Summary
Anna is a budding film critic, she has a great job working in a movie theater, friends, and an almost boyfriend. Anna doesn't want to leave her home in Atlanta, but Annas suddenly successful father thinks she needs some sophistication, so he sends her to boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. When Anna arrives at the School of America in Paris she feels out of place. She doesn't know anyone and she doesn't even speak French. She soon makes friends with Meredith, also a senior, who is on the same floor as Anna. She also meets the handsome Etienne St. Clair, half English, half American, with a wonderful, English accent. One problem, Etienne already has a girlfriend. As the school year and events unfold will Anna ever get the French kiss the title of the book promises?
Critical Analysis
This book filled with characters that are richly developed with interesting personalities. Anna and Etiennes friendship slowly develops into something more and each must make difficult decisions about life, love, and the future. While Anna and Etiennes romance in central to the story line other facets provide depth to the story. Family drama, illness, first love, friendship, mistakes, uncertainty, and growth provide for a very realistic story. I really enjoyed the way Perkins address the relationships between characters. You feel the emotions that the characters are experiencing, the painful ending of relationships due to change and growing apart and the exciting start of new relationships. At points the story was a little predictable and Tophs (Annas almost boyfriend) character was a little week and inconsistent. There is some implied sexual activity, drinking, and language in the book that make it more suitable to older teens.
Anna is a budding film critic, she has a great job working in a movie theater, friends, and an almost boyfriend. Anna doesn't want to leave her home in Atlanta, but Annas suddenly successful father thinks she needs some sophistication, so he sends her to boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. When Anna arrives at the School of America in Paris she feels out of place. She doesn't know anyone and she doesn't even speak French. She soon makes friends with Meredith, also a senior, who is on the same floor as Anna. She also meets the handsome Etienne St. Clair, half English, half American, with a wonderful, English accent. One problem, Etienne already has a girlfriend. As the school year and events unfold will Anna ever get the French kiss the title of the book promises?
Critical Analysis
This book filled with characters that are richly developed with interesting personalities. Anna and Etiennes friendship slowly develops into something more and each must make difficult decisions about life, love, and the future. While Anna and Etiennes romance in central to the story line other facets provide depth to the story. Family drama, illness, first love, friendship, mistakes, uncertainty, and growth provide for a very realistic story. I really enjoyed the way Perkins address the relationships between characters. You feel the emotions that the characters are experiencing, the painful ending of relationships due to change and growing apart and the exciting start of new relationships. At points the story was a little predictable and Tophs (Annas almost boyfriend) character was a little week and inconsistent. There is some implied sexual activity, drinking, and language in the book that make it more suitable to older teens.
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