by Stephanie PerkinsSeries: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Published by Penguin on August 14, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Love & Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 375
Amazon • Book Depository •
From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.
Seal noises were made. I fell off a bed. Twice.
Notice: These reactions are to the UK PAPERBACK EDITION not the US Hardback so all page numbers will refer to the Usborne Published edition.
No spoilers.
The Freakout
12: Already adorable oh my gosh.
36: It’s so weird with her referring to Anna and Etienne as “so much cooler.”
53: HER AND KURT’S RELATIONSHIP!
60: Why don’t my crushes work like this omg.
65: Holy shit I love Josh.
68: OH MY GOSHHHHHH THIS IS SO AWKWARDLY ADORABLE.
78: Seriously. Stephanie Perkins. Write my life story.
81: Holy shit seriously I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME
82: *SNORT*
85: I can’t stop smiling, face in permanent smiling stage.
87: It’s an awkward first date and iy can’t be cuter.
88: Shit just realized…if they get together this early…WHAT HAPPENS IN THE REST?
97: LAUGHING. GIGGLING.
98: Just fell off my bed squealing. God damn it.
100: Do you realize how people reading the french version of this may be losing the impact of the French?
107: He and Etienne both
108: See when the guy *I* liked said he knew it wasn’t this cute.
110: IF THIS WASN’T STEPHANIE PERKINS, I’D CALL INSTALOVE BUT. OH MY GOSH SO CUTEEEEEE.
111: SO FRICKIN CUTE
118: Woah
120: I LOVE KURT
129: I’M DYING
138: *dies laughing*
151…please don’t tell me he…
155: OH MY GOD I LOVE THEM
161: THIS WAS ON TUMBLR ONCE.
177: I LIKE THIS SECTION
185: I am the happiest person ever right now.
198: GAH. GAHHHHH
199: Oh my GAWD
212: Ohmygod OHmygod OHMygod OHMYgod OHMYGod OHMYGOd OHMYGODDDDDDD
224: I have. So many feels.
243: Snort/Frowns/Giggles
245: Well wow when y ou put it like that…also Perkins is totally calling ANNA a soap opera LOL
253: I WANT. TO. CRY. GVC DHKMK I HAVE FEELS IN MY CHEST AND I CAN’T EVEN HATE RASHMI BECAUSE I LIKE HER OMFG
258: OH MY GAWD CALLIOPE OH MY GAED I’M SMILING RIDICULOUSLY
268: Man Hattie is SUCH a BITCH
293: MY HEART. I CAN’T
296: *squeals in a screaming voice* I HATE YOU STEPHANIE PERKINS.
310: Heart. Can’t. Bye.
317: *DIES*
322: Everyone is awesome. Everyone is breaking my heart.
328: GODDAMMIT *tears up*
335: SHE IS AWESOME
338: MY BABIES
341: IT’S ALL MY BBYS. OMGGGGHJG DES DDDD BKKLKBG RD V MLK OPP PKGF
343: I FUCKING LOVE EVERYONE AT THIS TABLE
346: OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDD OHMYFUCKINGGODOHMYGODHSJAKSJSWHSBSJDJKSSOOS
357: Tiny gasping noises are happening
361: JOSH US CRAZY I WANT HIM
369: I CAN’T
372: RASPING NOISEEEEE
The Review
(Except not really a review, more like an extended freak out)
Guys guys guys. Okay this is going to be a bit jumbly because it’s 2 AM and I just read this book for 3 hours straight WITHOUT REALIZING HOW MUCH TIME HAD PASSED. Oh my Goddddddddd.
Okay, so Isla. Let’s talk about her. She’s fun and quirky and basically like all of Perkins’ heroines–adorable, fleshed out, quirky, and just absolutely amazing. It was interesting seeing everything (like Anna, Etienne, Josh’s relationships with everyone) from her eyes and I just LOVED HER SO MUCH. Out of all three girls I’m going to say I can relate to her the most (because she’s feminine, but not crazy, and she does get a bit stalkery with her crushes.) She’s absolutely adorable and I just LOVE her and I just. I just. GUYS. GAH. She’s just so much fun, but it’s also heartbreaking because she’s a quiet kind of girl. She doesn’t know what others think of her and she…doesn’t really want to know I guess. She has low self esteem and it was devastating because we could see how amazing she was–she just didn’t.
Josh was amazingly complex in ISLA–not that we should be surprised. As a minor character in ANNA and not showing up at all in LOLA, I sort of missed his moodiness and in ISLA we learn more and more about him and can we just talk about how I absolutely adored him? I can’t even tell you how wonderful Perkins is at bringing her characters to life, but she really did. Of course there’s still a fictional element to it, but there’s just something else that makes it feel so real. As the third book in the series we know almost all the characters in this story now–and it’s just amazing seeing Josh again and seeing more of his character.
Also, Isla and Kurt’s relationship? I LOVE it. Platonic friendships FTW!
There are things about these books that just make you sigh and wish your love life was written by Stephanie Perkins. Each of her books are always so significantly different, but all as lovable and all as absolutely stunning. In ISLA, I can’t even begin to tell you how perfectly Perkins captured a crush. Yes, Isla was a bit stalker. Yes, that’s how my friends and I are with our crushes. (No hopefully no one from my school is reading this.) And it’s just personally satisfying and absolutely squeal-worthy that the guy she likes likes her back (and that the dude was so much more romantic than my crush. Granted, significant age difference but STILL. That’s a story for next time though.)
With natural Perkins wit, humor, and heartbreak, Isla and the Happily Ever After definitely won’t let you down. It’s a dazzling book of a romance that’s easy until insecurities get in the way and a story that had me squealing and tearing up and wailing in the middle of the night.
I feel like there are a few people who didn’t love this book as much, but as a teen I can say that everything Isla did was completely how teens would react to something like this. We’re not all those infallible YA heroines and the way it’s captured is simply brilliant. I can’t stress my love for this book enough guys. I can’t.
Also: ETIENNE. AND ANNA. AND CRICKET. AND LOLA. AND ALL. OF. THEM. ARE. THERE. GAH.
Aaaaaah this book sounds so perfect!! I still need to read Anna, Lola, AND Isla. I don’t know why I haven’t yet. Haha I love the freak outs XD Awesome review, Nikki <33
Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books recently posted…ARC Review ~ Zodiac by Romina Russell
I feel like I am one of the only people who has not read these books. I am pretty sure that I have the first one, and now I need to read them after reading this review. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to, I just didn’t find the time to. I will MAKE time to read these books. I feel like I have to. Awesome review. Super entertaining and cute.
Amy @ Xpresso Reads recently posted…Fresh Batch (New Releases December 7th – 13th)
I’m pretty sure the hidden message in this review was that whoever hasn’t read this series or book yet is wasting their time. And I…haven’t yet. Sorry! I wish I could join in on your fangirling for this book and series, but I can’t. All I know is that I have to read these books ASAP! Thanks for your great review! ^_^