The story, in short, is about a girl named Anna from Atlanta, Georgia, ready to start her senior year with an almost boyfriend (Toph) , a reliable best friend (Bridgette), and a plan for her future- to study film theory in California and become one of the nation's greatest female film critics. Everything seems perfect, until her father, famous romance novelist James Ashley enrolls her in the School of America in Paris, France. Anna is furious, but things change quickly when she meets the gorgeous foreign boy- Etienne St. Clair. She and Etienne share a relationship so thick with romantic tension you could cut it with a knife- the thing is, Etienne has a serious girlfriend, Ellie. Through a year of romantic near-misses, Anna falls in love with Etienne- the ultimate question that is posed, however, is Does he like me too?
In short, I found this novel to both fulfill every stereotype of a young adult romance novel, and it to be one of the most fun to read. Stephanie Perkins is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read more of her work in the future. The way she writers makes your heart drop when the protagonist faces a challenge, and sends shivers through you from every romantic encounter she faces. I found this novel to be one of the most genuinely romantic stories I have read in a long time. It makes your heart melt, the way she describes those special moments. That said, I found the storyline followed a pretty predictable pattern- Anna travels abroad against her will, meets a gorgeous boy that she falls in love with, and then dances in circles with for the whole novel. There will be a rut, but Anna and her true love will find each other again and have their happily-ever-after. I have read books like this many, many times, but I found that this one was tolerable because the writing kept me hooked. Anna is such an endearing and funny protagonist, that you can't help but root for her.
My final verdict: GO BUY THIS, NOW! For those of you that haven't read a young adult novel with this concept yet, you will love it. As for those of you that have, it is still a worthy read- the writing is phenomenal! Can't wait for another one!
