MY LIFE NEXT DOOR - HUNTLEY FITZPATRICK

Title - MY LIFE NEXT DOOR

Author - Huntley Fitzpatrick

Genre - Young Adult

Pages - 394

"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. 

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I usually pick my books looking at the things connoisseurs of Fiction have to say about them. People's reviews raved about how lovely, light and impassioned this book was and so I picked it up and opened to page 1.

I hate to do this... for me the book, though well written incorporating many things that relate to reality , was a total drag. I took more than a week to complete it, the only character I thoroughly enjoyed was Tim (Nan's brother), and my expectation and hopefulness for an extremely dramatic/mind blowing ending was burnt to white ash. 

I was looking for something light, but though the language of this novel wasn't difficult to comprehend at all, it was, astonishingly, an extremely heavy read. The story progressed very slowly, and it lacked that oomph that makes you want to keep turning pages. 

What I liked about this story was the reality of people with different financial and social statuses. The story, with such a wonderful premise, could have had a lot more emotion to it, especially since the book is narrated by Sam, the protagonist. Jase, the boy next door seemed very real and lovable. His family is sort of how big families actually are and it was wonderful to read about the chaos and affection in Jase's house.

I wanted this book to be more, I wish it was more.