Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: tephanie Perkins
Published: September 29th 2011 by Dutton
 

It’s me. It’s not the book.

Ok, maybe a little bit the book and a little bit of me.

I loved and devoured Anna and French Kiss like a little girl on a sugar high. It was charming. But sad to say I failed to have the same feeling for Ms. Perkins second book. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely. It still has the same fluffy and romantic air as Anna BUT, I dunno know, it wasn’t working for me. I love the beginning but as the story progressed, the spark whatever it was—was gone.

I had an unsuccessful attempt to connect to the most important character here, the narrator Lola. She’s fun no doubt about that but something’s missing. Just can’t wrap my head around it. She is a designer, and her character (supposedly, if I did like her) is colorful as her wigs. But even with the pastel-like description of her personality, she came a bit bland for me. Probably the way she handles her problem, I’m not so sure. And because I wasn’t digging her character that much, everything else (romance, story, etc). just failed to follow.

You know what I loved about this book? It was Anna and St. Clair. Yeppers, they’re here. Anna is Lola’s co-worker, and typical of St. Clair, wherever Anna is, he’s there. So he’s pretty much around. I’m really glad to know how their relationship is going. I’m felt giddy and excited whenever St. Clair talked about his relationship with Anna. And I’m actually surprised when he gave advice to Lola. I didn’t know he had it in him.

Cricket was nice. I kinda like him but not on the same scale as St. Clair. If you ask me if he really is a boy next door type. Yes, he is. I liked how he was related to Alexander Graham Bell, he was his great-great-great grandfather or something. But I didn’t know if he truly cheated about his invention. If that detail was real. Too lazy to research. But I must say, that’s a nice, unpredictable touch.

On the contrary, the romance was predictable. One thing I was excited was, I thought that this was going to be a love triangle. Plus, Max her boyfriend is a musician. I have soft spot with musician, (hello Adam Wilde from If I Stay. There’s something about them—complicatedly alluring). But I didn’t like that Max was just that (bad boy period). I thought he is more than the age, that tats (did he have tattoo, wow, I don’t remember) that he likes political topics or whatnots despite the image (I do forget those details). But the point is, he was (according to Lola) more than meets eye. But HE WASN’T, and the broke up sealed that label for me. Her dads do have a point to worry.

By the time Cricket (re)enters the picture, I was just waiting for the ball to roll. There were moments that I admit were cheesy-romantic, but they were waaaay too predictable for my taste. I just hope that it wasn’t all that. Then again, that was just me. And my wild imagination concocting fruitless expectations. Le sigh.