My Life Next Door 
By: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Reviewed by: Kate P. ‘19
Summary: Samantha Reed is 17, and her summer has just begun. With her (some what) rebellious sister away for the summer, Samantha is stuck at home working two jobs. Her mother, Grace, is one of the state senators, and running for re-election. In a household where every rug is vacuumed (even if it doesn’t have dust), and even dinner has a schedule, Samantha is expecting an uneventful summer.
Then Clay Tucker, Grace’s campaign manager … and her boyfriend (??) is suddenly always around. And Samantha isn’t his biggest fan. In addition, Samantha meets her neighbor, Jace Garrett, and his family. They are everything Grace hates: unorganized, loud, and much, much too big. But Samantha likes Jace, and Jace likes Samantha, so … awkward. Samantha’s challenge: get through a crazy (and schedule packed) summer, while keeping relationships with her friends and family intact. That is not easy.
My Opinion: My Life Next Door, by Huntley Fitzpatrick, is one of my favorite books. Although it falls in the romance genre, Fitzpatrick encompasses other themes, such as love and friendship, and learning to discover your own values. I think the end drags on a bit, but most of the book is fast paced, and I found it very hard to put down. I recommend My Life Next Door to upper schoolers, because there is some adult content that may make middle schoolers uncomfortable. It is a young adult book that is funny and exciting, while also having overarching themes that can be found in real life.
Other Books By Huntley Fitzpatrick: If you like My Life Next Door, you may like these books by Huntley Fitzpatrick as well:
- The Boy Most Likely To
- What I Thought Was True
Fun Book Fact: the 3 most read books in the world are:
- The Holy Bible
- Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung by Mao Zedong
- Harry Potter (YES!) by J.K. Rowling
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-10-most-read-books-in-the-world-infographic-2012-12