My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is a excellent, slow contemporary read. It is perfect to read during the summer vacation, though it is the kind of book to be read slowly: day by day. I give this book overall a rating of 4/5.
Samantha is the daughter of a state senator, who is running for reelection with the help of a new, suspicious character: Clay. The whole of the book takes place in a small Connecticut tourist beach town during the Summer. After watching her next door neighbors, who has about eight kids-and who her mom detests-, one day one of them, Jase Garret, finally meets her… and that’s where it all begins.
The words/phrases I would use to describe this book would be: down to earth, slow, dramatic, contemporary, and family oriented. There is a strong focus on relationships: family, friends, and Jase. You go through and experience Sam’s challenges, conflicts, and growth. The characters are all mostly-with few exceptions- well developed. Especially all of the Garrets! Each one of those many kids had a unique personality and had their own voice. The younger ones are all so cute and funny! It makes me wish I belonged to such a big, and very, very loving family.
All of the conflicts in this book were well written and just… excellent! They were logical, and didn’t seem random or out of place/weird. They fitted and caused Sam and others to grow. Some of them were a total shock and surprise! Just genius.
Honestly, I can’t really think of any legitimate complaints about this book. Sure it wasn’t captivating enough to make me want to read it all in one sitting, but that’s the beauty of this book. It’s so down to earth that you just have to read it slowly, day by day. It’s just its own unique nature that shouldn’t devalue it.
I recommend this to teens to read during the summer. Especially those looking for a good, almost realistic read. For other reads, I suggest practically any Sarah Dessen novel.
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