Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★ He couldn't bring the girl with him, so he brought the stars. When he'd look out his window at night, he would start with one. One star. And the boy would make a wish on it, and the wish would be her name.
At the sound of her name, a second star would appear. And then he'd wish her name again, and the stars would double into four. And four became eight, and eight became sixteen, and so on, in the greatest mathematical equation the universe had ever seen. And by the time an hour had passed, the sky would be filled with so many stars that it would wake the neighbors. People wondered who'd turned on the floodlights.
The boy did. By thinking about the girl.
If you're looking for the next sweet, perfect for sunshine, tale of first loves rekindled and something to follow up Anna and the French Kiss with, I have some good news for you! Lola an the Boy Next Door is immensely charming and definitely the perfect followup to the incredibly popular first installment to this series. It has all the wonderful qualities Anna had and we're fortunate enough to have a glimpse or two of Anna and St. Clair; though the sequel doesn't follow them exclusively we get to see the two lovebirds frequently in Lola's story.
Lola's life is interesting and quite fun to read about: her birth mother is a mess, her two fathers are overly strict (sometimes, rightfully so!) and her boyfriend is far too old for her. Seriously girl, he's too old for you right now. Luckily for us readers, she has that something -- that sparkle, that makes you love her instantly. She's very stylish and creative in her own unique way. It's easy to see yourself or someone you know in Lola because she is special and fun and the perfect narrator.
