Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Source: Bought hardcover
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Age Genre: Young Adult

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.

Honestly, it pains me to write this review. I've read and loved Anna and Lola, and I've been eagerly awaiting and expecting Isla. The many five stars reviews that flooded the net before and after the publication stoked my excitement even more. I couldn't wait! I opened the book the very same day I got it, and at first, it seemed perfect. But then, something shifted. The veil has lifted, if I was to be dramatic about it, and I realized... well, I realized this book was nothing special.

At first, I was thrilled (and, honestly, surprised) we didn't have to wait the whole book for them to get together. They were so sweet and adorkable, and it made me happy. But I guess here is the problem with this book; because it didn't have 300 pages of not being together to occupy the plot, there had to be some other problems ahead of them--and those "problems" were really annoying, and made me hate Isla, the main character.

From the moment their "problems" started popping up (mainly Isla being impossible and stupid and mad at the silliest things that Josh couldn't help any more than she can! He has a past! So do you! Get over it and stop being a bitch!) it was SO hard for me to read this book. And those are words I never thought I'd use for a Stephanie Perkins novel. I had to convince myself to continue, and mostly I found other things to occupy my time (like, the internet). It took me five days to finish the book, and for me that's a lot. Especially for a book I was so excited for, whose seniors I've finished in a day each.

At the end, this book never managed to get me to fall in love together with Josh and Isla. Frankly, it couldn't even convince me of that love. That's right - I didn't believe the love in a Stephanie Perkins book. I know, this is probably blasphemy. But it's the unfortunate truth. At a certain point I was just like "why are they so in love? Like, seriously. What's holding them together?"

Also, book-wise, it felt to me like this book tried too hard to be... sexy? And I know, the word "adorkable" and "sexy" sound weird in the same context, but there you have it anyway. The "heat" in this book is umped up, and I can't say I loved it because it didn't feel natural to me.
Plus, I really disliked Isla telling Josh's story through his memoir. I don't know, it kind of bored me, even though it shouldn't have.

BUT, all that being said, I did enjoy the beginning and end of the book (from the moment Isla got over herself). And I do think this is a fun contemporary. It just didn't live up to the standard I've come to expect from Stephanie. And, I'm a minority, so don't let my rant-ish review to deter you from reading this book, okay? ;-)

   Nitzan★

Related

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Publication Date: April 14, 2011

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

Attachments was adorable, y'all. Like, adorable. There aren't words to describe how cute I think this book was, and how much I just... loved it. And everyone in it. Especially Beth and Lincoln, who are ADORBS. And I love Jennifer too. Just all of these characters, I love them all and I have massive feels and OMG I'm smiling like an idiot right now!

The story is told from Lincoln's point of view, and I really liked that. We rarely ever see guy points of view, especially a nerdy, normal guy's point of view. I mean, there's something to be said for the jock/bad boy (and I quite enjoy them) but Dear Lord, when there's a perfectly sweet and adorable boy out there? I'm going to go for him. My love for Lincoln almost surpasses my love for Levi, and the only reason that he doesn't beat him? He's too old for me. But really, Lincoln was just the sweetest thing, and he was adorable and awkward and GAH he's like a male me. Kind of. (Not to freak you out, but there's a note in my notebook that reads "Lincoln is so ridiculously adorable - I want one!")

And Beth? Most of what we know about her is the emails, but dang this girl is hilarious! I loved all of her emails with Jennifer. They were so much fun to read, and you could really see their personalities, even if it's only an email! I liked the fact that Rainbow Rowell could endear us to a character without ever really letting us into her mind - at all. Beth is only ever seen through emails. And it is awesome.

I had so much fun reading this book! Like, loads of laugh-out-loud-OMG-that's-awesome fun! I didn't know that I was capable of loving characters that much, but it was good. It was very good!

I'm gonna go back to Lincoln now - because I love the fact that Rainbow Rowell doesn't write stereotypical boy characters - she writes normal ones. And she writes normal girls too. I love love love that. But the boys... love them. If I met any of them in real life... I'd be after it. Who doesn't love a stout/farm-boyish guy? Really. (Hmm. Maybe I'm the lone weirdo, but whatever.)

The romance between Lincoln and Beth was a really fun, interesting experience. Obviously, for most of the book? Beth doesn't know anything about Lincoln, and he's reading her email. You'd think that would be really weird (and to some extent it is), but it somehow works. It was beautiful and believable and funny and weird. It wasn't too fast, but sometimes it verged on too slow - but it was a good slow.

I'm going to admit that the ending was a little open, but in an "WHY MUST YOU END" way, rather than a "WHAT THAT WASN'T AN ENDING" way. All in all, I really recommend Attachments. Like, insanely recommend, and want everyone to experience the cute. READ IT.