Dare I say it, move over, Meg Cabot, there's a new writer in town! As you might recall, I didn't particularly enjoy Anna and the French Kiss, the predecessor of sorts to Lola and the Boy Next Door. I was in a very small minority of people who didn't think the book was that great. I do not feel the same way about Lola, not at all! Although it does stem back to the YA trope of "the boy next door", I felt like there was enough originality to the concept for the book to stand up on its own, and I loved it. I know Stephanie Perkins has mentioned that she draws inspiration from Meg Cabot, and that is certainly seen in this book. The way the story was told maintained a level of suspense throughout the storytelling process and left me completely engrossed, reading the book in one sitting. Sure, some of the story was predictable, but the writing was great, the characters were the epitome of fresh, and it all came together to create a new YA fiction classic. My one small complaint would be Cricket's slight, erm...perfection? He reads as an altogether 2-dimensional character, and don't get me wrong, he's freaking adorable, but no person can be that perfect. Still, I loved him, I loved all the characters, I loved the slightly-more-than-cameos we got from Etienne and Anna, and I can't wait to read Isla and the Happily Ever After!
Rating: 5/5
