My Life Next Door

by Huntley Fitzpatrick

[nitzan_schwarz]

You can find this review and more on my blog, Drugs Called Books

My Life Next Door has been a truly enjoyable read. It captures your attention from page one, and keeps it to the last pages. It makes you feel goofy good at part, and dreadful at others. In the end, it's a "grin book" - a book that makes you feel good, filled with heartwarming love, realistic characters and a story well written.

Summary From Goodreads:
“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.
My Life Next Door is told from the point of view of Samantha Reed, spoken in present tense, giving you the feeling everything is happening right now. I usually have a little trouble adjusting to present-tense writing (since most books I read are told in past-tense), but it fit really nicely here, giving this already realistic novel and even more true-to-life feeling.

The plot for this book was interesting, as you can probably see from the summary. I don't read that many contemporaries, but this had been one of my favorites. There was something very true about it all, and you could really feel what it's like to fall in love, the awkward parts, the sweet parts, the embarrassing parts, the beautiful parts. I loved it.

I also loved the characters. First we have Samantha, the story teller. She was very human in her emotions and actions. Some might criticize them, but I felt her more true to life because of that. We don't always do the right thing. I often tell people that I'd like to believe I will be from those who will, but that I don't know what will happen until I'm there, in the situation. And Sam showed us that. She also had very real fears and concerns, such as over her first time. I felt she was really relate-able.

Then there is Jason "Jase" Garrett. Hmmm... Let's put it like that - he's on my "Perfect Boyfriend List". You know, the ones for all those literature character you'd just die to be real and yours? Yep, he's that incredible. He's sweet, caring, smart, mature, gentle and good tempered. He deals with everything Sam throws his way, even the "dark secret" (Want to find what that is? Go read the book!). I think he acts like that because he truly loves her. I read some reviews that said it was resolved too easily, but I never felt like that. Rather than disagreeing with those reviews, it simply didn't bother me - or the book.

The supporting characters were well done and fleshed out, even when they didn't have a major part in the book. The Garretts were simply awesome, and anyone else see the potential for a series about those 9 children here? I'd love to have a book about Alice (and preferably Tim) or Joel. And Andy and George when they're older.

Then there were Nan and Tim. I loved Tim from the beginning even when he was acting like a douche, which is a little odd because I usually hate the jerky kind. But something about him was appealing from the get-go. Nan... well, I didn't like her as much. I was not surprised with what happened between them, at all, and I've read reviews that said that the author should've resolved it. I disagree. Friends come and go out of your life, and it was so much more realistic and true to the story that that happened.

Then we had Grace and Clay, Samantha's mother and her boyfriend. We all knew Clay was bad news from the beginning, a feeling that kept getting stronger as things progressed. I guess I'm pretty morbid, because I expected him to be a lot worse. He's still a scumbag, but at least not as bad a scumbag as I expected. Does this make sense?
Grace... honestly, I feel sorry for her. I don't hate her, just pity her and for some reason I think that's worse than hate in this case. I did dislike her attitude toward the Garretts, but I think somewhere in her she actually envied them, and their happiness.
But we're not meant to like both those characters, so that okay =]

Now, just a few things I didn't like:
1. The breast-feeding. Don't get me wrong! I've nothing against it, my whole family did it and so will I. The thing is, I think the author really exaggerated it. I mean, feeding in your house; no problem with that. But in front of complete strangers? Seems a little over the top.
2. What is wrong with all those people, complaining about the big family? We're I'm from there are giant families of 12 kids. So? Who're they to criticize it? (Not really a point against the book, considering the author clearly means for us to hate those people, but I really didn't like it).
3. I loved Sam and Jase's romance; I just wish it took more time to developed It takes them a month of knowing each other to both fall in love and lose their virginity to one another. Too quickly. In a way, this is instant love. I'd love if the author made more time pass, even without actually showing us that time - just mentioning that it did.

And that's about it! A very recommended book which you should read, with an average score of 4.15 on Goodreads you can count on it being good for most of you!

Warning: This book is sexually aware and the main characters engage in intercourse throughout the story. Nothing explicit, but if those things bother you, you will not like parts of this story.