lola x cricket – Zakiya N. Jamal

Snyopsis from Amazon.com:

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

I related to Isla so much. I absolutely loved her character and sympathized with her insecurities. Isla had a crush on Josh for years so of course, when they finally get together she struggles to believe his feelings for her are real. This leads to problems in their relationships but there were also other, outside issues.

Just as in Anna and the French Kiss, Josh continued to not care about school and eventually it catches up to him in the worse possible way, putting added strain on his relationship with Isla. Along with this, Isla has to learn to balance her friendship with her best friend, Kurt, with her relationship with Josh.

I absolutely loved this book. Isla and Josh were great characters and I totally fell for their relationship. Additionally, I found it interesting that Stephanie Perkins included an autistic character in this novel. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with an autistic character that was front and center for most of the novel, so that was really great.

And as promised Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket did in fact make an appearance, although it was much less than the big roles Anna and Etienne played in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Even so, the little scene we got with all of them together was so perfect that it was enough for me. And I have since read that scene multiple times. So good.

Overall, this book was definitely my favorite out of all three and I highly recommend this whole trilogy.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“There’s no story,” I say. “I saw you one day, and I just knew.”

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Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the 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 absolutely loved this book. Not only did I love Lola and Cricket but I loved seeing Anna and Etienne again. I definitely liked this novel even better than Anna and the French Kiss because seeing Anna and Etienne already together and happy kind of just made Lola and Cricket’s romance feel inevitable.

Moreover, I found both Lola and Cricket to be interesting characters. I loved how eccentric Lola was with her crazy outfits and costumes. More than that though I liked that she was daring. She never stuck to the status quo and although her adventurous attitude got her into trouble at times it was also a big part of who she was. I really liked her character a lot and I think all the mistakes she made were fair ones for any teen.

Additionally, the Bell twins have an interesting relationship. I’ve always found twins, in general, to be cool and I kind of wish I had one. Calliope and Cricket are very close but Cricket often gets pushed back into the shadows because his sister is an elite figure skater. I loved watching Cricket come out of his shell and put himself out there when it came to Lola. He was so cute and adorkable that I couldn’t help but cheer for him.

I also loved Lola’s family dynamic. Her birth parent’s were teen parents so her birth mother gave her up to her older brother, Nathan who had been wanting to have kids with his partner, Andy, for a while. First, it’s rare that I read a novel where the main character’s parents are queer. I think there’s a lot of novels where the main character themselves are queer but the last time I remember reading a novel with queer parents was Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List. Therefore that aspect of the novel itself, interested me.

Overall, this was a cute, short romance novel that I totally want on my shelf so I can reread it whenever I please. Definitely a must read!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I know you aren’t perfect. But it’s a person’s imperfections that make them perfect for someone else.”

Other Reviews

Pretty Books

Reading Lark

Book Rock Betty

Tag: lola x cricket

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