Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 4, 2007
Almost all of Lori McGillicuddy's summers were always the same: work at the Vader Marina along with her brother and the three boys next door -- Cameron, Sean, and Adam. It was the perfect place to work, since Lori was always able to practice her wakeboarding skills and be around Sean, her longtime crush. This summer was no different than the past ones, except for Lori's three-step plan to finally get Sean to notice her as a girl instead of just one of the guys, and to have him ask her out.
All the stages of Lori's plan seems to be working just fine, since Sean has definitely started flirting with her. Unfortunately, it takes a huge setback when Sean steals his brother Adam's girlfriend.
Lori cannot believe this (her plan seemed foolproof) but at least now she can rule out that her age isn't a factor in why Sean hasn't asked her out yet, since Adam's now ex-girlfriend is a year younger than she is.
Now, the only way that Lori can win back Sean is to make him jealous, which sparks another plan. So Lori approaches Adam, telling him that the only way that they can get back the ones they love is to go out with each other. Surprisingly, Adam accepts this idea without much hesitation. Of course, having your crush's brother as your fake boyfriend may seem a little weird at first, especially since they look so much aliker. But it soon becomes natural for both Lori and Adam -- maybe a little too natural.
Lori can't help but get this tingling feeling whenever Adam is pretend-flirting with her. Spending time with Adam actually becomes really fun and he is all she begins to think about, which just can't be happening since it's Sean that she wants... right?
THE BOYS NEXT DOOR takes you on the ride of your life, making you want to scream and squeal at all the troubles Lori has to go through, just to get the guy of her dreams. Jennifer Echols makes Lori one of the most likeable characters out there with her outrageous but very hilarious ideas and, before you know it, readers will be scrambling to be in Lori's shoes. Another awesome novel from Jennifer Echols and another wonderful addition to the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy series.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dog-Eared All Over, April 12, 2008
Jennifer Echols is a package deal. Her voice is uncanny, her sense of humor is wicked, her character development is well-shaped and elaborate, and her plots are heartfelt. She revolutionized my ideal and concept of a feel-good romance novel with Major Crush, and if at all possible, even more so with The Boys Next Door.
Lori McGillicuddy, throughout the book, strives to change herself to what she thinks is a more desirable feminine personality. You know the type. Girly, cares insanely about her appearance, squealy-squeals, etc. She thinks this is the way to attract Sean, who's been the object of her affections for as long as she can remember. Everything is going according to plan until Sean pulls a fast one with Adam's girlfriend, Rachel, and then everyone's plans take a one-eighty. The plot thickens as more complex and intricate scheming take place, each character with their own ulterior motives for their actions. But a lie can only go undetected for so long before it catches up to you, right?
Anyone who's ever felt insecure can relate to this novel. The characters' feelings and motivations ring twelve kinds of true. Lori wants to be accepted, but can't seem to, being the tomboy that she is. She explains to Adam that when you're little, being a tomboy is fun, but when you grow up, people don't know what to do with you. So they exclude you. Adam wants to make his own identity, to not have Sean constantly overshadowing him. It's tough because not only is he the spitting image of Sean, but Sean's always taking what's his and being a class-A bastard to Adam. Sean, in turn, wants something Adam has: meaning in his relationships. He's seen as something of a player and wants to be taken seriously by a girl.
These wants and needs drive them to commit many mistakes, some of which hurt other people and some of which hurt themselves. In the end, though, you understand. You understand these characters. You get to know them. You care about them. I know I, for one, felt for them, laughed along with them, and gripped the book during the parts I wish hadn't happened. But most of all, I marveled at how dead-on Jenn's novel is in regards to how we teens are nowadays.
I loved Major Crush; I love this book so much more. I cannot wait for Jenn's next novel, Running to Stand Still, and her next Ro-Com, The Ex-Games. I highly recommend her novels--she's an author to check out.
9/10
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who's Who?... Great Book!, March 30, 2008
So... I picked up this book expecting it be boring and this is what I found... we are introduced to Lori Mcgillicuddy. Lori loves to wakeboard and has always been a tomboy, and she is sick of it. She spent her whole life growing up around boys. Never had they looked at her as anything other than just another "guy"... until this summer. Lori trades in her boy shorts and football tees for bikinis and tank tops and the boys MOST DEFINATLEY have noticed. Lori has her heart set on the boy next door, Sean. Sean is popular and cute and every girl has her heart set on him. Lori is determined to get him this summer. Sean has two brothers, Cameron, and Adam. When Lori spots Sean with Adams girlfriend (Rachel) she is determined to make him jealous and make him want her. Adam and Lori pretend to date but what started out as pretending slowly turns into something a little more real... or does it? This whole story leaves you guessing. You never know if Adam ACTUALLY likes Lori, until the end. The main reason I rated this story five stars is because it wasn't fake, like most Gossip Girl stories. I liked that fact that everyone in the story basically knew each other and were all like family. Don't let the front cover fool you. I thought the cover made the book look like it was for a kid or something. The book itself is like 320 pages or around there. Now, normally I would tell you EVERYTHING that would happen when I review... but this time i think I'm going to leave out the juicy parts. There is a lot more to the story then I let on, I can only tell you to read it because it was one of the best teen books I have read in a while. READ IT! The worst that will happen is that you don't like the book (yeah right!) and you can just put it down early! =] I loved the characters and the plot line!
Hope you enjoyed my review... check out my others!
<3 tAyLoR
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