Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

Hardcover, 338 pages

Published September 29th 2011 by Dutton

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.

5/5 Stars!

Stephanie Perkins owns my soul.  She's only two books into her career and I was ready to start tackling people in the street to get my hands on book two the moment I finished reading book one.

There's just something about her writing...it tugs at the heartstrings.

And just as with Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door does not disappoint.

This story follows Lola as she juggles her bad-boy boyfriend that her family (that consists of her two slightly too overprotective fathers) does not approve of along with her relationship with her best friend Lindsey and her adoration for costume as fashion.  And everything was going okay...until the Bell twins moved back in next door.

The Bell twins--Calliope and Cricket--were the bane of Lola's existence a few years ago, and she's more than a little distressed when they come back into her life...especially since she was once in love with Cricket.

The relationships in this book are flawless and complex.  The dynamic between Cricket and Lola as they began rekindling their friendship (and their awkward crushes with each other) was wonderful.  I couldn't put the book down, I had to keep reading to see what would happen between them next.  The longing between the two of them was beautiful and heartbreaking.  Their relationship had such depth, especially since it was overlapped with family drama, friendships, and Lola's crumbling relationship with Max, her bad-boy boyfriend.

And for those who were wondering, Anna and St. Clair are totally in this book.  It was great to see them again.  They are still adorable.

But Cricket...oh, nerdy, tall, sweet Cricket.  You might be my favourite.

I loved how honest Stephanie Perkins' characters are.  She doesn't pull punches.  Her teenagers are true to the experiences that happens to real teens...sex, alcohol, drugs.  All are mentioned, but none are glamorized.  They are merely there as facts of existence.

In summary, this book is superb and an amazing sophomore followup to Anna and the French Kiss.

Amazing read, and I can't wait for Ilsa and the Happily Ever After.

Happy Reading!

-geekgirl