Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 338
Source: Bought
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Summary:  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 Favorite Line: 

"Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough."

“Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring."I smile. "You don't think I'm perfect?""No. You're delightfully screwy, and I wouldn't have you any other way.” 

What I Loved: I just, literally just, finished the book. It was incredible. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more, and I felt like all my insides were mushing together in this incredible AWWWWW. Stephanie Perkins has a knack at creating these incredible love stories that every girl wants. I want a Cricket. I want a St. Clare. Just as with Anna and the French Kiss, after page 200, I didn’t want to put the book down. It took every fiber of strength and self-control to tell myself, “Ok Deidra, you have class in the morning. Go to sleep. “ And then I laid there for the next hour unable to stop thinking about the book. I found myself in a parking lot an hour and a half early for my appointment with the book in my hand, reading. There were moments I found that I had held my breath for a full page. I hadn't even noticed I had stopped until the scene ended in the book. Then I had to remind myself to breathe! Stephanie Perkins took over my mind, and I claim all action as involuntary….

Why You Should Read It: I’ll make this simple. If you want to be lost in a story, an incredible story, then you’ll read it. The book portrays those feelings of first love in such an honest and emotionally overwhelming way that you feel as if you are apart of the relationship. I admit that would make the story more creepy, but you get the idea!