Review: My Life Next Door

Stats:
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Date of Release: June 14, 2012
Page Count: 395
Would appeal to: Fans of Sarah Dessen, Sarah Ockler, Sara Zarr, or anyone who wants to fall in love with a love story

Favorite Quotes:
"It's so weird sitting there in the kitchen with this woman I've seen from a distance for ten years. Like finding yourself in an elevator with a celebrity. I repress the urge to say 'I'm a huge fan.'"



"We watch the hawk circling for a few minutes, then he reaches over and takes my hand, squeezes it, and holds on. The river sighs around us, and the little gears in my body that were spinning at breakneck speed all day slow to the lazy speed of the hawk, and the slow beat of my heart."


"It's a far cry from Hodges, which is built like a fortress, with battlements, stained-glass windows, and portcullises. It even has a drawbridge, because you never know when your prep school might be attacked by the Saxons."


"Clay rests his hand in the small of her back, propelling her, as we edge out into the night, which isn't even really dark, kind of tea-colored, since we're in the city."


"I want to reach into her argument and pick out the thread that's wrong, but it all seems like a tangle."

So you know all those reviews that have been hyping this book? They know what they're talking about. You know that last $20 you have from your paycheck that's burning a hole in your wallet but you really shouldn't buy a book because you bought three last week? Ignore your conscience...get this book!

Samantha has watched the Garretts for years, but her state senator mother forbids her and her sister Tracy to have any contact with their next door neighbors. A family with eight kids that leaves toys on their lawn and the Christmas lights up longer than necessary is not a family they need to be associated with. When Jace comes over and says hi to Samanatha, everything changes. She is sucked into a different world. Although it's crazy, it's full of love. As she becomes babysitter, she finds this out quickly. Samantha has a big house, an up-and-coming mom, and the perfect boyfriend, but she learns everything can change in the blink of an eye.

Why You Need to Run Right Out and Buy This Right Now:
I can't believe this is Huntley Fitzpatrick's first novel. She writes with the flow and insight of an author with several books. She says on her website that she kept some of her teenage diaries and reread them, and she definitely channeled her inner-teen. There are so many great my-life-is-over moments, particularly with young Andy who's trying to kiss her first boy ever.

It's full of great characters. You can't not love George, the little four year old obsessed with the Discovery channel, fearing things like black holes and what ice cream's made of. He says the best, most random things that give this story a ton of its humor. I love Alice's overprotectiveness of Jase. Andy's obsession with kissing correctly the first time. And Patsy's interesting first words as the baby.

Ever been to a zoo? The Garrett house is like that. In the best way possible.You'll be swept up in the little moments. I liked the way each sibling takes on a role within the family and how it's easy to tell each sibling apart early on because each is unique. And their parents are in the kind of love that gives you hope!

Jace is wonderful, in fact, very easy to fall for. Sometimes you think, Seen this guy before, but Jace stood out for me. He can fix anything. He loves animals and helping any and all creatures or humans. He carefully thinks through any kind of problem, even his words, so he won't offend Samantha. He's not embarrassed to try out something new that Samantha has also not tried out (no spoilers here). Oh my gosh, I wish I had one of him growing up! Not everyone has to be the bad boy!

If you're a girl, you will appreciate the friendship between Nan and Samantha. Nan shows an interesting, imperfect side of herself that actually reminds me of one or two people I knew growing up. And then there's the ever-wasted, habitual screw-up, Tim, her brother. Great character. Lots of depth. Became one of my favorites by the end.

Intense plot turn! This story asks hard questions about the difference between right and wrong. I really got into Samantha's head when things started unravelling. The chapters are short and have great need-to-turn-the-page moments. This book will make you sigh out loud. It will stick with you until you have to take it out again.

My Issues:
Jace is almost too understanding at times. I feel like there could have been longer fights between him and Samantha, especially since Jace is so kind and would expect that in return from his girlfriend.

When Jace calls Sam his "girlfriend" for the first time in public, even if it's just Tim, there's no acknowledgement from Sam like "Did I really just hear that correctly?" They didn't have a talk as to their status prior to that, so I'd assume she'd have a moment of giddiness/freakout/celebration at that point.

Final verdict:
Samantha and Jace's experience with first love will make you long to revisit yours; the quickening heartbeat, the reaching for tissues, the knowledge that someone else is rooting for your success in such a crazy world.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon: Mini-challenge, Love Triangles

If you're an avid reader and you're not on board the Read-a-Thon train, follow my link on the left! Unfortunately, I'm a little late in the starting of it myself, since I stayed up until 4:30 working on revisions for my novel.

Here's the first mini-challenge in which I'm participating:
http://www.yabliss.com/2011/07/once-upon-read-thon-mini-challenge.html

Three love triangles in literature, and not just any love triangles, but unexpected ones. (Okay, the contest is hard, so YA Bliss gave permission for top two. Since I don't read a ton of paranormal, the books all about the love triangle, I've only given my top two.)

1. Hunger Games trilogy: Peeta/Katness/Gale-
This one saddens me extremely! (SPOILER ALERT) Peeta is so incredibly kind through the whole series, yet I find myself rooting for the best friend. Her loyal childhood companion. He has a sexier edge to me with his ability to hunt in the wild, and their mysterious, often awkward conversations created a sexual tension. I wish Katniss had wisened up and picked Gale!

2. Matched: Xander/Cassia/Ky-
It was completely opposite for me in this instance. I didn't root for the best friend since he was her original match. They had nothing but a platonic chemistry, I felt like. Ky, on the other hand, has so many secrets. When he and Cassia speak, it has to be done under the cover of the woods to avoid suspicions. Their quiet together time with nature brings them close. We always want what we can't girls, but this time it goes both ways!

Happy reading!
What I'm currently reading for the Read-a-Thon:

The Bachelorette - Love Connection?

I've decided to forgo my Wednesday Write It Out topic to talk about something serious- The Bachelorette.

Does this show (and I'm including The Bachelor here) do anything besides give us drama?  Sure, it's mixed in  with some love, but mostly, it's a huge soap opera-esque competition.

I have to say, I love it, but it hardly ever ends in a happy union.

Is it even realistic to go onto a show hoping to develop feelings for a person you've never met?  25 of those people hope to fall in love with the same guy or girl.  Can we really help who we're attracted to?  Only 2 girls that I remember have bowed out of the show because of a lack of feelings or other women want love more (vampire girl on Brad's season).  Are you telling me you can stick a person in front of another and say, "Fall for this guy" and it works?  Doesn't the competition aspect make a person want it more badly than he or she might otherwise?  And also, the fact that these dates happen in such exotic locations as Africa, the Carribean, and Spain helps set the mood a little; but unless you're super rich, your honey won't be taking you around the world to brew up some lovin'.

*Side note: I'm done with the rhetorical questions now!*

Getting back to the relationships that did last...yes, there was Ryan and Trista's million dollar pink wedding that aired on television. And Ali and Roberto are still together (who she probably wouldn't have ended up with if Frank hadn't returned to his ex-- she clearly had a thing for Frank).  But everyone else gets back to the real world and realizes they've been immersed in this fun world of traveling and competition that hardly reflects the setting of a real relationship.  Even now, Brad and Emily (the most recent pair) are having problems, and they continually grace the covers of tabloids. 

So why does America tune in season after season?

Simply put: Chris Harrison.  He's a master interviewer-- knows how to build suspense-- and his ties are quite entertaining (I crack myself up).  Okay, really.  It's the crazy stunts people pull, the drama that goes down.  In Brad's season, there was possessive-stalker Michelle (who turned out to be a totally different girl on the What Happened After The Bachelor show) who talked bad about people and gave herself a black eye while sleeping.  Justin from Alli's season went on the show as a Canadian wrestler.  The guys thought he was there to promote his career.  Not only did he have a girlfriend, but he hobbled around on crutches and the question is, which leg did he truly break (he can be seen with the left leg AND the right leg in a cast at separate times)?  Now there's this Bentley guy trying to get with Ashley, the newest Bachelorette, who said in an interview that aired on the first episode that he doesn't give a crap about her but he would if she was Emily.  What a quote.  That definitely hooked me from the first episode.  That, and...

the guy in the mask.  Take the mask off.  We want to know what you're hiding!

Any comments about the show in general?   

J.P., my favorite for Ashley.  Him and Ryan P.

Book Review: Where She Went

If you know me, you know I reading love young adult.  In fact, I write young adult lit.  This is one of those keeps-you-up-'til-four-a.m. novels which makes life worth living.  Honestly. 
Aspiring cellist Mia is in a car wreck with her family in book 1. She is in a coma, and has the power to decide if she stays or leaves earth. The story is mostly what she experiences while floating around out of her body. Where She Went is told from her boyfriend Adam's perspective three years later. He's a paparazzi-stalked rockstar and she's a rising clasical musician at Julliard. They're no longer together, but one night in New York, they cross paths.
-Me






Stats:

• Sequel to If I Stay
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
• Release date: April 5, 2011
• Page count:  264
• Unique elements:  Almost every chapter starts with a verse from his band's album.  This mostly has to do with Mia ripping his heart out (not mentioning her name, of course).  Also, the suspense and sexual tension constantly build.
• Would appeal to: If I Stay enthusiasts, anyone who likes a guy's point of view, anyone who likes music 

Some of the descriptions in this book are phenomenal.  My favorite one is about the stretching fingers of dawn, but I can't find it right now.  Check out some of these great lines.

Favorite Quotes:

"You were so busy trying to be my savior that you left me all alone."

"I look at her there in the shadows of the shut-down city, her hair falling onto her face, and I can see her trying to figure out if I’ve lost it. And I have to fight the urge to take her by the shoulders and slam her against a shuttered building until we feel the vibrations ringing through both of us. Because I suddenly want to hear her bones rattle. I want to feel the softness of her flesh give, to hear her gasp as my hip bone jams into her. I want to yank her head back until her neck is exposed. I want to rip my hands through her hair until her breath is labored. I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can’t understand."

And Gayle Forman writes things that resonate with the reader:

"That’s the thing you never expect about grieving, what a competition it is."

"Standing here, in this quiet house where I can hear the birds chirping out back, I think I’m kind of getting the concept of closure. It’s no big dramatic before-after. It’s more like that melancholy feeling you get at the end of a really good vacation. Something special is ending, and you’re sad, but you can’t be that sad because, hey, it was good while it lasted, and there’ll be other vacations, other good times."

I find it refreshing to read a story, especially one involving love, from a guy's perspective. Adam is totally believable and totally hot. I stayed up so late to finish this and recommended it to each of my English classes for the pure sake of its descriptions.

I like this MUCH better than If I Stay. A lady at Barnes and Noble said If I Stay would make me cry. It didn't. I think this second book was much more powerful. It deals with so much raw, human emotion.