Happy Little Book Review

You know how when you read a book and later discover it is part of a series? And then you have to read every book in that series? That can be a bit of a pain, but the discovery of great books comes from this. For example, Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. This book is the third and last book in a series by Mrs. Perkins, beginning with the books Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. The main characters in each book are different, as you should be able to tell from their titles, so it seems more like each book is a spin-off of the other.

In this book you are introduced to Isla, a sweet girl attending the School of America in Paris. But the story doesn't start here. It starts in Manhattan during the summer before senior year when Isla has a fateful runs-in with a classmate from Paris, and also her crush of four years, Josh. Now let me tell you something about Josh. He is a mysterious, moody boy with an unbelievable talent to draw. All his friends and now ex-girlfriend left the year before for collage so he finds himself alone at school, but during class one day he recognizes the girl he ran into over the summer. Love blooms and all seems perfect, until all is not. Isla and Josh are forced to face all the challenges of a new couple, and a few special challenges of their own.

I enjoyed this book, as well as the other books in the series, very much. The characters are just so likeable, I actually loved Isla from the start. Josh was a bit more frustrating, but I've read books with main characters who I just hated. The two of them make such an amazing couple in this book with so many layers that you get to peel off piece by piece throughout the book, and that is one of my favorite things about reading. I'd also like to compliment Stephanie Perkins for her ability to keep the plot moving constantly. I don't think there was ever a dull or slow part at all. Not many authors have this ability and it kept me reading for hours straight. Each book has a certain thing about them that pulls you in and gets you hooked. In Isla and the Happily Ever After, as well as Mrs. Perkin's other books, this draw in is the drama. Now it isn't that pesky, high school, stereotypical  drama that can be found in many books. This has the same problems in a softer, more innocent and troubling way. There were still the problems of ex-girlfriends, the guy best friend, distance, and uncertainty in each other, but was actually quite enjoyable.

Though I must say, it is a bit of a cliché, she plays it out well in a way that I don't want to smash a brick over the main character's head. Reading this was quite refreshing, seeing as some other books are so frustrating you can't stand to read more. It is a light, enjoyable read, but one that still draws you into its core. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good teen romance book.