Book Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Goodreads says:

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last? 

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.
I am finally back with a brand new book review of Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

I have been reading the novel off and on for a month or so because I have been distracted by reading other books. However, I decided to buckle down and focus on finishing this book.

Why the detour?  It took awhile for the story to pick up speed. The book didn't get interesting until after the first hundred pages.

So we are back in Paris at SOAP-School of America in Paris.  At first, I thought that the story was going to solely take place in New York. Actually, the setting is divided between Paris and NYC.

Josh and Isla have been crushing on each and they finally get together senior year.  So their relationship should be smooth sailing. Well not exactly.

Spoiler Alert: A trip to Spain lands the couple in hot water with SOAP.  Josh gets expelled and Isla gets attention.  Now the couple has to deal with maintaining a long distance relationship.

The thing that worries me about Isla is that she over thinks things and is afraid to take risks.  She also feels that she is unlovable.  Isla's only friend is Kurt.  It takes some time for Isla to break out of her comfort zone-well she is forced out of her comfort zone.  Josh and Isla break up, but can they find their way back to each other?

Readers will see cameo appearances from Meredith, Anna, Cricket, Lola, St. Clair, Sanjita, and Nate from Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door.  Fans of the series will be pleased to know that Anna and St. Clair are still together.  There is a big surprise in the book. Hint, hint.

Isla and the Happily Ever turned out to be a good book. I have heard positive reviews around the web. Stephanie Perkins tied everything together nicely.  At first, it's sort of hard to see how all three books connect, but once you read all three books, you will see the connections.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Personal digital copy purchased from Barnes N Noble

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola is a fashion designer of costumes.  She could care less about designer clothes and handbags. The more sparkly, expressive, and bold a costume is-the better.

Life in Lola Nolan's world seems perfect. She has two loving parents, her best friend Lindsey, and her rock star boyfriend Max.  When the Bell twins Cricket and Calliope move back into the neighborhood, Lola's world is turned upside down.  Years of hurt and anguish resurface, and now she must reconcile her feelings.

After reading Anna and the French Kiss, I was eager to read Lola and the Boy Next Door.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the story felt flat throughout most of the novel.  I knew that Anna and St. Clair were moving to the San Francisco area after graduation for college. I wasn't sure how they would play a role in Lola's story.  I thought maybe Lola was an unknown character from SOAP in Paris, but this is definitely not the case.

When the story first opens, we meet Lola's parents-her dads.  This is the first novel I've read where the protagonist's parents are in a same gender relationship.  When I read Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altabrando, readers found out that EB's parents are divorced and her dad is gay.  However, that's all we know about him and readers don't get a look into his life.  Usually in young adult fiction, parents are background characters and have a limited storyline.  I personally think that parents in Sarah Dessen novels have more of a storyline than other parents in other books.

I wondered if Lola's parents were divorced or if she was adopted.  Readers learn the answers to these questions very quickly.  She even tells someone in the novel (sadly, I don't remember who) that she doesn't really have a mother.

I am use to reading novels where the protagonist has a traditional family-two parents, siblings, and pets. In some books, the main character may have divorced parents and are raised by a single parent or relative. Before anyone goes crazy on me, I know that times have changed. I haven't been under a rock and I am not clueless to the fact that family structures have changed over the years.

In Lola's case, Nathan is actually her biological uncle who adopted her when her biological mother Norah was not in the position to take care of her.  Nathan raised Lola with his partner Andy.  Norah has been in out of Lola's life.  As far as her birth father is concerned, I'm not sure where he is.  I imagine that all of this had to be difficult for Lola to adjust to.  The biggest challenge she faces is that Norah shows up on their doorstep again and moves in for some time.  Likely, there are many teens out there that can relate to Lola in some shape or form.

Another factor that we learn about Lola's life is that her boyfriend Max is 22 and she is 17 years old.

What? As an older reader, I don't agree with this at all.  What does a 22 year old grown man want with a 17 year old high school girl?  What could they possibly have in common?  I remember when I was in high school, I thought that the boys in my school were immature. Older guys seemed more desirable.  However I learned years later that older does not always equal mature.  Back in the day, Aaliyah had a song called "Age Aint Nothing But A Number."  Well, age and maturity levels do matter.

I couldn't believe that Nathan and Andy were okay with Lola dating Max. As the story progresses, we learn that they are not 100% okay with Lola dating Max.

Max is required to attend Sunday brunch, and Lola must check in with her parents whenever she is with Max.  I guess that they figured that they might as well let her date Max because if they say no, she would rebel.

Anna and St. Clair appear quite a bit in the novel.  They actually work at the same movie theater where Lola works.  Yes, St. Clair works.  He was hanging out there so much, he might as well get a job.

I'm not sure why Lola and the Boy Next Door is a companion novel for Anna and the French Kiss other than Anna and St. Clair's cameo appearance.  There are two things that both novels have in common.

1. Both main characters (narrators) work in a movie theater.
2. Both narrators love interests (crush/boyfriend) is in a band.

I can't see what makes Max so appealing.  He is disrespectful, he is jealous of Cricket, and has other undesirable traits.  He thinks that Lola's best friend Lindsey is immature. Well, Max, how about finding someone your own age on your level. Thank you very much.  

What frustrated me about Lola is the fact that she leads Max and Cricket on.  She lies to Max and acts like she does not have feelings for Cricket.  Yeah, I know that Max deserves a place in the Jerk Hall of Fame, but that is no excuse to lie. I feel that this relationship was destined for doom in the beginning.  

Throughout the novel, Lola has been working on the Marie Antoinette dress. I must say that it was quite a project.  She thinks that she is going to the winter formal with Max. Does she really believe that he is going to be seen a high school dance? I don't think so. In the end, she does go to the winter formal, but with whom?

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Summary

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?  -Goodreads


I heard about this novel from Ronni from Anywhere Is during the 30 Week Blog Challenge: Week 4- Favorite Books.  I decided to look up the novel and the author.  As I kept looking at the cover, it felt very familiar to me. Probably because I might have seen this book in Target or around the web.  The above summary sounded interesting, so I put it on my Goodreads list and ordered it from Barnes & Noble.

One of the first things that caught my attention about this novel is an Anna's description of her Dad. Anna's dad writes romance novels and he is a fictional version of Nicholas Sparks.   Don't believe me? 

James Ashley wrote books such as The Incident, and The Entrance.  His stories take place in Small Town, Georgia about folks with good American values, fall in love, contract life threatening diseases and die. His novels were made into movies.   On the other hand, Nicolas Sparks wrote: The Notebook, The Choice, The Rescue, The Guardian, The Last Song, Safe Haven, and many other books.  His books take place in small towns in North Carolina.  Several of Nicholas Sparks' novels were made into movies.   I'm not ashamed to say that I have read several novels by Nicholas Sparks and watched The Notebook.   I wondered if Stephanie Perkins was poking fun at Nicholas Sparks making a fictional version of him.  One of the novel descriptions reminded me of A Walk to Remember.  

Anna is reluctant to spend her senior year in Paris away from her best friend Bridget, her crush Toph, and her little brother Sean.  She also has a job at the movie theater where Toph works.  

I have to wonder  about the real reason why some parents send their children off to boarding school. Is it to avoid most of the  four years of teen angst, to be cultured, or something else entirely?  

However, Anna is not happy about living in France.  She doesn't speak French and doesn't know how to navigate through Paris.  Everything changes when she meets Etienne St. Clair.  Etienne was born in America, raised in England, and now lives in France.  He is perfect and has a British accent.  I don't know what it is about guys with British accents that make women swoon.  This reminds me of an episode of Family Feud when Steve Harvey asked: What country has the biggest playboys?  The survey said, England.  

Anna and Etienne develop a friendship during the course of the school year.  They develop feelings for each other, but there is one major obstacle in their way-Etienne has a girlfriend. Anna also knows that Meridith is interested in St. Clair.

Anna still hopes that there is a chance with her crush Toph back in Atlanta.  However, when she returns to Atlanta for Christmas break, she finds out that her best friend Bridget is dating Toph. This causes a rift between Anna and Bridget.  

What I loved most about ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is that it takes place in Paris.  I have always wanted to travel to Europe.  I felt like I was given a virtual tour without getting on an airplane.  Thanks to the descriptions given by Stephanie Perkins, I felt like I was actually there.  This tour of Paris via book will have to due until I can get there.  

Etienne and Anna's relationship is complicated.  They fight their feelings for each other, and they have to learn to work through their problems.  There was a scene when St. Clair finds Anna at the Notre Dame and their true feelings are revealed.  I don't want to give too much away,  but I imagined Spandau Ballet's "True" playing in the background, or maybe an up to date pop song.  

I also appreciate that the story was not too predictable. I was anxious to keep reading to find out if St. Clair was going to stay with Ellie or move forward with Anna.   ANNA AND THE FRENCH was a wild roller coaster ride, and I enjoyed every moment of it.