My Life Next Door

Overall rating- 4/5

Summary (Goodreads)- A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“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, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was a sweet story about I guess...a typical teenage life? Well in some way it is~ For example, falling in love, friends, family problems etc. Sam is a 17 year old girl whose mother is a politician. Her mother has an obsession with perfection, for example overly concerned about the state of their house. I suppose it is due to her being left by Sam's father~
Anyway, her mother disapproves of the Garrets who are their neighbour. That is because they are a big family with 8 kids. Now personally, I don't see any problem with this. I mean, it's not like I want that many kids, but I'm Asian and many Asian families has a lot of children. Even my Grandfather has 12 siblings! (I think. I never met them) So, I don't really know why people there had so much problem about it. I guess yeah, it would make their money situation tight and cause some problems. But the Garrets are totally fine with it, and they love their children. I was pretty annoyed with the people who always commented on the Garrets' life. Come on, mind your own business! And what's wrong with breast-feeding? I always thought that it is much healthier for a baby to be breast-fed anyway than being fed by bottled milk. Well everyone has their own opinions, but it's not right to judge other people because of it~

Anyway, so Sam met Jase and they fell in love. I found their love story quite sweet and not rushed. Which is good. Jase was a nice guy, who was loyal both to his girlfriend and his family. Especially after the accident happened. I mean, if you had to choose between your bestest friend/your love and your family, which one would you choose? Both Jase and Sam were faced with a big decision, especially Sam. I was a bit disappointed when she hid the truth at the start, but I'm glad she finally told Jase. Because, what's important there is the truth. It's true that her mother might get in a huge trouble, but will hiding the truth be worth it? It could somehow come back to haunt them one day, and the consequences might be even bigger. So, I was glad that Sam's mother did the right thing and told Jase's family the truth. And, she didn't go to jail afterall did she? Yes her life changed, which is expected afterall. How can someone's life not change after something like that?

I also liked how the Garrets decided things as a whole family. I think that's very important, as it also shows the tight bond between them. They are really a crazy but sweet family.
Another thing was Sam's mother's relationship with Clay. I did have a feeling that it was somehow a bit....strange I guess? Like Sam said, it's like her mother was controlled or hyptonised. She did things that she normally wouldn't, and it's just a bit weird. I was very shocked though when Clay made his speech. I truly didn't expect him to be so shallow! I thought he was an okay guy, not a complete jerk! Anyway....uhh I guess you should find out why yourself~

I'm not really sure what else to say about this book. The characters were pretty interesting I suppose, and they did develop at the end of the book. I think the one character who made the biggest development is Sam's mother. She's not the main character, but she truly changed. For example she accepted (in a way) the Garretts family, when she repulsed them at the beginning. And she's doing more things as a mother and less as a politician. I know that it is hard to be with her kids all the time as she is only a single parent, but she's finally becoming closer to them. So yeah, that's what I think anyway/ The plot was also interesting, though it did focus on Sam and Jace's relationship most of the time. But the book is about them afterall. Overall, I liked it, and if you like teen fiction, you probably will too. So if you haven't read it, give it a go! And if you have, what did you think of it?