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athenareadsbooks 's review for:
Isla and the Happily Ever After
by Stephanie Perkins
I just finished reading Isla and the Happily Ever After and I cannot stop smiling. I was a little wary when I first read the synopsis and when I started reading the first chapter, but I resolved to finish the book out of deference to Anna and St. Clair. When I read that Isla had a crush on Josh for three years, I was envisioning this really awkward and predictable book where Isla would finally get Josh to notice her and his flattery would lead to a relationship. I couldn't have been more off base (besides the first awkward encounter in the book) and I've never been more happy to have my expectations shattered. This book is beautifully written and at its heart is a story of self-discovery. Josh knows what he wants to do with his life and devotes almost all of his time to his art. Isla is a smart girl who knows her priorities, but she doesn't have a clear sense of direction on where she wants her life to go, and this bothers her. The depth of Isla and Josh's relationship is so enthralling to read and I pretty much had a perpetual smile plastered on my face throughout most of this novel. I could sympathize with Isla throughout the book and I understood the reasoning behind her decisions. The events that unfolded in their relationship were so realistic, and it truly made me believe in their love.
Since I first picked up this book to gain more insight into Anna and St. Clair's lives, I have to mention the one truly heart stopping moment in this book. It was unexpected, and the writing of this entire scene was so flawless, it honestly felt like I was there with Josh and Isla and Cricket and Lola and Meredith, witnessing a moment that cannot be adequately described even by all senses of the word beautiful.
Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job of writing witty banter that is so fun to read and really makes you fall in love with the characters. I only wish I could come up with half of the comebacks in the dialogue she writes. One line towards the end of the book really resonated with me, and I think it is a beautiful summation of the love Isla and Josh share: Artists are inspired by blank canvases. This means a lot more in context, but I had to write about it in this review if only so I will never forget the magic I felt the first time I read those words.
Isla and the Happily Ever After is a beautiful conclusion to the insight we've gained into these characters' lives since the first page of Anna and the French Kiss. It's been an incredible journey to share with them and I plan on revisiting their stories when I reread these books in the near future.
Since I first picked up this book to gain more insight into Anna and St. Clair's lives, I have to mention the one truly heart stopping moment in this book. It was unexpected, and the writing of this entire scene was so flawless, it honestly felt like I was there with Josh and Isla and Cricket and Lola and Meredith, witnessing a moment that cannot be adequately described even by all senses of the word beautiful.
Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job of writing witty banter that is so fun to read and really makes you fall in love with the characters. I only wish I could come up with half of the comebacks in the dialogue she writes. One line towards the end of the book really resonated with me, and I think it is a beautiful summation of the love Isla and Josh share: Artists are inspired by blank canvases. This means a lot more in context, but I had to write about it in this review if only so I will never forget the magic I felt the first time I read those words.
Isla and the Happily Ever After is a beautiful conclusion to the insight we've gained into these characters' lives since the first page of Anna and the French Kiss. It's been an incredible journey to share with them and I plan on revisiting their stories when I reread these books in the near future.