Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Started: 21/11/11
Finished: 22/11/11
Medium: Hardbound (From The Book Depository)
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Stephanie Perkins has written another masterpiece that combines, teenage drama, love and realism all in one book. Lola and the Boy Next Door is a beautiful book about Lola and her resurfaced feelings for the Bell twins who moved back into the neighborhood.

From start to finish, Perkins holds you in her wordly grasp as she writes about Lola's struggle to overcome the obstacles she's facing to be honest with herself. Lola is a colorful character with two gay dads and a love for fashion. That's a little of an understatement. She doesn't love fashion, she loves costume. Which she creates herself. She has a wonderful personality and friends.

I'm happy Perkins mentioned the characters from her last book (Anna and St. Clair) and carefully writes them to surround Lola. They don't play a big part in the story but they're there for moral support and a little push here and there for both Lola and Cricket.

Cricket Bell, is the Boy the Next Door. Incredibly sweet and awfully nice. He's always been around Lola and there has always been unspoken tension around the both of them, that takes half of the book for them to both be honest and real to each other. I didn't mind the wait since Perkins kept me fully occupied with other events in Lola's life.

To sum it all up, Lola and the Boy Next Door was an amazing read that will tickle your toes, make your eyes go blurry and totally make you go "awwwwwwwh!" I say again, Stephanie Perkins is brilliant rising star!