Lola at Last

January 1, 2023
A modern-day Lydia Bennet learns to love the outdoors and her own company. Lola Barnes comes alive when she's the center of attention, even though the attention isn't entirely positive. Which is how she ends up accidentally setting off a flare gun on a boat at a party where her former best friends have snubbed her. The boat, which belongs to her sister and brother-in-law, is seriously damaged, and Lola is presented with a choice: participate in Hike Like a Girl, the summer wilderness program her brother-in-law sits on the board of, or face criminal charges. Meanwhile, Kat, Lola's twin sister, is distant, and Ezra Reuben, Lola's old lab partner, seems to pull back every time Lola tries to get close. Over the course of the summer, Lola must deal with blisters, a poop shovel, and her own culpability in her damaged relationships, but she also finds new friends, new love, spectacular vistas, and the peace that comes with being comfortable in her own skin. Austen fans will appreciate the parallels with Pride and Prejudice, but familiarity with the novel is not required to enjoy this tale of a selfish party girl growing into someone who is still exuberant but more generous and responsible. Central characters are White. An engaging read for anyone who's used to being underestimated--by others as well as themselves. (Fiction. 12-18)

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January 9, 2023
Upcoming high school senior Lola Barnes is forced to reckon with the consequences of a public scandal in this witty Pride and Prejudice–inspired jaunt by Peterson (Being Mary Bennet). Californian Lola is a stereotypical party girl who’s willing to do anything to keep herself in the spotlight. But when she accidentally sets fire to her brother-in-law Will’s brand-new yacht, her quest for attention leaves her with limited choices. Lola must attend Will’s sister’s rigorous all-girl hiking boot camp, where Lola is expected to learn “self-reliance, confidence, and cooperation,” or he’ll press criminal charges for the incident. Though Lola despises hiking, she agrees to attend, and immediately butts heads with the other teens and their no-nonsense camp leader. Lola realizes she’ll have to adjust her attitude to avoid expulsion from the program, but even as she reexamines her past behavior and self-destructive tendencies, she fears she’ll never be able to truly change. The insight and self-reflection Lola gains into herself and her peers while learning to manage her impulsivity is worthwhile, and her gradual embracing of her natural surroundings, highlighted by evocative scenes of wilderness beauty, is artfully portrayed through a series of comical triumphs and missteps. Ages 13–up. Agent: Amy Elizabeth Bishop, Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret.

August 4, 2023

Gr 8 Up-Lola Barnes used to have it all: popularity, a hot guy, and an inseparable relationship with her twin sister, Kat. But when it gets out that she and the aforementioned guy have been cheating on his girlfriend, Lola is sent away to boarding school, and when she returns to the Bay Area a year later, everything has changed. Lost without her social status and confused by Kat's new frosty attitude toward her, Lola accidentally sets fire to a boat during a party. She is sent to a highly competitive intensive hiking program intended to teach her responsibility and give her a new attitude toward life. Everyone around her assumes that this will be one more thing Lola will fail at, but can she prove them all wrong? This is marketed not as a sequel, but rather as a companion novel to Peterson's debut, Being Mary Bennet. While it does stand mostly on its own, it is helpful to have met the extended cast of Lola's family prior to reading this. Fans seeking a similarly playful Pride and Prejudice adaptation might be slightly disappointed with this story, but readers who enjoy well-written character development and personal growth narratives will be in for a treat. Peterson's writing is solid and characterizations are again very well done, and there's enough drama to go around. VERDICT A good purchase for any YA collection. This has a little something for everyone: romance, drama, character growth, and beautiful descriptions of nature abound.-Chelsey Masterson

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