Theme

In the novel Anna and the French Kiss the author Stephanie Perkins manages to develop a series of themes in the book. Themes such as friendship, growing up and the most important one that is used through most of the book, love. The theme growing up is first introduced in the novel when Anna is left at the boarding school alone in Paris by her parents. At that point she had to be on her own as she didn’t know anybody and everything was unfamiliar. Anna had to learn how to be responsible in a city where drinking was legal at age 17. Growing up isn’t an option for Anna when she is in total control of her life. Anna is also faced with growing up when she falls in love with St. Clair and has to face all the obstacles that get in between her and him. Along with that comes his mother’s cancer, she has to be able to comfort St. Clair and his depression. When Anna is exposed to all these problems she is not torn down, on the other hand she is made stronger and is willing to fight for the love of her life. Not caring about her parents say or St. Clair’s strict father. The theme friendship is also introduced in the first chapters of the book when Meredith offers her friendship to Anna a complete stranger. Who through out the book and at the end ends up stealing her secret crush and friend away from Meredith. At this point Anna is in between a dilemma where she has to put in balance Meredith’s friendship or St. Clair’s love. Another point where the theme friendship comes into a role is when Anna has to decide whether she should give herself a chance with St. Clair risking their friendship or just staying friends with him. Theme love is most definitely the theme that is the most developed in this novel. Right before Anna left Atlanta to go to Paris she left a love back at home, Christopher. During her first weeks at Paris Anna did her best to keep that relationship alive, however she failed to do this and her best friend Bridget took that chance; which is once again when friendship comes up as a theme. Another struggle with love is when Anna falls in love with her best friend, St. Clair. Anna faces and truly experiences what love is, and this is the part of the book that is most captivating. Her expressing her love toward St. Clair, his hair, flaws, sense of humor, knitted hat, and friendship. This is how Stephanie Perkins develops these three themes in the novel and is able to tie them together and cause the impact that the books leaves after reading it.
　

Tone

In the novel Anna and the French Kiss the author Stephanie Perkins sets two types of tones in the writing, optimistic and a funny tone. Being a love novel you can feel that the tone that the author is using is optimistic because it makes you feel like something good is going to happen. It makes you believe and want something good is going to happen in between Anna and St. Clair's relationship. However the author manages to not make it so easy so she adds major obstacles and confusion in between them. Which at one point aggravate you as you are expecting it to be this way and it ends up being another way. The optimistic tone continues thought out the who book hoping and wishing something must happen in between them. Perkins leaves you with the sense of wanting to share the secrets of the main characters so they can finally be together.

The tone funny introduced when Anna and St. Clair meet, their perfect friendship. The humor the author adds to their friendship makes the reader want to have what the protagonists are living. Humor is just the extra touch the book has that transports the reader into the Anna's life in Paris.

Recommendation

I would most definitely recommend the novel Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins to other readers for various reasons. I would recommend this novel to any reader who enjoys reading love stories with happy endings and to anybody who likes suspense. It's not suspense about horror but just the suspense the author puts on the reader makes them want to keep reading on and on to see what will happen next. Also the feeling that you know both main characters are in love with each other but neither of them know nor want to to admit it makes you part of the story as if you know a secret of them.

The way the author described the feelings of Anna toward St. Clair, it made me fall in love with him too. I think Perkins did a very good job to involve the reader in this book with all the very detailed description of everything, the scenes, feelings, and characters.This book put me in a whole new state of consciousness. It put me in the life of Anna. It took me straight to Paris and I never looked back.

Favorite Character

In my personal opinion my favorite character in the novel Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins would be Etienne mostly known as St. Clair. Since the author introduced him into the plot he was described as a very smart, polite, and handsome boy. One outstanding characteristic of him was his hair and his smile, which Anna the narrator of the story pointed out non stop. One reason why I think St. Clair is my favorite character is because he was described in the eyes of Anna, who was in love with him. She pointed out every single detail about him and as little as it was it stilled called the attention of the reader. St. Clair in my opinion is definitely the perfect boy any girl would like to have and that's the reason why this book put me in a whole new state of consciousness.

Plot

In the novel Anna and the French Kiss the author Stephanie Perkins starts of the book by introducing Anna, a 18 year old girl who is sent to Paris by her parents. In her first day at the boarding school Anna is described as a very vulnerable girl who is afraid of being away from home. Then Meredith a intelligent and outgoing girl is introduced as well and she is the one who saves Anna from being alone. Meredith introduces Anna to her group of friends which consists of Josh, Ramshi and St. Clair. The author makes use of foreshadowing in the first couple chapters when St. Clair and Anna meet for the first time. Perkins made the impression in the text that something more was going to grow out of that friendship. As St. Clair was very friendly and attentive to Anna, being her guide to show her around the school.
As the book continues Anna is stuck between a conflict; which is a confusion of feelings for St. Clair and her ex-boyfriend Christopher back in Atlanta. She knows St. Clair is out of her limits as he has a girlfriend and Meredith has a secret crush for him. This conflict is however solved when Anna goes back to Atlanta to find out her best friend is going out with her ex-boyfriend whom she still has feelings for or at least thought she did. The major and most important conflict of this novel is when Anna and St. Clair don't dare to share their feelings. As there is major confusion in both parts and various misunderstandings that go around them.

This conflict is most shown when Anna and St. Clair decide to give a opportunity for themselves. Not caring about other people but only them. At the end there is major indifference and confusion from both of them that cause their relationship to be almost at risk.