Lola e o garoto da casa ao lado

De Stephanie Perkins

A designer-revelação Lola Nolan não acredita em moda... ela acredita em trajes. Quanto mais expressiva for a roupa — mais brilhante, mais divertida, mais selvagem — melhor.
Mas apesar de o estilo de Lola ser ultrajante, ela é uma filha e amiga dedicada com grandes planos para o futuro. E tudo está muito perfeito (até mesmo com seu namorado roqueiro gostoso) até os gêmeos Bell, Calliope e Cricket, voltarem ao seu bairro.
Quando Cricket — um inventor habilidoso — sai da sombra de sua irmã gêmea e volta para a vida de Lola, ela finalmente precisa conciliar uma vida de sentimentos pelo garoto da porta ao lado.

• Idioma: Português
• Editora: Editora Novo Conceito
• Data de lançamento: 15 de nov. de 2012
• ISBN: 9788581631455

Pré-visualização do livro

Sumário

Capa

Sumário

Folha de Rosto

Folha de Créditos

Dedicatória

Capítulo 1

Capítulo 2

Capítulo 3

Capítulo 4

Capítulo 5

Capítulo 6

Capítulo 7

Capítulo 8

Capítulo 9

Capítulo 10

Capítulo 11

Capítulo 12

Capítulo 13

Capítulo 14

Capítulo 15

Capítulo 16

Capítulo 17

Capítulo 18

Capítulo 19

Capítulo 20

Capítulo 21

Capítulo 22

Capítulo 23

Capítulo 24

Capítulo 25

Capítulo 26

Capítulo 27

Capítulo 28

Capítulo 29

Capítulo 30

Capítulo 31

Capítulo 32

Capítulo 33

Capítulo 34

Agradecimentos

Notas

Stephanie Perkins

Lola

e o

Garoto da Casa ao Lado

A fórmula perfeita para a paixão e o humor.

Tradução

Robson Falchetti Peixoto

Copyright © 2011 by Stephanie Perkins

Copyright © 2012 Editora Novo Conceito

Todos os direitos reservados incluindo os direitos de reprodução de todo ou parte

de qualquer documento.

Esta é uma obra de ficção. Nomes, personagens, lugares e acontecimentos descritos

são produtos da imaginação do autor. Qualquer semelhança com nomes, datas

e acontecimentos reais é mera coincidência.

Versão Digital — 2012

Produção Editorial:

Equipe Novo Conceito

Capa: Kristina Duewell, Jeanine Henderson

Michael Frost (foto)

Este livro segue as regras da Nova Ortografia da Língua Portuguesa.

Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP)

(Câmara Brasileira do Livro, SP, Brasil)

Perkins, Stephanie

Lola e o garoto da casa ao lado / Stephanie Perkins; tradução Robson Falchetti Peixoto. -- Ribeirão Preto, SP: Novo Conceito Editora, 2012.

Título original: Lola and the boy next door.

ISBN 978-85-8163-145-5

1. Ficção norte-americana I. Título.

12-12037 CDD-813

Índices para catálogo sistemático:

1. Ficção : Literatura norte-americana 813

Rua Dr. Hugo Fortes, 1.885 — Parque Industrial Lagoinha

14095-260 — Ribeirão Preto — SP

www.editoranovoconceito.com.br

Para Jarrod, meu melhor amigo & verdadeiro amor.

Capítulo 1

Tenho três desejos bem simples. Sem dúvida, pedir por eles não é demais.

O primeiro é participar do baile de inverno vestida de Maria Antonieta. Quero uma peruca que de tão trabalhada poderia engaiolar um pássaro e um vestido tão largo que eu só serei capaz de entrar no salão através de portas duplas. Mas, quando eu chegar lá, vou segurar as saias no alto para revelar um par de coturnos de plataforma, só para que todo mundo veja que, por baixo dos babados, sou durona feito punk rock.

O segundo é que meus pais aprovem meu namorado. Eles o odeiam. Odeiam seu cabelo descolorido, sempre com raízes escuras, e odeiam seus braços, tatuados com teias de aranha e estrelas. Dizem que ele tem um ar de superioridade e um sorrisinho presunçoso. E estão fartos de ouvir a música que ele toca explodindo de meu quarto e cansados de brigar por causa da hora que eu devo voltar para casa sempre que saio para ver a banda dele tocar em clubes.

E meu terceiro desejo?

Nunca, jamais, em hipótese alguma, voltar a ver os gêmeos Bell. Nunca mais.

Então prefiro falar de meu namorado. Estou ligada que não é nada legal desejar a aprovação dos pais, mas, falando honestamente, minha vida seria muito mais fácil se eles aceitassem que Max é o cara. Isso significaria o fim das restrições constrangedoras, dos telefonemas infalíveis de hora em hora que melam nossos encontros e — o melhor de tudo — o fim do café da manhã de domingo.

O fim de manhãs como esta.

— Mais um waffle, Max?

Meu pai, Nathan, faz a pilha dourada de panquecas deslizar sobre nossa mesa rústica na direção de meu namorado. Na real, isso não é uma pergunta. É uma ordem, para que meus pais possam continuar com o interrogatório antes de darmos no pé. Nossa recompensa por aturarmos o café? Um encontro mais sossegado na tarde de domingo, com menos ligações.

Max pega dois waffles e se serve da calda caseira de framboesa e pêssego.

— Obrigado. Incrível, como sempre.

Ele derrama a calda com cuidado, uma gota em cada quadradinho. Apesar das aparências, Max é cauteloso por natureza. É por isso que ele nunca bebe ou fuma maconha nas noites de sábado. Ele não quer chegar aqui com cara de ressaca, que é, evidentemente, o que meus pais estão esperando. Prova de devassidão.

— Agradeça ao Andy. — Nathan estica o queixo na direção de meu outro pai, que administra um negócio de tortas em nossa casa. — Foi ele quem fez.

— Delicioso. Obrigado. — Max nunca perde o rebolado. — Lola, está satisfeita?

Eu me espreguiço e as pulseiras de baquelita que ocupam quase 18 centímetros de meu braço direito chocam-se levemente umas contra as outras.

— Sim, como já estava há vinte minutos. Vamos. — Eu me viro e apelo a Andy, o candidato mais propenso a nos liberar antes da hora. — A gente pode ir agora?

Ele pisca os olhos com inocência.

— Mais suco de laranja? Omelete?

— Não. — Luto para não desleixar na postura. Desleixo não é nada atraente.

Nathan espeta outro waffle.

— Então. Max. A quantas anda o mundo fascinante da leitura de registros?

Quando Max não está sendo um deus da cena indie e punk e do rock de garagem, ele trabalha para a cidade de São Francisco. Nathan se irrita com o fato de que Max não demonstra interesse nenhum em fazer faculdade. Mas o que meu pai não compreende é que Max é realmente brilhante. Ele lê complicados livros de filosofia escritos por pessoas cujos nomes não consigo sequer pronunciar e assiste a uma penca de inflamados documentários políticos. Com certeza eu não entraria em um debate com ele.

Max sorri educadamente e suas sobrancelhas escuras se erguem um tiquinho.

— O mesmo que na semana passada.

— E a banda? — pergunta Andy. — Um executivo de gravadora não deveria aparecer na sexta-feira?

Meu namorado franze o cenho. O cara da gravadora nunca apareceu. Max coloca Andy a par do próximo álbum do Anfetamina enquanto Nathan e eu trocamos olhares ameaçadores. Não há dúvida de que meu pai está desapontado por, mais uma vez, não ter encontrado qualquer coisa que incriminasse Max. Fora o lance da idade, claro.

Que é a verdadeira razão de meus pais odiarem meu namorado.

Eles odeiam o fato de eu ter 17 anos e Max, 22.

Mas sou firme na crença de que idade não importa. Além disso, são apenas cinco anos, bem menos que a diferença de idade entre meus pais. Embora não adiante apontar esse detalhe, nem o fato de que meu namorado tem a mesma idade que Nathan tinha quando eles começaram a namorar. Isso só vem botar mais lenha na fogueira. Eu posso até ter tido a idade dele, mas Andy tinha 30, Nathan sempre diz. Não era um adolescente. E nós dois tivemos vários namorados antes, muita experiência de vida. Você não pode se precipitar nessas coisas. Tem que ser cuidadosa.

Mas eles não se lembram do que é ser jovem e estar apaixonada. É claro que posso me precipitar nessas coisas. Quando se trata de alguém como Max, eu seria estúpida se não me jogasse de cabeça. Minha melhor amiga acha engraçado que meus pais sejam tão rígidos. Afinal de contas, um casal gay não deveria se compadecer com a tentação oferecida por um namorado sexy e um tantinho perigoso?

Isso está tão longe da verdade que chega a doer.

Não importa que eu seja a filha perfeita. Não bebo, não uso drogas e nunca fumei um cigarro sequer. Nunca bati o carro deles — nem mesmo posso dirigir, por isso também não pagam altas taxas de seguro — e tenho um trabalho decente. Tiro boas notas. Bem, fora Biologia, mas é por princípio que me recuso a dissecar aquele feto de porco. E só tenho um furo em cada orelha e nenhuma tatuagem. Ainda. E nem tenho vergonha de abraçar meus pais em público. Exceto quando Nathan usa uma testeira absorvente quando sai para correr. Porque francamente!...

Tiro meu prato da mesa, na esperança de acelerar as coisas. Hoje, Max vai me levar a um dos meus lugares favoritos, o Japanese Tea Garden, e depois vai me deixar de carro no trabalho para o turno da noite. E espero que, entre uma parada e outra, a gente passe um tempinho agradável juntos em seu Chevrolet Impala 1964.

Eu me apoio na bancada da cozinha, sonhando com o carro de Max.

— Estou chocado por ela não estar vestindo o quimono — diz Nathan.

— Quê? — Odeio quando estou com a cabeça nas nuvens e percebo que as pessoas estavam falando de mim.

— Pijamas chineses para ir ao Japanese Tea Garden — continua ele, apontando para minhas calças de cetim vermelho. — O que as pessoas vão pensar?

Não acredito em moda. Acredito em figurino. A vida é curta demais para sermos a mesma pessoa todos os dias. Reviro os olhos para mostrar a Max que estou ligada que meus pais estão ali bancando os babacas.

— Nossa pequena drag queen — diz Andy.

— Essa é nova. — Eu tiro o prato dele e jogo a sobra dentro da tigela de Betsy. Os olhos dela se arregalam e a cachorrinha abocanha de uma só mordida os restos de waffle.

O nome completo de Betsy é Heavens to Betsy[1] e nós a salvamos da carrocinha há muitos anos. Ela é uma vira-lata com porte de golden retriever, mas na cor preta. Eu queria um cachorro preto, pois uma vez Andy recortou um artigo de revista — ele sempre recorta artigos, geralmente sobre adolescentes que morrem de overdose, ou contraem sífilis, ou ficam grávidas e abandonam a escola — que dizia que cachorros pretos são sempre os últimos a serem adotados em abrigos e, portanto, correm mais risco de serem sacrificados. O que consiste em caso nítido de racismo canino, se me perguntarem. Betsy é um amor que só vendo.

— Lola. — Andy está fazendo cara feia. — Ainda não terminei.

— Então, pegue outro prato.

— Lola — diz Nathan, e eu dou um prato limpo para Andy. Sinto que estão prestes a fazer uma cena na frente de Max quando, de repente, eles olham para Betsy, que parece implorar mais waffles.

— Não — digo a ela.

— Você já a levou para passear hoje? — Nathan me pergunta.

— Não, o Andy levou.

— Mas isso foi antes de eu começar a cozinhar — diz Andy. — Ela está pronta para outra caminhada.

— Por que não a leva para um passeio enquanto terminamos aqui com o Max? — pergunta Andy. Mais uma ordem, não uma pergunta.

Olho de relance para Max e ele fecha os olhos como se não pudesse crer que meus pais estejam, mais uma vez, lançando mão desse artifício.

— Mas, pai...

— Sem mas. Você quis a cachorra, você a leva para passear.

Essa é uma das máximas de Nathan que mais me irritam. Em tese, Heavens to Betsy deveria ser minha, mas, em vez disso, ela teve o descaramento de cair de amores por Nathan, o que aborrece Andy e a mim imensamente. Pois somos os únicos que a alimentam e a levam para passear. Apanho os saquinhos biodegradáveis e a coleira dela (que bordei com corações e bonequinhas russas) e ela já vai ficando toda serelepe.

— Sim, sim. Vamos lá.

Lanço a Max outro olhar de desculpas. Então, Betsy e eu saímos.

São 21 degraus de nossa varanda até a calçada. Aonde quer que se vá em São Francisco, você tem que enfrentar degraus e colinas. Está muito quente aqui fora e é por isso que, junto com as calças de pijama e as pulseiras de baquelita, estou usando uma regata. Também estou com meus óculos de sol estilo Jackie Onassis, brancos e gigantes, uma longa peruca morena com pontas verde-esmeralda e sapatilhas pretas de balé. Sapatilhas de balé de verdade, não esses sapatos baixinhos que só parecem sapatilhas de balé.

Minha resolução de Ano-Novo foi nunca usar a mesma roupa duas vezes.

É gostosa a luz do sol em meus ombros. Tanto faz que seja agosto; por causa da baía, a temperatura não se altera muito ao longo do ano. Está sempre fresco. Hoje, porém, estou grata pelo clima peculiar, pois isso significa que não vou precisar levar um suéter para meu encontro.

Betsy faz xixi sobre a pequena porção de grama que há na frente da casa de cor lavanda e estilo vitoriano que fica ao lado da minha — ela sempre faz xixi nesse lugar, o que eu aprovo totalmente — e seguimos adiante. Apesar dos pais que me dão nos nervos, eu sou feliz. Tenho um encontro romântico com meu namorado, uma ótima relação com meus colegas de trabalho e mais uma semana de férias de verão.

Subimos e descemos a grande colina que separa minha rua do parque. Ao chegarmos, um senhor coreano em seu agasalho de veludo de algodão nos cumprimenta. Ele está fazendo tai chi entre as palmeiras.

— Olá, Dolores! Como foi de aniversário? — O Sr. Lim é a única pessoa, fora meus pais (quando estão bravos), que me chama por meu verdadeiro nome. Sua filha, Lindsey, é minha melhor amiga; eles moram algumas ruas adiante.

— Oi, Sr. Lim. Foi ótimo! — Meu aniversário foi semana passada. Ele vem antes do de todo mundo de minha série, o que eu amo. Isso me dá um ar de maturidade. — E o restaurante?

— Vai muito bem, obrigado. Todo mundo pedindo galbi[2] esta semana. Até mais, Dolores! Diga a seus pais que mandei um olá.

Esse meu nome de senhora é porque meus pais quiseram homenagear uma. Minha bisavó Dolores Deeks morreu uns anos antes de eu nascer. Ela era a avó de Andy e era extraordinária. O tipo de mulher que usava chapéus emplumados e marchava em protestos pelos direitos civis. Dolores foi a primeira pessoa para quem Andy saiu do armário. Ele tinha 13 anos. Os dois eram muito ligados e, quando morreu, ela lhe deixou sua casa. É nessa casa que vivemos, na casa verde-hortelã de estilo vitoriano de Bisa Dolores, no bairro do Castro[3]. O que nunca seríamos capazes de nos permitir sem seu generoso legado. Meus pais levam uma vida boa, mas nada como os vizinhos. As casas bem conservadas de nossa rua, com suas cornijas triangulares decorativas e sua extravagante ornamentação de madeira, vêm todas de famílias nobres. Incluindo a casa de cor lavanda que fica ao lado.

Meu nome também é igual ao deste parque, Mission Dolores. Não é mera coincidência. Bisa Dolores ganhou o nome de uma missão aqui das proximidades, que por sua vez ganhou o nome de um riacho chamado Arroyo de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. Pois quem não gostaria de ter o nome de um riachinho deprimente? Como se não bastasse, por aqui também tem uma rua principal chamada Dolores. É uma coisa meio esquisita.

Prefiro ser Lola.

Termino de passear com Heavens to Betsy e seguimos para casa. Espero que meus pais não tenham torturado Max. Na realidade, ele é introvertido para alguém tão ousado nos palcos e esses encontros semanais não são fáceis para ele.

— Pensei que lidar com um pai superprotetor já fosse ruim o bastante — ele disse certa vez. — Mas dois? Seus pais vão fazer picadinho de mim, Lo.

Um caminhão passa chacoalhando ali por perto, e o curioso é que, de repente — não mais que de repente —, meu bom humor cede lugar ao mal-estar. Apertamos o passo. Max deve estar além do desconforto agora. Não consigo explicar, mas, quanto mais me aproximo de casa, pior é a sensação. Construo um cenário terrível na cabeça: meus pais são tão implacáveis com seus inquéritos que Max chega à conclusão de que não valho mais a pena.

Minha esperança é de que, um dia, quando estivermos juntos por mais de um verão, meus pais se deem conta de que ele é o cara e que idade não seja mais motivo para criar caso. No entanto, apesar de não serem capazes de enxergar isso agora, eles não são idiotas. Lidam com Max porque acham que, se me proibissem de vê-lo, nós simplesmente fugiríamos juntos. Eu me mudaria para o apartamento dele e descolaria um trabalho dançando nua em boates ou vendendo LSD.

O que está além de ser uma perdida na vida.

Mas agora estou quase correndo, puxando Betsy colina abaixo. Tem algo de errado aí. E estou convencida de que isso aconteceu mesmo — Max foi embora ou meus pais o encurralaram em uma discussão acalorada sobre a falta de direção em sua vida — quando chego a minha rua e tudo se encaixa.

O caminhão que passa.

Não o café da manhã.

O caminhão que passa.

Mas estou certa de que o caminhão pertence a outro inquilino. Tem que pertencer, sempre é assim. A última família, um casal que parecia cheirar a queijo suíço e colecionava bizarrices médicas como fígados conservados em formaldeído e modelos extragrandes de vaginas, desocupou a casa faz uma semana. Nos últimos dois anos, houve uma série de inquilinos e, toda vez que um se muda da casa, não consigo deixar de me sentir aflita até que o novo chegue.

E se agora for a vez de eles regressarem?

Desaperto o passo para dar uma boa olhada no caminhão. Será que tem alguém do lado de fora? Mais cedo, quando passamos, não cheguei a reparar em um carro na garagem, mas criei mesmo o hábito de não ficar olhando para a casa vizinha. Com toda a certeza, há duas pessoas mais à frente, na calçada. Estico os olhos e descubro, com um misto de agitação e alívio, que se trata apenas do pessoal da mudança. Betsy puxa a coleira e eu retomo o ritmo.

Claro que não há nada com que se preocupar. Quais são as chances?

Só que... e sempre há uma chance. Os homens da mudança erguem um sofá branco do fundo do caminhão e meu coração começa a bater mais forte. Será que o reconheço? Será que já me sentei naquela namoradeira antes? Mas não. Não o conheço. Espio dentro do caminhão abarrotado, à procura de algo familiar, e dou com pilhas de móveis em estilo sóbrio, moderno, que nunca vi na vida.

Não são eles. Não podem ser eles.

Não são eles!

Sorrio de orelha a orelha — um sorriso bobo que me faz parecer uma criança, coisa que geralmente não me permito fazer — e aceno para os homens. Eles resmungam qualquer coisa e acenam de volta. A porta da garagem de cor lavanda está aberta e estou convencida de que mais cedo ela não estava assim. Dou uma olhada no carro e fico mais aliviada. É um desses compactos e prateados e eu não o reconheço.

Salva. Mais uma vez. É um dia feliz.

Betsy e eu entramos em casa.

— Acabou o café! Vamos nessa, Max.

Todos estão ali na sala de estar, olhando para fora da janela.

— Parece que temos vizinhos novos — digo.

Andy parece surpreso com o ânimo de minha voz. Nunca falamos sobre isso, mas ele sabe que alguma coisa aconteceu dois anos antes naquela casa. Ele sabe que o retorno deles me preocupa, que eu fico agitada nos dias de mudança.

— Que foi? — Arreganho outro sorriso, mas logo me detenho, lembrando que Max está aqui. Controlo meu tom.

— Hã, Lo? Você por acaso não os viu, viu?

A preocupação de Andy é tocante. Solto Betsy da coleira e corro para a cozinha. Determinada a acabar logo com isso e ter enfim meu encontro, tiro da mesa os pratos que restam e vou até a pia.

— Não. — Solto uma risada. — O que é? Mais uma vagina de plástico? Uma girafa empalhada? Uma armadura medieval? O que é desta vez?

Os três ficam olhando para mim.

— O que é? — Minha garganta se aperta.

Max me examina com uma curiosidade incomum.

— Seus pais disseram que você conhece a família.

Não. Não.

Alguém diz mais alguma coisa, mas não entendo as palavras. Meus pés me arrastam em direção à janela, ao passo que meu cérebro grita para que eu dê meia-volta. Não podem ser eles. Não era a mobília deles! Não era o carro deles! Mas as pessoas compram coisas novas. Meus olhos estão cravados na casa ao lado quando uma figura surge na varanda. Os pratos que tenho nas mãos — por que ainda seguro os pratos do café da manhã? — se estilhaçam no chão.

Pois lá está ela.

Calliope Bell.

Capítulo 2

— Ela é mesmo tão bonita como na TV. — Cutuco de leve a tigela de cookies e biscoitos de arroz que veio de cortesia. — Bonita como sempre foi.

Max encolhe os ombros.

— Ela está bem. Mas nada de cair o queixo.

Embora seja confortante que Max não se mostre impressionado, isso não é o bastante para me distrair. Eu me inclino sobre o corrimão da rústica casa de chá e uma leve brisa cruza o espelho d’água situado a nosso lado.

— Você não entende. Ela é a Calliope Bell.

— Você está certa, eu não entendo. — Ele franze os olhos atrás dos aros grossos estilo Buddy Holly.

Eis algo que temos em comum: uma visão terrível. Adoro quando ele precisa usar os óculos. Roqueiro fodão encontra nerd sexy. Ele só os usa fora dos palcos, a menos que esteja fazendo um número acústico. Aí os óculos até acrescentam o toque necessário de sensibilidade. Max está sempre ligado em sua aparência, o que algumas pessoas podem achar vazio, mas que eu entendo completamente. Você só tem uma chance de deixar a primeira impressão.

— Deixe-me ver se entendi — continua ele. — Quando vocês eram calouras...

— Quando eu era caloura. Ela é um ano mais velha.

— Sim, sim, quando você era caloura... o que houve? Ela era ruim com você? E você ainda está chateada com isso? — Ele enruga a testa como se estivesse deixando escapar metade da equação. E deixou mesmo. E não vou ajudá-lo a completá-la.

— Sim.

Ele bufa.

— Deve ter sido uma parada bem sinistra para você quebrar aqueles pratos todos.

Levei 15 minutos para limpar toda a sujeira. Cacos de porcelana e pedaços de omelete, metidos entre os vãos do assoalho de madeira dura, e calda grudenta de framboesa e pêssego, respingada feito sangue pelos rodapés.

— Você não faz ideia. — E não dou detalhes.

Max se serve de mais uma xícara de chá de jasmim.

— Então, por que raios você a idolatra?

— Eu não a idolatrava nessa época. Só quando a gente era mais nova. Ela era uma... garota deslumbrante e talentosa que também aconteceu de ser minha vizinha. Digo, a gente se dava bem quando criança, a gente brincava de Barbie e de faz de conta. Só fiquei sentida quando ela se virou contra mim, isso é tudo. Não acredito que nunca ouviu falar dela — acrescento.

— Foi mal. Não vejo muita patinação artística.

— Ela participou de dois campeonatos mundiais. Pegou medalhas de prata, acredita? Ela é a grande promessa olímpica deste ano.

— Foi mal — diz ele mais uma vez.

— Ela já estampou uma caixa de cereais.

— Que sem dúvida é vendida por 1,99 no eBay. — Ele me dá um cutucão nos joelhos por debaixo da mesa. — Quem é que liga?

Solto um suspiro.

— Amo o guarda-roupa dela. Os babados de chiffon, os cristais Swarovski e as miçangas, os saiotes...

— Saiotes? — Max engole o resto do chá.

— E ela tinha aquela graça, aquela pose, aquela confiança. — Endireito os ombros. — E aquele cabelo perfeito e brilhante. Aquela pele perfeita.

— Valorizam demais o que é perfeito. Perfeição é um tédio.

Deixo escapar um sorriso.

— Você não me acha perfeita?

— Não. Você é deliciosamente esquisita e eu não gostaria que fosse de nenhum outro jeito. Agora, tome seu chá.

Quando acabo, damos outra volta. O Japanese Tea Garden não é grande, mas a beleza compensa o tamanho. Flores perfumadas de cores vivas e cintilantes como pedras preciosas são equilibradas pela tranquilidade dos tons azuis e verdes de plantas caprichosamente podadas. Veredas correm sinuosas em torno de estatuária budista, lagos de carpas, um pagode[4] vermelho e uma ponte de madeira em forma de lua. Os únicos sons vêm dos pássaros e dos cliques suaves de câmeras fotográficas. É sereno. Mágico.

E a melhor parte?

Cantinhos discretos, perfeitos para namorar.

Mal achamos o banco ideal, reservado e escondidinho, e Max já coloca as mãos atrás de minha cabeça e leva meus lábios em direção aos dele. Era isso que eu estava esperando. Seus beijos são macios e ásperos, hortelã e cigarros.

Saímos durante todo o verão, mas ainda não estou acostumada com ele. Max. Meu namorado, Max. A noite em que nos conhecemos foi a primeira vez que meus pais me deixaram ir a uma boate. Lindsay Lim estava no banheiro, de modo que fiquei sozinha por um tempo, recostada, um tanto inquieta, contra a áspera parede de concreto do Verge. Ele veio andando até mim como se já tivesse feito isso uma centena de vezes.

— Com licença — disse ele. — Acho que percebeu que encarei você durante o show.

Era verdade. Seu olhar fixo tinha me deixado sem fôlego, embora não pudesse confiar naquela impressão. A pequena boate estava cheia e ele podia ter olhado para qualquer uma das garotas afoitas que dançavam a meu lado.

— Qual é seu nome?

— Lola Nolan. — Arrumei a tiara e mudei o pé de apoio.

— Lo-lo-lo-lo-Lo-la. — Cantou Max como na canção The Kinks. Sua voz grave estava um tanto rouca

Avaliações de Lola e o garoto da casa ao lado

[marjorie.mallon · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

4 stars. An enchanting book. Stephanie Perkins creates wonderfully captivating characters.This book surprised me, I didn't expect to enjoy it more than Anna and The French Kiss but I did. For all those teenage girls out there obsessed with fashion, and romance, this is the book for you. (My youngest daughter, would adore this book!)

**Spoilers**

Lola intends to go to her high school winter ball dressed as Marie Antoinette. Lola's parents, two gay guys, Nathan, and Andy, worry about Lola going out with Max, her rocker boyfriend as he is so much older than her. Nathan and Andy's devotion to Lola is touching. With the arrival of the Bell twins, Calliope, and Cricket, Lola's old feelings for Cricket, her first love, are rekindled. Cricket is so genuine and cute that Lola can't stop herself falling for him all over again. Lola's feelings for Max crumble and her confusion is relatable. It is a shock when she realises that Max is attracted to her child-like self. Lola is no longer willing to be a child. She is now a young woman, on the verge of discovering her identity. Will she go to the ball? She looks at herself in the mirror, and suddenly feels lost in her elaborate costume. Her wig is over the top, dwarfing her personality. Who is Lola? She despairs. Cricket comes to her rescue in the most wonderful way. He enables the Lola that he loves to go to the ball, and then proves that he is "the one," by re-inventing her, and giving her the most beautiful gift that anyone could possibly imagine.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Lola is a girl trying to figure out who she is ... she has big style and she's got an older boyfriend that her dads really don't like. And then her old crush moves back in next door. Lola is a bit of a mess working through her feelings, but I liked the ending where she does finally figure out who she really is.

[cindywho-1 · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

Terrible cover, but a nice little escape and a quick read.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.You guys!!!! I am so happy to report that Stephanie Perkins books can totally be Christina books. I thought it was possible, but my Anna experience scared me a whole lot. Plus, Anna and Isla seem pretty universally loved, but Lola and the Boy Next Door seems to be fairly divisive even among her fan base. Oh well, I do love being predictable. Where I found Anna alternately incredibly shippy and enraging, Lola and the Boy Next Door was perfectly adorable and vibrant from page one.It’s rather funny how much I don’t seem to have the proper reactions to Perkins’ characters. I didn’t get why so many people loved St. Clair and now I don’t get why so many don’t like Lola. Well, okay, I guess I can understand it from an objective perspective. Lola is very…well, LOLA. She’s an individual to a degree that shocks and upsets others, perhaps out of envy or maybe just because they like people to stay in their boxes. You could call Lola twee and not be entirely wrong about that. So I get it. Sort of. Lola would definitely be a hard person for me to take in real life and, more to the point, it would be difficult to find someone like her in real life. That seems to be the thing people really don’t like about Lola and the Boy Next Door. Though I didn’t know anyone like Lola and probably wouldn’t have the energy to be her friend even if I did, I like that people like her exist.Looking at Lola from a more positive angle, she embraces who she is. Ever since childhood, she’s been obsessed with fashion and she’s loved to look completely different every day. She wants to design clothing. Most likely she wouldn’t be caught dead in an outfit as boring as the one on the cover (which, okay, I actually love that outfit). Lola wears wigs almost every day, not because there’s something wrong with her own hair, but because she likes to and needs them to complete her ensemble. Lola is indefatigable. Though it’s not central to the novel’s plot line which doesn’t involve going to school, there are subtle hints that she’s been bullied for this (as she obviously would be), but she does her own thing anyway. She’s young and she’s still learning, but she’s way already got a grasp of the important thing, which is embracing who you are. Someone like Lola could easily annoy me, but she’s just so genuine about her fashion and so non-judgmental, aside from a couple of rare occasions, of how other people choose to clothe themselves.So yeah, I love Lola. When Lola and the Boy Next Door begins, she’s dating this older guy, Max. He’s 22 her 17. Their relationship’s not viewed favorably by anyone but Lola and Max, really. Her parents (more on them later) allow the relationship, with conditions, because they know that telling teens straight up NOT to do something is only going to make them do it even less safely. Smart parenting, yo. Anyway, it’s obvious from the book title that Max is not the guy. I’d also heard about Max and he’s honestly not as bad as I expected. He’s got a few issues, but he also does seem to care for Lola some in his way. The relationship is doomed from the beginning, but I can see why she didn’t see that. His side is less clear, but it’s also not his book. For Lola, I think a lot of the appeal is that he liked her costumes and her Lolaness.Sidebar for Lola’s gay dad’s, Andy and Nathan. These guys are completely wonderful, loving, slightly over-protective parents. In a land of YA with missing parents, Andy and Nathan are kings. They love Lola so incredibly much, even though technically they’re her uncle and partner. One of my favorite tropes is a built family and Lola and the Boy Next Door does this so well. Also, though I can’t say I much cared for Norah, Lola’s biological mother and Nathan’s sister, I do think it’s wonderful that Perkins addressed her and that there’s a nice character arc for her as well.Anna and St. Clair are characters in Lola, since Anna works with Lola at the movie theater. While I can’t say that I’m any more of a fan of their relationship, it was interesting getting to see them from the outside. I think Anna’s narration played down (snerk) just how short St. Clair is. They seem really true to their presentation in Anna, but also slightly different the way they would be when not viewed from Anna’s perspective. In that sense, this is one of the better cameos I’ve seen in a companion novel.Also, for all that I hated the treatment of infidelity in Anna and the French Kiss, I love the way it’s handled in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Where St. Clair made excuse after excuse, Lola really doesn’t. She’s constantly thinking about what she should be doing. She knows from the beginning she could have Cricket Bell if she wanted him, but she’s not sure if she wants him or Max. St. Clair knew who he wanted and didn’t want to act in case he ended up alone. I will say that I did enjoy his advice to Lola about making the right choice, and that’s pretty much the only good thing to come out of the romantic drama of Anna. Lola also never allows anyone else to take the blame for her part in things being a mess. That’s just how Lola is and I love it.Then there’s Cricket Bell. He is the anti-St. Clair in just about every way. He’s really tall (6’4″ not counting the hair), goofy, socially awkward, and, at least at this time, very open with his feelings. Cricket Bell is the best and most reliable friend you’ll ever have. He puts others before himself consistently, which is basically his largest character flaw. As Lola and the Boy Next Door stresses, they really complement one another. Yes, I ship it. Yes, the fact that she hated him for much of the book didn’t hurt my shippitude.Why only four stars when I thought everything was fantastic? I know, I know. See, I did love it. But also I just didn’t get the feels the way that I do in my 4.5 and 5 star reads. I never fell into the book and forgot I was reading. I never got vicarious butterflies. For some reason I never got to that I SHIP IT LIKE BURNING place, you know? I do think I would get there on a reread. I suspect I was just so on my guard because I was afraid it would end up making me sad and disappointed in the end like Anna that the feels couldn’t really fully ignite.Possibly controversial opinion? Lola and the Boy Next Door far outpaces Anna and the French Kiss, and not just because I didn’t like the ship in the first book. It’s more well-rounded, more vibrant, and Cricket Bell is a far superior love interest. Also, anyone else really want a book about Calliope Bell? Because I do.

[vykic37 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!This was my Random Read for January and I knew I was going to love this just because I loved Anna. This authoris an incredible writer and really knows how to put you in the shoes of her characters and feel exactly what they feel. Both of these books were so real and readers can easily relate to Anna and Lola. I also loved seeing Anna and St. Clair in this book. Lola is a wonderful character. She is smart, lively, fun and different; different in a very good way. I would love to meet someone like Lola. And Cricket? Who wouldn’t want to fall in love with the thoughful, sweet, hot next door boy? As for Max, at first I kind of liked him, but he became a jerk quickly. We have all made the mistake of being blinded by love, but when nobody liked the guy you’re with, then something is wrong. This story is set in San Fransisco, and because of this book, I really want to go, especially to see the wild parrots and the Japanese tea garden. It’s obvious that the author is very familiar with this area (she used to live there) and she portays it beautifully. The cover of the book is cute, it isn’t super fantastic, but it goes perfectly with the story becuse it really captures Lola and Cricket right down to the star on his left hand. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see St. Clair on the cover of Anna, so I’m very glad we got to see Cricket. I am definitely a die hard fan of Stephanie Perkins now and she is on my auto-buy list. I am very excited about her upcoming Isla, plus, next year, she is publishing a teen slasher novel and it will be really interesting to see how she does in that from romance. Aside from a few words missing from sentences in a couple of spots toward the end of the book, it was pretty near perfect. I loved it almost as much as I loved Anna! Beautiful setting, incredible characters, couldn’t put it down, LOVE!!

[simplykelina · Nota: 2 de 5 estrelas]

The title for this book is perfect since it really is about Lola and the boy next door. I want to say, I really enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss, but this was just boring to me. I still really enjoyed Stephanie Perkins writing and I plan to finish the series.I really liked how this started off. You have a mystery of how Cricket hurt Lola and then it is revealed how and it is such a disappointment. You also have a weird love triangle which one character was barely present except to bring the triangle to life. Max never stood a chance, even though I actually liked his character at times. I think his portrayal changes and it did not make sense. It starts off where he would do anything to please Lola and her parents and then instantly he becomes a character the author wants you to hate. I also did not love Cricket. I just could not connect with Lola or Cricket or their relationship. I was getting so bored with everything I had to skip ahead just to finish reading this. I had a love/hate relationship when St. Claire and Anna were mentioned. I feel they were also different characters than what I grew to love in Anna and the French Kiss. I will finish the next book, but I hope it is better than this one.

[winterdragon-1 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

I love Lola and the Boy Next Door. As amazing, beautiful, and heartfelt as Anna and the French Kiss. Lola lives in San Francisco with her two dads (yes two dads which I find awesome), who has a love of fashion and dreams of being a fashion designer. Her life seems great with her friends, family, and her rocker boyfriend. But the Bell twins, Cricket and Calliope, come back into town and Lola is confronted with feelings she thought she left behind long ago. Along with her birth mother, who has never been stable in her life, coming back in need of help. Lola has to deal with the emotional roller coaster of first love, real love, and the love of family.

As beautifully written as Anna and the French Kiss. Lola and the Boy Next Door explores first loves, growing up, and the past coming back, with characters that are wonderfully written and completely believable. I don't know how Stephanie Perkins does it but she makes me fall in love with the story and characters, wishing them a happily ever after. But it's not just a simple romance story, her books are about the girls' lives and how they are navigating through the difficult process of growing up.

Lola and the Boy Next Door made me fall in love with Lola and Cricket like I did with Anna and Etienne. I cannot wait for the next, and final, book: Isla and the Happily Ever After.

5/5

[djlibrarian · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

There's a reason why young adult contemporary novels are my go-to books when there is a break in my reading pattern. YA contemporaries are light, generally funny, and readers just can't help becoming captured by the story. Lola and the Boy Next Door definitely encompasses all of these traits and more, and I can totally see why so many readers adore Stephanie Perkins' writing style and characters. Lola is one of the most free-spirited characters readers will find in a book, and I can relate to her whimsical way of creating because I am a costumer as well (though I don't do it on a daily basis like Lola). She's also hardworking, a dutiful daughter, and a good best friend. So I was rather dismayed to see her make such poor decisions when it seemed the going was getting rough whether it was with her boyfriend, her birth mother, and especially with Calliope and Cricket. It's tough being a teenager so her reckless actions are justifiable... while also being selfish. But she does manage to stay true to herself as she overcomes these stresses in her life.I adored Cricket, his devotion to his family, especially his twin sister (even if she was a pain at times), his constant tinkering with mechanical devices, and his loyalty to Lola even when she didn't want a relationship with him. He is just an overall nice guy that readers can't help but fall for, and I really want to smack the person who coined the phrase "Nice guys finish last." Especially when you have an exhibit B like Lola's rocker boyfriend, Max. This guy puts up with having Sunday brunch with Lola's two fathers, her ever-changing style, among other things. I'm sorry, you don't "put up with" things that mean something to the girl you're supposed to care about. He's bad news in a bad world, and no one should put up with that. The story itself was cute and definitely heart-warming as Lola tries to sort through her jumbled feelings about so much in her life. There were a few places in the book where I really wanted certain conflicts to be wrapped up a bit sooner than they were, but these things cannot be rushed. Perkins certainly knows how to draw out a conflict, but she also knows how to wrap it up and give proper closure. With such a cavalcade of quirky characters, readers will constantly smile while enjoying Lola and the Boy Next Door.

[atmika_1 · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

Stephanie Perkins is talented. She has an ability to make you swoon over a guy even if he is not perfect and can turn an average story special. She gives depth to her characters and they appear more realistic.“Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring."I smile. "You don't think I'm perfect?""No.. You're delightfully screwy, and I wouldn't have you any other way.”MAXI liked Max. Yes, he turned mean in the end but we all know that was going to happen. Even then he had his moments.“Saw two fallen branches in the shape of a heart. Thought of you.” aww...now isn't that cute?CRICKETHere’s the thing about Cricket Bell. You can’t NOT notice him when he walks into a room. The first thing that registers is his height, but it’s quickly followed by recognition of his energy. He moves gracefully like his sister, but with an enthusiasm he can’t quite control- the constantly moving body, hands, feet. He’s been subdued the last few times I’ve seen him, but he’s fully revived now.” Cricket is never described as a "sexy Greek god".He's awkward, too tall, filled with self-doubt and all these things make him more real and more amazing.And then he is a "nice guy" and they are really underrated. We all want to make a "bad boy" turn "nice" for us but what about the guys who are already nice. Do we ignore them in the process. I hope not. LOLAShe is complex. Her costumes, I get that she is talented but personally I think she did that to prove some point. She irritated me because she was clearly in love with Cricket but just not ready to accept the fact.I guess I just don't understand her.I liked the story. It's not as good as Anna and the French Kiss but Anna and Etienne make an appearance and they are so cute together. I wanted more of them. “If I weren't standing next to your boyfriend, I'd be tempted to ask you out myself."She blushes, and St. Clair bounds inside the box office and wrestles her into a hug. "Miiiiiiiiine!" he says."Cut it out." Anna pushes him off, laughing. "You'll get fired. And then I'll have to support your sorry arse for the rest of our lives.”

[stephxsu · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Fairly charming but not as swoonworthy to me as Anna and the French Kiss was. Lola and Cricket were great people individually but their attraction felt a little contrived: I did not thoroughly believe that Cricket would so easily and quickly declare his feelings for Lola upon their re-meeting without knowing anything about how she felt for him. LOLA didn't leave as big an impression on me as Anna did, but it's still a good read for when you want to curl up in bed on a cozy evening.

[lauramoore_1 · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Stephanie Perkins is the Queen of writing Swoon-worthy YA contemporaries. Anna and the French Kiss made my top ten books of last year, so I was eagerly anticipating the companion novel. First of all, let me mention Lola and Cricket, I loved them so much more then Anna and St. Clair, and I think it was because Lola was a rocker-esque artsy girl, so I feel like I was able to connect to her more. She was so well-crafted and such a unique character, and who dosen't love a swoon-worthy boy next door??!! Although St. Clair I think was a bit more romantic, I still loved Cricket. Ok onto Lola and Crickets' romance, for some reason I feel like the chemistry between Anna and St. Clair was so much more authentic and felt more natural, where as for some reason it didn't click as well with Lola and Cricket for me. I loved them as individual characters but their romance didn't feel as authentic for whatever reason. I might be alone in saying this but the cameo appearences of Anna and St. Clair in this book kind-of annoyed me, yes you heard me right, I found their characters in this book to be borderline annoying, and I feel like they didn't really add anything to the book, instead made it kind-of borderline cheesy. Although I feel like a few things were lacking for me, I also know that I had REALLY HIGH expectations going into it and that might be why I was a bit more critical then I might normally have been. I still really enjoyed the story, and love Stephanie Perkins, she's definitely an author I have on autobuy (meaning whatever she writes, i'll buy) and if you love a fun, swoon-worthy, quick read Lola and the Boy Next Door will not dissapoint.

[semiprecioustone · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

Lola and the Boy Next Door serves as a continuation of Stephanie Perkins first book Anna and the French kiss. Our new protagonist Lola lives in San Francisco works at a movie theater with now first year college student Anna. Lola believes in making her own costumes instead of wearing clothes with the life goal of being a clothing designer and is dating a dirty rocker boy much older and cooler then her. Life would therefor be pretty awesome if not for the sharp disapproval of both of her dads, the return of her psychic birthmother, as well as the return of the family next door. Twins Calliope and Cricket Bell moved away two years ago so that Calliope could peruse her ice skating career leaving an ugly mark in Lola and Cricket’s relationship. Lola must now figure out how to survive mandatory Saturday breakfast with her boyfriend and parents, the physics of making a full hoop skirt and her confusing feelings for Cricket.I wanted to read this book as soon as I finished Anna and the French Kiss. Anna was such a sweet, smart, novel that I wanted to follow up with more of Stephanie Perkins’ work. The desire to read it was increased when I discovered its shared characters.Lola or Delores to her parents is not the perfect girl. She is a reasonably good friend and daughter. She is that girl you knew in high school who makes her own clothes and never wears the same thing twice. My personal experience with that girl was that she was a little bit fake, trying just a little bit too hard. When it comes to Lola however she seems to feel most honestly like herself in “costume” instead of “clothing.” She does however try too hard in other ways, mainly her relationship with the significantly older Max. I like Lola as a character but I’m not sure that I would want to be her friend.The other title character is Cricket Bell, the boy next door. Cricket is kind of ordinary for my tastes. He is lucky to not fulfill all of my stereotypes of a male love interest in YA fiction, but he is not the kind of male lead you fall in love with either. I found a lot of the characters like this. They are complex completely realized people, who you don’t really like.I did not read this book with the devouring abandon that I did Anna and the French Kiss. It didn’t need that much of my attention and I didn’t feel the need to put anything else off to read it. That said I did really enjoy it. Stephanie Perkins once again shone as a writer in this book. This book could have simply been one with characters I didn’t like and a low action plot structure (culminating in a big school dance *yawn*), Perkins’ skill still made it a very enjoyable reading experience.While there were things in this book I didn’t enjoy over all I found it good fun, and a very decent way to pass a few days of reading time. Anyone who enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss and would like to see their old friends again would probably enjoy this book. As for me, I don’t see myself reading it again until it is time to brush up for Isla and the Happily Ever After (which is scheduled to be published 2013).

[annie7b · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

even better than Anna and the French Kiss

[shojo_a · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

17 year old Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer who lives in San Francisco with her gay dads who make her hot 22 year old rock star boyfriend Max come to brunch every Sunday so they can check up on him. Her life is pretty perfect though. Or at least, it would be if her next door neighbor and first love Cricket Bell hadn't moved back moved back into the neighborhood.

I don't usually go for contemporary romantic comedies like this, but I really enjoyed it.
This book was a adorable. I had just the right amount of romance, angst and sexual tension, and I thought it handled the gradually evolving love triangle really well. There were certain aspects of Lola I found a little wish-fufilly (like the way she where a different costume and wig every day) at the beginning but I liked the way the author turned it into character development at the end. I actually felt that Lola was such an authentic teenager that some of her behavior annoyed me, or seemed overdramatic until I realized that I probably would have reacted the same way when I was 16 or 17.

[mlleehreen · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I absolutely loved Anna and the French Kiss, one of those rare books that’s perfect in its own way. Lola and the Boy Next Door tells almost the exact same story as Anna and the French Kiss, only with the roles reversed – this time, the female protagonist is already taken when the hero arrives on the scene and she has to muddle her way to a breakup before she can start a new relationship.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is sweet and charming in much the same way that Anna and the French Kiss was. I read it in one sitting and finished it with a smile on my face. That being said…having a close-up view of Lola’s relationship with Max, the guy we all know she needs to dump, was pretty frustrating.

Max starts out as this pretty sweet, nice guy. He’s the lead singer of a band but balances out his rock-star image by treating Lola well and bending over backward to get along with her two (gay) dads. Conveniently enough, as soon as Cricket moves into the house next door, Max gets very busy all of a sudden, and then he turns into a jerk. He doesn’t seem like the same person at the beginning and the end of the novel; he’s converted into a bad guy so Lola can break up with him guilt-free.

Meanwhile, Lola worries about being attracted to two guys at once, but she never stops to think about Max’s behavior. When he’s distant, she never asks herself, “Hmm, why am I holding onto this relationship that’s only lasted a few months when I barely see my boyfriend?” She doesn’t seem to notice that their relationship has downgraded, and she never confronts him.

Cricket, the hero, is adorable and lovable and quirky. He’s great. Lola herself is great, and Lola and Cricket are great together. But the big impediment to their relationship is Max, and the impediment is handled in a clumsy, nonsensical way. Without Max, Lola and Cricket would be going out by page 50 and there would be no book.

Anna and St. Clair have cameos in Lola and the Boy Next Door – Anna and Lola work at the same movie theater – and it’s great to see them getting along and being an awesome couple. I’m still a fan of Stephanie Perkins but I don’t think Lola is half as good as Anna.

[banoczi_henrietta · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

I LOVED IT SO MUCH CRICKET WAS SO CUTE AND LOLA WAS AMAZING SHE'S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE FEMALE CHARACTERS I LOVE THIS SERIES

[emma_manolis · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I realized when I was about halfway through this novel that I had neglected to read Anna and the French Kiss. Whoops. I’m not quite sure if reading that novel first would have influenced this review or not.

Lola. Honestly, I didn’t quite like her. She has some serious self-esteem issues. She deals with these issues the way a lot of girls do, by overcompensating in dress and action in an attempt for attention. I find her to be incredibly immature and a tad selfish. I’ve never related to that type of person and I probably never will.

On the other hand, I loved Cricket. He is incredibly intelligent, talented and kind. I can understand why Lola would feel inadequate. (Not because I didn’t like her but because Cricket possesses quite a lot of admirable traits.)

I loved the fact that this novel takes place in Frisco. I found myself pausing to just think about my own time in the city.
Anna and her boy are featured in this novel. I really like the idea of incorporating previous characters in supporting roles.

The story was predictable, but that isn’t a bad thing. It’s comparable to any decent chic flick. I would probably recommend this to someone who maybe doesn’t like reading but loves the fluffy romance. It’s an easy light read.

The cover seriously needs to be reevaluated. I almost didn't read the novel because I found the cover to be so sub-par. It looks old school to me and not in a good way.

I'm rating this 3 stars because it really wasn't anything special to me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I probably won't think about it again past this review.

[paper_dreams · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

I, like so many others, absolutely adored Anna & the French Kiss. I am talking head-over-heels in love, so it should be no surprise that I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Lola & the Boy Next Door. I pre-ordered it from Amazon (which is rare for me) and paid the extra shipping to get it the day it was released (even rarer). To say I was excited about this book would be an understatement. The marvelous part of this story is that this book did not let me down, at all.Once again Stephanie Perkins has created a story with a fantastic cast of characters. I adored Lola. She reminded me a lot of myself, but with so much more courage than I have ever had. I admired her flair for the dramatic and how she was not afraid to dress how ever she felt like dressing. Crickett. Ah Crickett. He is adorable, awkward, and an all around sweet guy. He is not St. Clair, but that is in no way a bad thing. He is all his own, and I am definitely in love. Lola’s dads were amazing! I loved them both so much. The way their personalities played off of and complemented each other show a fantastic example of a good, strong relationship. I cannot discuss the characters of Lola without mentioning Anna & St. Clair. I was so excited to see them show up and to show up repeatedly. They play an actual role in the story, and their appearance is not of the blink-and-you’ll-miss it type. I think I loved them even more after reading this.I am not even sure what to say about the story, except to say that I loved it. The relationships that are built within its pages are just so real. Crickett’s struggle to accept his family’s past and step out of his twin’s shadow rings so true. Lola broke my heart as she tries to come to terms with love and her own identity in the world. The later scenes with her and Max are particularly emotional. The struggle of Lola’s dads to let Lola grow up and not to constantly worry she would turn out like her birth mother, it felt absolutely real. Every part of this novel felt so real to me, that it was impossible not to be swept away with the emotions of the story.What can I say….I am a diehard, crazy fangirl of Stephanie Perkins!! This book is just as quirky, dramatic, adorable, and good as Anna & the French Kiss. While I still may like Anna better overall, I fell in love with Lola & the Boy Next Door. I think fans of Anna will happily enjoy this as well. I would also recommend it to fans of books by authors like Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti.

[bookchellef · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Posted on Book Chelle.*I do not think I will have any spoilers, but just be warned anyway*I longed for Lola since I first heard that there were ARCs going around. I saw copies at BEA, and then at Comic-Con. There was so much positive feedback that the anticipation was getting out of hand. You see, I loved Anna and the French Kiss. I hadn’t felt that way about a love story in a really long time. There was something so simple, yet so complicated about the relationship between Anna and Etienne. And from what I had heard, Lola had the promise to make me feel the same way.I had pre-ordered a hardcover and the ebook from Amazon. I had to make sure that at least one of the copies would find its way to me. Once I received Lola, I stopped everything to start reading. And once I started, I could not stop. The magic that Stephanie Perkins’ words casts on me is surreal. Her stories are memorable, making a lovely picnic in my heart.In Perkins’ second book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, we meet the magnificent Lola. Raised by her two dads in a prominent neighborhood of San Francisco, seventeen year-old Lola definitely knows who she is. Lola oozes cool. From her collection of wigs with colors that has the rainbow jealous, she compliments each look with a design creation of her own. She loves fashion, her rocker boyfriend, Max, and everything about her life.But one Sunday morning, her happy world is disrupted by several moving boxes. No, it wasn’t another tenant renting the house. Unfortunately for Lola, the Bells were back, and along with them, Cricket. Cricket was one of her first friends. Cricket was the first boy that she loved. Cricket was the first boy who broke her heart. How could she live with him next door?*hugs book*I loved this book. Lola and the Boy Next Door was everything that everyone said it would be. There were so many different components that made it so easy to love. Perkins did a fantastic job, once again, with the story progression and pacing of the story. She had me with Lola’s eccentric wardrobe, all the way through the end. There are so many things to say how awesome this book is.I related to Lola more than Anna, but I can’t really say I like it more. It’s hard to compare the two books. While the subject is still about first love, Perkins approaches love from a different point of view. While Anna was a fast type of love, Lola was about a love that was nurtured over time. I guess that same type of love also reflected between her two dads, and in some cases, with her mom.Lola is a brilliant character, strong and quirky, but also so innocent at seventeen. While she has this brave facade on the outside, she really is soft and vulnerable inside. And at seventeen, weren’t we all the same way? Perkins captured the essence of a teenager filled with angst, who disagreed with her parents and pushed every boundary, but still sought out love and emotional support.Cricket is awkwardly intelligent, and okay I can say socially challenged. He is adorable and cute, and definitely the perfect boy next door. I can’t say that much about him without really giving a spoiler or two away.In this world of wonderful supporting characters, you will find, in Lola and the Boy Next Door, that two familiar faces shows up. Anna and Etienne play some key parts in this book. I must admit, seeing them gave me the warmth of two friends that I have longed to see. The relationship between these two are effortless and perfect, and offers a good friendship for Lola.When you read this book, please have tissue. Perkins will tug on your heart slowly, and when you least expect it, the tears will fall. She captures the essence of first love so perfectly. I was warped back to the time of my first crush, love, everything. Perkins does it again with her second novel, and has reaffirmed why she is one of my favorite authors.If you haven’t read Lola and the Boy Next Door (or Anna and the French Kiss), please do so today. You will soon find your love for Perkins’ writing and the characters she has created.

[danitronmc · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

As if the summary alone wasn’t good enough, I read the whole book in one sitting.Yes, it’s one of those. A book that is so fantastic and you love them so much that YOU COULDN’T POSSIBLY PUT THEM DOWN until you finished. Mind you, I just bought it this morning. It is that incredible.Lola is a kind of cool I could never be–she expresses herself through her loud fashion choices, but that makes her her. And her back story is hard but endearing–I really felt for her. And when she was all sad and depressed, I felt it right along with her–and all because she forced herself to try to be someone that she isn’t because of what someone else thought of her. And that happens with so many people–someone will criticize something about you and you try to change that part of you because of it, but it never brings you happiness.Feels.Initially I loved Lola and Max, her tattooed, hot rocker boyfriend. I loved what they had, but then the more I read the more I fell away from shipping them–they just didn’t seem like they were “it” for each other, you know? And then he has some real jerk moments, and I was done with him.And then there’s Cricket Bell.*swoonswoonswoonswoonSWOOOOON*Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you do the boy next door. He is funny and quirky and nerdy and talented and cool. And he’s a good guy and a FANTASTIC friend and yes, immensely attractive.Cricket = perfection.I wish we had gotten a little bit more of Lola and Cricket together. I LOVED all the time they spent together, but I want more of them together together because I’m greedy like that;)Oh, oh! AND we get to see Anna and St. Clair some more, so SCORE on that front! They are, of course, ADORABLE.I loved Anna and the French Kiss, and I loved Lola even MORE! 5/5 STARS;)

[princess0starr · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

I’ve mentioned that I really don’t like to compare sophomore attempts in regards to an author’s first book, especially if I really loved the debut. So, while I was really excited for this book, having read it, I’m not exactly enamored of it.

The big problem I have is the lack of plot. Yes, it’s young-adult rom-com, but the set-up and progression don’t really do much for me. Lola spends a good chunk of the first third of the book freaking out that “OMG THE BELLS ARE BACK” and going on about how horrible Calliope and Cricket’s betrayal of her was, and when we finally get the flashback, it’s because of some contrived drama involving Lola not being invited to a birthday party. I can kind of see why Lola would be distressed over this, but to the point where her family and friends try to completely shun the Bell family is a little too over-the-top for my tastes. The romance between her and Cricket feels like it’s there for plot purposes only; there’s a good chemistry between them, but it felt more like they would have been better off as friends rather than romantic partners. There’s also a lot of contrived drama with Lola and her boyfriend Max, which is similarly plot-convenient. However, I was interested in the subplot involving Lola’s birth mother, Norah, and her unaccepted drop into Lola’s life; unfortunately, it’s never as fully as developed as the whole “I am in love with Cricket Bell, but I should never let him know!”

Lola’s a fun character, but again, it feels like she needs more development. Perkins uses Lola’s costume design and aspirations as a metaphor for not understanding her “real” self, but it feels more like an easy gimmick instead of serving a larger purpose. She does feel like an actual teenager at times, with the contrived Bell drama and running off with her older boyfriend and insisting that she’s mature, and I did like that. But she doesn’t feel like a fully-rounded character. (Also, the various descriptions of her different outfits and costumes fluctuate between “Oh, that sounds cute” and running into Claudia Kishi territory—sounds cool on page, but when you visualize it, is actually ridiculous. Same with a lot of Cricket’s outfits.) I liked Cricket a lot better, as he feels like a well-rounded character. He does run into the too-perfect territory at times—he cares about his family! He comes home every weekend to see Lola! He’s quirky!—but I generally enjoyed him and his interactions with Lola.

Unfortunately, almost all of the side characters get very little characterization. I liked Lola’s dads, Nathan and Andy; they felt like actual parents who are concerned for Lola’s well-being, and also have to deal with her similarly unreliable mother. Nathan gets a bit more characterization than Andy does, but I felt like they had a genuine parental relationship with Lola. (My only nitpick is that we had to be reminded that LOLA HAS TWO GAY DADDIES and how GAY they are. Okay, look, I got it the moment when they’re both identified as men, you don’t need to remind me every time they show up.) I really wanted to see more of Norah, specifically her more erratic nature and how she’s trying to stay sober and how that effects Lola. On the other hand, Lola’s supposed best friend Lindsay barely gets any characterization beyond “she likes mysteries and is quiet.” That’s all. Nothing more to her. Calliope’s worse, because while we do see her being petty and vindictive, we only hear about her softer side through other characters, which again, I wanted to see more of. Also, a lot of the promo for this book played up the fact it’s a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, but I could have really done without Anna and Etienne popping up as side characters—if only because it could have worked without them and they don’t play a huge role in it.

It’s an okay book. There’s really not much to write about it, but at the same time, there’s a lot that could have definitely been improved. There’s some good ideas, there’s a lot of undeveloped ones, and it doesn’t grab me like Anna did.

[rincey_1 · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

This was such perfect teen love. Totally predictable, but whatever, I loved it.

[bookwormdreams · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

3.5 stars
A little bit (or a lot) weird main characters. I could not say that I enjoyed this book but it was not bad either. Stephanie Perkins has very nice writing style. I think this is a perfect romance for young adult readers.

[dauntless_1 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

*Sigh* I love Stephanie Perkins' books. They are the perfect pick me up book when you are looking for a sweet romance. After reading harsh, deep, crazy long books, I find myself needing a palate refresher and that is what her books are for me.I loved the whole setting of this book in San Francisco. It made me want to move there immediately. I loved Lola's whole personalty and that she was not afraid to be who she was even if that meant being completely different from everyone else around her.The boy-next-door romance has been done before but I really liked the twist this one had. Not only was Lola dating the bad boy, and more than likely just to make her dads mad, but Cricket had hurt her in the past and she would do anything to protect herself from his reappearance in her life. Also, she was in love with her boyfriend so there was no reason to even give Cricket another thought.

[caitief-1 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Perkins knows how to write an engaging and beautiful romance. She knows how to make you fall in love with all her character (except Max, but more on that later). I felt like I was reading about friends that I cared about the entire book. Lola is smart, creative, and caring. She is actually a good teen, doesn’t get in trouble and loves her parents. She is what many many teens are like and I think that is a big reason why she is so lovable!The relationship between Max and Lola will remind readers of so many first romances. Max is not a lovable character, yet it is easy to see why Lola is so interested in him and falls in love with him. An older reader will see the warning flags and the problems with him, but it is very real to life. When you are in love for the first time, the flaws are hidden and you are just infatuated. Since this relationship felt so real, Lola’s emotions throughout felt real and deep.Cricket was another swoon-worthy male character. He was so kind and caring, not just with Lola but with her family and friends. He is just the kind of guy you cheer for and hope that everything works out for him. The best part of him though is that he brings out the best in Lola. That is what great relationships can do – they bring out the best in each other and it makes the relationship strong and makes it last. I would have learned a lot about relationships from this as a teen.The relationships between Lola and her family also add another layer that makes this more than just a fun romance. She has to deal with two overprotective fathers and her birth mother (the sister of one of her fathers) who has made so many mistakes that she cannot deal with. Reading the familial relationship grow and shift added another layer to everything and again, made it feel more realistic.Finally, Anna and St Clair are back! I won’t spoil anything but they are in the book and i loved seeing them again.

[kayceel_4 · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

Love! Perkins is back with another completely charming love story. This time, we meet seventeen-year-old Lola, a truly free spirit who considers each day an opportunity for a new costume. Her dads love an adore her, though they simply cannot stand her boyfriend, Max, a twenty-two-year-old musician. Her life now is focused on costuming and changing her fathers' minds, but then: Calliope and Cricket Bell move back in next door.Calliope, the gorgeous figure-skater who was too cool for Lola, and Cricket, Calliope's twin, the boy who broke Lola's heart.Charming, witty and swoony, I highly recommend this one, despite the extreme kookiness with which Lola lives her life. I found her incredibly unlikely and a little annoying, but Cricket is completely swoon-worthy!

[michealabeth · Nota: 5 de 5 estrelas]

I just have to say, Lola and the Boy Next Door was even better than Anna and the French Kiss, and I have a feeling that Stephanie Perkins books will only get better. I feel like Lola and the Boy Next Door was better because it seemed deeper than Anna and the French Kiss (Don't get me wrong, I still loved Anna and the French Kiss) but In Lola there seemed to be more of a back-story. There was the history with Lola and Cricket, Lola's crazy mother, etc. Also, Lola and Cricket are possibly my two favorite book characters of all time. I can relate with so many things about Lola. The way that she dresses crazy (some people have tried to get me to tone down the way I dress... but it's never worked), her trouble with guys, etc. Lola is just an amazing character. Stephanie Perkins also did great on how she portrayed how some people can really fool you. Its amazing. Okay... I'm done gushing... :PBut seriously, Go read this book.

[samscar-1 · Nota: 2 de 5 estrelas]

I haven't read Perkins previous book, so I can't really say if this one is better or not. I'm reviewing this as a stand alone.
I enjoyed the book, didn't love it, but it was okayish.
Some things bothered me; how relationships where handled for example, they didn't evolve naturally, seemed forced, and just moved the way Perkins seemed fit. Same with characters, one chapter they are sweet and fun, next one they are assholes and jerks, there was no consistency.
I did not like Lola's best friend, that is nothing like a best friend, and Lola's parents never ever trusted their daughter and they didn't work as a parental figure besides telling Lola what not to do.
The plot was kind of simple, the climax being Lola discovering her feelings for this boy.
I may be checking Perkins previous book later, just because most say that one's better, but not because of this book.

[creativejunkie · Nota: 4 de 5 estrelas]

**One tiny spoiler is hidden within the text. Otherwise, safe to read**

3.5 Stars, but I'm rounding up, because...*sigh* you know.

So here's the thing. I'm pretty sure I sabotaged my reading of this book. It was one of those things where you have it SO WORKED UP in your mind, that inevitably, you're let down.

It wasn't that I didn't like Lola, because I totally did. But I expected to fall all over myself in love with it like I did Anna. And that, I totally did not.

Let's talk about what I loved about the book: I love Perkins' storytelling ability, and that hasn't changed with Lola's book. Her style is still very much there, and that was refreshing to see. Also, the incredibly unique and different characters she came up with - I mean, really, a girl who dresses in costume every day of her life? Now that is creative. I also loved that Lola had two gay men as parents, since I have yet to read about that in a YA novel. The BFF was...okay. I didn't love her, but she wasn't really explored enough to love or hate. Max, I actually liked at the beginning, but that didn't last long. I also enjoyed Cricket...I didn't swoon all over him like I did Etienne, though. Don't get me wrong - Cricket had his own moments of swoon, but they just weren't for me.

Really the only thing that I didn't love about the book, and what subsequently caused me to not enjoy the book as I hoped I would was Lola's character. She was...well, a liar. There are no two ways about it. She lied her pants off any chance she got. And, yeah, yeah, yeah, but she's only seventeen! That argument doesn't work for me. Age has nothing to do with that in my book. At the point in time when she is confronted by Max and lies through her teeth , she completely lost any iota of love I had for her.

Honestly, what I liked most about this book? The tiny glimpses of Anna and Etienne that we got. The one (ONE!) time I laughed in this book was during one of Anna's lines. That was one of the main things I loved about Perkins' first book - I laughed so much. I enjoyed myself in reading it; it was funny and cute and swoony and...I got it. I got Anna. I did not get Lola.

In the end, I think that within these three books Perkins is writing, you will inevitably gravitate toward one set of characters more than the others. Mine are Anna and Etienne. And, I'm betting (hoping) the final book makes it up there a little closer to those two, as well.

[theseprettywords · Nota: 3 de 5 estrelas]

3.5 stars. I can't say I loved it, but I liked it better than "Anna and the French Kiss." The female lead is more likable (even with the constant, holy-hell annoying shouty-caps thoughts) and Cricket is...well, Cricket. I want to wrap him up in a blanket and snuggle with him on the couch for hours. Lola's wavering doesn't last an unforgivable amount of time like Étienne St. Clair from "Anna" (really, that boy needs a foot up his short little *ahem*) and her quirky personality and funky fashion sense adds a lovely layer to the story that I enjoyed. I would totally read another book about this couple.