Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happy Ever After

                                         By Stephanie Perkins

This is the final book in the companions series by Stephanie Perkins that includes Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy next door. In this story the main character Isla (Eye-la) and her long time crush Josh fall in love but have to face insecurities and doubts on their futures which might pull them apart.

This is probably my second favorite/favorite. I loved it! Isla was a character I could relate to in some ways like for example her being quiet around other people but once you know her she is not really that reserved or awkward at all. She was really sweet and kind off insecure about herself and of what people think about her which sometimes refrains her from feeling confident. It was really great to see her character develop from being an insecure girl to a more confident and carefree girl.

Talking about characters I really liked all of Isla’s family members they  are all so different, her older sister Geneviève  is so ambitious and confident she doesn’t really care what other people think of her bisexuality and overall she is just so understanding and friendly towards Isla. Then there is Manhattan mostly know as Hattie who doesn’t get along with Isla as well as Genevieve does. For Isla Hattie is her baby sister and she wants to protect her but by doing this she kind of annoys her but at the end Isla realizes something    and mends her relationship with Hattie.

 

One thing I love about this book is the setting. As I said in my Anna and the French Kiss review Stephanie Perkins is amazing at describing the cities the characters live in or visit. In this book I could feel I was in France then in New York and Barcelona and that was magical! I love that sensation of feeling like you are part of the story and these books all made me feel like that!

Throughout the story both Isla and Josh are having problems. Isla is having trouble with accepting herself and is scared because she does not know where she belongs, France or the U.S.A? Or what she will do with her future. Josh has everything planned out while she is completely lost and is unsure of what she has to do. On his side Josh feels neglected by his family and just overall depressed. But their beautiful relationship allows them to overcome these fears and problems and manage to figure out what’s important and what they should do with their lives.

In this book none of the two love interests have another boyfriend or girlfriend and that made the romance flow much more smoothly, without worrying about the cheating part. In that way the book concentrated on one couple and their problems and how they overcome them. Also seeing the characters from the first two books at the end made me tear up, it was just such a nice way to end the series with all of the characters Anna, Étienne, Meredith, Lola, Cricket, Josh and Isla together just having the most amazing friendship ever.

Ah! Just such a wonderful but better sweet moment!

Overall this book was a perfect conclusion to the trilogy/series/companions books of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy next door and Isla and the Happily Ever After.