Sunday, April 12, 2015

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Published: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers

Synopsis: "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, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.
****
Oh! My! Gosh! Huntley Fitzpatrick (what a brilliant author, I tell you) is a new favorite author of mine and My Life Next Door is a new favorite Contemporary!

I’ve read this book almost two years ago when it first came out in 2012, and I’m just writing a review for it. And I’m surprised how much I still remember almost every single scene in that book. I love that kind of books, don’t you? You’ve read a book once and it just stayed with you for a long time? That’s My Life Next Door for me. I loved every single thing in the book.

Samantha Reed is smart, quiet and somewhat lonely. She’s a character that I connected with right away. I loved how she’s independent, mature and simply a good person. And I loved her more when she met Jase Garrett. Jase is sweet, caring, and also mature. They came from two completely difference households; even then they are so perfect for each other. I loved their friendship and their love story. I’ve read a lot of contemporaries about first love, but I truly loved the take on this book. Not only their relationship is based on being intimate with each other physically, it’s also emotional bond as well. We don’t see that often in YA contemporaries these days, so it was refreshing.

I’m very impressed by Fitzpatrick’s debut novel, and I’m so going to read her What I Thought Was True book as well us the second book (a companion, I’m guessing) in this series coming out this year.

I’m just going say that if you have not read this book you are missing out. I’m serious! This book is everything you’d want in a contemporary. It’s a charming, deep and real contemporary that you won’t be able to put down. So go head and buy it, borrow it or whatever, as long as you read it.

Rating: 5/5 (Recommend it; so buy it, devour it, love it!)

1 comment:

  1. Oh, I'm really getting in to contemporaries at the moment, so I can't wait to give this a try! Thank you for the review :)
    Beth x
    www.thequietpeople.com

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