The Book Addict Reviews: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

In honor of Valentine's Day and in honor of love in general, I decided it was very appropriate to review:

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars
Borrowed from the library. 

In A Nutshell:
I read and loved Anna and the French Kiss so when I learned there was an opportunity for more time with Anna and St. Clair I was there!  But then I fell in love with Lola and Cricket--*gasp* maybe even more than Anna and St. Clair.  I sure hope Stephanie Perkins brings them all back for more!

Review:
After reading Anna and the French Kiss, I could not wait for more from Stephanie Perkins. Lola and the Boy Next Door delivered in so many ways!  I was almost instantaneously drawn in by Lola into her story--her struggle with her parents about her new boyfriend, her struggle to find herself among all of her costumes, and her struggle to face the boy who first broke her heart.

At first I found the cover striking--that purple hair is something I wish I had ever had the courage to do myself!  But the more I got into the story and the more I got to know Lola, the less I really felt the cover captured her well.  The girl in the picture has such a blank expression on her face--and that lack of emotion did not fit my impression of Lola at all. 

While Lola as a character was a little more adventurous and a little more elaborate than I was in high school, I felt a connection with her.  She was a balance of brave and vulnerable, quirky and stable, sensitive and strong.  She does not always know the "right" answer or do the "right" thing, but she tries.  She grows.  She makes mistakes and she learns.

Cricket was the one that left me guessing the longest.  I instinctively knew that he was the one that Stephanie Perkins intended Lola to be with, but how was it going to happen?  How was he going to overcome the bad event that divided him from Lola?  And expertly, Stephanie Perkins left me guessing until the end.  And left me craving more...

Recommendations:
There is another companion coming out in 2013: Isla and the Happily Ever After.  I cannot wait for it! 

But for today, I have to say Happy Valentine's Day to each and everyone of you. And I want to know--what books say Happy Valentine's Day to you?