Lola and the Boy Next Door

This book... this book... just read it.  Read it.  It's romantic, funny, sad, and ties in perfectly with Anna and the French Kiss.  I can't find words to express the love I feel for this book.  And I think a quote from this book perfectly explains how I'm feeling write now.  "It's easy to talk about things we hate, but sometimes it's hard to explain exactly why we like something," said by none other than Anna Oliphant.  And I think the perfect way to sum up this book is with another quote: "and I hold my head high toward my big entrance, hand in hand with the boy who gave me the moon and the stars."  Cheesy, I know but I couldn't resist.  Now all I have to say to you is go read Anna and the French Kiss and then you can read Lola and the Boy Next Door and appreciate all it's awesomeness.  Lastly I would like to thank Stephanie Perkins for creating this amazing series and writing amazing stories.

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Now I can freely express my love for this book and everything in it!  To start off: Lola.  A teenage girl striving to be an adult and yet not sure if she wants to be an adult yet.  The book starts off with Lola having Sunday brunch with her fathers and her twenty-two year old boyfriend, Max.  In the beginning of the book you like Max and think he's pretty nice, but since this is Stephanie Perkins you know Lola and Max will eventually break up.  When I started reading the book I thought, how is she going to do this because right now I like Max because Lola likes Max.  Then the story continues and you see that Max can be a jealous, overprotective, jackass (I wanted to use a stronger word but decided to spare you all).  At first Max seems like a great guy aside from his offhand comments about Lola's best friend Lindsey, but when Cricket comes into the picture he morphs into this terrorizing monster that is a total ass.  When they are at the concert on Halloween Lola and Lindsey are dressed as each other, and Max makes the meanest comment ever.  He says, "Can't say I'll be sorry when this holiday is over."  He is such a jerk!  And then he walks away.

The frustration at Max.  When Lola goes to talk to him for resolution after they broke up, he's a complete jerk to her. Just the level of rudeness and the amount of pain he tries to inflict is awful. It makes me angry.

Moving on to the other guy in Lola's life, Cricket. I like that Cricket is such a good guy; even when Lola thinks he hurt her, it wasn't him. Exhibit A: the party Calliope threw for Cricket. Lola thinks Cricket didn't invite her but in reality it was Calliope being Calliope. But in the end I love that Lola helps Calliope with the costume and then they start forgiving each other and whatever. Back to Cricket. When Lola asks Cricket if he believes in second chances, and he says "if the person is right". Then Lola says, "If the person is ... Lola?" and then Cricket says, "Only if the other person is Cricket."

One of my favorite things about this book: Anna and St. Clair. I was not expecting that and I don't know why I wasn't. Every scene they were in I couldn't contain my joy. I knew who Isla and Josh from Isla and the Happily Ever After  were and I thought that was how it would tie in (knowing them from the first book) but I was like "How are Anna and Lola connected?" And now I get it, I can't believe I forgot. They are both going to college in California!!! Lightbulb!  Lola and Anna work at the same movie theater! And the Olypmics are in France, Calliope is going to the Olympics, Anna and St. Clair are using that as an excuse to go to Paris again, and Isla and the Happily Ever After takes place in Paris! CONNECTIONS!

Another thing about Lola and Cricket is that Lola doesn't jump into that relationship right after she breaks up with Max. She lets herself heal and tells Cricket she wants him to have the full her. I really liked that, and how she felt she had to earn Cricket because of how she had been treating him. I'm glad she realized that she was being to a jerk to him, knowing how he felt about her and still wanted to hang out with him. Overall, amazing book. Ah-Ma-Zing!

See y'all next Tuesday! Don't forget, "It's rabbit season!"
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Anna and the French Kiss

As you know I recently purchased Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins after a long time of searching, and I loved it!  The whole time I was reading it, I did not want to put it down! Sorry for all of the exclamation marks but I really really REALLY liked the book.  Although I love this book to pieces all of those pieces were not perfect.  Like all books, this one had its faults.  I found this book a little predictable, but then again aren't all love stories.

Anna and the French Kiss is about Anna, a girl whose father ships her off to a Paris boarding school for her senior year.  While at the School of America in Paris she befriends "English French American Masterpiece" Étienne St. Clair.  The only problem... he has a girlfriend and she sort of has a boyfriend.  And that is all I'm saying before the spoiler-y parts so SHOO! Go read this book right now and come back, because it's definitely an amazing read.

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If you haven't read this book and you are still reading this post prepare to be spoiled.  You have been fairly warned.

I totally knew that Bridgette and Toph were going to do that to Anna! Maybe it was because I recently read the Carrie Diaries but I expected that to happen and going into that scene I thought, "Oh! Anna I'm sooo sorry.  This is gonna suck."  I love that in the end Bridgette and Anna make up though.

One thing I'm not sure about!  Did St. Clair break-up with Ellie because of Anna or because of other issues and did Anna cause those issues.  Because if Anna stole St. Clair from Ellie whose to say someone won't steal St. Clair from her.  I mean yes they are really in love and he never felt that way for Ellie but whose to say someone else won't come along and steal St. Clair from Anna.  That is my only worry, since Anna stole St. Clair from Ellie won't someone steal him from Anna.  I know this won't happen because Anna and St. Clair are meant to end up together but in real life it's a valid concern.

I'm glad that Meredith is (sort of) over St. Clair now and a little sad that Josh and Rashmi break up.  And since I know Josh is a main character in the third book I really want to know what happens with Meredith and Rashmi's love lives.

When I was reading and it got to the bathroom fight and Isla was there I was like, "You totally have you're own book later, it's just not out yet."  I was so excited about meeting Isla before her book so you know a little bit about her.  Not much though.  I really didn't like Amanda, but every book has an "archenemy" and I'm glad that in the end it wasn't Bridgette.

I love the resolution with St. Clair's father, and how after a year of not really talking about it Anna just comes out with a solution.  The end when St. Clair goes up the steps of Notre-Dame because he sees Anna even though he's afraid of heights... (are other words needed? Really?! ok... so romantic!) I'm a killer for a good grand gesture.

As Atom Ant says, "Up and at 'em! Atom Ant!"
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