REVIEW: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Published by Egmont on 7th January 2016
Pages: 394
Source: *Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

"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.

This novel. I have a love/hate relationship with contemporary novels. And this one, after all the praise surrounding it, was not my cup-of-tea. I do like the cover though, it is cheesy, but its simple, bright and cheerful.

Sam has always lived next door to the Garretts. A massive family whom Sam has been banned from interacting with for the majority of her life, yet watches from her bedroom window. But when she meets Jase from next-door, things start to become complicated, and Sam begins to contemplate whether the life she is leading is really what she wants.

I found Sam to become very frustrating through the progression of the novel. At first, she seemed like a happy and bubbly girl, who helped those around her and always tried her best. But as the novel progressed I found myself frustrated with her, she just would not do what she had and wanted to do. Everything seemed to revolve around her. And then Sam would go on and on about how everything happened to her, alongside the fact that she didn't want to be seen outside with her boyfriend. My other character dislike in this novel was Sam's 'best friend' Nan. I use these apostrophes because she was no best friend, I wouldn't even class her as a friend. She was an absolutely horrible person. Nan would make little terrible comments towards Sam and then cheats on all her test, Sam finds out and confronts her, yet Nan blames Sam for Nan doing it, does not talk to Sam at all and basically gets mad at Sam, stating it is her fault and she cannot be friends with her anymore because apparently Sam is horrible for finding out Nan has been cheating and making her have to cheat... what?! It made no sense whatsoever.

The plot of this novel. It was one of the only reasons I carried on because there were certainly some twists that I was not expecting. However, apart from those areas, there was nothing unique about it. Nothing there to make stand it out from any other contemporary out there. It could be slow-paced at times, and uninteresting. Sadly it started great, and just went downhill from then-on.

Sadly My Life Next Door just did not live up to my expectations and I am very disappointed.