Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title:  Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author:  Stephanie Perkins
Pages:  338
Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher:  Dutton Books
Obtained:  From Library
Summary:  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.

The Dish:  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.

Book 7

Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

Title:  The List
Author:  Siobhan Vivian
Pages:  332
Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher:  Push
Obtained:  Purchased
Summary:  An intense look at the rules of high school attraction--and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year.  A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest.  Nobody knows who makes the list.  It almost doesn't matter.  The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly."  And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection between the two.

The Dish:  Siobhan Vivian has crafted a remarkable and haunting story that will stay with readers long after they've closed the book.  I know that's what happened to me after I finished it and woke up the next morning still thinking about it.  With Vivian's easily flowing prose, I was carried through The List and then left to ponder on all eight girls.

The characters are phenomenal as readers see them transition over the course of a single week starting with the Monday when the list is posted.  A week seems so short a time to explore an entire book, but Vivian makes use of these 6 days in exploring the lives of all eight girls on the list.  It's amazing at how much one label can change the way people think about a person and what that person thinks about themselves.  For some of the girls, the change is almost instantaneous while for others more gradual, but by the end of the book, each of them is not the same girl at the beginning whether better or worse.

What I really noticed was the behavior of the people surrounding the eight girls whether family, friends, or boyfriends and how that shifted as well.  Those closest to the girls suffered an impact as well, not always from knowing about the list but in seeing how the girls change.  I was moved by several side characters and their actions towards their friends on the list.  It was fascinating to learn how they viewed being on the list and how those views changed throughout the week.

The List is definitely a contemporary story to have in a collection, and I'm eager to see what new stories Siobhan Vivian will share with her readers.

Review: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Title:  The Lover's Dictionary
Author:  David Levithan
Genre:  Contemporary Literature
Pages:  211
Publisher:  Farrer, Straus and Giroux
Summary:  How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than outselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

The Dish: When it comes to writing in a fresh and unique way, I'd have to say David Levithan takes one of the top prizes.  How many would think to write a story in the form of a dictionary?  I definitely commend Levithan for delivering such a story that made for quick and enjoyable reading.

That being said, while it was a fresh manner in composing a story, it did have a few confusing moments.  At times it felt as though the narrator was backtracking in the story, but I didn't always know where this train of thought was backtracking to in the timeline.  I felt this sometimes disrupted the overall flow of the story, but that could have been Levithan's point.  Life and relationships cannot be viewed as completely linear.  There are always bumps and caveats we hit on the road.

The narrator appeared to be a very sensitive soul, and when they connected with their partner, I could feel the open warmth between them.  When some issue arose (usually involving an infidelity), it was clear how hurt both characters were.  In spite of this infidelity (or infidelities?) the two never seemed to break apart from each other despite their bumps in the relationship road.  Who knows where they will be in the end because relationships are always changing.

I thought The Lover's Dictionary was a great means of telling a story about life, love, and the trials people encounter while traversing both.  While I'm not sure that I would read it again, I would say it is worth checking out from the library.

Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title:  Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Authors:  Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
Pages:  260
Publisher:  Alfred A. Knopf
Summary:  I've left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook version? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

The Dish:  We're all looking for that "someone" aren't we?  That "special someone" that we can completely open ourselves to without fear, without masks, without regret.  What if you decided to take a chance on someone that you had never met but only knew through the writings found in a notebook placed in a bookstore?  That's just what Dash decides to do and thus "meets" Lily and so begins the exchange of dares placed within the pages of a red notebook.

It was a little hard getting to know Dash in the first couple of chapters simply because of his slightly cynical nature while Lily was an adorable gem of a girl.  However, after more of their backgrounds are revealed, I definitely saw myself falling for Dash, or at least wanting to hear more of his story.  And for him to just take a risk like this on a whim, that really shows how much he wants to believe that life is more than just the cynicism he has felt.  He definitely has a good heart, and it shows in the company he keeps, particularly in one John Boomer known by his friends as just "Boomer."  This friend of Dash's while rather energetic is a definite example of the pure goodness one can find if they only look hard enough.  And it is his association with Dash that really helps Lily to see more of the boy behind the words.

Lily had quite a bit of growing up to do in order to find "herself" especially since she's been sheltered by her parents and grandfather for so long.  I can definitely relate to her situation, though she wasn't sheltered from the things I was.  Having an older brother like Langston was a definite blessing even if he became a bit dramatic at times, but he was there for her when she needed him.  And without his involvement, Lily would not have even taken such a risk with getting to know and meeting Dash.  I was surprised at some of her actions as the story progressed, but this was part of her growth process.  Sometimes, one has to be ankle deep in sludge before they realize their real potential and who they truly are, and I know Lily learned that lesson well.

Meeting Dash's friends and Lily's family through the tasks of giving the notebook to whomever needed it was a sheer delight.  Out of all the side characters, my two favorites were probably Mrs. Basil E (Lily's great-aunt Ida) and Boomer.  Their interactions with both Dash and Lily were intriguing, enlightening, and hilarious, thus helping to move the story, as well as Dash and Lily's relationship, forward.  I was a little concerned when an ex-girlfriend came back into the picture and thought this would create more conflict, but she was surprising with the advice she offered to Dash.  Levithan really created a different story for Dash in that regard, and I was happy with his choice.

Overall, this was a wonderful and light read, and given the season of the story is nearing now, I would recommend it as a holiday book.  This is one book readers will definitely want in their personal library.