Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

September 29, 2011

Dutton

Synopsis:
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 Review:
I'm not really sure where to begin with my review of Lola. As quite a few of you already know, Anna and the French Kiss was one of my favorite books that I read last year. When I heard that Perkins was coming out with another novel, I couldn't contain my excitement!! Anna was such a beautifully written novel with a fantastic story. I wasn't at all worried whether or not Perkins could pull off another great book. I knew that Lola would be another dazzling story but I wasn't sure what to expect besides that.

Let me tell you, Lola was just as good, if not better, than Anna and the French Kiss. I didn't think that Perkins' writing could get any better, but she sure proved me wrong! I was in awe of her talent of weaving magical words together and creating characters that everyone would want to be friends with. I fell in love all over again with a new set of characters and was left thinking about their world long after I finished the novel.

First of all, Lola has to be my all-time favorite protagonist in YA. She is quirky, sarcastic, and very talented. I absolutely loved her descriptions about her funky outfits that she put together. Every one was unique and I could easily picture her wearing them. I commended her for her confidence in herself. Even though others look down upon her for her fashion sense, she still continues to be herself and doesn't change just because of some mean comments.

And then we have Cricket, who is like no other boy in YA. He is awkward, sweet, and a genuinely nice person. He puts everyone before himself and never once complains about it. I fell so hard for him! He is the most realistic romantic interest that has ever been written into a YA novel. Unlike what most of the substance in the YA genre leads us to believe, there aren't that many cocky and self-confident guys out there in the real world. And then there was so much chemistry between Cricket and Lola. Their relationship with each other blossomed oh-so perfectly and I just can't get over how well done it was.

I bow down to the greatness of Stephanie Perkins! She has demonstrated to all of us that she can sure write a romance! I am under her spell and I don't think I'll ever come out of it. Any book that she writes will be an auto-buy for me! I don't even have to know what it's about; I know that it will be a book to remember.


My Rating: