Book Review of "Lola and the Boy Next Door" by Stephanie Perkins

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

Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Bought

Overall Grade:

B+

Would I recommend it?

Yes! Fans of Anna and the French Kiss will not be disappointed.


Add to Goodreads | Order from Amazon

__________________________________________________________________

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

__________________________________________________________________

My Thoughts:

 

While not as thrilling and squeal-inducing as Stephanie Perkins' first novel Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door was a seriously fun, thoughtful, and well-written contemporary from one of the best new authors in the genre!

Because Lola is a companion novel to Anna, readers that have already read Anna will have a great deal of context about side characters Anna and St. Clair. Those that haven't read Anna should read it right now. Seriously, NOW! will not be lost, however, because the stars of the show are Lola and Cricket Bell.

Cricket. Bell. People--really. This character is incredibly sweet and nerdy and smart and funny and sentimental and thoughtful! But don't get me wrong, he certainly has his flaws... he's too perfect, he's taken, he's fictional... which makes him even more loveable.

In Lola and the Boy Next Door, the story is told through Lola's eyes, who is starting to get even more serious with her hot boyfriend Max when Cricket Bell comes back into town. While Lola is definitely unique and memorable, she was not quite as likable as Anna, to me. I think this has a lot to do with the role that Lola played, as she was already in a relationship when the book started.

Lola's relationship with Max was a great example of the danger that hot, man-whore-ish guys pose in real relationships. He's intimidating and condescending, because Lola is several years younger than he is. In his defense, this is no good reason for Lola to constantly LIE to him about how old she is... but it is understandable when you consider Lola's character.

As the story progresses, it's clear that Perkins has a great handle on storytelling and the progression of themes throughout the book, allowing the characters to grow, the romance to percolate, and the giggles to flow unceasingly! However, Lola is such a flawed character in the beginning of the novel that I wasn't able to say that I LOVED this book.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a must read for fans of Anna and the French Kiss and other light-hearted contemporary novels!

__________________________________________________________________

Overall Grade:

B+

Would I recommend it?

Yes! Fans of Anna and the French Kiss will not be disappointed.


Add to Goodreads | Order from Amazon

Tweet