Book Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After

"I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s okay to be a blank canvas. Maybe it’s okay that my future is unknown." - Isla, Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After is the third and last instalment in Stephanie Perkins' YA contemporary romance series (which started with Anna and the French Kiss). It follows the titular character, Isla, as she goes through her senior year at the School of America in Paris (SOAP). Although the story largely takes place in the City of Lights, the novel begins in an inconspicuous pub in Manhattan called Kisment. And there she meets her long-time crush, Josh Wasserstein. She's ecstatic, of course - but witless from the medication having her wisdom teeth extracted. And so it goes - that the normally blushing Isla Martin strikes up a conversation with the normally out-of-reach Josh kick starts a long overdue romance.

At a glance, this novel is nothing special. It's your normal boy-meets-girl story. The same goes for the first two novels in the series. But this is what sets Stephanie Perkins novels apart from the rest. She takes a perfectly normal story but injects she with the sweetest of fantasies and just a tad bit of naivety. Her books are unpretentious and unashamedly optimistic. You know, just from the cover themselves, what you're in for: A love story.

Unfortunately, this book turned out to be the least compelling in the series. (Incidentally, how I would rank these books would be the same as the order they were published, with Anna and the French being the most swoon-worthy of the three. Granted, Lola and the Boy Next Door only lags behind by an inch.)



I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book. Getting to know Josh through Isla eyes. Getting giddy over those short but meaningful interactions - especially the part where Josh draws Isla's compass. That's where the Perkins magic was at! And, sadly, where it stayed at.

I guess one could argue this one is a contemporary, a slice of life novel. But when I read a Perkins novel, there's this expectation of a toe-curling and mind-spinning daydream. And yet, gone is the beautiful Paris atmosphere along with the true love euphoria.

The difficulty with Isla was its pacing and plotting which felt like it was all over the place. To me it lacked a climax. It lacked the spine-tingling, heart-racing, breathtaking moment where everything falls into place, and the stars align, and you just know, this is it. It started out slow and then someone stepped on the gas pedal! But then when it ended, everything was just too tame considering what a whirlwind everything had been.

I suppose I could also attribute it to the characters. Isla and Josh, although are well-rounded but aren't as charismatic as the previous couples. They simply don't have the refreshingness of Anna, the suaveness of Etienne, the eccentricity of Lola, and the boyish charm of Cricket. Both characters feel lukewarm, neither here nor there.

Until now, I don't quite understand why Isla fell in love with Josh and vice versa. Although their reasons are stated in the book, I as a reader, did not feel the same. Probably because when the book stars, Isla is already madly infatuated with Josh. It's pretty much like I entered a room in the middle of a discussion. Additionally, their relationship was problematic and, to an extent, toxic.

Surprisingly, my greatest frustration was Isla. While she says she craves adventure but is stubbornly attached to her comfort zone. She cannot seem to stick to her own word as she is often gripped with her own insecurities about her relationship, her future, and her identity. It is also this plague of insecurity that made her relatable to the point that it was actually painful. God knows how 90% of her problems are self-inflicted.

And I understand. I understand how it's so much easier to have someone else decide for you. I understand how weak it is to want someone to take you by the hand.

By the end of the novel, however, it still doesn't seem like she completely overcame it. Which takes me back to first point: Ironically, Isla and the Happily Ever After doesn't give you the perfect fairytale ending. I'm not sure whether it was Perkins intention to leave that kind of statement. Regardless, it definitely did not leave the satisfaction I associate with Perkins. 

Is this a cute, fluffy YA romance? Yes.

Is this a trademark Perkins novel? Well, that's debatable.

I still (surprisingly) enjoyed this book, but as far as Perkins novels go, Isla and the Happily Ever After is the weakest addition to the roster. 

RATING: ☆☆ 2 stars

(it was okay... for a Perkins novel)