5 oh so yummy & warm chocolate chip cookies.Cover Love:
Yes. I love both the models used.
Why I Wanted to Read This:
Everyone raved about Anna and the French Kiss so my interest was piqued when this one came out. I also loved the synopsis. Here it is from GoodReads:
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.
I Kept Reading Because:
I couldn't put it down!
Romance?: Yes!!
What I Liked (& Didn't):
I adored both Lola and Cricket. What fun characters. I also loved Lola's parents. I am so glad that her parents were present and involved in her life. That's something that is rare in YA literature.
I know that for those who read Anna and the French Kiss (which I am going to do over Christmas break) it was fun to see Anna and St. Clair. I haven't met them yet, but I sure liked them in this book.
Here's my favorite thing: Lola had a boyfriend (Max) that she was convinced she was in love with. So much so that she lost her virginity to him. The book mentions this and touches upon sex a few more times. But, Lola had a hard time giving up on Max because of that connection and the physical intimacy they shared. Even when it was clear that he was kind of a jerk she had a hard time letting go. This is the kind of relationship that teenage girls need to read about because sex does complicate and I know several of my friends who stayed in relationships longer than they should have because they thought they had to once they had sex. I know some middle school parents wouldn't like a book that talked about sex being in their child's hand, but it is just mentioned and done so well that I would recommend it for many a young girl!
I was sad that Lola's jerky boyfriend was named Max after the Max in Where The Wild Things Are because my son is Max named after that (and Max from the TV series Roswell, LOVE him!).
I loved the setting of San Francisco. Stephanie Perkins did a great job of making it practically another character in the book. Wonderful!
To Sum Up: Contemprary romances are about my favorite kinds of books so I am delighted to find a new voice in this genre. Can't wait for more from Ms. Perkins!
Book bought for my school library.
I was so scared Lola wouldn't live up to Anna, so it took me a while to pick it up :( *lowers head in shame*
ReplyDeletebut when I did finally get around to it, I devoured it! And I totally understand what you mean about the sex issue... I know plenty of HS girls who would benefit from reading Lola ...
I am actually glad I didn't read Anna first but will get to that this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThis was just such a well done book! I loved it to pieces.
These qualities made her incredibly vivid, and while I loved Cricket and obviously wanted her to be with him instead of Max, I was on the emotional rollercoaster with her as she weighed her decisions and finally came to understand what was right for her. Did I mention that I loved Cricket? Because he is definitely swoon-worthy. Just like St. Clair, he's not the stereotypical hot guy; he likes building Rube Goldberg devices, his pants are a little too short sometimes, and he's almost always in the shadow of his sister. But those imperfections make him that much more endearing. And as I said earlier, I loved that Anna and St. Clair made appearances in this novel.
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