Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

“When it's right, it's simple.” 

Lola is a really cute story: she is a quirky, raised by gay parents, unique teenage girl.

When her first crush and ex-neighbor, Cricket, reappears on her doorstep after two years, things get complicated because Lola already has a boyfriend, Max, five years older than her, much more experienced.

As Cricket slowly worms his was back into her life - and into her heart - Lola will have to learn how to be honest with herself - and she will learn it the hard way.

 As much as I loved Anna and the French Kiss , Lola was better on nearly every level because it felt real. Anna was by no means a fairy tale without the struggle of realism, but there were some elements that took it to daydream level. Paris. Beautiful, charming British boy. The big, dramatic (incredibly swoontastic) ending.

Lola is different. They aren't in Paris, and Cricket isn't a dashing, gorgeous Brit. He's just a normal boy. A normal, awkward, amazingly sweet boy who I can't even find words to describe. (Except for, you know, those...)

Lola and Cricket had me smiling like an absolute dork the entire time. There is no way I could have read this book in public because I swear I was making some laugh-at-me faces. I just adore Perkins' style of delivering a slow building romance that blends perfectly with the flow of the entire story. As a reader, you can't help but fall into the storyline and ultimately resist the coming of the final chapters. It's the type of book you want to continue for endless chapters.

 The main character, who would normally annoy the hell out of me with her obsession with clothes, glitter, tiaras, has a very relatable voice. Reading Lola and the Boy Next Door was an infinitely relaxing experience. This book is filled to the brim with cuteness - cute boys, cute families, cute locations and cute crushes. Perkins' special gift is bringing back the memories of young love and excitements and heartaches that come with it. 

Lola and the Boy Next Door is everything first love should be--painful, awkward, desperate, tender and so, so sweet. 

Realizing this isn’t a coherent review but rather a gush-fest about my book crush, I’ll stop now and just tell you that Perkins fans and YA Contemporary readers are going to enjoy this little gem to the tenth degree.

       

  AMAZON: Lola And The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Anna And the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” 

We follow the story of a young American girl named Anna who gets sent away to Paris to study, she is torn away from her friends and family and is thrust into a new culture that is so far from her own. Although at first Anna struggles, she makes friends at her new school and one in particular takes her fancy; Etienne St Clair, a young man whom Anna can't help but fall for. The only problem is that St Clair has a girlfriend and Anna is tied up in relationship back in America. When feelings begin to arise within them we see the highs and lows of being a teenager in love and how even the most trivial of things can cause your world to come tumbling down

Don't pull out your torches and pitch forks, but I just thought this one was OK. It had its really cute moments, but this is another case where I feel the romance was drawn out way too much.  

It's basically 400 pages of two people who don't want to acknowledge that they've fallen in love.Anna could have easily been 70-100 pages less to make the point it was trying to make

I expected what Stephanie Perkins gave us: a beautiful setting, atypical characters, smooth writing and a satisfying final payoff. We see Etienne and Anna get together because that's what we've been waiting for, and Perkins made us wait for it. She knew we'd love this couple, because she knew the story she was telling had enough meat to make us care. 

I liked it I liked it even that Anna was a spoiled assface that complained about going to a rich fancy school in Paris and all she talks about are boys. Even that St. Clair's only sort of characterization is that he's really good-looking, so little that the author had to make drama happen in the family to make him more interesting.

The writing style was so clear, wonderful, and easy to read. The dialogue and events were so amazingly fun and very believable (with just the right amount of cheese). I've never been to Paris, but from the information I found, the research was well done.

Does it live up to the hype? Not really, but if you're looking for a cute contemporary read, then this book does that well. This book is extremely over-hyped and I know a lot of people who consider this their favorite contemporary. I liked this book, don't get me wrong, but it is not the best contemporary book I've ever read. I wish I could have liked it                                                                                                       more, but it got too complain-y/hectic/unrealistic in the end.

AMAZON: Anna And the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins