Isla had the potential to be my favorite of this particular series, but instead fell to last place (And let me state that I didn’t like Lola, but probably would have liked it more if it had been released after Isla). I loved, loved, loved Anna and the French Kiss, the School of America in Paris, Isla, and Josh. And I really enjoyed the version of Isla and the Happily Ever After that I rewrote in my head while reading the actual book (this rewrite consisted mostly of strike-throughs, so it wasn’t too much additional work). My problem with the actual physical copy of this book? A creepy case of instalove.
It’s not fair! Anna and Etienne took the time to become the best of friends! Lola and Cricket were childhood friends! And Isla creepily feel in love with Josh three years before she ever really met him. Yes, yes, we can all relate to unrequited crushes. In high school, you see a cute guy or girl or stuffed animal and you discover their name and doodle it in your notebook. You fantasize about meeting him/her/it and having your first awkward conversation. You jokingly tell your friends about the wedding you’re already planning — jokingly! You don’t actually believe yourself actually in love with a person you’ve never actually met. Sorry, I’m italicizing all over the place. And maybe I’m wrong. Maybe people can relate to the way Isla feels and I’m the anomaly. If that’s the case and you’re a Stephanie Perkins fan, then this book is probably going to be a pretty amazing read for you. But if you’re like me, then you’ll most likely have a problem with the fact that just two months into their relationship, Isla and Josh cannot stand the idea of separation; they’re already declaring their love for each other; they’re abandoning their other friends and relationships in lieu of obsessing over each other; they’re planning their entire future together. Yeah, those things kind of ruined the book for me.
Which completely, entirely sucks because this book has so much going for it. The focus on Isla’s actual, real friendship with a person of the opposite sex is complete magic and I wish more books could do this as well as Isla does. The friendship between Isla and Kurt almost takes a front seat (can you use that phrase like that?) to the romantic relationship. Almost. Which is kind of huge! It’s also probably the thing that saved the book for me. Well, that, and the romance. As much as I didn’t love what went down with Isla and Josh, they were so adorably romantic that it warmed my heart over and over again (and made me wish I supported them!). Stephanie Perkins takes the cake for writing the most romantic scenes for all time, and for that reason, I will always read her books. But after Isla, I’ll forever be wary.
Basically, what worked: the romance, Perkins’s effortless writing style, the characterization (including Kurt and Isla’s entire family), and the setting.
What didn’t work: Isla’s and Josh’s instarelationship, the inclusion of favorite characters from the previous two books/the entire ending (they’re, unfortunately, related), the entire situation surrounding Josh’s graphic novel (which is kind of a major plot point — and a terrible one, at that).
The plot is unimaginative and unrealistic. The ending almost ruins Anna and the French Kiss for me. While I like Isla and Josh individually, together, they make me want to pull out my hair. That being said, I’ll probably reread this book for Perkins’s beautiful writing. However, I don’t feel like I can recommend it, which makes me all kinds of sad.
Rosie
I read Anna at the weekend and adored it. I want to pick up Lola and Isla instantly but at the same time I can’t bring myself to do it because what if it doesn’t live up to how ridiculously good Anna was?
Liza @ Reading with ABC
Like you, I really loved Anna. I also enjoyed Lola, but not as much. I got Isla as soon as it was published, but I’m yet to read it. Yes, I’m that chicken! I will though, because is Perkins 🙂
Sophia
I haven’t read Anna…or any of the series. But this sounds downright creepy! From what you’ve described, it sounds almost insulting that girls are portrayed like this. :/ It looks like I won’t be reading it anytime soon (or ever).
Thanks~great review! 🙂
Katherine
I wasn’t a huge fan of Isla either, which was disappointing because I loved both Anna and Lola! My problems with Isla were similar to your’s – a very different tone than the rest in the series, and Isla’s overall problems with instalove and not being very welcoming to Josh in the relationship, especially when dealing with problems.
Ashley
Well that sucks. 🙁 I was thinking of giving this one a try but now I’m not so sure. I’ve actually only read Anna and I didn’t even like that one, lol.
Steph Sinclair
Ugh. Instalove. I enjoyed Anna enough, but wasn’t overly in love with it because sometimes Anna and the love interest made me want to bash my head into a wall. They took forever to get together and it felt drawn out unnecessarily. I’ll probably try out Lola since I do own it and maybe I’ll give Isla a try since Meg loved it so hard. Though, she also enjoyed The Queen of the Tearling and I hated it so… judging her. LOL. (I LOVE YOU, MEG!)
Shannelle
*tackle hugs* LET ME HUG YOU BECAUSE I FEEL YOU
I seriously didn’t enjoy Isla at all, because there wasn’t all the cuteness or the couple getting to know each other and settle into their relationship. This one was just insanely rushed.
To All the Books I Forgot to Review: The Comic Con Contemporary Kick | Cuddlebuggery Book Blog
[…] is their favorite out of the three, so that doesn’t leave me very hopeful, especially since I hear Isla has insta-love. Maybe I should just stop while I’m […]
Joséphine @ Word Revel
I didn’t love Isla but I did like it more than Lola, which in turn I liked better than Anna. I felt Anna had more of an instalove thing going with Étienne and him still having a girlfriend while pursuing Anna didn’t sit right with me. So even though time didn’t expand as much in Isla, at least the sequence of events didn’t bother me as much.
Ari
I didn’t have much luck with it either (but I did like it a bit better than Lola for some reason – that one didn’t work for me at all).
I did like the first half (though it was a bit childish) and for me the part where the other characters come along was actually cute and it saved the ending.
But the relationship between the 2 of them (the miscommunication, deciding your life based on the other after a few weeks of whatever), the graphic novel (and how Isla makes such a big deal out of her pure jealousy).. Pfff. I am not sure if it’s 3 or 2.5 stars after all. *sigh*