Review for Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: September 29th 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Books Made of Awesome
Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Bought

Goodreads 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."

Review
Stephanie Perkins. Wow. This lady and her books blow my mind. Stephanie Perkins doesn’t just write a book, she creates actual magic. Seriously it’s like she has a check list of all the things that would make THE perfect book throws them all in a pot, adds her secret Stephanie sparkle and ta da! Result the kind of books girls could only ever dream about- until now.

Last year I was blown away by Stephanie’s debut Anna and the French Kiss. I thought never could there be a more perfect contemporary read and then along came Lola in her combat boots and Marie Antoinette dress. Guys I LOVED it, and I heart it so much harder than Anna. I knew I was going to love this book but no way did I expect it to surpass my affections for Anna and the smart arse but oh so sexy St Clair but it totally did you wanna know why? Two words, Cricket Bell.

So let me just talk to you guys about Cricket. I love him. I love him so much that every time I walk past this book on my bookshelf I have to pick it up and hug it. You can all keep your Etienne St Clair because Cricket is MINE. Seriously I know I’m totally fan girling right now but Cricket is SUCH a good guy. The nicest guy you’ll ever read about. You know in all of those books where the hot sexy guy gets the girl and the sweet best friend who’s loved her forever goes home with his tail between his legs? Well this book is about the nice guy, the kind of guy your parents would want you to date, coming first for once and doing it for the good guys! *Fist pumps for the good guys.* I loved that about this book and I don’t just want my own Cricket I want Cricket, period.

Lola and the Boy Next Door has the sweetest love story. It’s the story of two best friends falling in love. It’s about the guy you grew up with who knows everything about you good and bad and wants to take you out anyway. It’s about that guy who sees you dancing around your room in your PJ’s with no make-up on and flat hair and loves that version of you best. Lola and Crickets story has this innocence and pureness to it that I loved so much more than Anna and St Clair’s story and whilst this book features them as secondary characters after a while I was like “Anna who? Go back to Lola and Cricket I want more of them!”

I loved Lola and I loved Cricket, I loved the writing, the plot, basically everything about this book. Every page was perfect and I couldn’t get enough. I actually read the last few chapters with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat and when I read the last sentence (the most perfect and romantic sentence in history!) I just burst into tears and cried over it and thought about it forever. But I wasn’t crying because I was sad. This book made me so happy that I cried great big happy tears. I mean can I get any clearer than that about how much I loved this book? Lola and the Boy Next Door is a special, special story and whilst I’m excited for the next and last companion novel to Anna and Lola, Isla and the Happily Ever After I kind of just want it to be called Lola, Cricket and the Happily Ever After and to read book after book about them forever. Stephanie Perkins please would you fuel my addiction? But in the meantime whilst I’m waiting for my bookish fantasies to come true I’ll be re-reading Lola and the Boy Next Door over and over and will be raving about it like a fan girl to everyone I meet. This book has brought out my crazy book nerd you have been warned.