Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Book: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Release: December 2nd, 2010

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

My Summary:

Sent away to a Parisian boarding school for the year might sound amazing to some teens, but for Anna, it most definitely is not. Leaving her best friend behind, as well as an almost-boyfriend, Anna's stuck on a whole other continent with no one she knows.

But when she meets a group friends, she slips into their clique easily. But out of them all, it's Etienne St. Clair that she bonds with the most. The totally hot, hilarious Etienne St. Clair...who happens to have a girlfriend.

But as time passes, Anna's life grows more hectic, her friendships more troubled and she can't deny the truth of her relationships any longer...A fun, flirty and unforgettable debut, Anna and the  French Kiss is wonderful from start to finish. 

Review: Narrated by the ever-amusing Anna, Anna and the French Kiss does not cease to entertain and inspire. Perkins manages to write fully dimensional characters, not just with her protagonist Anna but with them all. Even with the City of Lights, Perkins paints a picture with her words that almost makes you feel as if you're standing right with Anna in the middle of Paris (oh, how I wish I could go to Paris now...darn you, Stephanie Perkins!).

Filled with a sweet romance that isn't overdone or dramatized, Anna and the French Kiss is truly fabulous. I know some people who immediately set this one aside just for the unusual name, but if you do that you are missing out. This book has substance, it has realism to the characters and the relationships. For contemporary lovers, its an easy book to jump in and relate with because life isn't perfect for Anna. There are ups and downs, and Anna is such a wonderful protagonist to follow through the story.

So it all boils down to this: Do you enjoy contemporary novels? What about a bit of realistic romance? Paris? Witty and hilarious main characters? Really cute boy BFF's? If you answered "YES!" to any of those, then Anna and the French Kiss is perfect for you.

Highlights: Perkins has the right amount of of amusement in her writing, but she can pull off the serious moments just as easily. While there are some more serious moments, this is a fairly light story (emotionally, I mean), so it will definitely be a fun read for anyone who loves YA, boys, France, accents, and so much more.

Lowlights: Hmm, I did want to shake some sense into a few certain characters, but it's not that big of a deal.

Rating:   

Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick Review

Book: Tweet Heart

Author: Elizabeth Rudnick

Release date: June 22nd, 2010

Source: Publisher

My Summary: 

Claire's just been given the job of being the school's love advice columnist, and she is definitely not thrilled due to her lack of experience in that department. The guy she's been crushing on for years hardly notices her, and when he does, she's always doing something embarrassing.

But then Mr. Right, JD Whitcomb himself starts following her Twitter account, and she gets to know the man underneath. In the meantime, Claire's best friends Will and Bennett are caught up in a mess that's only unraveling faster and faster, and Lottie is pushing Claire to be more assertive and just talk to Mr. Right in public, not just in the Twitterverse....but what if Mr. Right isn't who she thought he was?

Review: Cute and unique, Tweet Heart is fun to read from start to finish. 

Told entirely in Tweets, emails and blog posts, the story of Claire and her three friends is set up perfectly. I've got to admit, I wondered just how Rudnick could possibly write this story, and make it easy to follow. Surprisingly, the format made sense (and I believe non-twitter users will find it easy to understand), and she managed to tell the story fully and completely. 

Rudnick lets us get to know the four main characters, although Claire probably does get the most focus. Will is a definite sweetheart, Bennett is completely amusing, and Lottie an incredible, supportive friend. Their relationships all make sense, and each character seemed very developed with different personalities. 

If you're looking for a quick, high-school-romance-gone-wrong-and-cue-the-resolution book, then Tweet Heart is definitely for you. 

Highlights: Creativity, for sure, regarding the format of the story. Plus, this story really was so endearing and sweet. I could easily sympathize with each of the characters, to the point where I didn't even know which character I liked the best. 

Lowlights: The plot is easy to predict, but that didn't really keep me from enjoying it. I knew how it would end from the very beginning, and I still enjoyed it. 

Rating: