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hazelaudyy's review against another edition
4.0
Aaaaw. Isla and Josh are definitely the sweetest couple of the year hahaha (After Ann-St.Clair, i guess?)
I really love this one. Better than Lola ❤
I really love this one. Better than Lola ❤
huri's review against another edition
5.0
forget about Etienne and Anna, Josh and Isla are my favorite!
my heart is smiling.
no, really, this book is so much more better than Anna and the french kiss. whereas it was quite a good read and Etienne was charming as hell, Isla and the happily ever after will remain in my heart. i am also sure i'll be rereading it soon.
there was sort of an immaturity and underdevelopment in characters and the writing style in AATFK but IATHEA seems much more mature and the writing seems to have developed much more throughout the storytelling. it's not a huge difference but it seems quintessential and soulful.
i have been rooting for Josh and Isla since the first book and am happy and not at all disappointed with the way this book progressed. although, Isla's rash decisions, naivete and indecisiveness got on my last nerve, i felt like i was reading about real people from the real world.
Josh's character is much more in-depth and interesting than Etienne's, much more real. and Isla is insecure, naive, selfish and Josh is also pretty crazy. but that is what gives a book life: the rawness and crazy, flawed characters. AATFK seems way too ethereal and ludicrously odd compared to the rawness that is portrayed in this book. Josh and Isla's story is intense whereas Anna's and Ettiene's is playful. both of them are great reads but Isla and Josh have left a mark on my mind and heart.
i would choose this book and Josh and Isla's relationship over anyone else's in this series.
my heart is smiling.
no, really, this book is so much more better than Anna and the french kiss. whereas it was quite a good read and Etienne was charming as hell, Isla and the happily ever after will remain in my heart. i am also sure i'll be rereading it soon.
there was sort of an immaturity and underdevelopment in characters and the writing style in AATFK but IATHEA seems much more mature and the writing seems to have developed much more throughout the storytelling. it's not a huge difference but it seems quintessential and soulful.
i have been rooting for Josh and Isla since the first book and am happy and not at all disappointed with the way this book progressed. although, Isla's rash decisions, naivete and indecisiveness got on my last nerve, i felt like i was reading about real people from the real world.
Josh's character is much more in-depth and interesting than Etienne's, much more real. and Isla is insecure, naive, selfish and Josh is also pretty crazy. but that is what gives a book life: the rawness and crazy, flawed characters. AATFK seems way too ethereal and ludicrously odd compared to the rawness that is portrayed in this book. Josh and Isla's story is intense whereas Anna's and Ettiene's is playful. both of them are great reads but Isla and Josh have left a mark on my mind and heart.
i would choose this book and Josh and Isla's relationship over anyone else's in this series.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
It's so stupid that I'm 35, and a YA book about a teen romance made me cry. There's just something really special about Stephanie Perkins' writing. No matter what your age, she can take you back to that feeling of being a teenager and falling in love. Of all the insecurities, the heartbreaks and the tightness in the chest that comes with it.
emleemay's review against another edition
1.0
“There’s no story,” I say. “I saw you one day, and I just knew."
^This pretty much sums up the most of this book.
First, let's be clear: I enjoyed Perkins' [b:Anna and the French Kiss|6936382|Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271931s/6936382.jpg|7168450] and [b:Lola and the Boy Next Door|9961796|Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358271832s/9961796.jpg|7149084]. They were pure romantic silliness, I know, but I liked the characters, the cute flirtations and the mindless entertainment.
When this third book was released, I bought it immediately but some negative reviews from my friends put me off. I think I always expected to return to it eventually. Though, honestly, I wish I hadn't bothered.
For one thing, there is literally no story for at least 80% of this book. In fact, I'm still struggling to see it. The other books are about the usual crushes, tensions and jealousies that come with high school romances - like I said, mindless entertainment - but [b:Isla and the Happily Ever After|9627755|Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362064564s/9627755.jpg|14515040] does not even have that.
The book opens with Isla drooling all over herself and being unable to function in the presence of Josh. A couple chapters in and we already know he likes her. A couple more and they're making out. Where is the tension? Where is the will they/won't they?
Also, that aside, Isla's obsession with Josh is unhealthy and not even in a cute way. She literally stalks him online, looking up information about his family on Wikipedia and finding his house on Google. That's damn creepy. If it was the other way around, I would be afraid for the girl's safety. Plus, he is her entire life, her crush on Josh is the most defining characteristic she has.
“I like Josh so much that I actually feel miserable.”
“I’m dizzy. It physically hurts to look at him.”
She goes on and on about him. She ignores her friend because she's too busy thinking about Josh. She acts like a self-centred brat because she wants to go gallivanting around Europe with him and - surprise! - she can't just freaking do that.
The biggest problem these rich white kids have is whether to go to Columbia or la Sorbonne. I just don't care about them.
Also, a guy who says “Your sister’s kind of a bitch, huh?” is way out of line, no matter how hot he is or how true it is. My sister’s a bitch too, but no one but me and my brother are allowed to say it
Spoiler
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mhald's review against another edition
4.0
Sød og rørende afslutning på Stephanie Perkins serie. Hun er god til at beskrive den paniske usikkerhed som teenagere føler når de er forelskede, hvor de overanalyserer alting, elsker hinanden i løbet af fem sekunder og adskillelse er lig med jordens undergang.
Som tegneseriefan er det fedt at se, at tegneserier spiller så stor en rolle for både handling og den ene hovedkarakter. Jeg er ret sikker på, at Perkins er inspireret af Craig Thompsons grafiske roman "Blankets"/"En dyne af sne" som er en selvbiografisk historie om Thompsons egen første, smertefulde forelskelse (læs den!)
Perkins er ikke ude i nogen form for samfundskritik her. Derfor skal leve sig ind i drømmen om at være en priviligeret, hvid amerikansk teenager, hvis forældre uden problemer kan sende en på kostskole i Paris og betale for college. Det er romance, men det er en god romance.
Som tegneseriefan er det fedt at se, at tegneserier spiller så stor en rolle for både handling og den ene hovedkarakter. Jeg er ret sikker på, at Perkins er inspireret af Craig Thompsons grafiske roman "Blankets"/"En dyne af sne" som er en selvbiografisk historie om Thompsons egen første, smertefulde forelskelse (læs den!)
Perkins er ikke ude i nogen form for samfundskritik her. Derfor skal leve sig ind i drømmen om at være en priviligeret, hvid amerikansk teenager, hvis forældre uden problemer kan sende en på kostskole i Paris og betale for college. Det er romance, men det er en god romance.
georgieb_03's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
owlishly_reading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
j_chen's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars.
Seriously, what was the point of this book? Other than the four seconds where Anna shows up? I HATED Isla. I couldn't get over the fact that she felt like an IDIOT. There was NO conflict, other than the fact that ISLA WAS AN IDIOT. I feel like Josh was BARELY in the book. I was intrigued by him but then, he became this bland guy who was "in love" with Isla because...instalove? Why DID he love her again? How did that happen again? They meet while she's high from the dentist... and then boom 3 months later he loves her?
Also, WHERE was Paris in this book? or New York? This book could have been set ANYWHERE. Other than Barcelona, there was no sense of setting. I feel like in both Anna and Lola, Paris and SF were so special in contrast to Lola.
Finally, I could not give a RAT'S ASS about any of the characters. Sure, for three seconds Kurt was interesting...and then he disappeared... and we got more incessant Lola. UGH.
There was no plot. No conflict. No interesting characters. Nothing happened...except an instalove. Useless.
I rate it 1.5 stars... 1 star for Lola reading the revised comic book scene (ok, that was pretty damn cute) and .5 star for Anna and Lola scene.
Seriously, what was the point of this book? Other than the four seconds where Anna shows up? I HATED Isla. I couldn't get over the fact that she felt like an IDIOT. There was NO conflict, other than the fact that ISLA WAS AN IDIOT. I feel like Josh was BARELY in the book. I was intrigued by him but then, he became this bland guy who was "in love" with Isla because...instalove? Why DID he love her again? How did that happen again? They meet while she's high from the dentist... and then boom 3 months later he loves her?
Also, WHERE was Paris in this book? or New York? This book could have been set ANYWHERE. Other than Barcelona, there was no sense of setting. I feel like in both Anna and Lola, Paris and SF were so special in contrast to Lola.
Finally, I could not give a RAT'S ASS about any of the characters. Sure, for three seconds Kurt was interesting...and then he disappeared... and we got more incessant Lola. UGH.
There was no plot. No conflict. No interesting characters. Nothing happened...except an instalove. Useless.
I rate it 1.5 stars... 1 star for Lola reading the revised comic book scene (ok, that was pretty damn cute) and .5 star for Anna and Lola scene.
other_worlds_than_these's review against another edition
1.0
Update- changing to one star because I remembered how controlling Josh seemed to be about Ilsa's choice in university and how that really bothered me.
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Ugh. I wanted to like this. And although I really enjoy Stephanie Perkins's writing style, i didn't enjoy the story at all. There were cute moments but there were lot more moments that made me roll my eyes, cringe, and just annoy me. It felt like the story dragged on and on and I didn't understand the ending at all I really would've preferred if Ilsa didn't end up with Josh. I did not like Josh at all: he is pretentious, annoying, too idealistic and very privileged without any awareness to just how privileged he is. And I feel Ilsa never really grew as a character and both of them were very dramatic. The story was also unrealistic and unbelievable with Ilsa and Josh falling in love within a month and actually believing they'll be together forever. I also didn't like the lack of any healthy friendships (Kurt and Ilsa) and also the lack of female friendships annoyed me. The sisterhood between Ilsa, Hattie, and Gen felt very flat and not explored more. Lastly I was a a bit confused why the cover of this book is New York but the story takes place mainly in France.
More like 1.5/5
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Ugh. I wanted to like this. And although I really enjoy Stephanie Perkins's writing style, i didn't enjoy the story at all. There were cute moments but there were lot more moments that made me roll my eyes, cringe, and just annoy me. It felt like the story dragged on and on and I didn't understand the ending at all I really would've preferred if Ilsa didn't end up with Josh. I did not like Josh at all: he is pretentious, annoying, too idealistic and very privileged without any awareness to just how privileged he is. And I feel Ilsa never really grew as a character and both of them were very dramatic. The story was also unrealistic and unbelievable with Ilsa and Josh falling in love within a month and actually believing they'll be together forever. I also didn't like the lack of any healthy friendships (Kurt and Ilsa) and also the lack of female friendships annoyed me. The sisterhood between Ilsa, Hattie, and Gen felt very flat and not explored more. Lastly I was a a bit confused why the cover of this book is New York but the story takes place mainly in France.
More like 1.5/5
thebooktarian's review against another edition
2.0
After 2 months, I finally finished this book and I'm soooo DISAPPOINTED!
Oh God, Isla and the Happily Ever After has everything I hate in books and it was such a struggle to finish it! It's so sad that I'm giving it 2 stars because Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorite books!
Oh God, Isla and the Happily Ever After has everything I hate in books and it was such a struggle to finish it! It's so sad that I'm giving it 2 stars because Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorite books!