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.
Review:
Lola and the Boy Next Door has been an okay read for the most part—enough for me to finish the entire book. I like the way Stephanie Perkins write, and maybe that’s why I finished this book from cover to cover despite my lack of enthusiasm while doing so. Even though I had a hard time connecting with the characters, the way the novel is written kept me going.
I really had a hard time connecting with Lola. The more I read about her, the more I find myself not liking her. She sounds like a whiny teenager, and I hate whiny teenagers, especially a protagonist one. I failed to see the character the author was aiming for. She’s also annoying for most of the book, and I can’t decide if she’s being deliberately stupid or she just don’t want to admit certain things to herself. She has a lot of issues, and (thankfully!) those issues are well portrayed in the book, but understanding her didn’t make me like her personality. I do like her everyday outfits, though. I like it that she’s making an impression. Sadly, I think that’s the only thing I like about her.
I did not like the story of Lola and Cricket’s past before they stopped being friends. The issue was so mysterious, so big, and when it was finally revealed I had to pick up my jaw from the floor because of disbelief. I was like, THAT’S IT?! I felt cheated. By the way Lola was acting and thinking about it, she made it out like this huge issue. I didn’t find it that big of a deal.
I did not swoon over Cricket, although there are times that I admired him. Like how supportive he is towards his twin, and how honest he is to Lola about his feelings so there’s no misunderstanding. There’s also his gawkiness, which I adore for some unknown reason.
The other characters are a little MEH when I was reading. I like the Dads, and Calliope. Oh, Calliope is my favorite character. It’s like she’s the only one with a bright color in a dull canvas. I think she’s the only one who sees Lola and her stupidity, and she’s not afraid to call her out on it. Anna and Etienne (it is not true that Anna is the only one allowed to call him by his first name; he’s given me permission, too) went a little too overboard in this book. Seriously, I really, really liked them in their own book, but when I saw them again in Lola’s point of view, I wanted to skip their part whenever their names are being mentioned. They are just too cheesy and too clingy for my taste. I like them better when they were just friends, because they were totally holding back all those cheesiness.
The thing I cringe the most at in this book is the plot. I wish Perkins had made up a different plot. Lola and the Boy Next door feels like a just a reverse plot of Anna and the French Kiss. While reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about Etienne and how that must be the way he felt when he was pining for Anna silently while he had a girlfriend that is most definitely not Anna. So, yeah, the plot is a major let down for me.
Lola and the Boy Next Door is just not for me.
I really had a hard time connecting with Lola. The more I read about her, the more I find myself not liking her. She sounds like a whiny teenager, and I hate whiny teenagers, especially a protagonist one. I failed to see the character the author was aiming for. She’s also annoying for most of the book, and I can’t decide if she’s being deliberately stupid or she just don’t want to admit certain things to herself. She has a lot of issues, and (thankfully!) those issues are well portrayed in the book, but understanding her didn’t make me like her personality. I do like her everyday outfits, though. I like it that she’s making an impression. Sadly, I think that’s the only thing I like about her.
I did not like the story of Lola and Cricket’s past before they stopped being friends. The issue was so mysterious, so big, and when it was finally revealed I had to pick up my jaw from the floor because of disbelief. I was like, THAT’S IT?! I felt cheated. By the way Lola was acting and thinking about it, she made it out like this huge issue. I didn’t find it that big of a deal.
I did not swoon over Cricket, although there are times that I admired him. Like how supportive he is towards his twin, and how honest he is to Lola about his feelings so there’s no misunderstanding. There’s also his gawkiness, which I adore for some unknown reason.
The other characters are a little MEH when I was reading. I like the Dads, and Calliope. Oh, Calliope is my favorite character. It’s like she’s the only one with a bright color in a dull canvas. I think she’s the only one who sees Lola and her stupidity, and she’s not afraid to call her out on it. Anna and Etienne (it is not true that Anna is the only one allowed to call him by his first name; he’s given me permission, too) went a little too overboard in this book. Seriously, I really, really liked them in their own book, but when I saw them again in Lola’s point of view, I wanted to skip their part whenever their names are being mentioned. They are just too cheesy and too clingy for my taste. I like them better when they were just friends, because they were totally holding back all those cheesiness.
The thing I cringe the most at in this book is the plot. I wish Perkins had made up a different plot. Lola and the Boy Next door feels like a just a reverse plot of Anna and the French Kiss. While reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about Etienne and how that must be the way he felt when he was pining for Anna silently while he had a girlfriend that is most definitely not Anna. So, yeah, the plot is a major let down for me.
Lola and the Boy Next Door is just not for me.
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