Lola and the Boy Next Door Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
I hate opening up blog posts with apologies. It feels like such a negative way to start a post, especially a post about a book you didn't actually like. But...
I'm sorry.
My school has this production thing that's kind of a Big Deal. It involves A Lot of Practice. And one of my house computers broke. And I've been pushing myself to finally finish my first draft, after three years.
All in all, I'm a bad person blogger.
BUT, today I have a review for you.
And on Thursday I have a new meme planned, and I really hope this one works out.
Let's get to the review, shall we?

Add Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins on Goodreads!
Bonus: Even though, as you're about to see, I didn't like the book, I have something extra-special and Lola related coming on Thursday!

Blurby:
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.

Review:
Preface: I'm not someone who went into Lola expecting a bad book. And my expectations weren't through the roof. But I know that Stephanie can write really well, and I expected this book to nearly live up to the standards set with Anna. This isn't a review by someone who hates/loves anything and everything Stephanie Perkins.
Anna and the French Kiss was one of the best contemporary romances I read in 2011. The characters were all real, hysterical, adorable, and the chemistry between Anna and Etienne was amazing. I was scared to touch their names with my fingertips, in case touching both at the same time would electrocute me. Perkins even had one of Anna's cutest lines in this book, as well, as a treat for fans, I guess. :)
Unfortunately, Anna and Etienne were the best part of this sequel.
I wasn't feeling the romance in this one. I didn't even like the love interest. And both boys were really poorly written.
But I'm jumping ahead a bit.
San Francisco. Awesome setting, definitely.
Lola. Cute, spunky, quirky, and original. Great main character, though sometimes annoying.
[Rant ahead.]
Parents. Well, Dads. I have absolutely no problem with Lola being brought up by two gay men. I think it's a pretty interesting twist and, being a Gleek, it's very Berry-esque. And Stephanie Perkins, as Lola of course, keeps on saying that just because they're gay doesn't mean one of them is the "woman." Lola/Stephanie says that they're very equal.
Except: Nathan is the lawyer, who "brings home the bacon" and cracks down on Lola about rules, the "bad cop." Meanwhile, Andy bakes pie, and is always on Lola's side, telling her he'll go talk to Nathan when something happens. He calls Nathan "honey." Although Lola is trying to phrase it not in a negative light, with a really frank view ("and I don't use this expression lightly") she admits that ice-skating is "the gayest thing about him."
You want equality? Make Nathan the one who likes figure-skating. I've met gay men; some are gayer than others. I know someone who looks and acts like a completely normal, decent person (no, I'm NOT saying that gay people aren't "decent") who could be straight.
Perkins took a perfectly nice trope and messed it up royally.
[/End rant]

I really like Max at first. He started out sweet and sensitive. Perkins deliberately changed his character in middle of the book. If how he acted in the beginning is anything to go by, he's a good person. He must have hit his head, or become bipolar or something... And you know me, I always root for the underdog.
Cricket really, really annoyed me at first.  As much as I liked Max I disliked Cricket. And then, like Max, he underwent a completely change into a less-annoying person. And yes, I understand that he was smitten, but he was such a push-over. There was ZERO chemistry.

(And notice how I just used a sentence in all-caps? The book has that too. Sure, it's a writing style, but it comes across as incredibly unprofessional.)

Besides for Max (at first) and Anna-Etienne, the only good part was...
Um...
Wait. Scratch that. Anna-Etienne was the only good part that lasted the entire book. They're just cuteness times infinity.

Rating: 2 stars It was a bad book. I don't recommend it.

Peace,
Riv

If you've read Anna and/or Lola, what did you think of them?

Failing On Friday & Tangled Review

Well, I'm failing to post reviews for both Tangled and Oh. My. Gods. But, I do have the review for Tangled and a little something else.

1) I just won If I Stay by Gayle Forman from the wonderful Candace of  The Misadventures in Candyland. It's coming by Snail Mail...eventually.


2) Tangled by Carolyn Mackler.

Blurby:

Paradise wasn’t supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean. Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting. It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn’t have to be a jerk just because people think he’s one. It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences. And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise….

From confused to confident and back again, one thing’s certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

My Review:

I didn't like it, overall. It starts out with the POV of one character, on Paradise (Jena). You're introduced to all of the characters through Jena, even though she doesn't talk to all of them.

The next POV is Dakota, who you meet through Jena, obviously. I don't think that his stay at Paradise affected him at all. He didn't think about Paradise, much, and I don't think what he did there affected his actions much, and definitely not on his overall actions.

Then you have Skye. I think she's a selfish brat. Her story is about her feelings. (I'm trying not to be spoilery here) Her father has nothing to do with what happens to her. She just pulls him pointlessly into the story. She feels the way she does because she sees a dress. And Paradise did not affect her at all, really, except for something that Jena found out about.

Last is Owen. I'll credit this to Carolyn: She pulls it all full circle, bringing Jena back into the picture. Thinking back on it, Owen had a pretty interesting story.

One thing I would have liked to see in this book: I would have liked to see Dakota and Jena meet up again, just so he could admit his jerkiness. (Is that a word?)

RR Out

Current Music: The Minstrel's Prayer by Cartel

Current Mood: rant-ish

**2