Lola and the Boy Next Door
*****SPOILERS*****
This book was so perfect. I am so in love with the characters, so hats how I'm going to organize this review.
Lola Nolan- I have mixed feelings about Lola. After having loved and related to Anna so much, I felt distant from Lola. I couldn't see myself in her. She also made some questionable decisions that I didn't agree with, so I didn't really start liking her until she broke up with Max. I mean, I admired her as a person who is outgoing and corageous, but I couldn't really feel her, ya know? Apart from that, I really did like her. Her bond with her friends and family was very compelling. I have to say, the most interesting thing about the story, to me at least, was her family life. Her relationship with her parents was very interesting, especially since I have never read a book featuring a main character with gay parents, just books with gay main characters. I also found her bond with her birth mother, Norah, interesting as well, but I'll address her and Lola's parents later.
Cricket Bell- effing Cricket, man. I am so in love with that boy. I love how he's ever so slightly and oddball, I love how he just can't help being kind, and I especially love how clever he is. And those tight pants. I'm actually facing a dilemma of whether I like him or St. Clair better. IT'S AN ACTUAL PROBLEM. DON'T JUDGE ME. I love his relationship with Lola the best of all. The story of friendship since childhood and midnight talks through windows tore at my heart in the best possible way. My absolute favorite part, besides "'Fraternal or identical?' 'You'd be surprised how many people ask.' 'What do you say?' 'That I have a penis.'", was when he told Lola the story about the girl who talks to the moon. "Once upon a time, there was a girl who talked to the moon. And she was mysterious and perfect, in the way that girls who talk to moons are..." I thought it summed up their relationship perfectly.
Anna and St. Clair- While or course I addressed them in my post about their respective book, I would like to talk about what get brought to this book. Not only was it amazing to experience the little glimpses into their relationship, I thought they both provided good advice to Lola and Cricket. With Cricket and St. Clair living on the same dormitory floor, a bromance was born. The couple's joking was the perfect way to make the reader nostalgic for the first book, and the small insights into their family life were just enough to sustain the reader with their daily dosage of adorable until Lola and Cricket got together. Anna and St. Clair, together, convinced Lola to do the inevitable, break up with Max. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
Max- Good riddance, you asshole. I have nothing more to say.
Calliope Bell- I'll admit, my thoughts about Calliope are jumbled. At first I was like "Get out of their business, you little skaterbitch. Lola and Cricket 5ever" but then I began to see things the way see would. I understand how much pressure she's under, and that losing her brother would be the blow that makes her snap. No one wants that. I feel she completely redeemed herself by convincing Lola to go to the dance an giving her permission. I also liked how she was actually the character that cussed the most. Like yeah, she might might wear glitter and leotards, but she has the mouth of a sailor. For some reason, I found this hilarious.
Andy and Nathan- Yes, they are frustratingly strict, but they are amazing parents. They always knew when something was wrong and knew how to comfort Lola in the best possible way. One of the funniest thing of the whole book was "'Stay safe! Don't do anything I wouldn't do.' 'Honey, that threat doesn't work when you're gay.'" I nearly died laughing!!! They also had a very healthy relationship with each other. They had date night, and never fought or yelled, even when the burden of Norah was placed on them.
Norah- I realize she was kind of a bad person, but I still kind of liked her. Once she was loving with the rest of the Nolans, she really was trying with Lola. She even have her some good advice through tea leaves. She was able to give Lola the solitude she needed after The Breakup by prying Nathan and Andy away from the door. Somehow, she knew what Lola needed, too.
I don't have anything significant to say about the other characters, other than that Lindsey was a very caring best friend to Lola. Also, I know he wasn't a very important character, but I really liked Aleck Bell. What is it with sassy characters name Alec/Aleck? I you don't know why I'm talking about, read The Mortal Instruments. All in all, this book was amazing and just what I needed in my time of mourning (I just finished Blood of Olympus). Absolutely perfect. I'm going to end this review with the same line the book did because it gave me the chills "And I hold my head high toward my big entrance, hand in hand with the boy who gave me the moon and the stars."
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