Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door Author: Stephanie Perkins Publication Date: September 29th 2011 Genre: Contemporary, Romance Author's Website I Author's Blog Part of a series?: Anna and the French Kiss #2 Get a copy: Amazon I Barnes & Noble |
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.
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.
Yet another cute and fluffy read! I'm still deciding whether Lola and the Boy Next Door was better than Anna (I probably loved Anna more because of the Parisian setting) but what I can tell you that it was such a fast and easy read! I read the first few chapters at school, picked up from where I left off at home, and finished it in two or three sittings. It only took a few hours and now I'm sitting on my bed burning for more.
I cannot deny this, Stephanie Perkins's books are fun, fluffy and the romance is irresistible. However, there are always a few setbacks that kept me from giving Anna and Lola a five-star rating, and here are some of them:
1. It was all too cliched
Now don't get me wrong, I like cliched stories! They never fail to have me smiling in minutes, and usually I turn to them whenever I feel down. But there is always something about them; that they are too cliched for me to dig out all five stars just because I liked it. At least give us a plot twist!
Lola and the Boy Next Door was a nice and fluffy read that I enjoyed immensely, but that's the point. There are a lot of cute, fluffy romance books out there that are as fluffy as Anna/Lola, and I probably would've relished in them too. You'll find a ton just by going to the library and browsing its shelves.
Lola and the Boy Next Door was a nice and fluffy read that I enjoyed immensely, but that's the point. There are a lot of cute, fluffy romance books out there that are as fluffy as Anna/Lola, and I probably would've relished in them too. You'll find a ton just by going to the library and browsing its shelves.
2. I had a problem with Max
I was led to believe that Max was one of those people who seemed rough and rude on the outside but really, he's just a furball on the inside. Well, guess I was WRONG.
I just wanted Max to be a good person, really. In the very first chapters of Lola, Max seemed to treat Lola really well and I didn't get a hint at all that he was such a stupid asshole. It was only when Lola seemed kind of distant towards Max and later, when she dumped him, that he showed his true colours; and I couldn't get my head around that. You can't just tell me that Max was so good to Lola just because Lola was all over him before. Hint at his bad side before Lola started getting uninterested. Give us some indication that really, Max is just an a-hole and obviously not meant for Lola. Don't give us all the good stuff, only to dump all his bad traits on us like cold water.
Also, please stop making the ex the bad guy. Oh, c'mon, Stephanie! You can do better than that!
I just wanted Max to be a good person, really. In the very first chapters of Lola, Max seemed to treat Lola really well and I didn't get a hint at all that he was such a stupid asshole. It was only when Lola seemed kind of distant towards Max and later, when she dumped him, that he showed his true colours; and I couldn't get my head around that. You can't just tell me that Max was so good to Lola just because Lola was all over him before. Hint at his bad side before Lola started getting uninterested. Give us some indication that really, Max is just an a-hole and obviously not meant for Lola. Don't give us all the good stuff, only to dump all his bad traits on us like cold water.
Also, please stop making the ex the bad guy. Oh, c'mon, Stephanie! You can do better than that!
But wait. Let me tell you what I loved about Lola and the Boy Next Door.
Like I said, it goes without saying that Stephanie Perkins's novels are cute, fluffy and will cure a bad mood anyday. What I really liked while reading Anna/Lola is that Stephanie has that "screw that, I'm going with the boy I really like" vibe going on in her books. Both Anna and Lola learn to make hard decisions to get the one boy that is truly their soulmate while trampling on other people's lives in their way, and I love that. Reading about Anna and Lola gives me hope that there is someone out there who is the one.
Stephanie Perkins also writes about the kind of true love that all of us want to have. She promises us a cute romance and delivers it nicely while adding a little magic into her stories. Her characters are typical, but you can tell that she has her own personal mark branded on them.
Stephanie Perkins also writes about the kind of true love that all of us want to have. She promises us a cute romance and delivers it nicely while adding a little magic into her stories. Her characters are typical, but you can tell that she has her own personal mark branded on them.
Also, Cricket. There is not much to say about him except that he is awkward and I kinda have a small crush on him. Shh. Don't tell Lola.
(Oh, who am I kidding. I love him.)
(Oh, who am I kidding. I love him.)
- Contemporary YA lovers!
- Readers who are looking for cute, fluffy, and a really easy read!