Endless Summer: The Boys Next Door; Endless Summer (Romantic Comedies)

by Jennifer Echols

Paperback, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Genres

Young Adult

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Simon Pulse (2010), Edition: Original, Paperback, 624 pages

Description

Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer. Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it. Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

User reviews

LibraryThing member Stephy5g

This a fun read for anyone who just wants a good time. The girl in this story has her heart set on catching the eye of the boy next door with the help of her best friend, his younger bother. However, she never quiet does and never realizes that the best friend is really the one for her. She does a

lot of crazy teenage things to get his attention all the while starting to fall of the right brother. This a great read out by the pool!

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14 more

LibraryThing member lynnm

Holy cow. I don't think I've ever read anything so poorly written. The number of type Os that passed through copyediting alone is enough to ask for a refund. But the writing itself made this book a DNF for me. And I did try - read far more chapters than necessary to figure this out before resorting

to skimming. What a disappointment.

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LibraryThing member stephxsu

Lori has always tried to be one of the guys with her older brother, McGillicuddy, and her next door neighbors Cameron, Sean, and Adam. Sweet and very ADD Adam has always been her best friend, but then again, Lori’s had a crush on the middle brother, Sean, the one that all the girls drool over.

And this summer, the summer that she turns sixteen, she is determined to make Sean finally notice her. Begone, one-piece suits and cutoff boy shorts handed down from Adam—enter bikinis and revealing tank tops.

When Sean hooks up with Adam’s then-girlfriend, Rachel, Adam and Lori decide to put their plan in motion. They are going to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend in order to make their respective crushes jealous. But the longer they are “together,” the less it seems like just pretend. For the first time Lori is realizing how hot Adam really is, and how good his kisses are. But she’s just going along with this to win Sean…right?

The more I read Jennifer Echols, the more I’m convinced she can do no wrong in terms of fun and fast romantic comedy reads. All of the characters in this book are realistic yet quirky, endearing and fun. Adam, in particular, is my favorite, because he is not simply the perfect crush, the perfect boyfriend. Instead, he is wonderfully three-dimensional, ADD and a little spastic and a daredevil to the point of physical harm. In short, he is a giant, sweet nerd inside a hot body. Who can resist that?

Lori’s narration brings everything together; she is not merely a tomboy trying desperately to win her crush, but also a witty and cool one, despite her absolute cluelessness when it comes to the romantic feelings of those around her. All in all, however, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR was a delightful book that never pretends to be more than it is: a quick but lighthearted read about romance in the summertime.

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LibraryThing member ericajsc

I fell in love with Jennifer Echols’s writing when I read Going Too Far, so I was confident going in to this book that I would love it. Whereas the first book I read was considered a romantic drama, it had enough comedy in it that I figured a romantic comedy couldn’t miss. I was not

disappointed.
Lori fits my ideal image of a perfect protagonist from the first page: witty, colorful, and energetic. I was continually amused by her running commentary as she tries to figure out how to be girly after years of being a tomboy. In all her interactions with those around her – from Adam to Mrs. Vader – her voice is consistently comical. Although it’s pretty obvious from the beginning which brother Lori should be with, I loved the way the story develops. The relationship between Adam and Sean is so tumultuous that it brings a whole new level of conflict to the standard love triangle saga.
What I loved most about this book was the group dynamic of the boys and Lori. I spent a lot of time during my teenage years hanging out with my brothers and his friends, and I found that Echols perfectly captures the dialogue, the horseplay, the teasing, and the competitive spirit that runs rampant in a circle like this. Every word and action rings true to my own experiences.
In my opinion, Jennifer Echols writes believable YA romance better than anyone I’ve ever read. Every single aspect of her stories is exactly right: three-dimensional characters, realistically witty dialogue, understandable conflicts, and connections built on more than lust. And the kissing scenes are perfection (FYI: this book can also be used as a fan to cool off after reading said scenes). Honestly, I cannot speak highly enough of her talent. As soon as I finished reading this book, I promptly ordered her other books I haven't read yet; I can't wait to get my hands on them!

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LibraryThing member ut.tecum.loquerer

Our heroes are believable, sympathetic, and funny. This author seems to have a pretty good hold on teenagers--how they think, act, etc. The book's not earth-shattering--it's a romantic comedy, but it's a good one, and perfectly appropriate for younger readers.

LibraryThing member heffalump1234

I also read this book because I love Going Too Far so much, I had to investigate Echols more... I wasn't disappointed! I really loved it!While it is definitely more of a light-hearted read than Going Too Far, it is not a lesser book. I found it fun and romantic, but it didn't affect me as sappy

like some YA books do (don't get me wrong, I love YA!).

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LibraryThing member ericajsc

There is always the fear when reading a sequel to a book that ended as perfectly as The Boys Next Door that, in order to have conflict, the author is going to have to pull in craziness in order to keep the characters from living happily-ever-after. However, I trust Jennifer Echols implicitly, and,

let's face it, I don't think she can do any wrong. This sequel is perfect in its simplicity. No, there aren’t any otherworldly creatures threatening to tear the newly-in-love couple apart, forcing them to pound their chests and bemoan their horrible timing for falling in love as the world is falling apart. Instead of dark forces and monsters keeping Lori and Adam apart, it’s parents. And I don’t know about you, but I actually know parents; otherworldly creatures, not so much.
Something new for this book is… wait, are you really ready for this? Because it’s huge. Brace yourself. Half the story is told by Adam. Yes, that’s right, we finally get inside his head. When it was only Lori telling the story, it was easy to stay caught up in her scheming. With Adam’s side of the story represented, we see how all her scheming affects him.
And yes, once again, Lori thinks that faux-dating someone will lead to the results she wants, even after Adam reminds her that she didn’t exactly get the desired results the last time she did that. Even though this can be a little frustrating – I just wanted Lori to listen to Adam and figure out something together – it was entertaining to see it play out. Not only does Adam have strong reactions to Lori’s plan, her brother does too, which made for some funny moments. But my favorite scenes in the story were the stolen moments when Adam and Lori found ways to be together away from the watchful eyes of their parents.
If you’ve read The Boys Next Door, you need to read this book. If you haven’t read The Boys Next Door, a) you’re crazy; b) do yourself a favor buy Endless Summer, because it includes The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer; c) do it now! I wish I could live inside this book, it’s that good.

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LibraryThing member booksandwine

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols stars clueless Lor McGuillicudy who gets in romantic entanglements with the boys next door. The cool thing about Endless Summer is that it is two books in one. The first book is The Boys Next Door, and the second book is the sequel, Endless Summer.This was an

exceptionally quick read for me. I read all 587 pages in one day. I found this to be captivating. It absolutely captures the essence of summer fun. I especially enjoyed the marina/lake setting. I feel that isn't something I get enough. I like books where there is a water setting. Also, the male characters were a lot of fun. The interaction between the Vader brothers is hilarious.I found Lori to be incredibly annoying. It is hard for me to believe anyone could be so dumb. Yes, let's date one boy to make the other one want me. In real life, he'd get jealous for like a day and then move on, at least that is my experience. It's hard for me to get past that. I've seen great reviews for this book, but ultimately, I thought it was okay, not terrible, not perfect. I will try some of Echol's more serious works, hopefully I will enjoy them more.

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LibraryThing member lyricaltwin

This book is the pure essence of summer. Lori is a likable heroine and I loved the setting. A summer at the lake, wakeboarding, takes me back to my family's lake house. I dove into this book eagerly and was satisfied with what I found.

LibraryThing member lyricaltwin

Adam and Lori have finally gotten together. Only to be told that they can't be. Filled with love and hilarity, this book is a beach read (or in that case, a lake read). Finally a tom-boyish and sexy heroine!

LibraryThing member amwo

First off, lets just make it clear that I love love triangles. Which is the main reason I bought this book. So of course, I absolutely adored these books! First off, I guess I'll start with the characters. Oh my my, Jennifer Echols really knows how to make fun and unique characters. Though Lori

sometimes gets annoying with the little not so fool proof schemes she makes to solve problems, she is quite loveable and relatable. I found myself laughing aloud throughout the book as she tried to be all grown up and "sexy." She was constantly trying things that really were not for her. Like slinky tops, high heels, and heavy eye makeup. One scene I escpecially love with her is in the beginning of The Boys Next Door. A choice quote between here and Mrs. Vader. Lori: "Notice anything different?" Mrs. Vader: "I'm using the wrong font?" Lori: "Notice anything different about my boobs?" Mrs. Vader: "You changed your boobs?" Lori: "I'm showing my boobs." Even though Lori tends to get in a lot of trouble, you end up loving her by the end of the book. Echols also is a genius at adding signiture phrases to her characters, such as Adam's "Bikini or what?" or "S bend or what?", his or what phrase gets used a lot. I also loved the way she had her characters interact. Growing up with three brothers, I very much understood the crude jokes that the boys used in these books. Not only were the characters fantastic, but so was the plot. There was constant flirting, jealousy, and scheming going on throughout both books. And *SPOILER* there were always little bumps in the road for Adam and Lori, even after the first book when you thought that all would be fine in their relationship. * END SPOILER * It was really interesting to watch (or read in this case) the guys and girls circling each other and getting into jealous fits that were sometimes adorable. *cough* Adam *cough*. All in all, the plot was really wonderful throughout both books. (Although the amount of problems that the characters caused in the second book were just ridiculous, a reason I liked the first book better.) As for the writing, Echols' writing was not fantastic, but it was pretty dang good. The only problem I had was in the second book when the POV changes (my one dislike about the book, because I liked Lori's POV better.) Echols' had a little trouble portraying Adam's POV, though she did an okay job. However, I did love Echols' writing when it came to the incredibly adorable moments. Even though she sometimes has her troubles with character portrayal, she can sure write a darn good make up scene. (Which there are a lot of in both of the books, trust me.) She writes beautiful endings, (this one made me literally sigh), creates unique characters, and definitely doesn't let the plot get boring. All in all, Jennifer Echols made a wonderful summer romance read that had me swooning.

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LibraryThing member eheinlen

The story seemed all right, but I just couldn't get interested in the characters. I gave the book my customary 20 pages and then stopped.

LibraryThing member CreativeJunkie

2.5 stars. Too little too late in terms of growth of the MC.

LibraryThing member SaschaD

Maybe I shouldn't have read Endless Summer and The Boys Next Door so close together, but because I did I was not enamored with the second book. I still loved the characters, but too many of their antics became grating. I felt like it was an extreme case of deja vu. Also, Echols stellar dialogue

seemed missing for the most part from this book; was it because this one was more melodrmatic? Lori lowered in my opinion and maybe it was because Echols chose to tell this story with two povs. I know readers clamor for it, but really sometimes the readers are wrong. Two povs in a short novel can equal thin characters. If I had read Endless Summer on its own, I might have given an even lower rating. :(

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LibraryThing member SaschaD

Jennifer Echols writes in a realm far above most other ya writers. The Boys Next Door, for instance, in other hands would probably be melodramatic or sappy. Echols, however, has a clever way with dialogue and thought and plot that removes her offerings immediately from the average. The girls are

not whiny nor are they the same in every novel.

In The Boys Next Door Lori is not a typical teenage girl. She is pretty much one of the boys and likes being that until she feels she needs to act on her crush of many years and become girly. Lori isn't snide. She has a sense of humor and has a great rapport with her friends and family. She is flawed, but it's humorous and likeable.

A good summertime read!

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