My Life Next Door

Book: My Life Next Door

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick

Publisher: DIAL

Dude! I read Unravelling last week and I genuinely thought that that was going to be my top book of 2012. No contest. Then My Life Next Door arrived on my doorstep and, well…..move over Unravelling! (Which I still highly recommend!). 

This book is amazing. I just loved it. I felt like making up a whole new rating system because I felt it deserved a million out of ten. It's that good. 

 Our protagonist is Samantha, who is a seventeen year old perfectionist-perfect hair, perfect grades, and a perfect senator mother. Who doesn't really pay all that much attention to her perfect, wonderful daughter...unless she steps out of line. Next door to Samantha live the Garretts, who are loud, messy and boisterous. Samantha is fascinated by this loving family-and when Jace Garrett climbs up her trellis one night, her whole world is changed utterly. Samantha feels properly loved for the first time in her life-but then something terrible happens, and Samantha worries that she might have lost her fleeting happiness forever.

Things I loved about this book: Jace. Perfect, sexy Jace....sigh. Next thing: Jace’s little brother George, who is four and worries about everything. I just wanted to eat him up. And the baby, Patsy, whose first word was ‘boob’. Bless! I also liked the fact that Samantha knows she has it good. Her Mum might be completely self absorbed and disinterested, but she provides her daughter with a nice life and a comfortable home. I’m always annoyed by protagonists who are whiny when they have nothing to whine about, you know?

This is also a proper romance; it’s lovely. The relationship between Samantha and Jace is sweet and relatable and real. It made me pine for the sexy neighbour I’ve never had (sniff. Cry).

Rating: Ten out of Ten.

Get. Read. Now.