What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedLOL
Lisa Azuelos · Film · 2012
If you loved LOL, start with Awkward. (Lauren Iungerich, 2011) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to LOL across media.
If you loved LOL, you are drawn to the messy, high-stakes navigation of relationships between mothers, daughters, and the complexities of growing up.
Books on the same thread
Smile
Raina Telgemeier · Book
Explores: adolescent awkwardness, dental trauma, school social dynamics.
Much like the teenage social pressures found in LOL, this story captures the specific, painful awkwardness of navigating middle school friendships and finding your identity amidst constant peer judgment.
The Twilight Saga
Stephenie Meyer · Book
Explores: forbidden love, immortality, high school social dynamics.
If the high school romance and social dynamics of LOL hooked you, these supernatural entanglements offer that same intense, all-consuming focus on the drama of teenage love and identity.
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins · Book · 2008
Explores: authoritarianism, class inequality, spectacle of violence.
While this moves away from the domestic setting of LOL, you will recognize the same high-stakes pressure of being a young woman forced to navigate a difficult, often unforgiving world.
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with LOL: First Love.
This captures the same emotional intensity and coming-of-age vulnerability found in LOL, focusing on how young people form profound connections while facing the overwhelming realities of their lives.
Series on the same thread
Gilmore Girls
Amy Sherman-Palladino · Series · 2000
Shares 2 threads with LOL: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Coming-of-Age Story.
If you appreciated the mother-daughter friction in LOL, you will thrive on this iconic series, which masterfully explores the intimate, fast-paced bond between two generations of women.
Girls
Lena Dunham · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with LOL: Coming-of-Age Story.
This picks up where the teenage angst of LOL leaves off, showing the messy, realistic journey of young women as they struggle with friendship, romance, and finding their own way.
My So-Called Life
Winnie Holzman · Series · 1994
Shares a thread with LOL: First love.
This series mirrors the core themes of LOL, perfectly articulating the alienation and confusion that occur when a teenager feels disconnected from her parents while navigating first love.
Awkward.
Lauren Iungerich · Series · 2011
Shares 3 threads with LOL: Teen Angst, First Love, Teen Comedy-Drama.
If the social chaos and humor of LOL resonated with you, this show provides a similarly irreverent look at how a single misunderstanding can define a teenager's entire experience.
Podcasts on the same thread
LOL Club
Podcast
Explores: humor, conversational, comedy podcast.
If you enjoyed the conversational, teen-focused tone of LOL, this podcast offers a similar space to engage with humor and the casual, relatable discussions that define current youth culture.
The LOL Podcast
Cash, Maverick, Kate, Harper, Kenzie · Podcast
Explores: comedy podcast, conversational podcast.
Fans of the digital-age connectivity seen in LOL will appreciate this conversational podcast, which captures the same spirit of modern, casual dialogue between friends and peers.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the central conflict in LOL?
In LOL, the central conflict involves Lola and her friends navigating high school peer pressures while dealing with a communication gap between Lola and her mother, Anne, after Anne reads her daughter's private journal.
Does LOL explore the relationship between parents and teenagers?
Yes, LOL explores the relationship between teenagers and their parents. The film focuses on how Lola and her friends manage social pressures while their parents attempt to understand their children's lives, often leading to significant communication barriers.
Is LOL set in a world with modern technology?
Yes, LOL is set in a world where characters are connected by platforms such as YouTube, iTunes, and Facebook. This digital environment plays a role in how the characters navigate their social lives and romantic relationships.
How does Anne discover the contents of Lola's journal in LOL?
In the film LOL, Anne discovers the contents of her daughter's journal when she accidentally reads it. This event highlights the wide communication gap existing between the mother and her teenage daughter.