Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Hardcover, 338 pages

Published September 29th 2011 by Dutton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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:

OhMYGOSH. Without a doubt I give this a FULL FIVE STARS! with the MOON too! :) I am flying with giddiness and happiness right now. I was really excited to finally got a hold of this on the day it was released! I’ve been waiting for months for this. Stephanie Perkins is FOREVER part of MY FAVORITE authors! I loved Anna & the French Kiss and I thought nothing can compare to it but Stephanie did it again! Both books are completely different from each other yet are not completely devoid of each toher. They are connected somehow by having Anna and St. Clair in the story, and how somehow the story of Anna & Etienne are kind of reflected in Lola and the Boy Next Door. But only this time it’s like Lola is in Etienne’s place before. I suddenly understood more what Etienne underwent last year. Anyway! I don’t know how to put up a good review without spoiling you guys! haha.

        Okay, so..The story was super cute and totally new. I liked how simple yet complicated the story was. Lola and Cricket. They’re two unique individuals. Their personalities really match as well as their fashion sense, haha. Also, Anyone could see they liked each other! And I love the moments they had from across their windows. The idea of Lola talking to the moon, Cricket telling Lola of a “story” which is theirs really. I knew everything wasn’t perfect but I was absolutely in love with their love story. If I fell in love with Etienne in Anna & tFK but not so much with their love story (though i loved that too) but here, it’s more of the STORY that’s lovable. I didn’t have a literary crush on Cricket (not really my type,he was cute and all, but I dunno,anyway). It’s both of them. Lola and Cricket together. The silly things they did when they were younger (preschool age), also when they were preteens/younger teens. How they “accidentally” ran into each other going out of the house, and how regularly they did these. I love the random stuff they did, that summer was bliss for them. Oh! I super loved the ending! The last sentence was perfect! Gosh, whatever people may say, this story is really perfect! (Lots of quotable quotes)..Honestly, I thought this was going to be a love-hate relationship but I’m glad it wasn’t. Lola still befriended Cricket despite what happened years before. I just adore them both. Speaking of love, I love lots of things about this book: I love every Anna and Etienne scene, about six I think, or more (okay that was very far fetched, but still,hehe). I love the setting, San Francisco, their part of the city too, how close their neighborhood was to each other. Most of all, I love the story. Lola and Cricket were very natural with each other, and I can’t really blame Lola for not wanting to let go Cricket..
              Speaking of the others. Lola has two dads, and one of his dads, Nathan, is biologically his uncle, I think this was a nice blend. At first, I was “uhm, okay" with the idea of Lola having two dads, but then throughout the book I realized that they were cool dads. They were proper and not disgusting, and they love Lola and they were real parents to her. I was also surprised that Lola knows her biological parents, and Norah (her mother), somehow improved her life as the story went on. See, I love how the novel is not solely focused on Lola&Cricket, there are SIDE stories. Like Norah, from a street person to a person with a life. And Calliope. All the figure skater pressures and all and how selfish & protective she is of her twin that led her to some wrong choices, in the end we see she’s kind too. Lindsey, Lola’s best friend, with her academically focused life that she won’t allow boyfriends for herself yet, but then she can’t really resist Charlie, but they’re only “friends”. Andy, Cricket’s older brother who recently separated from his wife and brought with him Abby, and how he’s coping. There’s Max too, who everyone saw was bad shite from the beginning but Lola loves him..and at the end of the day as we become honest with ourselves, like Lola did (because Etienne is a good advisor let me tell you haha) and we see how Max as he truly is. Well he was a sweet guy and I really believe he truly loved and cared about Lola, she’s different from him and she brings out a different side of him, but she was just not from him, and as his defense mechanism, he acted rudely at her. But there’s still a potential for him.
               IN the end, there are lessons to be learned from these fictional characters, and I admit this happens in real life too. Life is full of unwanted surprises, and they just won’t stop coming, until we realize and accept they’re there for a purpose. Like how Cricket came back to Lola’s life. How Lola needed to experience having a relationship with Max so she can learn from it. WE have fun, embrace our true self, and be honest with ourself as early as possible so as not to waste time and hurt more people. MANY THUMBS UP!

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