My Life Next Door

After reading Fitzpatrick's sophomore novel What I Thought was True, I knew I had to hurry and read her first novel. I tried reading this awhile ago after it had just came out, but at the time I didn't like contemps. I put it down to read some other paranormal book. But now that my tastes have changed, I'm so glad I decided to give this book another try. Because let me tell you... If I had missed out on this story due to something small and stupid like that, I'd never be able to forgive myself. "The Garretts were my bed time story, long before I ever thought I'd be part of the story myself." pg. 6 What I liked most about this story was the characters. For them to be so many, everyone has their own personality and is completely fleshed out. I love that we got to know all of them, regardless of how old they were or how big a part they played in the book. My favorite character was George, He really served as the comic relief in this one. And I'm glad he was there, because I certainly needed his quotes sometimes.Seriously he was one of those kids you'd see on that old show "Kids say the Darnenst Things." As for Samantha, I was so proud of her. She started out as this girl who basically had everything handed to her to someone who almost had it all taken away and yet she never once gave up. She was faced with an impossible situation and she did not let it break her. As for Jase, let's be real. He's the most amazing boy I've ever read met. He was patient, kind, and loving. So many things happened that he should've walked away from them, but he kept it together. Nt for himself or Sam, but for his family too. "I guess I like things that take time and attention. More worthwhile that way." pg. 88 Sam and Jase's romance was a thrilling whirlwind. They fit together so perfectly. And though I'm not a huge fan of perfect romances in teens, this one was just amazing. I think it was the way that Jase was so mature for his age. He didn't seem to act like a non-emotional teen boy. I'm guessing due to the fact that he had sisters, both younger and older. He knows how other boys can be. And because of this, Samantha was lucky. There was so much difference between them, but she didn't let that hinder her from falling for him. Even if she was taught that since they moved in. "I don't think it washes off, I say before I can think. 'What?' 'Guilt.'." pg. 279-280 I also loved the writing style. I said once before that I thought Fitzpatrick was one of my favorite realistic fiction writers and this one solidified the fact. It's funny that I say that because when What I Thought Was True came out, everyone said they liked it but not anywhere near as much as they liked this one. I was impressed because I really liked that one, but I hadn't read this one yet. I didn't think there was that big a difference. But now I understand. When you go from something this good, to something almost as good but not quite, you tend to be a little more judgey. But at the same time, I loved them both. But I can see where people were saying they didn't like it as much as this one. My Life Next Door seems to be in a league all its own. The entire story just flowed along with Fitzpatrick's amazing style for adding just the right amount of detail to make me feel like I'm a bug on the wall or flying next to them instead of just reading the book. "You can't fix everything [...].' 'Yeah, well, I didn't even know it was broken." pg. 328 I was expecting a light fluffy read since everyone had already read and loved it, but that wasn't what I got. There's so many heart breaking secrets that come up and watching Samantha, Jase, the Garretts, the Reeds, and the Masons, sort through them all was heart-wrenching. And that's particularly what I loved the most. I know that's weird, to say you loved the heart ache the most, but it was. I love to be surprsied by what happens in a story, and this one was chock full of them. "Maybe if I can just sleep for a thousand years, I'll wake up in a better story" pg. 351 I opened this one in hopes of a fluffy book to read between tour books. And what I got was exactly the opposite. I've been haning on to this book for a few months now and I just didn't have time to read it. Now I've found myself asking the cliche question: Why haven't I read this sooner?" I loved everything about this story and after finishing it, I want nothing more than to re-read it again.

I really thought I was getting into a pretty light and fluffy book when I first started reading My Life Next Door. It seemed like that at the beginning. This book was so much more than a light summer read. Even though it wasn’t what I thought it would be, I ended up liking it. The characters were really well written. I genuinely liked the Garretts. Maybe it’s because I relate to them a bit. The family is really full of life and there never is a dull moment. The younger kids are especially cute and I love their uncensored comments. Even the characters I didn’t like were so well written because that’s how they were supposed to make the reader feel. I like when I really hate a character I’m supposed to hate. I want to connect with all the characters in some way, and Huntley Fitzpatrick accomplished that. Clay made my blood boil and Grace made me want to know why she was such a weak person. All the characters really made me want to invest myself in them, and that’s how it should be. As the story goes on I thought I had gotten through the main conflict within the book and it got a bit slow. Then I was hit with something even bigger. It really made the book so much than about growing up and first love. The book also ending up becoming about real life adult decisions and family. It also made the book more than a sweet summer romance, which I ended up appreciating. I feel like the book ended without resolving a few things. I want to know more about some of the lesser characters. Maybe my questions will be answered in the next book. At least that’s what I’m hoping. I’m glad I ended up reading this book about summer, first love, and family. Tags: big families first love summer 2 Responses to “Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick” Megan June 24th, 2014 I’ve heard a lot about this one. I think I will give it a try, it sounds excellent. Reply Danya June 24th, 2014 I’ve seen primarily positive things about this one – it does look like a good read for the summer, but nice that it’s not all fluff! I’ve heard that it doesn’t just focus on the romance but has a lot about family as well, which is great because often contemporary YA zeroes in on the romantic plot at the expense of other storylines. Danya recently posted…Get It… or Forget It? (1)My Profile Reply Leave a Reply Name * Email (not published) * Website CommentLuv badge Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Follow Me twitter facebook bloglovin rss goodreads News From The Kingdom Join 345 others who subscribe to the Kingdom and get newsletters straight to their inbox Email address: Search

Once I started it, I couldn't read it fast enough and yet I didn't want it to end. This is a beautifully written story about family and friendship, first love, and learning how to be true to yourself. Huntley Fitzpatrick writes about life with all it's quirkiness, even covering tough topics like politics and addiction with such honesty and humor that had me laughing so hard I cried. Samantha Reed lives a life of relative privilege with her single mother and older sister that includes private school, weekly dinners at the local country club and a summer job where she gets to spend time with her long time BFF, Nan and her twin brother, Tim. Life isn't always what it seems and Samantha's is no different. Her Mom's a Senator and a contradiction of sorts. On one hand, she's rarely around but when she is, she takes "involved" to a whole new level, going as far as checking to see if Samantha's hair is properly conditioned and making sure she's in bed by a certain time each night. (She's seventeen, not seven for crying out loud!) Then there's the issue with the vacuum cleaner and making sure the lines in the carpet are just right. OCD, much? Samantha takes refuge each night on the balcony off her room where she's able to watch the Garretts, the family who lives next door. They're the ones with the 25 kids who obviously never learned what birth control was for or how to properly care for a pool, a yard or a house but managed to snag their own reality T.V. show on TLC. Oh, wait...wrong family. The Garretts really only have 8 kids and yeah, they have all those other things I mentioned, save for the reality T.V. show but that's they way they're treated by a lot of people in town. People feel the need to comment on their lives, how many kids they have, etc., etc., What outsiders fail to miss is how much love the Garretts have going on. Samantha has secretly watched the Garretts for years, something her mother would have a cow over if she ever found out. Her mother thinks the Garretts are "those kind" of people and turns her nose up at them any chance she gets. But all that's about to change when Jase, the smart, funny, considerate and of course, gorgeous boy from the wrong side of the fence decides to climb Samantha's trellis. One simple question will begin a journey of love and adventure that neither Samantha or Jase will ever forget and one that will change both of their families lives' forever. Jase and his family immediately suck Samantha into their big, loud, crazy and close-nit family. Much of the time she is completely out of her element and you can feel her mix of discomfort and fascination which is nothing short of hilarious! She isn't used to life in Garrettville but she's learning to love it and who she is when she's there. But each time Samantha goes home, she still struggles with having to be the person her mother expects her to be. The more time she spends with the Garretts though, the more she learns how to love people even with all of their shortcomings, how to handle delicate situations with little people and the importance of doing what's right regardless of what others may think. Just when Samantha thinks her life couldn't get any better, one choice changes everything leaving her to decide whether what she and Jase have is worth fighting for or if family always comes first. Making the right choice isn't always easy but it's always worth it. I'm known for my book boy crushes, but those are usually reserved for the teenagers, so you can imagine my surprise when I fell completely in love with George, the 4 year old walking encyclopedia of the Garrett family. There were times when he stole this story right out from under Jase and Samantha's noses and stole my heart in the process. A little sample of the awesome that is George: "George gives me a smile, the same dazzling sweet smile as his big brother, although, at this point with green teeth. "I might marry you," he allows, "Do you want a big family?" I start to cough and feel a hand pat my back. "George, it's usually better to discuss these kinds of things with your pants on." Jase drops boxer shorts at George's feet, then sets Patsy on the ground next to him. .... "Is Jase already gonna marry you?" I start coughing again. "Uh, No. No, George. I'm only seventeen." As if that's the only reason we're not engaged. "I'm this many." George holds up four, slightly grubby fingers. "But Jase is seventeen and a half. You could. Then you could live in here with him. And have a big family." Jase strides back into the room, of course, midway through this proposition. "George. Beat it. Discovery Channel is on." George backs out of the room but not before saying, "His bed's really comfortable. And he never pees in it." ...TEAM GEORGE FOR THE WIN! :D All of these characters have something to offer, regardless of age or perceived flaws. Even Tim, Samantha's childhood friend, who comes from a picture perfect home but whose potty mouth is so bad, that if made to fill a jar each time he swore, could put the entire Garrett clan through college, has a charm all his own. He proves that he's quite talented with females, of all ages *wink wink*. He even possess the unique ability to decipher the true meaning of the book, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." (That part made me snort water through my nose.) Tim is also the perfect example that there's always more than meets the eye and when given the chance (sometimes multiple chances), people can surprise you. READ THIS BOOK, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

I have been waiting for the release of this book for MONTHS. Months! That's how wonderful all of the reviews I had been reading were. So many glowing reviews had me anxious to read this book and see what I would find. So what did I find? I LOVED it!!! You guys have got to read this book!!! Definitely one of the top books of the year for me and one that I will be reading over and over, I'm sure. I finished it in the early hours of the morning last night, and I already picked it up and reskimmed it when I woke up, looking for the scenes I loved the most. It was an absolutely sweet, sometimes heart-wrenching, always intriguing book that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. I couldn't put it down until I knew how everything played out in the end. The first thing I noticed when I read this book was that my family is totally like the Garretts. As I read Samantha's mother complain about this huge family next door who always had their toys scattered all over their yard, lowering the property values, a family constantly in motion, I saw my very own family. The van with the old candy wrappers and papers scattered everywhere? Yeah, that's my van. So it was a bit interesting to read the book thinking of my own family in the place of the Garretts. All of the comments that Jase's family dealt with at the store? Yeah, I've heard those too. So I really could feel the reality that their family was in the book. Through the entire book I found myself thinking of all of the things I wanted to write in this review. I just knew that my words were not going to do justice to my feelings as I read. Most importantly ... I do not want to spoil it at all. Samantha faces an amazingly difficult dilemma toward the end of the book that wrings at her conscience, forcing her to decide what the greater good is -- whether she should protect her family or the family of the boy she loves. It is incredibly difficult to read this and try to decide what I would have done in a similar situation. My heart breaks for Samantha. But, I don't want to spoil this experience for everyone so I'll just give a few thoughts: Jase at the beginning of the book: Awesome! Jase at the end of the book: Way awesome! Samantha at the beginning of the book: Sweet! Samantha at the end of the book: Courageous! Nan at the beginning of the book: Driven and successful Nan at the end of the book: Infuriating Tim at the beginning of the book: Stoner loser Tim at the end of the book: Redeemable Samantha's mom at the beginning of the book: Total elitist snob Samantha's mom at the end of the book: Humbled total elitist snob The Garrett family at the beginning of the book: Wonderful The Garrett family at the end of the book: Wonderful and strong! Scene that I loved: He shifts to his back, pointing into the night sky. "Okay, what's that star? And that one?" "The Summer Triangle. That's Vega, and Deneb and Altair. Over there is ... Lyra, Sagittarius ..." I follow the path of the flickering stars with my index finger. "I love that you know this," Jase says softly. "Hey, is that a shooting star? You can wish on those, right?" "An airplane, Jase. See the little red taillight?" "Jesus. Okay. So much for not being lame and goofy." I laugh, lean over to kiss his neck. "You can wish on the airplane anyway, though, if you want." "Somehow the thrill is gone," he says, pulling me close. "Besides, what else would I wish for?" Ahhhh! Love that boy! So, if you haven't read this book yet, put it on your must buy list on amazon. It is the perfect summer read -- the perfect anytime read when you want to read a sweet romance about standing up for what is right, even when it is hard.

Ok, so I read this book yesterday (I was doing some traveling so I needed a book to read on the plane / at the airport) and as much as I want to say I love the book, I just can't. As a 15 year old I do enjoy reading books like the fault in our stars or someone like you (my two favorite books), so when amazon recommended this book I decided to give it a try. I was in love with the first half of the book an I couldn't put it down, a love story between two neighbors, although it was kind of hard to believe that they've lived next to each other for 10 years and they've never met. It started out as a good story but then became mediocre, and I believe the author saw that too. The author seemed like she was only trying to save her book when she threw in all the drama of Grace (Samantha's mom) hitting Jase's dad with her car, Nan (Samantha's best friend) cheating on SATs, Clay (Grace 's boyfriend) forcing Samantha (main character, also Jase's girlfriend) to end her relationship with Jase (main character, also Samantha's boyfriend), etc. And then at the end of this 400 page book (!!!!!), almost none of these problems were resolved except that Jase and Samantha got back together. We never found out if Jase's dad was okay and got out of the hospital, Samantha and Nan's friendship just ended, suddenly completely dropping out of the book and what happened to Clay. All we're left with is Samantha and Nan are no longer friends, Clay left and we don't know why and worst of all, we don't know if Jase's dad recovers (that's the worst lose ending because that was the main drama of the book). Yes, I do realize what I'm about to say is in a weird place but I really didn't know where to put it; towards the middle of the book, it becomes kind of graphic for a young adult book. I'm 15 years old, the expected audience for this book, and in reality I don't want to read every single detail of Samantha and Jase's sex life. It would've been okay if it was like the fault in our stars where you know it happened but you don't know every single detail. It was just too much for a young adult book. So in the end I believe that this book could have been a really good book, but there was not enough in the beginning to keep the reader's attention and then too much in the end, which was never really concluded. This book, at 400 pages, was much too long and seemed to drag on, the same things being repeated chapter after chapter.

My Life Next Door has been high on my TBR list forever! For some reason I just never found the time to read the book but thankfully that time came, and it was just as good as everyone told me it was it. Samantha Reed comes from a very conservative family. Her mother is running for Major of the town and her older sister is living her life at college. For Samantha, her life is okay but she can’t help wish for more. What Samantha’s mother doesn’t know is Samantha watches her crazy next door neighbours – The Garretts. Samantha’s mother would go mad at her but watching them as become a nightly ritual and it gets even harder when one night Jase Garrett joins Samantha on her rooftop perch. From there out Samantha’s life in entwined with the Garretts because of Jase and their growing relationship. But when something happens Samantha stands to lose everything she loves. Aw, this was so good, really good, amazing even. I don’t know what I expected before I went into this story if I’m honest. It was such a long time ago that I read the synopsis that I couldn’t remember what was going to happen and I didn’t re-read it which I usually do, but I’m glad I didn’t because I enjoyed it all the more going in blind. It’s not your typical romance story. It’s not full of drama over the main characters relationships, its more about the events that happen around the character that affects them and I enjoyed that. The story was unpredictable and very sweet oh and fun. I’d definitely say it’s for older teens because the characters were so mature for their ages, but again, I loved that. And of course, the main reason I loved this story was for the spine-tingling romance between Jase and Samantha and of course, the Garrett’s. The Garrett’s are such a lovable, fun, messy, compassionate family that I found myself wishing they were real. Even though their family is quite hectic, I loved them. I definitely think they are my favourite family in a YA contemporary that I’ve read. Samantha and Jase were just so cute together. They were great together and had such a strong connection. I appreciated that they had a patient relationship too; they didn’t rush and took their time in every decision they had to make because they were very responsible characters. The twist near the end of the story is a right shocker – I certainly didn’t expect it but it was so unpredictable. Simply fantastic! The Garrett’s as secondary characters were amazing! I loved them all and again they were so welcoming to everyone they met. And I can’t forget Tim. I warmed up to Tim as the story progresses. He changes so much throughout the story and definitely becomes a better person but no matter what, he is so funny! I’m so thrilled he gets his own story soon and with Alice – I can’t wait! In all, My Life Next Door is the perfect summer read. I couldn’t fault it one bit except to say I wish I’d read it sooner.

I got the hype, you guys! I totally got the hype! My Life Next Door was such an amazing contemporary! I couldn’t help buy eat it up as soon as I started reading it! This book was all kinds of cute, and it was about so much more than the romance! So this book is about Samantha Reed, the girl with the supposed perfect family. She lives next door to the Garretts, who according to Sam’s mom are not perfect. However one day Jase Garrett climbs up Samantha’s balcony and irrevocably enters her life. If there’s something I loved about this book, it was the Garretts. They were such an amazing family! It made me long for a big, messy, and loud family like them. Their dynamics were so adorable because they all helped each other out and supported each other, like a real family. Also, no matter how big the family was, each character had their own distinctive voice. I especially loved George! I want a George as my brother, lol. “Is Jase already gonna marry you?” I start coughing again. “Uh, No. No, George. I’m only seventeen.” As if that’s the only reason we’re not engaged. “I’m this many.” George holds up four, slightly grubby fingers. “But Jase is seventeen and a half. You could. Then you could live in here with him. And have a big family.” Sam was easy enough to get along with. She was very down to earth and I could really relate to her. Her issues were very real and I could feel really strongly the emotions she was. Jase Garrett is THE BEST YA book boyfriend out there. He’s sweet, he’s kind, and he’s charming. He never had a secret agenda. He was completely adorable and I could totally see why Sam would be interested in him! “You have to kiss me," I find myself saying. "Yeah." He leans closer. "I do.” This book has a lot of twists and turns, and it was so emotionally draining! There were moments where I was laughing, moments where I was fangirling, sad moments, and moments where I wanted to yell out in rage. I think I even cried in one part because I was so enraged at something that happened. The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because I was left with a lot of questions at the ending. I’m hoping the sequel will address this, but still I wish it could’ve been addressed here. Which reminds me, I REALLY CAN’T WAIT FOR THE COMPANION/SEQUEL THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT TIM AND I LOVE TIM!! Anyways, overall this book is really awesome because it’s a different kind of contemporary that deals with different realistic issues. I loved the family aspect, and the romance was completely adorable and swoon-worthy. “In movies, it’s never half so lovely as it is here and now with Jase.”

I’m sure many of you have read reviews about My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It’s a book that has been thoroughly reviewed in book blogs. So I apologize for adding yet another review, but My Life Next Door is seriously an amazing read! I was hesitant at first to pick up My Life Next Door because it’s quite pricy. Plus it was the only book written by this author. Luckily though, I finally decided to purchase it after debating over it for months! Firstly the characters are amazing! I can’t get enough of them. Samantha, Jase, and all the Garretts have such distinct personalities. I was a bit curious about this because there just seem to be so many Garretts, but each one of them seem to have their own voice. (Or well the ones that can speak at least…) I surely don’t think I could ever have that many children or brothers and sisters. Plus I’m such a financially conscious person that I’d probably concur with Jase. It’s probably amazing to have so many siblings and such a big family, but you have to question how that’s financially possible and what’s in store for their children once they get older… Regardless though, it was sure fun to read! The romance between Samantha and Jase was so sweet. They seemed to click quite easily, even though Samantha felt like an outsider at first. Their relationship wasn’t all perfect, but I love how they never really had any major issues because of each other. Most of their problems were due to outside forces, impinging on their relationship. Their biggest problem was Samantha’s mother and her boyfriend, which really comes at no surprise. Something was bound to happen because of them. Plot wise, My Life Next Door actually did keep me on my toes. Problems that kept getting thrown at Samantha particularly by her mother and her best friend were a bit shocking. I really sympathized with her. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to go through everything she went through all in one summer. One thing I kept wondering was what ever happened to her sister? She was so MIA throughout the whole book and wouldn’t even answer Samantha’s calls. Talk about a broken family… The big climax though was a shocker. I never thought something along those lines would happen, and I couldn’t believe how her mother reacted to that. Samantha’s mother is definitely no role model. Anyways, I’d give My Life Next Door 5 stars! It was fun and creative. Plus I love Samantha and Jase! I do wish I’d get to see more of Sam. Some of her problems, particularly with her best friend, weren’t resolved. It kind of makes me wonder what will happen once her senior year starts. That’s my only major grievance. Hopefully it’ll be touched upon in the sequel - The Boy Most Likely To, which focuses on Tim. Tim actually grew on me by the end of My Life Next Door. I’m curious to see how he grows in the next story.

Once I picked this book up I had a really hard time putting it back down. I loved the relationship between Jase and Samantha. The Garrett family was such a big, loving and energetic family. This book made me want to move next door to them too. Took off 0.5 of a star as Jase was in my opinion a little too perfect: great with people, babies, animals, fixing things, athletic, understanding and forgiving. There wasn't anything about him that was annoying or that I didn't like. A little too good to be true unfortunately. The other reason for the 0.5 star off was the lack of consequences to the culprit after the incident. I felt that not enough explanation was given as to why certain decisions were made, and the person escaped relatively unscathed. I do look forward to reading more by this author.

Smantha Reedは母と姉と3人暮らし。 議員の母のおかげで何一つ不自由のない生活をおくるが、自由な姉とは違い、母の言うなりの'いい子’なSamanthaは8人の子供がいる隣のGarrett家を眺め、自分の家とは正反対の雰囲気に魅了され、夢見ている。 母はその乱雑さに嫌悪感を示し、10年間不思議なくらい何の交流もなかった。 ある晩Jase GarrettがSamanthaの家の屋根に登って来るまでは。 それからあっという間に惹かれあい、愛し合う2人だがある事故が起き・・・ この夏がSamanthaの人生を一変してしまう。 Samanthaの友達で双子のNanとTimとの友情の変化や(Nanの気持ちもなんとなく解る）、Garrette家のちびっこ達との交流など盛りだくさんで、もう少し続きが読みたかったかなー・・・と。 でも結末に満足です。

A very good read, easy to get into and relatable characters

Una storia bella e commovente. Ho amato il moltitudine di personaggi presente nel romanzo e la crescita dii alcuni di loro mi ha davvero sorpresa. Non vedo l'ora di leggere il seguito.

La historia de Samantha y Jase es muy dulce. La historia tiene un giro interesante.