Lola and the Boy Next Door

After "Anna and the French Kiss" and now this book, Stephanie Perkins has become one of my favorite authors. If only she can write books fast enough, since I'm itching to read more of her wonderful creations. (Write, write, Stephanie!!) Lola Nolan is a lovely, eccentric, unique and flawed young lady. She has an unconventional family setup and a very difficult and testy relationship with her birth mom. She has a rocker "bad boy" boyfriend whom her parents disapprove of. And she harbors some painful memories of Cricket Bell, the boy who used to live next door who broke her heart. Cricket and his family moved away and his and Lola's farewell was - to put it mildly - not a good one. Lola learns to adjust and move on - Max loves her and she loves him, even though her parents keep things complicated. But this serenity doesn't last long. After being gone for 2 years, Cricket, his beautiful but not-so-nice twin sister Calliope and their parents are back, and Lola's life is turned upside down. What is it about Cricket that makes her nervous and confused? She has a boyfriend, so why does he haunt her thoughts? It doesn't help matters that he's grown even better looking since she last saw him and he seems as sweet, charming and genuinely "nice" as ever. What makes it worse is that Max becomes jealous and suspicious, and that Cricket seems to be oblivious to the effect he has on her. What I loved about this book - which is also what I loved about "Anna" - is Stephanie's knack for creating such unique, sympathetic, relate-able yet flawed characters. Max's character leaves you guessing. Cricket isn't a Prince Charming without faults. And sometimes I did want to knock Lola in the head for making not-so-right decisions, but I empathized with her and had faith that - as she goes through her path of self-discovery - she would eventually figure it all out. The characters in this book - major and minor - are all fully realized with personalities of their own. Lola is uniquely different from Anna, as is Cricket and Max are far removed from Toph and Etienne (although Toph and Max are both musicians). After reading both books, you don't get the sense that any of the plot points or characters are recycled, and both stories stand on their own (although there is a nice link to the first book - which I just love, love, love and hope she continues to do in future books). And a good romantic story always has to have some complications, of course, so the story kept me guessing and I (and Lola) wasn't quite sure how things would turn out. I also loved the setting of San Francisco. After Venice and Paris (the setting of "Anna"), San Fran is one of my favorite cities and it has a unique personality that works well for this book (Lola and her family themselves are unique). The general story also alludes to one of my favorite classic novels by Jane Austen - namely, "Persuasion" - which is a story of a young woman whose "old flame" comes back into her life, looking back at some of the decisions and misunderstandings from the past and the complications that arise from the return of this lost love. I don't know if this was an inspiration for Stephanie, but I enjoyed the similarity all the same. This was such a charming and enjoyable read, and I was partly sad/partly happy when I finished it. Happy at the ending. Sad that I finished the book (perhaps too quickly) and that there were no more adventures of Lola, Cricket, et al to read. I'm looking forward to the third book - I read that it would be called "Isla and the Happily Ever After" (perhaps Isla from book 1?). After such fantastic creations as Anna and Lola, I can't wait to re-visit Stephanie's "world" once again.

Lola Nolan is a seventeen year old girl, who lives in San Francisco, California with her two dads. Lola is super into fashion and she wears wigs and crazy outfits. And she has a tattooed - no plans for college - boyfriend who's years older than her -- Max. First of all, have you read Anna and the French Kiss? If you said no, well -- I know everyone says this but you have to get it. I mean, you can read Lola and the Boy Next Door without reading Anna and the French Kiss first but you will enjoy it even more because the main characters of Anna are friends with Lola. Lola's parents, Nathan and Andy, were how I wish most parents in the YA books were. They were realistic; they grounded her, gave her curfews, great advice, and they supported her in her weird clothes and they didn't like "the boyfriend", Max. Which made for some funny scenes. Her mom -- well, is a mess but she's on Lola's life. Sort of. Not the best mom, though. I liked Cricket Bell, the love interest. He's a year and a month older than Lola. I loved his style, the rubber bands and the writings in his hand. It was cool to see someone actually in college. I hope we get a trend here in the YA books of that, (characters in college) because there's not enough. Lola had history with Cricket but then some stuff happened and he moved away. Which gave Lola time to "forget" him and move on. I loved Max. I liked him more than Cricket! Okay, don't kill me but seriously, let's make a list to explain why: - he's in a band. - he's older. Twenty-two to be exact. - he has the bad boy vibe going on. - he can be sweet...sometimes. - it was awesome to see him jealous over Cricket! Yes, he did some things in the book that made me dislike him after that but still, he was fun to read about. What I didn't like about Cricket was that he was after Lola like a love sick puppy and she just was messing with his head, leading him on. Yes, he was funny and swoony, but he was also too sweet and patient. Which bothered me because Lola unconsciously knew (I know that doesn't make sense, but you know, girl senses) she had Cricket to "fall back on" in case things with Max didn't work out. I wanted Cricket to get really mad at her, and he sort of did but it wasn't what I expected. I got mad at Lola for having a boyfriend and giving Cricket hope. She wanted to be with her boyfriend but she also liked Cricket. It was a crazy, realistic love triangle. I understood her reasons or whatever but come on! Apart from that, their friendship/relationship was fun to read about. Lola has a best friend, Lindsey, but we didn't get a lot from her and she was an interesting character. We got more of Anna and St. Clair, which I don't mind one bit. St. Clair had me laughing so much. It was cool to see them again because we get some info on how they're doing and what's going on with them after the end of Anna and the French Kiss. To summarize, these were the problems that I had with Lola and The Boy Next Door: - Cricket was too soft. - Lola had a way to lead the poor guy on and then make him fall flat on his face. Poor guy. But yes, the book was amazing and I couldn't put it down. I was laughing and sometimes I felt bad for Lola. Stephanie Perkins has a way to write everything more realistic-- super realistic; the expressions and the way the characters talked and behaved-- I don't know how she does it. You feel like you know the characters; that if you go outside, you'll find them because they're so real. You should get this book! Everyone loves it. You can't go wrong with Stephanie Perkins.

~4.5/5 [Also available on my blog (with extras!).] I love this book. It was amazing and Cricket and it was just so good and I want the next one and Cricket. Cricket, you guys. Cricket. He is the best thing, ever. Just, ever. I love him. I want him. I want my very own Cricket. Please? Um, so, anyway... I read Anna and the French Kiss over the summer (and finally posted the review a couple weekends ago), and loved it. Immediately after reading that book and the excerpt for this one, I wanted it. It sounded amazing and Cricket seemed more my type, and I did not want to wait, at all. I even waited longer than I wanted to buy it. But once I got it, I simply could not wait any longer. I kind of wanted to, just to prolong the amazingness that it was sure to be, but that didn't happen. I read the book in two days without even meaning to, and it was over much faster than I wanted it to be. I wanted to meet Lola and Cricket and find out why Lola has a problem with the Bell twins and read more about Lola and her two dads. And, trust me, my excitement was for a reason. Lola and the Boy Next Door is about Lola, a girl who likes to dress as a different person every day, including extravagant outfits and wigs, even making some of it herself. The Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, are part of the family that live next door to her. Calliope is an ice-skater, and Cricket is an inventor. They've moved in and out of that house, and Lola has dreaded their return ever since the last time they left. And now they're back. And Lola has a boyfriend. This book was just as good as the first. Just as well written, with just as good characters. I don't think it was particularly better, but I do like the love interest more. St. Clair was awesome, but Cricket is just nothing less than amazing. The romance in this book was amazing. Lola is with some other guy at the beginning, who at first I didn't mind, but later turned into quite a jerk. I was happy with how things ended there, though. And where things went after it with Cricket. Even before that, Cricket was amazing. What he does while she's with Max is really sweet, even though Lola should have backed off a bit, and their relationship before he moved was really nice, even if a bit bittersweet. Cricket is charming and adorable; he talks fast when he's nervous, and he's completely devoted to and in love with Lola, and he feels a little left out, and he's so smart. He is just... everything I want. Which, yea, creates a bias, but I am completely okay with that. Because I love him. And Lola at one point, realizes something about Cricket that is so awesome, and then decides to work harder for him, which is awesome. And she also decides that she wants to be fully herself before she can be with him, which is fantastic. This book took a bit different direction than I thought it would, but it probably just made the book better for me. I was expecting it to be about Lola falling for her friends older brother, and then to have a falling out with her friend, and maybe something to happen with the boy. That is not what happened. Instead, she fell for Cricket rather early, and wasn't very close with Calliope at all. Her relationship with Cricket was strong, and started everything, and it's just... You just have to read it to find out, because I don't want to spoil any more. Lola has two dads, and while maybe we could have gotten to see more of them, they were awesome. The best dads ever. And Lola has a best friend, Lindsey, who wants to be a detective, and is a great best friend to Lola. And even Calliope, Cricket's twin sister, is a really interesting character. Some things she does aren't that cool, but she turns out alright. Oh, and there are some cameos! I was expecting to see Anna and St. Clair, but I wasn't expecting them to show up so much. Which was a very nice surprise. They are adorable and sweet and I loved seeing them together, and Lola's conversations with them. I'm excited to see what cameos there are in the next book. I just love everything about this book, okay? And I want the next one right now. But, of course, the next one isn't set to come out for, I think, another year or something. Which is much too long.

My "I just finished this and these are my initial thoughts" goodreads review was the following: "Loved Lola and her costumes and her craziness. Cricket and his height and his hands. The setting and getting to revisit one of my favorite places ever. Lola's parents. St. Clair and Anna's cameos. Windows, the moon, and stars.... Another perfect read from Stephanie Perkins! I can't wait for the next one." And that pretty much says it all. What's there left to say? The book was as wonderful as I expected it would be... and then some. However, as I've been waiting for this book since last December, I am going to dedicate more time to it and expand my review a bit. Lola: Such a fun character! I admired Lola's creativity and I eagerly looked forward to every new costume that she would put together. Despite her outward appearance, though, I was struck by how normal she was. Sure, she has a vibrant personality, too, but she's not overconfident, she has her insecurities, and she screws up. I loved her, but it was very easy to be frustrated by some of her actions and how selfish she could be. Thankfully, she does some growing up throughout the course of the book. Cricket: Where to even start with this perfect boy? He warms my heart with how sweet and adorable he is. Though he obviously has strong feelings for her, he's so respectful of Lola and, when they can't be together, he's always there for her -- and not in a "I'm waiting for you" creepy way, but just as the best kind of friend. The want is there, of course, but he doesn't act on it. He's also smart, talented with his hands (ha!), and TALL. Love you, St. Clair, but I love me some tall guys. Thank you, Ms. Perkins, for giving me another boy to gush over. The setting: San Francisco. If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I love San Francisco. I lived there for school and it's one of my goals to go back permanently some day. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out that it would be the backdrop to Lola's story. I enjoyed nodding along to some of the references and getting to revisit some locations that I was familiar with. Lola's parents: Andy and Nathan were SO great. Their relationship with Lola was displayed as well-rounded: full of love and support, but also with fair boundaries for her. The three spent a good amount of time together and I adored seeing parents so involved! I think this is the first YA novel I've read that features two dads, too, so it's awesome that Stephanie Perkins had this dynamic in her book. St. Clair and Anna's cameos: THEY'RE BAAAAAACK! I won't give away any details about their appearances but I will say the following: they were in the book more than I expected, they're hilarious, and ILOVETHEMSOMUCH. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until they first appeared. I could be limited to reading about this duo (+ Lola and Cricket now) for forever and I'd be perfectly content. Windows, the moon, and stars: Yeah, I'm not getting too detailed on this point either, but believe me when I say that all three things are important. SWOON. Stephanie knows how to write a good romance and the tension between Lola and Cricket was almost unbearable: so aching, honest, and, yes, at times, even awkward. But the final result had me grinning from ear to ear, wanting to weep a little because it was all just so lovely to experience through these characters. So, yes, this was another perfect read from Stephanie Perkins and the countdown has begun for Isla and the Happily Ever After. I can't wait to be wrapped up in more of her delightful stories!

A sweet, and touching story, and a very worthy successor to Ana and the French Kiss! ~ Premise ~ Its summer and Lola's greatest ambitions for her time consist of spending time with her rock star boyfriend and creating a magnificent Marie Antoinette costume for the winter formal. Things start going awry for her when her childhood sweetheart moves back into the neighborhood. Old passions clash with new, making Lola who her heart really needs. ~ Characters ~ Lola: Lola is a different sort of heroine than Ana. She's quirky, loud, and spunky, with a temper and a sarcastic wit. Not really mind favorite type of female heroine, but it's hard not to like her. She's an amateur fashion designer with her own sense of style. For her every day like Halloween - dressing in costumes with wigs, tiaras, big boots, and tons of color. She's a good student, and a loyal friend. She also has a bad tendency to lie and hide things from people she cares about which will make you want to smack her at times. Max: Lola's boyfriend - he's 22, and a rockstar. Lola's "dads" have agreed to let her date him but have imposed a ton of rules to ensure she remains as protected as possible. He's seems to really appreciate Lola, but shows zero interest in her friends, her family, or really anything that matters to her, which makes us question the sincerity of his feeling for her. Cricket: The boy that got away. He's an inventor, shy, sweet, geeky, and often overlooked by the people in his life. Cricket and Lola grew up together - neighbors from the time they were little children. He was her first kiss - at the ripe age of seven, and the first person she fell in love with in junior highschool. He's also the first person that broke her heart. ~ Romance ~ Sugary sweet - this love could seriously give you a tooth ache. But it's not an unrealistic kind of sweet. Rather it's the sweet that comes from a story where the good guy really does get the girl. I loved Cricket - he's my kind of guy. He's sweet, loyal, honest, and awkward. You can't help but root for him, even though you don't understand in the beginning why he hurt Lola so much. I'd have enjoyed this romance all the more if Lola was more my kind of female heroine. She's just a bit too brash for me. That being said, there are still plenty of swoon-worthy moments to be had in this book. ~ My thoughts ~ I found this story to be in turns sweet and touching. It's a young adult drama, so don't expect tons of action. What keeps you turning the pages here are the character relationships, and the romance that builds between Lola and Cricket. I'd be hard pressed to say which book I liked better - Ana or Lola. I identified more with Ana as a character, but the romance in this book was perhaps even better than what we found in Ana. There were less ups and downs - breakups and misunderstandings. And I think there was more wisdom hidden within its pages on the nature of relationships and what really matters in them. In the pages of this book we travel with Lola as she grows up, and learns to both understand and accept herself. We learn importance of honesty in relationships, we most vitally we learn what real love looks like. That love should be full of natural magic, it's not always easy, but it should flow. That it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for one another. So if you are in the mood for another sweet romance in the vein of Ana and the French Kiss, this book will sate your need quite nicely.

Excuse me while I fan-girl... Okay. I'm finished. Not really, but I can't stop smiling! Lola and the Boy Next Door had even more hype leading up to its release than Anna and the French Kiss. I didn't think Lola could live up to Anna, but I was so excited when I got this book in the mail today that I ripped--really, I almost got a paper cut in my rush to open it--right into it. I finished this book in just one sitting. First things first, I saw that it was signed to me, because my mother is amazing sometimes and ordered me a signed copy from Asheville, North Carolina, from the Lola book release party that I couldn't go to because of family problems. Fan-girl moment again, sorry--but second to that--I jumped right into Lola's world, and I fell in love. In a way, Lola had me missing Anna. Anna was such a funny, quiet character, and I loved her for it, while Lola was out there and in your face from the first page. But I grew to have a certain fondness of Lola that I only had a few times with Anna and that sealed the deal on this book for me. Lola is that one girl you see from time-to-time, who is dressed so ridiculously that you can't help but to smile. Lola was out-going, brave, daring, and even a bit too much, if there is ever such a thing. But after a few pages, I loved her and wished she was my new best friend, and clothing designer. Stephanie Perkins is amazing. She has blown me away and has left me dying for more; just like when I finished Anna and the France Kiss, I have a longing to be in the world her characters live in, and don't even get me started on Cricket Bell! Cricket was, to put it simply, amazing. He was gorgeous, sweet (God--he was so darn sweet!) gorgeous, caring, gorgeous, smart... did I say gorgeous? Stop it, Angel--you're embarrassing yourself! Cricket was the perfect male lead for our crazy-design-loving Lola. Throughout the book, Stephanie Perkins let us see how deeply he cares for Lola, and how Lola's feelings of hurt, embarrassment, abandonment, and anger of the past, slowly start to evolve into the love she once had for him--the boy next door who only lives there sometimes. I know it's hard to believe, but Cricket has actually taken my heart. Sorry, Etienne St. Clair! I didn't think it was possible to love a character as much as I did Cricket, and if you want to make things better--St. Clair and Cricket. Together, in the same scene--talking! Interacting! I know! Anna and St. Clair make a few brief cameos in Lola's story, and I have to say that I loved every minute of it. Have in mind that this book is heavier than Anna. Emotionally speaking, I was way more invested than while I was reading Anna. I felt the characters had more depth, the issues were bigger--the world was seen through clear, bright eyes the whole time I was reading and I really connected with them. I actually loved every single character--even Lola's bad boy rocker boyfriend, Max--at least, I did until halfway through the book. You'll just have to read it and find out why! But--oh, no--did I just `but' in this review? Did I just put a `but' in here?!--I wish we could have seen more of Calliope, Cricket's twin sister. I loved her character even though she came across as snobby and indifferent most of the time when it came to Lola, I understood her. I have a brother who I am very protective over as well, so I know what it's like when you don't want your brother to get hurt. I can only hope we see more of her in the near future. All I can say is that this book is simply amazing. Is it better than Anna? Some say yes, some say no, but I am one of those who say `yes' a million times. From Lola's crazy outfits, to Crickets blue eyes, to her best friend Lindsey and her love for CSI and Nancy Drew-- I fell in love. It depends on what you like, but something tells me Lola is not a girl you will be forgetting about anytime soon.

I am a huge fan of the book Anna and the French Kiss, so I pre-ordered this book with high expectations. I was not disappointed. Stephanie Perkins is an awesome writer who is able to reveal the conflicting and irrational emotions of being in love in a vibrant and enthusiastic way that keeps the reader captivated until the final pages. Lola is the biological daughter of two messed up 16 year olds. She is raised by the homosexual brother and his partner of her alcoholic mother. She has been in love with the boy next door since she was five, but 2 summers ago, he broke her heart then moved away and she has tried to move on. Lola has always been a unique dresser by having a different "costume" (which includes wigs and themes) each day. She has just turned 17 and is dating a 22 year old rock musician and thinks she is happy. Then Cricket, the boy next door that she was in love with and who hurt her deeply, comes back into her life, and she is a confused mess. The great surprise of this book is that both Anna and St. Clair are in this book prominently. They don't just show up for a cameo, but are major characters in the story. I love seeing them again. Perkins's characters are wonderfully unique and are filled with the uncertainty, anger, and desire typical of the hormonally charged teenager that feels everything so earnestly. She captures the frustration and delight of falling in love and the confusion of love and its consequences. She also describes Lola's world of hurt and anger and her reactions to it both physically and emotionally. Despite loving the fictional aspects of this well written story, the real life depictions of a girl being raised by two gay men, dating a tattooed older MAN who is a rock musician, having a drugged mother and homeless father, and dressing in costumes so that "she" isn't revealed, is messed-up. Psychologically and emotionally this girl is hurting and making bad choices that cannot just be summed-up to being a teenager. There is so much abnormal behavior going on here that apparently is intended to be understood as normal and maybe even healthy because it ends well. Hopefully, the YA crowd to whom this is directed will be able to see the pain and anger for what and who it really is and understand the improbability of this story ending with the "happily ever after" it seems to imply. As a work of fiction, this story is entertaining, as a work of true-life; it is heartbreaking. Would I/Did I buy it? Yes Would I read it again? No Would I recommend it to friends? Sure

Characters The characters in Lola are top notch. They’re all so real and vivacious in a way that I feel like I don’t see often in YA books. One of my problems with Anna and the French Kiss was that Anna seemed so one dimensional, so unexciting, too much of a Mary-Sue in many ways. She was just SUCH the prototypical teenage girl. Lola took that typical in-love teenage girl trope and threw it out the window. Lola has spunk, she has sass, and she has a killer sense of fashion. She has this energy to her character that blew me away and really takes you along for the ride. Lola manages to be vulnerable in the book, but also can sometimes be a huge jerk. She’s also the sort of character constantly observing and sometimes criticizing those around her. I absolutely loved Lola, I thought it was a ton of fun to read her perspective the whole book and I thought she had an incredibly strong and relatable voice. Lola’s parents, Nathan and Andy, were also excellent characters. Sometimes, I find the writing of gay couples in books to be cringeworthy. They sometimes feel like they’re unironic or disinegunine stereotypes, or their leading characteristic is the fact that they’re gay. Such was not the case with Nathan and Andy. Gay was not their primary characteristic, it was most definitely a secondary one. I thought the way that Perkins handled homosexuality in her book was eloquent. She talked about it without making it a statement. The fact that Lola had two dads was just a fact of life, and not something weird or special about her. It was normal, and I thought that was a great way to write it. In terms of the boys, they were both strong characters. Each had their merits and faults, each was attractive in their own way. They felt fully fleshed out and reasonably complex. Cricket was always more than just the subject of Lola’s affections. He had his own story, his own point of view. Not only did we feel for Lola when she was hurting, we also felt for Cricket when HE was hurting. I love a good love-interest in a book that is more than just a pretty boy, and Perkins hit the nail on the head with Cricket. Story In terms of plot, this book was only slightly special. I mean, it’s a pretty typical high-school contemporary love story. I did like the added twist of Lola clearly having feelings for another boy while being in a relationship with someone else. I feel like that story is not one I’ve seen often explored in teen romances. Usually it’s a single girl falls for a guy, not a taken one. I think it added interesting dimension. I definitely appreciated that about this novel. But still, even though there were somewhat unusual circumstances that made you unsure which boy to root for, it still often felt like a typical love story. The Feels In every review, I want to address how the book made me feel. Usually my feelings are how I gauge my rating of a book. Lola made me feel so many feels. Much like Anna, Lola takes you on this journey that reminds you how good being in love with someone is. It reminds you of the comfort in being with someone who means a lot to you, it reminds you of those electric feelings when someone you have deep affection for brushes your arm or bumps your shoulder. It brings you back to those moments of “should I or shouldn’t I” that inevitably happen at the beginning of a new relationship. That is one of my favorite things about this series by Perkins. It really brings you through those emotions and portrays them in this incredibly genuine, heartfelt way. You really are on a ride with the characters, and you feel everything with them. I just think that is SO LOVELY. I think it’s so amazing that an author can bring you back to memories and feelings from long ago. Alternatively, if you haven’t had a first love, it takes you on those feelings of wanting someone and not being able to have them. All of the emotions in this novel are so real and so genuine. That’s the primary reason it made me feel so many feels. It made me squeal with happiness and it made my heart sink with sadness. What a beautiful thing for a book to do to you. Perkins is truly gifted at portraying first love and does so better than any other author I’ve read. Many props to her for accomplishing that feat. Final Thoughts On the whole, I loved this book. I loved it so hard the whole time. I don’t think I fully know how to express my love for this book. I thought it was great and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I even stayed up way too late just to finish it last night. I read most of this book in one sitting, and it was pretty fast and easy to get through. It was such an overwhelmingly pleasant read, and I would highly recommend it to pretty much everyone. I will even go ahead and say that I liked Lola and the Boy Next Door even more than Anna and the French Kiss! I give Lola and the Boy Next Door: 5/5 Stars. It’s definitely one of the top books in it’s genre!

Todo perfecto vendedor muy amable

Oh, this book. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins was utterly sweet and adorable. And whilst I preferred Anna and the French Kiss, this book still made me incredibly happy and I felt very emotionally connected to the characters right from the start. I really liked Lola as a character. I loved her wacky fashion sense and her originality, while at the same time you can see how vulnerable she is underneath the outrageous costumes she wears. She's a loyal friend and daughter and feels the pressure of her unusual family. Lola is also still smarting a bit at the events that occurred so long ago with her neighbours - Calliope, the talented and snooty ice-skater and her adorable twin brother, budding inventor, Cricket. And despite Lola's musician older boyfriend, good job and seemingly perfect life, when Cricket returns, everything in Lola's life turns upside down. This book was so good. I really loved how reading this book made me feel as though I were there in San Francisco, seeing everything happen through Lola's eyes. I could just really believe and relate to her story. Her two over-protective dads are wonderful, and I felt rather relieved to read a story in which parents are portrayed in a positive and supportive light. I thought Lola had a great relationship with both of her parents, which felt refreshing as well as heartwarming. I also thought it was rather fun to see Anna and Etienne appear in this book as older friends around to give Lola some advice and to be a sort of relationship guide. And in terms of Lola's lovelife, at first I was pretty conflicted. I really liked beginning-of-the-story Max. Being older, and a musician, him having a literary tattoo and being very patient with Lola's dads. But of course, in walks Cricket. And oh god, I love that Cricket is so very NICE and NERDY as well as HOT. What a winning combination. I thought the build-up to their relationship was really sweet, especially as we can see how inexperienced and awkward Cricket really is and how much he really wants to be with Lola. The conflicts between them were suitably conflicted and angsty and drawn-out. There seems to be some pressure from Lola's dads and family members on both sides on who should be with whom, but I love that both Lola and Cricket make their own decisions here. There is also a rather sweet and important message about being OK with who you are. All in all, a really sweet and romantic read which I thoroughly enjoyed!

SO CUTE. LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR est certainement l'un des romans les plus mignons et les plus craquants que j'ai jamais lu jusqu'à présent. J'avais été pas mal déçu par ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS et ne savais donc pas trop à quoi à m'attendre en entamant ce roman. Au final, je me dois le reconnaître, je suis complètement et irrémédiablement tombé amoureux de cette histoire. LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR ne possède tout simplement aucun défaut. Je n'ai absolument rien à redire. Tout est parfait. Tout est ultra réaliste, ultra touchant, ultra attendrissant et ultra saisissant. Tous les héros m'ont profondément marqué, l'intrigue en elle-même est extrêmement bien menée et maîtrisée, l'écriture de Stephanie Perkins m'a juste envoûté de la première à la dernière page... Bref, ce livre, c'est une vraie gourmandise qui se déguste. J'ai adoré ce roman ! Alors que j'avais eu beaucoup de mal avec la personnalité d'Anna dans le premier volet de la trilogie, j'ai tout de suite accroché au caractère de Lola. Haaaaaa, Lola ♥ A la fois drôle, intelligente et charmante, il ne m'en a pas fallu beaucoup plus pour apprécier ma lecture à ses côtés. Le truc, c'est que l'auteure est parvenue à lui conférer une vraie profondeur et une vraie épaisseur. Elle est là, avec nous. C'est la fille que vous croisez dans la rue, celle que vous apercevez quand vous sortez. Lola est réelle. Tellement réelle que la quitter me déchire le cœur. Son histoire, son passé, ses souvenirs, ses envies ou encore ses désirs sont tous plus justifiés et cohérents les uns que les autres. Il nous est tout bonnement impossible de ne pas nous identifier à elle et de complètement prendre sa place pendant qu'on dévore ce livre. J'ai adoré son côté extravagant, son unicité, son originalité, sa passion, sa joie de vivre, sa façon de considérer l'existence, ses remises en question et toutes les autres petites choses qui font d'elle une personne à la fois humaine, imparfaite et hyper émouvante. Lola est une héroïne en or que j'apprécie beaucoup. Sa personnalité m'a fasciné. Ouaw ♥ Comme dit précédemment, l'histoire de sa vie m'a beaucoup plu, et c'est là que Stephanie Perkins tire son épingle du jeu. Elle aurait tout simplement pu nous servir une romance commune et banale, sans grande surprise ni vraie raison d'exister. Sauf que non, l'auteure va au-delà de tout ça en entourant son héroïne de protagonistes secondaires juste PARFAITS. Mention spéciale aux parents homosexuels de Lola qui m'ont énormément touché et qui apporte une énorme touche de dynamisme et de réalité à l'histoire. Il en va de même avec la mère de Lola, Norah, ou sa meilleure amie, Lindsey. Nous rencontrons toute une myriade de personnages tous plus captivants et attirants les uns que les autres, et ça fait beaucoup de bien. On ne s'ennuie jamais grâce à eux, en fait. Ils apportent une bonne dose de piquant et de rythme au récit. C'est brillant, sincèrement. Par ailleurs, chose que je n'attendais pas du tout, nous retrouvons également, de manière régulière en plus, Anna et Étienne, fait que j'ai trouvé HYPER bien pensé et habile de la part de l'auteure ! Fatalement, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, ce n'est pas que l'histoire de Lola et de son entourage direct. Au-delà de tous ces héros déjà merveilleux, nous rencontrons Cricket... Et nous craquons. Haaaaaaaaaaa, Cricket ♥ Je suis complètement fou de lui. Il est génial. Génial, beau, séduisant, doux, attentionné, à l'écoute, timide, intelligent, drôle, prêt à tout pour Lola et tellement, tellement mignon. Ok, après cette énumération de compliments à son sujet, vous avez certainement compris ce que j'éprouve pour lui. L'histoire d'amour entre Cricket et Lola pourrait sembler courue d'avance... Eh bien pas du tout ! De nouveau, l'auteure ne simplifie pas la tâche à son héroïne. En effet, Lola étant en couple, difficile pour elle d'y voir clair entre son petit ami actuel, Max, et le garçon qu'elle a toujours aimé en secret, Cricket. A partir du moment où ce dernier réapparaît dans la vie de Lola, LOLA AND THE BOY DOOR nous emprisonne. Nous sommes comme capturés par tous les sentiments ultra saisissants et ultra époustouflants que l'héroïne éprouve. Tout est cohérent et logique. Et cela ne fait que rendre Lola encore plus réelle. Chaque réaction, chaque sensation, chaque action qu'elle entreprend m'a paru être justifiée. Ce roman nous fait traverser toute une palette d'émotions fortes : on passe de la tristesse à l'amertume, du déchirement au soulagement, du désespoir à la joie. Nos petits cœurs de lecteurs en voient vraiment de toutes les couleurs, et c'est juste grisant. Jusqu'à la fin du livre, on ne peut s'empêcher de nous poser mille et une questions : quelle conclusion nous réserve l'auteure ? Comment Lola va-t-elle parvenir à gérer tel et tel évènement ? Le rythme ne faiblit jamais et tous les héros ne font que devenir plus attendrissants et bouleversants au fil des pages qui se tournent. Les derniers chapitres débordent d'intensité et nous mettent à fleur de peau. Les cœurs daignent enfin parler et on ressort de cette expérience avec le souffle coupé et le visage brûlant. Lola mûrit, change, prend sur elle et devient plus forte et déterminée. Elle prend sa vie – et ses sentiments – en main. Les dernières pages sont parfaites et m'ont totalement satisfait. Je n'en attendais pas moins de Stephanie Perkins. C'est une conclusion qui nous laisse heureux et avec un sourire béat. C'est beau, poignant, touchant. En résumé, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR est une excellente découverte que je n'avais pas vu venir. Tout est parfait, qu'il s'agisse de l'héroïne, des personnages qui l'entourent, de la romance (qui m'a volé ma respiration de nombreuses fois), des rebondissements ou de la trame générale du récit. Stephanie Perkins a réussi à créer un univers vraiment réaliste, qui m'a pris de court et qui m'a complètement charmé et enivré. Il me tarde désormais de lire ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER pour retrouver Lola et Cricket, mais également pour voir si je vais succomber une nouvelle fois à la plume de cette auteure. Une lecture ultra mignonne et qui a le goût d'un bonbon acidulé auquel on devient accros sans nous en rendre-compte, que je vous recommande très (très, très) fortement !

Nice.

Lo ame me encanta es muy facil leer y una historia que te atrapa desde el inicio con personajes muy completos y como plus esta anna y st. Clair del libro pasado