Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Publication Date: June 14, 2012

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

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.

My Thoughts
My Life Next Door is a great YA contemporary that would make an awesome addition to any summer beachside reading list. Huntley Fitzpatrick’s debut novel is full of laughs, heartfelt moments, memorable friendships and just downright good storytelling. Samantha and Jase’s adventure is one I won’t soon forget. Absolutely lovely!!

First off, let me share that as I find my reading choices altering quite a bit, there’s one genre I probably won’t ever grow out of and that’s YA contemporary. I’ve pretty much had my fill of teenage love triangles, shiny vampires, and absentee parents that seem to be formulaic of most YA. So if I’m going to invest my time in young adult, as of late I’d like it to be something completely unique and/or realistically possible. It’s no secret that the YA market is absolutely flooded, so unless an author has an established fan base, any new contender needs to be ready with something different or something that will resonate with their audience. For My Life Next Door the secret ingredient that Fitzpatrick infused in her story was the believability of her characters who shared common problems making them feel relatable.

Jase and Sam have lived next door to each other for years, but have never approached one another in all that time. Jase comes from a loud, full-of-life and large family - we’re talking 8 brothers and sisters total in the Garrett family. This contrasts dramatically from Sam’s quiet existence being the daughter of the Senator who is expected to be polished and on her game at every moment because of the spotlight placed on her family. She’s watched Jase’s family from afar, but because of her mother’s feelings about “Those Garretts,” she’s never had the nerve to engage with them. That all changes one summer night when Jase climbs her terrace and changes Sam’s life forever.

I’d like to commend Fitzpatrick for her ability to infuse a reasonable amount of conflict in her story without running the risk of making it feel overly dramatic or contrived. She created a believable representation of true life for a teenage girl embarking on a life altering summer.

Samantha Reed is the MC in this novel, and I enjoyed meeting this character. She had some tough events happen to her in a few short summer months. Most of it was left slightly unresolved, but that’s okay because to tie her story with a pretty red bow would be to sell her adventure short. I admired the choices she made when it came to how she handled her best friend, Tim and “big incident” involving her mom. She definitely felt the brunt of her choices, but she stood behind her decisions and I applauded that.

Jase was a perfect partner for Samantha. Their maturity levels were truly magnified in how they interacted with each other and the two families involved. I loved them as a couple, but I adored them as individuals. Great character development where these two were concerned.

I’d also like to make a note of how simply enamored I was with little George. He was an absolute adorable addition to the story. I enjoyed his mental frenzy and how tender Jase and Sam handled him. What a cute little kid with such a commanding presence.

On a final note, I have to share how slightly put off I was with Mr. and Mrs. Garrett. For the most part, I can stand aside and realize that adults should be able to make their own choices because it’s up to them to deal with the consequence. I don’t have any issues with people that have a large family and I know it’s not my place to render any judgment left or right in this case. But when it came to the Garrett’s, each addition to their family felt like an “oops we’re pregnant again,” and when even the older children who were suffering the heavy lifting of caring for the little ones, supporting the family business, figuring out how to make their way to college… it just felt irresponsible on the parent’s part and unfair for the kids. That issue seemed to stay on my mind the entire time and I felt bad for the Garrett kids for their parent’s lack of judgment. That is all I want to say on that.

Overall though, I enjoyed My Life Next Door and I will definitely keep my eye out for other novels by this author. Add me to her fan base… I was pleased. :)

4 Snowflakes