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Monday, August 6, 2012

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next DoorMy Life Next Door
Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 14, 2012

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.
To sum it up, I'd say that My Life Next Door is a great summer read. It was really and light (though it had its moments filled with drama). Although it was lacking that extra something to make me love it, I still really enjoyed it. 
Sam is the quiet one in her family. Her mom is an extreme perfectionist and busy-body while her sister has spent most of her teenage years rebelling. In the beginning, Sam is reserved in a way that lets people walk over her at times. By the end, though, she definitely takes charge of her own life. I really enjoyed watching her grow into herself. 
And all of the other characters. There were a lot. I felt that each and every one of them were very realistic, flaws and all. They all had their own stories and I really liked that. 
About the first half of this book was pretty light-hearted. About halfway through it turned really serious and dramatic. There was a lot of emotion in this book but I really enjoyed the roller-coaster. 
This isn't my favorite book, but I sill enjoyed it. Both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, this is a great summer read!
Silver Medal

I just wanted to capture the essence of summer in this beach scene

5 comments:

  1. I cannot wait to read this one - everyone has been saying such great things about it :)

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  2. Sounds great. I love watching a mc grow into themselves.
    Thanks for review,
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  3. I've read a lot of reviews similar to yours, which have made me decide to put it on the back burner until my review load is not so heavy. I also have a hard time with emotional reads. We'll see!

    Thanks for stopping by my review of From What I Remember... I really want to read Smart Girls Get What They Want, so I love that you mentioned it!

    - Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl

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  4. With the other weather at the moment, I always like to stick with fluffy, summer reads so this one sounds perfect for it :) Thanks for sharing!

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