Lola and the Boy Next Door
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.
Lola and the Boy Next Door is Stephanie Perkins second novel after her debut Anna and the French Kiss, which was published late last year in December 2010.
Now, what did I think of Lola and the Boy Next Door? Well, to be honest, I liked it. However, I didn’t love it. I found that the love story between Lola and Cricket didn’t develop enough for my taste and the beginning of the book was much too slow for my liking.
Please do not misunderstand me though. The novel had its plus points. Many in fact. I loved the small intimate looks between the main characters and the fact that the supporting characters were diverse and completely in tune with modern times and culture. I liked how every single character had their own identity that was fleshed out and made apparent, so supporting characters didn’t feel wooden or unrealistic when I was reading about them.
My favourite part about Lola and the Boy Next Door though, was that Anna and Etienne made numerous appearances throughout the book. For me, they stole every single scene in which they were a part of. Their love story, in my opinion, showed Lola what she was missing, and guided her unknowingly to what she desired for herself.