still there was something about the second novel that did not take as strong a hold on me as the  first one did. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but I just didn’t LOVE this one as much, but still I would highly recommend it!

 Want your own copy of this beautiful book? Click on the Amazon or BookDepository logo below:

  

Review – Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park is a love story following two lovestruck sixteen year old misfits. 

Park is half Korean, half white, dresses in dark clothes, listens to punk and loves comic books.

Eleanor is the new girl at school. She’s a bit bigger than all the other girls, her style is weird, she has red hair (with a life of its own) and has a secret.

 

The year is 1986.

While Park comes from a family where his parents love each other very much and even still make out after so many years, Eleanor’s family is a whole other kind of story. She lives with her mother, a violent stepdad and four siblings. All five children are crammed up together in one tiny bedroom, huddling together whenever they are woken up by their mothers screams or their stepfathers yelling.

When Eleanor and Park falls in love with each other, Eleanor knows that her stepdad will never let her have that joy in her life, but she can’t picture a life without Park and Park can’t picture a life without Eleanor either. What are they to do?

***

I’ve heard so many great things about this book and finally found the time to read it. This was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the story and could much relate to the weirdness and gingerness of Eleanor. I went into this believing it would be just another cutesy high school romance novel, but Eleanor & Park touches on so many other subjects than that of first love. Bullying, abuse, domestic violence and body image are some of the main themes throughout this book and even though this is a fictional story it hurts to know that the life of Eleanor is ever so real to so many others in this real world.

I’m not one to read a lot of young adult romance novels, but I did enjoy this one quite a lot. I thought it was funny, cute and also shook my heart from time to time (didn’t make me cry though) and I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommend this if you want a lighter but not too mooshy kind of read 🙂

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Eleanor & Park:

“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”

***

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I hope you enjoyed this review! Please share if you have any thoughts on Eleanor & Park (or anything else) in the comments below 🙂

Till next time, Toodles!