Samantha lives a perfect, polished life in a beautiful big house with her mother, Senator Grace Reed, and older sister, Tracy. Next door is a very different story. The Garretts are a huge family and life over there is perfectly chaotic. Her mum takes any opportunity to roll her eyes at their house, but Samantha spends the majority of her time looking over into their garden and wishing she could join in with their seemingly much more fun lives. One day, however, Jase Garrett climbs up to sit with her and suddenly she is plunged into the life she always longed for.
As the British spring weather is incredibly temperamental, it’s lovely to dip into a bit of American sunshine with this book. The whole atmosphere of a seaside town in the height of summer is maintained throughout the entire novel and even the little details such as the description of Grace’s homemade lemonade were so effective at building that perfect teen chick-lit vibe. Be warned, this book will make you want to book a sunny holiday, or at the very least make some lemonade!
If you’re looking for a laid back girly read, this is it. My Life Next Door isn’t heavy, but it isn’t sickly sweet either, touching on drink-driving, prejudice, friendship crises and even drug abuse. Despite discussing so many different issues, none of them feel rushed or clumsy and they all added so much to the novel. The only aspect that I felt should have been explored much more was Samantha’s unease over her mother’s Republican politics.
Although the centre of the book, Jase and Samantha’s relationship isn’t all that interesting – both of them are just too perfect to be real. The parts that really hooked me were individual character arcs such as Tim, Samantha’s best friend’s wild brother, and Grace. It is a teen romance but it feels like something bigger due to how many other important characters are featured. My Life Next Door is a really enjoyable book and is perfect for when you need something light to read, such as when you’re in an exam period or have a lot of work to do!
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