My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This was more than just a fluffy summer YA romance.

and it's totally giving 2012. 

        Stating this review, it's essential to acknowledge that this book was, in fact, published in 2012, and is also a YA book. Now, this fact is very telling if you know anything about YA books of this time period. If you don't, let me take a second to enlighten you on the angsty teen romance genre of the 2010s. They are usually set in summer, there is almost ALWAYS a love story, and overall generally, crazy things happen, and we are supposed to act like they are normal. It's more of a feeling than I can explain, but if you were a YA reader in 2012 (or have read a Sarah Design book), you know exactly what I am talking about. With that in mind, let's get into it. 

    My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is about 17-year-old Samantha, who strikes up a romance with her next-door neighbor Jase.  Jase is from a large family frowned upon and marked "off-limits" by Samanthas strict well-to-do senator trust fund baby mother. Samantha is her youngest unproblematic daughter who struggles against all her mother's rules. As their relationship evolves, Samantha must really focus on what's important to her, and when tragedy strikes, Samantha must make some choices. 

    Now, *spoilers* as this is a large part of the book, and to really discuss this in all its 2012 glory, we must dive into this point right away. Simply reading the back of the book, we are promised that the "unthinkable" will happen. This is, quite frankly, a looming bit of anxiety throughout the entire book until it hits. The unthinkable is when Samantha's mother drunk drives and hits Jase's dad and drives away, leaving him in the ICU and his family struggling with hospital bills and trauma. Clay, Samantha's mother's boyfriend, who is shady as fuck through this whole thing, convinces Samantha's mother to keep it a secret, and the entire second half of the book deals with this. This is where it goes downhill; what once was a sweet romance with some family drama turns into a crime scene that is being dealt with by two 17-year-olds. 

    Now, I have some significant issues with how this was dealt with. Of course, I understand the struggle, Samantha. Should I tell, or should I not, and all that. But when creepy Clay started threatening two teenagers and Samantha's mother just let it happen, I was out. I mean, come on. Then, when Samantha's mother decided to fess up long after she should have, everyone accepted it. Like what? Additionally, when Jase found out first from Samantha, yes, it was not her fault, but he was just cool with her knowledge and let it all go a paragraph later? And why was he more upset that she told her stoner friend Tim before she did him?  Like she knew all this time and did not tell you, bro, and you are just cool with that because she said sorry? This is just so much to unpack. Now, this whole plot point made the book considerably worse. I would have much rather this have been a little fluffier with a less high-stakes conflict, like, say, they are separated by Samantha's upbringing and her crazy mom, and not a secret crime and political indiscretion.

    Now, with this in mind, I will nitpick the good part of this story as though Gracie is not a horrible mother and Clay is just her boyfriend Samantha is having trouble adjusting to and not some manipulative and abusive creep who helps commit a literal crime. So now, finally, we can start from the beginning. I really enjoyed Jase and Samantha, they had some adorable moments, and it was a YA summer romance at its peak. Like, I could genuinely just take more scenes of them going around town and being in love. What's odd, though, is that before they met, Samantha would watch his family from her roof, which like is weird. Like she would just watch them all the time for years, and Jace knew!!! In fact, he was like cool with it; he was watching her too. This is an odd way to start a relationship, stalking each other for years and only vaguely acknowledging it; like what? It was weird. 

    Also, they move insanely fast. One minute they are just getting to know each other; the next, they are in love. I get it; we needed them to be in love to move on, but we could have spent more time on them, like getting to know each other and then just not doing the whole crime thing. Really it would have made for a much better book. One of these fast moments is when Sam was at work, and Jase showed up and like tried to kiss her in front of her boss, and then when she was like, no, he was like, what's wrong. I'm sorry, but if a guy I just kissed for the first time yesterday showed up at my work and tried to kiss me, I would be weirded out too. Like, when was that ever appropriate. Of course, she does not want to kiss you. She is working; that's not weird; it's normal and respectful!!!! Then, the scene just changes. The scenes are always just changing. Like you think you will stay and, you know, work things out, but nope new scene! Like why did we not really get to stay after Jase met Sam's mom? That was more important than half the other shit I read in this book. Yet, despite some of the issues that the author gave them, Jase and Sam were still cute, as were many of the other characters in this book. 

    Jase's entire family is super sweet, and it's fun reading about them, although I firmly believe that it's wrong to call a baby Patsy. Like why would they do her like that? Also, if Patsy can say Boob, she is much too old to be breastfeeding, the whole Patsy screams and says boob all the time thing was weird and unnecessary; why was that an actual plot point. Tim really pulled through, although it was very odd he was a teenage alcoholic and drug addict, and besides making him go to AA and talking to him about it, literally, no one was helping him. He's honestly a champ; Tim deserves better and is a much better bestie than Nan. Literally, what the fuck was even Nan's problem. She and Sam have a whole blowup, and she breaks their friendship because she feels Sam is better than her, even though Sam has been an excellent friend. Like Sam helped her with her brother, sat with her when she was sad, and like was there for her, and she is a horrible person because what? She has a boyfriend who loves her, and who she actually likes? Come on. 

    What's weird about this book is that very little is resolved. We have no idea what happened with Sam and Nan, we know nothing new about Jase's dad's conditions, and it's honestly unclear what happens when Sam's mom decides to tell the truth. Oh, and they are moving? That was so random. I know that there is a companion book, but this one leaves a lot to be desired and, in true 2012 fashion, sweeps many critical moments under the rug. So while Sam and Jase were both charming, the book was just not about them enough. It needed fewer politics, less crime, and more romance. It honestly needed a new conflict. And a better ending. But hey, it's a YA book from 10 years ago, so it was to be expected. I give it three stars in relation to other YA romances, specifically of the time. Until next time dear readers!

Xoxo,

Emma