Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Age Group: Young Adult
Read: October 8, 2011
5 out of 5 Stars: Fell in love with it!
Reason for Reading: I absolutely adored Perkins' previous book, Anna and the French Kiss, so I knew this would be a must-read when it was published.
On 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."My Thoughts: Lola was such a unique and funny protagonist. She was smart though sometimes a little blind to the things around her. She felt very much like a teenage girl, confused, a little selfish, but ultimately good. Cricket was adorable. I wish Cricket had been my next door neighbor! Perkins does such a great job (in both of her novels) at writing realistic, awesome teen romances. I have never been so sucked into love stories as I am when she writes them. She creates such real characters, who have faults and problems, and creates such wonderful things for them. I look forward to many more books from this author.
Recommended To: Any lover of romance, YA or otherwise. Perkins' stories may be about teen characters, but older readers will surely find them entertaining and wonderful.
Quote From The Book: "What just happened?"
"Your father invited the former love of your life in for pie.""Yeah, that's what I thought."
Books Read This Year: 81 of 100
Currently Reading: Blood Red Road by Moira Young
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." (from 