Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release: December 2, 2010

Source: Borrowed ARC

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. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Anna and the French Kiss was absolutely decadent. From the wonderful banter between Anna and Étienne to the setting (Hello, it’s a boarding school in Paris!), I was in YA heaven.

Though there are many things I’d love to gush about, I’m going to start with Anna. From page one her snarky-yet-sweet voice had me smiling and laughing along as I happily flipped the pages to read more about her predicament. She was the perfect narrator, always ready to supply a quick retort, but all the while showing that she had a huge heart through her thoughts and actions. Without her voice, this novel wouldn’t have been anywhere near as enchanting.

Then there’s Étienne. I’m not quite sure how to describe him, other than the fact that he was amazing. Yes he has a British accent, great looks, and a charming personality, but he was also deep. Perkins didn’t try to make him overly perfect. While I wouldn’t say it’s a big drawback, he’s short. When one imagines the perfect guy, short is not the first thing that comes to mind. He’s also a huge history buff – or, let’s just say it, a nerd. By adding these qualities, Perkins made him even more endearing, while also more realistic.

The relationship between Étienne and Anna was another huge plus. I have long been a fan of the friends-turned-more trope, no matter how cheesy it may be. It was wonderful (and hilarious) to see their relationship develop, both romantically and as friends. From their emails over Christmas break to their adventures through Paris during Thanksgiving, they had a unique bond that had me madly flipping pages. I simply could not get enough of the two of them.

Finally, the setting was lovely. As if Paris wasn’t beautiful enough, Perkins did a fabulous job describing both the city and Anna’s boarding school. Described through Anna’s eyes, the city came alive. The cuisine, the sights, the culture – it was all brought to life with magnificent clarity (and just a touch of snark). I was especially fond of Anna’s trials and tribulations with getting to know the city and her feelings of isolation due to the language barrier. Watching her overcome these challenges further enriched the story and my fondness for her. By the end of the novel, I was dying to visit Paris myself, as the setting lingered in my mind for days.

An absolute gem, I cannot recommend Anna and the French Kiss enough!

5 stars!

2011 Debut Author Challenge

The 2011 Debut Author Challenge is a year-long reading challenge hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. Kristi hosted the 2010 Debut Author Challenge last year, and I personally found many great book through my participation in the challenge. If you'd like to learn more or are interested in joining, check out Kristi's official 2011 DAC post.

Below is my current list of 2011 debut novels, which is sure to grow as the year progresses.

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
2. Clarity by Kim Harrington
3. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
4. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
5. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
6. XVI by Julia Karr
7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
8. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
9. The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
10. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
11. Warped by Maurissa Guibord
12. The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal
13. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
14. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
15. Entwined by Heather Dixon
16. Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
17. Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
18. Flawless by Lara Chapman
19. Broken Wings by Helen Landalf
20. Timeless by Alexandra Monir
21. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
22. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

What debuts are you looking forward to in 2011?

Cover Judge

Cover Judge is a semi-weekly feature that spotlights the gorgeous covers of upcoming YA novels. All the featured covers are from my ever-growing book wishlist. Hopefully you find this week's cover as dazzling as I do!

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Release: May 3, 2011


Synopsis:

Unavailable

Cover: Ever since reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, this series has been one of my favorites. The books' covers have also become some of my favorite teen chick lit covers. Just as with the others, this cover is pristine and simple, but also enchanting. The white background catches your attention with its stark beauty, and the graceful, pastel title looks lovely. All in all, it perfectly captures the simplicity of summer. As for the individual elements, the green beach grass is beautifully juxtaposed against the pale white sky. Likewise, the model's white dress look gorgeous against her tan skin and dark hair. For anyone who's read It's Not Summer Without You, this dress was mentioned in the last passage of the novel, alluding to this final installment in the series. It's quick mention, as well as its being featured on the cover, brings up a lot of questions, like "Is it a wedding dress?" I guess we'll find out soon enough! Another thing to note is the absence of Beck's boys on this cover. On the previous two covers, Belly was the center of attention, but the two boys were always there in the background. Now, as Belly is finally having to make her decision, the two boys have disappeared from the cover. Between the dress and the boys' absence, this cover perfectly represents the novel.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Release: December 1, 2010

Source: Teen Author Carnival

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

Following her deliciously emotional debut, Twenty Boy Summer, Sarah Ockler proves once again that she’s an author to watch for with her newest novel, Fixing Delilah.

Delilah’s sarcastic voice was perfectly suited for this book. From the first page it caught my attention. After that, I was hooked. There was an instant connection between her and me, and even though I may not have agreed with some of her previous decisions, I was on her side no matter what. This strong bond made the story all the more powerful to read. I felt what she felt, I understood her confusion, I saw what she didn’t, and I hoped for her to see it too. Throughout the whole novel I was cheering for Delilah’s successes and tearing up at her losses.

The true gems of this story were the characters. They were all magnificent and full of depth. From Aunt Rachel to Patrick, they added color to the story and helped to reveal more of Delilah’s character through their connections with her.

Because of this, the family aspect of the novel was one of the most gripping parts about it. Early on it becomes clear that the Hannaford women had many secrets between them. All three of the women had gravitated away from each other, adding more secrets to the already potent mix that had driven them apart in the first place. When these secrets finally began to break loose, the drama that ensued had me on the edge of my seat.

Ockler paints a beautiful story of love, loss, family and personal identity in Fixing Delilah, perfectly suited for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. I cannot wait to read more from her!

5 stars!

Cover Judge

Despite my being insanely busy lately, I have not forgotten about my Cover Judge posts. I may not have been able to write one in a while, but I have been keeping track of the recent cover reveals. There have been SO many gorgeous covers lately! Here is one of my absolute favorites (just released today):

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Release: July 12, 2011

Synopsis:

Betrayal, loss, pain, fear. How many trials can love endure and still survive?

Cover: To start, let me just say YAY! I was so excited (and surprised) to see that the cover for Wolfsbane was revealed today. If you've read my review, you know that I absolutely loved, loved, loved the first book in this series, Nightshade. You also know that the gorgeous cover is what initially caught my eye. Though that won't be the case this time -- I'm already dying to read Wolfsbane -- the cover is once again dazzling. The greens and yellows of the background are enchanting. Their bright hues really pop when juxtaposed with the model's pale face (made to look like Cala, I assume). As with the first book, the model has been dusted with some kind of luminescent powder to give her an ethereal  look. When combined with the fierce yellow eyes, she looks absolutely breathtaking. She's practically daring you to read the book. And, of course, the drop of blood dripping from the "f" in Wolfsbane was a great touch. Another great cover for a great series!

ETA: Something I forgot to point out is how happy I am to see nature playing a role in the cover once again. In Nightshade, the model was holding a gorgeous bunch of cala lillies that contributed to the beauty of the cover. Now, vines accented with dainty yellow leaves criss-cross her face. Being a wolf, nature plays a big role in Cala's life and it's nice to see that it also has a place on the covers.