My Life Next Door

Original Title: My Life Next Door

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Release Date: June 14th 2012
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A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“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.

Wow. Just wow! I believe I loved every single second of this book and I read it in two nights. It was thrilling, sweet, amazing, fun, sad – it had every emotion I want and expect from a book. Even though there were some parts that were a bit slower than the others, it was still a fantastic read and if the author writes a sequel or a story about Tim (or, let’s say, Alice?) someday, I’d pick it up in a heartbeat.

The only thing I did not like was Nan, Sam’s best friend. I’m sorry, but she was just.. Yeah. I was not her biggest fan. I bet there are people who didn’t like Clay either, but I think he was awesome because he was that type of a character you love to hate, so in a way I did like him. That being said, there wasn’t anything else I did not like, so let us continue with the good parts of this story, shall we?

Sam. Nan thinks everything comes easily for her; however, it doesn’t. She’s a freaking teenager and about to start her senior year in highschool, but since her mother is the Senator, she has to be polite, nice, well behaved etc and cannot enjoy her youth that much. Her mother has already gone trough pareting her older sister Tracy, so she doesn’t want Samantha to do anything stupid and expects her to behave like an adult, because her elections and image are the most important thing to her. Sam really seems like a ghost in her own house and in her mother’s life unless it’s about presenting their family of three on television or going to important meals. There were two things I liked about her the most: firstly, she likes to swim (one of my favorite hobbies) and, secondly, she tries her best to make everyone feel good and happy.

She’s watched their next door neighbours – the Garretts – for years, but has never approached them. During one night, while she’s at her rooftop, one of them comes to say hello. His name is Jase an he’s this awesome gifted guy who’s good at everything. Jack of all trades! He’s a sweet, caring, fun, hard-working guy and his family is everything to him. Jase is very rational and down to earth. He would be a great guy to be friends with and, what’s more, he’s ridiculously good-looking.

These two adolescents grow to love each other and everything seems like a fairy tale. Until it isn’t. Almost everyone in town, including Sam’s mother, points their finger at the Garretts due to their huge family. I liked their family. It was a bit chaotic, but it was a family and it’s more than you can say about Sam’s relationship with her mother. It’s not like they don’t get along, it’s just that she doesn’t seem to enjoy her life at home as much as she enjoys it at the Garretts. Anyway, it’s all lovey-dovey at the beginning and it’s not until towards the end of the book you start to wonder that there must be something happening real soon. And BAMM!! It happens.

So.. The question is: how do they get trough this horrible situation? How would you act if you had a big secret to hide that’s not yours to tell, since you weren’t the one at fault, but it affects the people you love the most? What would you do if you need and want to tell the truth, but it could send someone very important to you to jail? What would you do if this secret tears you apart from the one person you trust the most?

It was a really, really good book and I’ll probably read it again someday. I definitely recommend this book. You should read it because of George, Jase’s little brother, and Tim, Sam’s childhood friend and Nan’s brother. You should read it because of this beautiful love story between these wild young hearts. What a great story!

Excerpts:

“Why would I need rescuing? This is my house, my roof.”
“I don’t know. It just hit me, seeing you there, that you might be Rapunzel. The princess in the tower thing. All that long blond hair and…well…”
“And you’d be?” I know I’m going to laugh if he says “the prince.”

“Samantha and I are going upstairs to, uh, feed the animals.” Jase grabs my hand.
“Is that what they call it now?” asks Alice languidly.

“It'd be good if you'd stop apologizing right about now." 

"It's about all I've got to fix things.”

Rating: 5/5.