Monday, October 3, 2011

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola lives in San Francisco with her two dads and a dog named Heavens to Betsy. She loves where she lives except for one thing: the twins next door could move back at anytime.  See, Lola has a painful past with Cricket - a boy she crushed on who broke her heart - so when his family moves back in, Lola tries not to care (after all, she has a boyfriend now).  But will she once again fall for the boy next door?

With its quirky characters and fun set pieces, LOLA gave me the sugar high I was craving when I picked up the book.  I really enjoyed getting to know Lola and Cricket, and rooting for them to overcome the roadblocks to their romantic attraction.

One of the things which defines Lola is her habit of dressing up in crazy fun outfits, and the way Perkins described them made me want to dig out my old Babysitter Club books and compare Lola's clothes to Claudia Kishi's.  Of course, I don't think Claudia ever wore anything as fab as Lola's Marie Antoinette dress!

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR is out now. Find out more at the author's website.
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14 comments:

  1. JulesOctober 3, 2011 at 8:34 PM

    I've heard so many good things about this book and it's companion that I really must add them to my wishlist!!

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  2. GiselleOctober 4, 2011 at 12:03 AM

    Lola sounds like a great character I can't wait to get into this book. Been looking forward to it since I finished Anna a month or so ago.

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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  3. bermudaonionOctober 4, 2011 at 12:35 AM

    This sounds like a fun book! I want to read Anna and the French Kiss first, though.

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  4. Beth S.October 4, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    This one just arrived on my door step a few days ago. I would have dug into it right away except I'm already reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and it's taking me forever to finish - not because I don't like it but because this school year is totally kicking my butt. This is the first day since the school year started that I don't have papers to grade as soon as I get home.

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  5. StaciOctober 4, 2011 at 2:14 AM

    I know so many girls that would absolutely love this one. I like that Lola is original!

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  6. Pam (@iwriteinbooks)October 4, 2011 at 4:41 AM

    Haha oh man, I LOVED Claudia!

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  7. ZibileeOctober 4, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    I have been hearing so much about this book lately, and a lot of people seem to be excited about it. I like that Lola is such a free spirit and that she sort of defies convention with her clothes. I bet she would be a fun character to spend time with. Great review! I am glad that you liked this one!

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  8. UnknownOctober 4, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    Just finished Anna and the French Kiss a few days ago and got completely swept up in it, just brilliant fun. Cannot wait to get my hands on Lola now.

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  9. EvertOctober 5, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    Lol, I can't help but compare Lola to Claudia Kishi too! I don't recall Claudia wearing a wig though.

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  10. IrishOctober 6, 2011 at 2:23 AM

    I really like Perkin's writing style and while I didn't really like Lola for part of the book I loved Cricket. I also loved how confident Lola was and how she wore what she wanted no matter what others thought. I may not have liked some of the things she did but I always admired her courage, bravery and self-confidence. We could all use a bit of Lola inside us.

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  11. nomadreaderOctober 7, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    I don't read much young adult anymore, but the Lola books are so intriguing. I'm going to grab them for the read-a-thon I think!

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  12. GreenBeanTeenQueenOctober 12, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    Ok, now that you mention it, Lola is a totally updated Claudia!:)

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  13. MichelleOctober 24, 2011 at 11:59 AM

    I enjoyed this one but liked Anna much better.

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  14. BelgieMarch 15, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    I thought it would be impossible to top Anna and The French Kiss, but apparently Stephanie Perkins was just getting warmed up with her debut. Without breaking a sweat, Lola and The Boy Next Door picks up the baton from its predecessor and ran seven leagues further with breathtaking delight. I cannot wait to see how much higher in the clouds this author takes us with her next book!

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