Review - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title and Author: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: September 29th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 338

Genre: Young Adult

Summary:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:

I couldn’t wait to read this book and I have to say it did not disappoint me. Lola and the Boy Next Door was a fun, cute and interesting read.

Dolores Nolan (Lola) loves fashion. She enjoys changing her looks and choosing different clothes for herself. She has a rocker boyfriend named Max, who’s older and who her gay parent’s don’t exactly approve of. If they could choose, they would love to see Lola with Cricket – her old best friend and next door neighbor, who after several years has moved back with his parents and famous ice-skater twin sister.

As you can imagine, Lola will find herself in the middle of a love triangle and having to decide which one of the guys she truly loves.

I really liked the characters in this book. Lola is very interesting. She’s different and she enjoys being like that. She expresses herself through her clothes and wigs and makeup.

Cricket was great as well. He was sweet and awkward, super cute and intelligent. I really like the fact he and Lola used to be best friends, who shared their first kiss and enjoyed spending time together.

It was a pity so many things got in the way of their romance! They really do make a great couple, though. They are both very different but somehow they complement each other.

Lola’s parents were interesting characters as well and so was Cricket’s sister, who manages to get in the way of his relationship with Lola more than once.

What I really liked about this book was the fact Anna and Étienne are part of it! You get to find out who their relationship is developing and I, once again, feel in love with Étienne. He’s still so cute and great!

All in all Lola and the Boy Next Door is a great companion book to Anna and the French Kiss. The book is very well-written. It is fast paced and entertaining.  It was interested in Lola’s story and wanted to find out what would happen to her and Cricket.

I can’t wait to read the next book by Stephanie Perkins now. If you are a YA fan, you should definitely read this book as well as Anna and the French Kiss. :)

Rating: Somewhere between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

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