Synopsis: Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
Somebody please give Stephanie Perkins an award. I am freaking out right now because I have to wait until 2012 for her third book to come out. Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are just too amazing. Swooooon.
I was just a tiny bit hesitant when diving into Lola. I had just finished AatFK and was doubting that Lola could be just as good. It wasn't. Wha-bu-but, hold on! I still totally loved this book. A whole lot. Very much, indeed. I just didn't like it as much as AatFK.
I think the main reason why is that I loved Anna's character so much, whereas Lola was too wishy-washy for me. Don't get me wrong, Lola was an awesome character. It was just that I went insane with her always going back and forth from Max to Cricket. Also, she cried quite often. Not exactly my favorite trait in a protagonist.
And that's basically all I have to say on the negative side. The rest of this review will be me fangirling. Cricket! Oh my goodness, one of my favorite male leads, if not number one! At first, I hated him. He had hurt Lola before and he just seemed like a spiteful character. I was wrong. He was just too sweet and too cute and too perfect and too delicious. I honestly wanted to scream at Lola for not going after him. Cricket, despite his awful name, was absolutely fantastic.
One of the things I really loved about this book is how some characters overlap. I loved reading about Anna and Etienne's relationship and how it has grown since the last book. It was very fun and added to my pleasure.
The plot was twisty and dramatic, just like AatFK. It made my heart race and my stomach flip, especially in the scenes with Cricket. I still cannot get over how much I love Cricket. He's too perfect. Have I said that already? Well, whatever, he's still too perfect.
After reading Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, I say with full confidence that Stephanie Perkins is the queen of chick lit. Can Stephanie Perkins please direct my life? Please and thank you!
4.5 keys.

Cover note: WHY. WHY DOES SUCH A GOOD BOOK HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A BAD COVER? Lola looks kind of scary. Like a robot. And THAT IS NOT CRICKET. *sob*