Isla and the Happily Ever After

Gr 9 Up—While the main characters from the previous books make brief appearances in this trilogy ender, this story centers on Josh and Isla, seniors at the French boarding school where Anna and the French Kiss took place. Shy Isla has always had a crush on artistic free spirit Josh, and when they finally connect everyone is happy—until Josh gets expelled and Isla destroys their relationship, reasoning that it would hurt less if they broke up now rather than later. All ends happily, though, as the title indicates. Isla is narrated by Grace Blewer, whose performance disappoints. The introverted and insecure character of Isla is read with a confident, almost strident voice, and there is not enough differentiation among the characters' voices (except for those with French accents, which are done beautifully). Despite these drawbacks, this audiobook will be a hit with Perkins's fans and listeners who enjoy Sarah Dessen's book.—Julie Paladino, East Chapel Hill High School, NC