Lola Nolan doesn't think that it could get any worse - after all, her creativity goes beyond the roof, she has a set of loving (although fiercely protective) parents, a stable part-time job and a rocking boyfriend who calls her Lolita. (Not that the actual book Lolita should be romanticized BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T.) However, when the Bell twins waltz back next door, it tears open deep-rooted insecurities and hurt that she had worked hard to move on from.
When Cricket finally emerges from his twin's shadow and steps back into Lola's life, can she find the courage to face him once more - and finally decide who her heart longs for once and for all?
Good evening, Darlings! I'll be reviewing Stephanie Perkins' Lola and the Boy Next Door for today, and I'm really looking forward to it. As usual, I'll keep my review as spoiler free as I can. Click on the read more if you want to venture deeper!
We have our insanely creative protagonist Lola (who, by all rights, is an artsy person yet never calls herself artsy for the whole book... *coughcough*) who defines herself by what she wears. For the entire book, Lola busies herself with her array of costumes, swearing to never repeat a single outfit twice for the duration of the year. I found myself less frustrated with Lola's character than I was with Anna's - unlike Anna, she didn't really make that many bad choices. Now, you may be wondering - is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Usually, major conflicts would bring the person to the right path. Anna had a lot of them - and she developed into a really great character by the end of the French Kiss. Lola, on another hand, had problems that weren't as severe as Anna's.
My main issue with this book was that there wasn't enough conflict for Lola to realize her mistakes and shortcomings. It was as if all her growth and learning only came after one unfortunate event after another...without her actually doing anything about it. For a portion of the book, Lola is grounded and through that, she does learn from her mistakes. Stephanie Perkins may have been trying to illustrate the differences between the two - Anna's action and Lola's reflection - but I don't know. Lola's conflicts weren't so conflicting for me. In fact, the only person who might have had good personal conflict was Calliope, Cricket's twin sister.
Now to the good points:
Cricket's seriously one of the most adorable males ever. One of the things I adored about his character was his frustration over the Bell name, more so how overshadowed he was about his twin sister Calliope. It was Cricket that was able to get me through the book.
The thing about Cricket was that he willingly waited for Lola to return his feelings - to get the full Lola in one piece. He didn't even flirt with any other girl while waiting, but he instead waited by the window while the girl he loved managed to pick herself up. The beautiful thing about Cricket was that I don't think he even forced her to hurry the hell up - but instead, he let Lola take her time.
Now, to Lola. One of the greatest things about her character was that she was determined to fix herself before letting Cricket back into her heart. This completely flattens the norm that a significant other will always make you whole - here, Lola showcased that it was only her that would be able to pick the pieces back up. Cricket was there, yes, but he supported her while she went on the way to recovery.
Also, Lola was able to fulfill her heart's desires: to actually find peace with those around her as well as her innermost self. She was able to finally realize who she truly was.
Overall, Lola and the Boy Next Door is undeniably sweet. Even though I personally think that it didn't live up to Anna and the French Kiss, I found myself smiling at the romantic parts and managing to relate the slightest bit with the protagonist.
That's all for tonight, guys! See y'all this weekend. :D
FINAL RATING:
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