Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie PerkinsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A sort-of sequel to Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and St. Clair are supporting characters), Lola takes place in San Francisco and the Bay area, following eccentric high school senior Lola through her trials with boys, friends, and parents.
Let me just put it out there, in case the five-star rating didn't make it clear: I loved this book! While I wanted to smack Lola at times (she is a teenage girl, it comes with the territory), for the most part I found her adorable and wanted her for my own. I loved her style, her relationship with her dads (more on that in a minute), and her general outlook on life. I loved Lola's best friend Lindsey, who stuck around even when Lola was being a brat about boys. And I ADORED Cricket. But, of course, that was probably the plan.
When the book starts, Lola is dating and "older man," Max, who is 22 and in a band. Needless to say, Lola's dads don't approve, and do what they can to keep tabs on her when she's with him (Sunday brunches with the family, calling in once an hour). You just KNOW that Max isn't the boy for her, you're just waiting for Lola to figure that out for herself. That is helped along quite a bit by the return to town of the Bell twins, Calliope and her brother Cricket, with whom Lola has a long history. Things get a little less clear for Lola when Cricket comes back into her life. And that's a good thing.
Now, Lola's dads. Yes, they are a gay couple, but they're not portrayed stereotypically or campy in any way (though her dad Andy does have a deep love for figure skating, which Lola considers his "gayest" trait). They are also not the typical absentee YA parents. They know where their kid is (or think they know where she is -- again, she's a teenage girl with an older boyfriend), and they discipline and punish her when necessary. Her birth mother is in the picture, but I won't say any more about her here.
Lola does some growing and changing in this book, but in what I feel are completely realistic ways. She feels like a real teenager with a real family and friends, and I love her.
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