Book Review--Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Summary/Cover Image 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."

Review:


**NOTE: The cuteness of this book is a little too amazing. Beware.**


After reading Anna and the French Kiss nearly a year ago, I KNEW that Stephanie Perkins would be my new favorite author. After reading Lola and the Boy Next Door, she continues to be my favorite author. Lola does not disappoint one bit. In fact, I can't even decide which one I liked better. Stephanie Perkins is purely magical.


Lola Nolan is a very quirky character who loves costuming and fashion. She is the daughter of 2 gay dads and a girlfriend of a rocker, Max. All is well up until the Bell twins return to the neighborhood. Everything just goes downhill from there. And with the occasional uphill, but you know, there's mostly a lot of disasters. Lola must find out who her true love is while balancing family problems as well.


The characters in this book were oh-so-lovable. Seriously, they were real to me. VERY real. Stephanie Perkins has a way with creating very realistic characters. And the emotion that flows out of them is just too fabulous. Let me tell you, at first, I wasn't the biggest fan of Lola. She was too weird for my taste, but I soon jumped on the Lola Nolan train when I realized she is quirky in a good way.

CRICKET. You guys, Cricket.

I don't really have words for how much I LOOOVE Cricket.

He is so awkward in that adorable kind of way, and I just can't help myself but love him as much as Lola does. Oh my, is it humanly possible to fall in love with a fictional character?!

On a different note, Max... I hate Max with a fiery passion. FIERY. It is so CLEAR that he isn't Lola's true love. I mean, just look at him. Just no, Max. Just no.

But I loved Lola's dads, and Lindsey. Even though her dads were extremely nosy, I still liked them. They are very devoted fathers and caring. Lindsey is just plain funny and "sleuth-like".

The plot was so entirely perfect. SO PERFECT. The relationships weren't perfect, which I loved. The more realistic the relationship, the better. Watching Lola and Cricket's love unfold made Lola and Max's relationship look like a stick.  I also loved how Stephanie weaved in Anna and St. Claire into the story, that was like greeting an old friend again. Loved it. An irregularity that I just adored was the concept of Lola and Cricket's nightly meetings on their bedroom windowsills. So intimate and adorable.

As you can see, I'm running out of adjectives to describe Stephanie's writing. It's just extraordinary and like no other. Her writing style is so uplifting and it makes my heart soar when I read every page. I don't know many people who can do that to me.

On the whole, Lola and the Boy Next Door will surely touch at many people's hearts like it did to mine. Stephanie Perkins, you are a goddess.

Grade: A++

Lola and the Boy Next Door (Amazon, B&N) is now out!

Source: Borrowed from a friend