Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

"French the Llama!" I sure do like Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. (OK, So my daughter, a full-fledged Nerdfighter, challenged me to use this saying coined by John Green, one of the Vlogbrothers and the original Nerdfighters. John says that the author, Stephanie Perkins, is a Nerdfighter, and he really likes the book.  He says it is all "sweetness, funny, and awesome... genuinely romantic." So it is all good! And...if you are just a little bit nerdy/geeky about books and other things and you haven't checked out Nerdfighters, I think you really should.  You might actually find a whole community of people who think just like you.)

Quick summary of the book: Anna's father, a famous author, decides to send her to the American School in Paris for her senior year.  The timing couldn't be worse.  She wants to stay home with her mother and younger brother, her best friend Bridge, and her almost-boyfriend Toph.  Once in Paris she meets a really nice group of new friends, but she is especially attracted to one boy, Etienne St. Clair.  He also seems to like her, unfortunately, he has a girl friend. As the school year starts to draw to a close will they ever get together?

My thoughts: The book was a slow-starter for me.  I was about a third of the way into the book before it really caught my attention and then I couldn't read it fast enough.  I glad that I was patient with it. Anna and Etienne have some almost-spicy scenes which make me smile to recall.  I like it when authors honor good values and don't have every character jumping into bed and having sex. Though I was frustrated that Anna and Etienne often got tangled up with bad communication, I could overlook that as essential to pulling the story along toward the climax.

I know this book will find its way into the hands of many girls at my school, as I will now be pushing it on them.