Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: September 29, 2011
Pages: 338
Source: purchased
Buy It: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
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. --Goodreads
Lola is a fashionista and can never wear the same thing twice.  Her boyfriend is a rocker-type and her dads will never approve of him.  When Cricket, her childhood friend, moves back in next door, something that was dormant for a while flares up again and leaves Lola questioning. 

I loved this book so much that even after finishing I go back and read my favorite parts over again.  Perkins is the author of Anna and the French Kiss, one of my favorite-reads last year and so I expected so much from this novel.  Lola and the Boy Next Door surpassed all my expectations and left me in awe. 

Perkins has a way to bring real things to the page.  In Anna and the French Kiss, she brought true friendship to each page and had it blossom into a gorgeous relationship.  In this one, Stephanie Perkins left me stunned with her ability to bring a childhood friend to life.  She has a gift.

I was a bit skeptical about the cover when I first opened the spine.  I wasn’t too crazy about it.  It was kind of boring and it did not give the enchanting quality of not showing the guy’s face like it had with Anna and the French Kiss.  After reading the book, I found that it has so much more qualities.  The star on Cricket’s hand symbolizes something huge in the book and makes me smile every time I look at it, as well as his collection of rubber bands and other bracelets on his other arm.  Still, on the cover, Lola creeps me out with her wide-eyed stare.

The characters were fantastic.  Perkins even had Anna and Étienne make a guest appearance in the novel.  They helped Lola out and gave her advice.  It was amazing how she incorporated that story into this one.  Readers do not need to read Anna and the French Kiss to get the full experience of this book; this is just a companion novel to that one.

The plot captures the reader and refuses to let go.  It is a wild ride of romance, comedy, and sadness.  Lola may have undergone the worst break-up of all books.  It showed how emotional and how realistic the break-up was.  Perkins creates something that grabs hold and leaves a permanent mark on readers.  You will not put this one down

Lola and the Boy Next Door was a masterpiece that touches romantic souls.  If you liked Anna and the French Kiss, then you will definitely love this one.

First Sentence:
“I have three simple wishes.”
-Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, p. 3   
Rating: 

Rated PG-13 for sexual references. 

Cover: 5
Characters: 5
Writing Style: 5
Plot: 5
Ending: 5

Overall:  


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7 comments

  1. I've never actually seen manic pixie dream girls invade books before, but then again I've never looked. However, you make me want to read this book, if it weren't for the fact that it is teen romance/drama. Also, first.

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  2. I loved this book when I read it. It was so cute! Cricket was awesome! Glad you enjoyed it too. Great review!

    p.s. There happens to be a lot of exclamation points in this comment!

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  3. Eeep! Gina I'm so psyched to read this one. I JUST finished ANNA so I'm coming off of that high. I agree with you - Perkins has a true gift for creating characters and relationships that are so real and true-to-life. I'm super glad you liked this one and were able to give it a favorable review. : )

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

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  4. This book sounds fabulous! I love that it was a book that you enjoyed so much. What a great review! I think it is awesome when authors incorporate characters from other books into their current story. So fun!

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  5. Oooh, I'm with you. The cover really does nothing for me. It does not entice.

    BUT OMG! I have this one sitting at home, and I'm so excited to read it! I've actually been putting it off: I loved Anna sososososoSOOOOOO much, I want to stretch out the love, if you know what I mean? It was so wonderful, SO perfect, and I know this is going to be just as amazing--especially after reading your review, that I want to have it to look forward to? But my resolve is cracking. I want to read it NOW.

    AAAAH! So excited to read this one now. Thank you thank you thank YOU for a fabulous review! ♥

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  6. I totally agree! I loved the Anna and Etienne cameos, and I thought Lola was such a cool character. In some ways I liked this one better than AATFK but they're both so good it's hard to compare. :)

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  7. Awesome revie! I have been wanting to read this book for a while and your review has made me realize I have to get out and get it soon. The fact that you called it a masterpiece and loved it so much makes me want to start reading!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. :)

    ~Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

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