Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
Author- Stephanie Perkins
Published- December 2nd, 2010
Dutton
372 pages
Obtained from PBS

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 Etienne St. Clair: 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?

Oh my goodness! How in the world have I waited this long to dive into this book? People have been telling me for months how fantastic it is and I am so glad I picked it up!

I really like the cover of Anna. The colors are great and very attractive. I like how it shows a bit of her and Etienne (I am assuming) and ties in the setting as well. I will say that the cover model is a little too perfect looking. She isn't what I pictured Anna to look like at all. I think they could have used a quirkier girl. But, overall the cover is appealing to look at.

I loved loved loved the setting of this book. I have always wanted to go back to Europe, but most especially Paris! It sounds like such a gorgeous city and it served as a fantastic backdrop for the story. Reading about all of the landmarks made me want to visit!

Anna was a great character! She was unique and had a great personality. She had just enough turmoil in her life to make the book interesting and not burdening. I really liked the fact that her father was a Nicholas Sparks esque writer, especially because I love reading Sparks books!

And then there is Etienne. Pardon me a minute while I swoon. I don't see how anyone could NOT fall in love with Etienne St. Clair! Boys with rough backgrounds make the best guys to read about. He was unique as well and I could just picture his staggeringly great looks. The supporting characters were all great as well. They added a unique spice and twist to each part of the story.

The plot in Anna was quick and the story overall was extremely well written. I had a hard time putting the book down!

Overall, don't waste another minute of your life without reading this book! The story was fast and the characters were interesting. All I can say is READ THIS BOOK!

Feature and Follow Friday (1)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's Views and Alison Can Read.

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! I have decided to join the Feature and Follow Friday meme after debating for a while. I think it will be a great way to meet new people!

This week's features are Danny from Bewitched Bookworms and Julie from My 5 Monkeys

 

This weeks question is: What blog are you thankful for?

 

Gosh, this question is difficult! I am thankful for so many blogs. But most especially I am thankful for Keeping it Real With Lucy, My Not So Real Life, and Singing and Reading in the Rain for providing great friendship in the blogging world. It is great to have met people my age that share my interests!

 

What blogs are you thankful for?

 

 

 

Beta by Rachel Cohn

Beta
Author- Rachel Cohn
Published- October 16th, 2012
Disney Hyperion
304 pages
Received through SBB ARC Tours

Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.

Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.

At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world.
 

I was actually pretty hesitant before starting this book. Most of the reviews I had seen were extremely negative. I try to not let others change what books I want to read, so I decided to try it out anyway. I am glad that I trusted my gut!

The thing that drew me towards this book more than anything else was the cover. Yes, I am a self professed cover snob. The font is very neat and sci-fi, and I feel absolutely mesmerized by the eyes of the cover model. Plus, this cover matches up with my rendition of Elysia almost exactly which I found pretty neat. And on top of that, the cover had this awesome sheen and smooth finish that was so neat to look at.

So, what was neat about this book was that it was set on this amazing island in the middle of the ocean. The island is modified to make occupants have a "high" feeling because of drugs pumped into the atmosphere. Everything about the island is perfect except for the fact that they have clones that they use like slaves. Clones are replica's of humans, except for the fact that they possess no soul which means they have no sense of feeling, taste and other factors of life.

Elysia was a really neat character. I found her easy to connect to and easy to sympathize with. She had this great, easy going nature and amazing romantic connection with a fellow Demesne inhabitant. I loved the fact that the entire story was told from her perspective so we heard every waking thought of hers.

Beta delved into some really tough topics, some of which were rape and slavery. Rape was a common occurrence in Beta. Clones were used as toys almost. No regard was made for them, but only what their owner wanted. It was definitely tough to read about, but the book brings a great awareness to the subject.

The end of Beta absolutely made the book for me. It was definitely an unexpected ending and it had a fantastic cliffhanger. No doubt about it, I cannot wait for book two!

Overall, I really enjoyed Beta. It was a unique book with a quick plot and fantastic ending! I would highly recommend it to all sci-fi/ dystopian lovers!

 

An Apology..

Hi guys! Long time, no see (or type if you want to be literal). I just wanted to come on here quickly and say that I am sorry. I'm sorry that I have neglected you guys for almost a month now. To say the least, school has been kicking my butt this year! I have been struggling to figure out the balance of it all AND keep my grades from slipping. Let's just say it hasn't been easy. But, I try to look on the positive side. There are only six weeks left in this semester and I am so grateful for that! I am nearing my Thanksgiving break and not too long after that I have my 2 and a half week Christmas break. That means more time to read and blog! I have been in such a reading slump and it is sad to admit that I have yet to read a book this month (though I am about 30 pages into Anna and the French Kiss). But that's okay! Life will go on and I know that y'all will always be super amazing and loyal even through my rough times. So thank you! Thank you for sticking with me and my (at times) disaster of a blog. It is wonderful to always know that I have you guys to talk to! And don't worry, I will start posting again soon. I actually have a review scheduled for Wednesday, so yay!