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| TITLE: Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2) AUTHOR: Stephanie Perkins PUBLISHER: Speak PUB DATE: Sep 29 2011 |
Summary from 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."
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."
Rating:
“Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.”
I was so glad I read this book throughout a weekend where Monday was a holiday, else I’d have to force myself to stop and get some sleep, and yet it would be one of those nights where I’d end up tossing and turning thinking about the book until the wee hours of the morning. And in the process of getting myself off the bed and preparing to go to work, I’d be mumbling to myself that I should have just stayed up all night finishing the book since I didn’t get much sleep anyway. Yup, perfect timing.
Lola and the Boy Next Door is one of those books that I enjoyed more because of the minor characters rather than the main protagonists. Don’t get me wrong, I like Lola and Cricket, but I just adore Lola’s Dads, I really have a soft spot for fathers, straight or gay. Nathan and Andy made reading through this book really fun. I love how protective they were towards Lola, much to her aggravation.
Plus Etienne and Anna being here added more entertainment to the story. I love how they are more relaxed and affectionate now since all the drama from Anna and the French Kiss has long passed on. Did I mention how witty Etienne St. Clair was? Seriously, he made things all the more interesting!
Lola’s passion with her costumes is admirable considering she’s at the age where everything seems so confusing, and these are the times where you’d want to find a click of friends where you would belong and truly feel wanted. It is also at that age where quirky little things about you would be seen as weird and made fun of. So I was really proud to see Lola staying true to what she believes in and does what she wants even though some people tend to tease her about it.
Cricket is a nice guy, maybe even too good for his own sake, but I like how supportive he was with Lola, and he is such a sweet guy. But he’s just not my type. I like my guys rough and rogue-ish. Cricket’s metro-sexual demeanor is just not the type of guy I’d be drooling over. Still, I’m happy for him and Lola.
Lola and the Boy Next Door may not be the kind of love story I’m attuned to, but there is definitely more to this book than just that. I think the highlight I saw in this book was the lesson of embracing who you are and what you love. Being passionate about something can truly take you places if you add dedication and resolve to the mix.
