'Isla and the Happily Ever After': A look at the series finale

Internationally bestselling author Stephanie Perkins brings her beloved Anna and the French Kiss// series to a close with the just-released Isla and the Happily Ever After. With her distinctive brand of effervescent storytelling, Perkins delivers a story full of magic and realism, dreams and heartache, wishes and happily ever afters. This latest installment is roused to life by vibrant characters who've met abroad at the School of America in Paris (SOAP), at a time where life lay before them teeming with possibility. Perkins' prowess at characterization shines again, as she infuses a special kind of quirkiness into each of her protagonists, making them indelibly real, relatable and unforgettable.

Isla and Josh's tale is plagued with turmoil, insecurities, unspoken fears and fragile friendships, but it's also a story about taking that tremulous risk of reaching for your happily ever after. This story seemed to have a more introspective quality than its predecessors, as both characters worked through their own internal struggles, while at the same time processing the feelings that bloomed for each other. For Josh, these internal musings dealt with feelings of abandonment from his absentee parents and loneliness from being left behind by his graduated friends. For Isla, it was her misgivings about self worth, particularly as those feelings related to her forever crush on a tall and talented boy.

Joshua Wasserstein. My crush on him is near unbearable.

Isla fell for Josh immediately. From the very first time she saw him. With an impossible shyness, she'd loved him from afar, adored him even when he had a girlfriend. For years. But their senior year means Josh is left at SOAP without his friends, and finally, without a girlfriend. A serendipitous encounter brings Isla and Josh together over the summer in New York City, but it's a misunderstanding that pulls them apart just as immediately.

When they reunite at school, tentative gazes meet and pull away, holding longer every day as careful words are exchanged … words full of longing and hoping and wishing. And before too long, Isla's dream is coming true, and she finally has the chance to be with the boy she's loved for so long. Their time together is wonderfully uplifting and enchanting as these two seemingly opposite teens fit so perfectly. Josh is this talented, thoughtful artist who sees the world through the tip of his brush, while Isla is bright, shy and uncertain about her own place in that same world. But somehow, together, in each other's arms, the world seems perfect.

I wish the world would swallow us whole, in this moment. And that's when it hits me that this — this — is falling in love.

Amidst New York cafes and Parisian streets and unforgettable moments in Spain, Josh and Isla fall in love and learn through tears that sometimes, even the most profound emotions cannot bridge the miles, misunderstandings and misgivings to make it last forever.

Maybe our relationship didn't happen quickly because we're perfect for each other, but because we each got swept away by it — him because of this insatiable need, me because of my preexisting crush.

Isla and Josh's story does give us that long-awaited happily ever after with many heartfelt moments along the way. In addition, fans of the series will revel as Etienne, Anna, Cricket and Lola's paths intersect once more, inching forward their own respective storylines in a finale that packs all the happy feels.

This past year I was delighted to meet author Stephanie Perkins in person and shortly after that, I devoured both Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, so I was thrilled to be able to converse with her about this final book and this much-loved series as a whole.

INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE PERKINS

Vilma: Congratulations on the release of Isla and the Happily Ever After! How does it feel to put out the final book in a series that so many of us have loved so dearly and that you've worked so diligently on for over a decade?

Stephanie: Thank you! I've been feeling a full range of emotions all summer long — relief, happiness, sadness, nervousness, fear, excitement. Often all within the same hour. I'm proud of these books, and I'm so grateful for the career they've given me. But I'm also ecstatic to be moving on. Moving forward. Ten years is a long time.

Vilma: Each of your female characters has been very different. Anna was funny, fiery and determined. Lola was unapologetically unique, vibrant and talented. How would you describe Isla and the journey she goes through in this book?

Stephanie: Isla is shy and kindhearted. Patient. A loyal friend. She also suffers from an extreme lack of self-confidence. Her journey is literal as far as the title is concerned. Unlike Anna and Lola, Isla receives her happily-ever-after in the beginning of the novel. Unfortunately, she isn't quite prepared to deal with it.

Vilma: I've heard you say there's a little bit of you in each of your characters, but is there someone you identify with the most? And why?

Stephanie: Well, it's always going to be the most recent protagonist. I tend to work out a lot of my own problems on the page. So right now, it's Isla. She was struggling with self-confidence, because that was something I was struggling with, too. We were both letting our fears destroy things that we loved. In her case, her relationship. In mine, my career.

Vilma: You've mentioned that although you began writing Lola's book first, Anna's story came quicker. Lola and Cricket's story was published second since you toiled through it over a longer period of time. What was the process like in writing Isla and Josh's story?

Stephanie: I've spoken publicly about my depression slowing down the progress (and publication) of this book, so I think a lot of my readers assume that means it was the toughest story to write. It wasn't. Lola's story was the toughest. I'd developed some terrible work habits, and I'd been putting an incredible strain on myself, and finally ... I just broke. It took a long time to put myself back together. Isla's story helped me do that. It was certainly frustrating — there were a lot of repeated failures — but it was ultimately a positive experience. I finished the book feeling happy and healthy and proud.

Vilma: Is there a favorite scene you can hint at in this book?

Stephanie: Because Isla and Josh get together in the beginning of the book, I got to write about the more, ahem, mature aspects of their relationship. Not gonna lie. That was easily the best part. Ha!

Vilma: What can we look forward to next from you?

Stephanie: I edited a holiday anthology, which will be out in October. It's called My True Love Gave to Me, and it's filled with romantic, funny, smart stories from 12 bestselling YA authors. I'm so proud of it. My next novel will be horror — a teen slasher! Writing something so dark, so funny has been a blast.

For more information on Stephanie and her books, visit stephanieperkins.com. For a full review and giveaway, visit Vilma's Book Blog.

Vilma Gonzalez is a blogger, reader, marketer, wife and mom. She has an insatiable appetite for happily ever afters and a deep love of the written word. You can find more about her and read full book reviews at Vilma's Book Blog. Please e-mail Vilma at loveinsuspense@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.