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.
Review
Ah, yes the next companion to Anna and the French Kiss. I went into this book with mixed expectations as sometimes the second book isn't as good as the first book, and this one has different characters, etc... I was half right. While, this book doesn't have the same feel as Anna and St. Clair's relationship did, it still has the same quirky vibe.
This book is the story of Lola, a 17 year old girl with a wild fashion sense, who has been in love with her next door neighbor, Cricket Bell, for as long as she can remember. He goes out of her life when his family moves away, but when he moves back into his old home it's a whole lot of awkward for both of them due to misunderstandings of their feelings for one another.
I did like the characters, with their flaws and all. Lola was exactly the type of fashionable, crazy, and adorable person you would want to be your friend. I would admit she tends to run the line between maturity and childishness, but of course she's a teenager trying to make sense of her life in the only way she knows how: through costume. This book gets a lot of criticism for its "happy ending" story line, but that's the point. It's a book, about a cute love story between two teenagers. It's not supposed to hold the meaning of life between its pages. It's just an adorable story about young love.
I found Cricket to be an endearing protagonist. He complements Lola perfectly. She has her fashion sense and he has his pants (as weird as that sounds, it makes much more sense in the context of the book). Cricket also has a severe sense of honesty and honor, which we see when he's questioned about his ancestry to the famous (or should we say infamous) Alexander Graham Bell. He is definitely another lovable book boyfriend from Stephanie Perkins' writing pen. Putting him right up there under Etienne St. Clair.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend this if you are the type of person who loves quirky YA, with a dash of romance, and happy endings.
Overall Rating: ★★★ 3 stars
Renée
