TEST
Like Rapunzel, compliant and affluent Samantha Reed has watched the boisterous Garrett family from her window for years, because her icy control freak state senator mother simply doesn’t interact with “that kind of people.” When Jase Garrett finally introduces himself, Samantha finds herself not only falling in love with him, but with his family and the zestful way they live. Meanwhile, her mother is falling under the control of a political Svengali, her best friend Nan is distancing herself in a pre-college frenzy, and Nan’s twin Tim grapples with substance abuse – and the biggest obstacle to Samantha and Jase hasn’t even happened yet. This excellent book features likeable, good-kid leads and conflict that is gripping without pulling from extreme issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
YA contemporary plots typically run on a deadline, with events having to occur before or around school year milestones like breaks, prom, or graduation. This can make plot points predictable (“It’s April, so she’s going to have to tell Dad she didn’t apply to his alma mater about now, or he’ll find the envelopes.”). Not so here. My Life Next Door is set across the summer, and the only major thread on a timetable is Samantha’s mom Grace running for office. Consequently, this book feels fresh and original. There are no obvious Chekhov’s guns hanging over doors which jolt you out of the story with ominous DUM DUM DUMs, and it’s only after you get to the end that you realize that the plot is constructed deftly so that events tie together.
I have mom-love for both Samantha and Jase, which is to say I want to hug them both and take them home with me. Samantha is smart and reliable, but she needs to figure out what she wants and learn how to be a person separate from her controlling mother’s vision of a perfect political family. Jase is helpful, supportive, and kind, especially to his many siblings (if you, like me, have watched a lot of Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb with small children, he’s basically Candace’s boyfriend Jeremy). When Tim takes Nan and Samantha on an intoxicated joyride, and Samantha manages to steal his keys, it’s Jase she calls for help. He drives all the way out to get her, and although she anticipates him losing his temper, he simply holds her and tells her she did the right thing. Yay to both of them, and yay to the author for giving us action and drama in a YA contemp with a scene that still felt true-to-life. Also yay to the character of Tim, whose fascinating volatility makes him the clear Best Supporting Actor nominee in this cast – although Samantha’s mom and Clay, her political advisor/boyfriend/puppeteer are interesting as well, and although there is villainy, it’s sadly plausible and not mustache-twirling.
This book features two teens losing their virginities together, and it’s handled extremely sensitively. They shop for and use condoms, and while the scene itself is narrated (we hear how it feels for Samantha in the first person), it’s not graphic. My favorite moment, however, is Jase recounting his awkward conversation with his dad, who suspects that Jase and Samantha are planning to have sex:
“So then… he goes on about” – Jase’s voice drops even lower – “um… being considerate and um… mutual pleasure.”
GO, MR. GARRETT, GO!
I have some quibbles. The setting references the W. Bush administration in the past tense, so it must be set recently, but the teens barely use cell phones – one even has a plan that runs on minutes – and nobody has a smartphone. This feels extremely dated for an affluent Connecticut community. The plot with Samantha’s friend Nan is left unresolved (realistic, but in fiction, a little frustrating). Samantha is able to display some teen flaws, such as her indecision that led to the ride with Tim, but Jase is maybe a little too perfect, with relative poverty being his main flaw. Still, he’s perfect in a beta kind of way, not a “secret millionaire dreamboat pop star is suddenly attending my school” kind of way, so I let it slide. I would have liked for him to be a little more explicit about why he liked Samantha.
Honestly, though, this is a great contemp, and I’ve already ordered more by the author. I look forward to a lot more great hours spent reading her work.
Grade: A-
Book Type: Young Adult
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 01/07/16
Publication Date: 06/2013
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I'm a history geek and educator, and I've lived in five different countries in North America, Asia, and Europe. In addition to the usual subgenres, I'm partial to YA, Sci-fi/Fantasy, and graphic novels. I love to cook.
Related Reviews
Yes I’ve read Anna…I really enjoyed Isla aswell though wasn’t so keen on Lola. She is a great writer- all the feels!
I’ve had this on my TBR pile forever, so now maybe I need to pull it to the top. I think it must be very hard for writers of YA to keep up with the times. Just when you get a book finished, Facebook becomes obsolete for Instagram and Snapchat, and when you finish a book with those elements, they will have been replaced with some other new social media trend. I think all YA books of this era may be destined to be extremely dated, even without references to mall hair, shaker sweaters and pink Izods paired with green Cheenoes (all relics of my teen years). :)
The author bio says that she grew up in a town like the fictional setting, which I assume is why it rang true in all respects but the modern tech. If she had gone the Rainbow Rowell “Eleanor and Park” route and set the book in the recent past (the 80s and the Reagan era, for instance) it would have worked great. The modern setting can be great, too, but I just see kids reading this thinking “What are cell phone minutes?”
It’s a great YA contemporary and her other books are really good aswell. If anyone can recommend other books just as good as this one it would be great to hear about them!
I loved the scene with the Dad aswell ;)
The YA author I think is the best bet if you liked this is Stephanie Perkins. Her Anna and the French Kiss is just marvelous.
Yay! I’ve heard good things about this one, so it’s great to know that AAR really really liked it.
This sounds wonderful. We should all share this with parents looking for good YA for young teens.