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A review by hitherthithergirl
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
5.0
Sometimes, you fall in love because you're in the right place- the timing is right, the place is right, they say the right things, and there's this feeling of rightness to it. This book made me fall in love.
It was the right time and place for me. I've held off reading this book for whatever reason, but when I started reading it two days ago I felt like I knew Isla. Right now, I am Isla. I'm studying abroad, I have a logical friend who won't take any of my crap, and this hideous crush that appeared all too suddenly for my liking. And so when I settled myself within the pages of Isla's story, I felt like Stephanie Perkins was writing my very own happily-ever-after.
This book is a beautiful addition to her series for a number of reasons. For one, it gives closure to Anna and Lola's stories and brings all your favorite characters for a moment that leaves you giggling and punching the air in victory as Stephanie Perkins fulfills your thoughts that THESE GUYS SHOULD ALL HANG OUT. It's glorious. I'm especially pleased that Isla expands past our initial impressions of her as the shy, introspective type to being someone who isn't afraid to ask the hard questions. Josh isn't entirely the artist rebel-without-a-cause and Perkins isn't afraid to explore why he feels that way in traditional nice-girl-falls-for-the-bad-boy fashion, but allows Josh's inner romantic to shine. As always, she gives a sense of depth to her characters that makes them almost family to you by the time you finish the last page, a friendly intimacy that is a kind of magic not all authors can muster.
Her descriptions of Paris are perfect and dreamy as always, but this time she explores Madrid and Manhattan in the breathlessness of new love that leaves the reader aching for more. Unfortunately, she is only able to explore these areas for a short time due to plot which I found disappointing. I believe one of the greatest strengths of Anna and the French Kiss was the gradual progression of Anna opening herself up to Paris and discovering it for herself of the course of the year.
The romance between Isla and Josh felt sweet and unfolded naturally. The dates themselves were fun and sparked with the pair's chemistry. However, as any romance must, the pair's baggage and insecurity eventually showed its ugly head. Just like in Lola and the Boy Next Door, Perkins tiptoes around issues while putting her own words in the character's mouth, a skill she has polished since we met Lola's dads in the previous book. Isla's autistic best friend, Kurt, brought extra drama to the relationship as her platonic soulmate and further complicated matters. Watching Josh interact with Kurt was interesting and gave the readers insight into communicating with someone who's brain works differently than most in a place (Isla and Kurt's friendship) where this was already normal. Isla's relationship with her sister, Hattie, was also a great look at how siblings handle one another as we grow up. No spoilers, it reminded me of my own relationship with my brother.
This book let me live out my happy ending with Isla and, personally, I think it was just the right book at the right place in my life. When I finished reading it I immediately wanted to thank Stephanie Perkins for giving me something that made a bit more sense of where I'm at. Like her previous books, Perkins gives you the literary equivalent to really good chocolate- sweet, smooth, and makes you hungry for more. If you like beautiful, clever books with characters you'd love to have as your friends, this is the book for you. 4/5 on a regular day
It was the right time and place for me. I've held off reading this book for whatever reason, but when I started reading it two days ago I felt like I knew Isla. Right now, I am Isla. I'm studying abroad, I have a logical friend who won't take any of my crap, and this hideous crush that appeared all too suddenly for my liking. And so when I settled myself within the pages of Isla's story, I felt like Stephanie Perkins was writing my very own happily-ever-after.
This book is a beautiful addition to her series for a number of reasons. For one, it gives closure to Anna and Lola's stories and brings all your favorite characters for a moment that leaves you giggling and punching the air in victory as Stephanie Perkins fulfills your thoughts that THESE GUYS SHOULD ALL HANG OUT. It's glorious. I'm especially pleased that Isla expands past our initial impressions of her as the shy, introspective type to being someone who isn't afraid to ask the hard questions. Josh isn't entirely the artist rebel-without-a-cause and Perkins isn't afraid to explore why he feels that way in traditional nice-girl-falls-for-the-bad-boy fashion, but allows Josh's inner romantic to shine. As always, she gives a sense of depth to her characters that makes them almost family to you by the time you finish the last page, a friendly intimacy that is a kind of magic not all authors can muster.
Her descriptions of Paris are perfect and dreamy as always, but this time she explores Madrid and Manhattan in the breathlessness of new love that leaves the reader aching for more. Unfortunately, she is only able to explore these areas for a short time due to plot which I found disappointing. I believe one of the greatest strengths of Anna and the French Kiss was the gradual progression of Anna opening herself up to Paris and discovering it for herself of the course of the year.
The romance between Isla and Josh felt sweet and unfolded naturally. The dates themselves were fun and sparked with the pair's chemistry. However, as any romance must, the pair's baggage and insecurity eventually showed its ugly head. Just like in Lola and the Boy Next Door, Perkins tiptoes around issues while putting her own words in the character's mouth, a skill she has polished since we met Lola's dads in the previous book. Isla's autistic best friend, Kurt, brought extra drama to the relationship as her platonic soulmate and further complicated matters. Watching Josh interact with Kurt was interesting and gave the readers insight into communicating with someone who's brain works differently than most in a place (Isla and Kurt's friendship) where this was already normal. Isla's relationship with her sister, Hattie, was also a great look at how siblings handle one another as we grow up. No spoilers, it reminded me of my own relationship with my brother.
This book let me live out my happy ending with Isla and, personally, I think it was just the right book at the right place in my life. When I finished reading it I immediately wanted to thank Stephanie Perkins for giving me something that made a bit more sense of where I'm at. Like her previous books, Perkins gives you the literary equivalent to really good chocolate- sweet, smooth, and makes you hungry for more. If you like beautiful, clever books with characters you'd love to have as your friends, this is the book for you. 4/5 on a regular day