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The Girl Next Door

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 269 ratings · 65 reviews

In THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, two teens are forced to make some very grown-up decisions when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Seventeen year old Samantha has been best friends with seventeen year old Jesse since she moved into the New York high-rise apartment next door to his thirteen years ago. Jesse is their school's poster child for popularity: good-looking, a sta...more

Hardcover, 239 pages

Published April 25th 2010 by Westside Books (first published April 1st 2010)

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Aug 28, 2010 Books and Literature for Teens rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-ive-read-in-2010, drama, family-drama, realistic-contemporary, published-2010, romance, tragedies, to-trade-swap

Though the concept of the story in The Girl Next Door was genuine and heartwarming, I did not enjoy reading it. There was something that was blocking my metal capacity to even concentrate on what was going on. Even when I did finally pay attention, the plot was–to put it bluntly–boring and uneventful.
Sam, the main character and narrator of the book, is trying to "save" her friend (and later more) from dying. Although Jessie might have accepted his future, Sam is unwilling to give him up. It was...more Though the concept of the story in The Girl Next Door was genuine and heartwarming, I did not enjoy reading it. There was something that was blocking my metal capacity to even concentrate on what was going on. Even when I did finally pay attention, the plot was–to put it bluntly–boring and uneventful.
Sam, the main character and narrator of the book, is trying to "save" her friend (and later more) from dying. Although Jessie might have accepted his future, Sam is unwilling to give him up. It was a touching, sad story, and the ending was probably the best thing that ever happened in the book, but I couldn't help but feel there was a lot missing. There was no in-between things happening with the climax. Everything revolved around Jessie's illness and Sam's life did too. The entire plot went in circles and followed a pattern of events; you never got to really hear about Jessie and Sam's life before his illness. I also did not like the fact that the author kept throwing in religion but never really got anywhere with it. What is the use of mentioning something if all you do is ride the fence. In short, that part of it was rather confusing.
Overall, the idea of the story was good; I just felt like there was something was missing, perhaps the characters were a bit too incomplete.

➲Recommendation: It's okay to read a story of loss once in awhile but The Girl Next Door might not be the one to choose first. Because it wasn't a terribly unenjoyable book (it just didn't suit my tastes), I must take in consideration of those who just might enjoy this book. My suggestion would be to borrow and skim through it. It's a very short book and the whole plot is pretty much presented in the first couple of chapters. I wouldn't recommend purchasing it at all until you've read it. Please note, I would not recommend to young teens as it deals with mature situations, sexual scenes, and language. Ages 16+ (PG-13).

This Book is For: Older teens who like stories of loss.
This Book is Not For: Younger teens or others who are not interested in its themes.

Content: For a book that suppose to be about love, loss, and life, it sure had a lot of things that weren't very "touching". The language for instance was on the verge of being explicit, there was more than one sexual scene, and a ton of sexual remarks.

The Last Straw: If an author wants to write a story of love, why can't it be appropriate for all ages to enjoy?

|Pages: 237|Publisher: WestSide |Published: April 2010|Price: Hard. $16.95|
|Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance, drama, loss|
|Age Group: YA, ages 16+|Content: PG-13|
|Enjoyed It: 2/5|Content: 1/5|Cover: 3/5|
|Overall: 2/5|

Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Are you a fan of Lurlene McDaniel? If so, then don't hesitate to pick up THE GIRL NEXT DOOR by Selene Castrovilla. This is a heart-wrenching novel of young love.

Sam(antha) and Jesse live next door to each other in a New York City apartment. They've lived next door ever since they were toddlers. They're best friends. And now, Jesse is battling a rare, terminal form of lymphoma. His prognosis for a cure is an optimistic 4%.

Sam has always been in love with Jes...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Dafina added it

Shelves: 11th-grade

This book was so good and so sad!!!!! It was about a girl named Samantha and a guy Jess who had cancer and only limited time until he would die. They had been best friends ever since, but Sam always had a thing for Jess, and she stayed by him the whole time he was sick with cancer. And that's when Jess realized that he has always loved Sam also, but just didn't realize it until now. So even though he had limited time only they started going out, and made the best out of it. Although something do...more

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May 22, 2012 Stephanie A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, girl-protagonists

I hate how their romantic relationship starts, because considering that when we meet them she's already sleeping over in his room and is never anything less than the most important person in his life, there seems to be no reason they couldn't have forged this relationship with all the steps in proper order. It cheapens the effect of the love story. I also don't like how sex-focused this story remains throughout, because a couple of mentions would be organic, but this goes back to the well often...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Maggie Desmond-O'Brien rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes an author captures me with their style without quite capturing me with their story...which is pretty much what happened here. To be honest? I thought that this novel wasn't fleshed out enough, was too whiny in tone, too singular in its focus, and not very believable. But the concept and prose held a LOT of potential, and I'll definitely be picking this author's work up in the future.

Sam annoyed me right off the bat. First of all, I couldn't get a handle on what was going on in her head...more Sometimes an author captures me with their style without quite capturing me with their story...which is pretty much what happened here. To be honest? I thought that this novel wasn't fleshed out enough, was too whiny in tone, too singular in its focus, and not very believable. But the concept and prose held a LOT of potential, and I'll definitely be picking this author's work up in the future.

Sam annoyed me right off the bat. First of all, I couldn't get a handle on what was going on in her head, ever. She seemed obsessive and irrational; one of those characters that you just shake your head at and weep. Secondly, I couldn't understand why her parents and teachers didn't intervene a little bit more. There were ways Sam could have expressed how she was feeling in a much more reasonable fashion, in my opinion. And highlight to see spoiler: Sam's mother just lets them get married? Just like that? No problems? I'm pretty sure my mother would be sympathetic, but marriage would have been a no way, no how kind of move. That whole part of the book just smacked of Breaking Dawn, and not in a good way.

It took a little longer for Jesse to get on my nerves, but get on my nerves he did. Actually, I thought the strongest part of the story were Sam and Jesse's mothers. They were flawed, believable characters that nevertheless went out of their way to support their children, and I'd really like to see more of that in YA. I understand that part of growing up is growing away from your parents, but there are some parents who are pretty good at understanding where you're coming from. (Actually, Sam's mom reminded me of the mom from If I Stay, which was awesome. Sam's mom is definitely earned herself a place on my top YA moms of all time list.)

My biggest problem with this book the S-E-X. Not to get all juvenile on you guys here, but it got just plain icky after awhile. You could not go TWO PAGES without some kind of "scene". In other words, not the kind of book you want to be reading on the beach with your grandparents constantly looking over your shoulder and asking whether or not it was any good. I literally went so far as to hide this book under my bed while I wasn't reading it in case my dad decided to check up on why I was acting so secretive about it, which means that of course my sister found it and demanded to read it when I was finished. She came to the same conclusion, which was "Um, no.". I don't have a problem with teen sex (in fact, I think it's tiptoed around far too much in YA), but in this novel, the context was more like that of 20-somethings than 17-year-olds, which is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine.

I actually think this book would have been better if it had been about 20-somethings, period. I could have gotten into it a little more. Still, there were places where it absolutely broke my heart regardless, and I'm sure that many people less cynical than me would adore this book for a good bittersweet romance. Heck, despite its problems this book was still way better than a Nicholas Sparks novel in my humble opinion, and I am excited to have gotten the opportunity to review it. It's raw, dark, bitingly funny, and honest; all excellent qualities for a story to have

All in all, this book was touching and achingly sad, even if it reached a little at times. I'll even admit I did get a little sniffly occasionally. The New York City setting was spot on (hey, I've been there now, so I'm entitled to say that!) and the adult character development right on the money. I was left a little disappointed by the ending, but I think Selene Castrovilla is one to watch in the genre - I know I'll be keeping tabs!(less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Valorie rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are some books that are written so beautifully they immediately grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster. That is the only way I can describe this story. This book was so intense I was wrapped up into the plot from the first page. The characters grew to be like friends.

There are books out there that deal with death, but this book did something more. It dealt with acceptance of one’s own possible death and acceptance of a loved one’s illness. In this book the main character has...more There are some books that are written so beautifully they immediately grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster. That is the only way I can describe this story. This book was so intense I was wrapped up into the plot from the first page. The characters grew to be like friends.

There are books out there that deal with death, but this book did something more. It dealt with acceptance of one’s own possible death and acceptance of a loved one’s illness. In this book the main character has a best friend who is diagnosed with a cancer that has a death rate of 96%. In the beginning of the book Sam has almost accepted it as something that can’t be stopped, but as she slowly develops feelings for her best friend she begins crumbling. There are so many internal conflicts in this story, it is unbelievable. Nothing was ever too much though.

Jesse and Sam both grew as characters. The growth was the best part to read about. It was as if by the end of the novel they had turned in to two different people. Jesse became spiritual and learned to just be at peace with everything that was going on. Sam finally acknowledged the feelings she had about the death of her father. I can’t explain it well enough, these two and their lives just sucked you in like a soap opera.

Then there are other internal conflicts that deal with parenting and learning to understand that parents also make mistakes. It had just about every major conflict you could imagine. I found myself thinking about this book even when I wasn’t reading it. I want to reread it. I cried by the first chapter. It was horrifyingly beautiful.

On a sort of random note, I loved that this book was set in New York, it added a sort of edge to the story. It also added some culture type of characteristics to the characters, especially Jesse's mom. The author did a good job of incorporation the city's personality into some of the characters.
If you love contemporary novels as much as I do you have to pick up this title.

Overall I have to give this book 5 stars. This is a new favorite of mine. It’s a keeper re-reader.

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Jun 28, 2011 Val rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite

Originally Posted on:
http://www.truthbetoldblog.com/2011/0...

There are some books that are written so beautifully they immediately grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster. That is the only way I can describe this story. This book was so intense I was wrapped up into the plot from the first page. The characters grew to be like friends.

There are books out there that deal with death, but this book did something more. It dealt with acceptance of one’s own possible death and acceptance...more Originally Posted on:
http://www.truthbetoldblog.com/2011/0...

There are some books that are written so beautifully they immediately grab you and take you on an emotional roller coaster. That is the only way I can describe this story. This book was so intense I was wrapped up into the plot from the first page. The characters grew to be like friends.

There are books out there that deal with death, but this book did something more. It dealt with acceptance of one’s own possible death and acceptance of a loved one’s illness. In this book the main character has a best friend who is diagnosed with a cancer that has a death rate of 96%. In the beginning of the book Sam has almost accepted it as something that can’t be stopped, but as she slowly develops feelings for her best friend she begins crumbling. There are so many internal conflicts in this story, it is unbelievable. Nothing was ever too much though.

Jesse and Sam both grew as characters. The growth was the best part to read about. It was as if by the end of the novel they had turned in to two different people. Jesse became spiritual and learned to just be at peace with everything that was going on. Sam finally acknowledged the feelings she had about the death of her father. I can’t explain it well enough, these two and their lives just sucked you in like a soap opera.

Then there are other internal conflicts that deal with parenting and learning to understand that parents also make mistakes. It had just about every major conflict you could imagine. I found myself thinking about this book even when I wasn’t reading it. I want to reread it. I cried by the first chapter. It was horrifyingly beautiful.

On a sort of random note, I loved that this book was set in New York, it added a sort of edge to the story. It also added some culture type of characteristics to the characters, especially Jesse's mom. The author did a good job of incorporation the city's personality into some of the characters.
If you love contemporary novels as much as I do you have to pick up this title.

Overall I have to give this book 5 lanterns. This is a new favorite of mine. It’s a keeper re-reader.

(less)

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Mar 11, 2011 Judith Murillo rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Girl Next Door
A book full of loss, love and lament. The Girl Next Door is a story about two young adults put up against life’s toughest obstacles. The story opens with Sam waking up to the sound of Jesse throwing up due to chemo therapy. Sam had been staying with Jesse day and night even though she didn’t have the support of Jesse’s mom. As the story progresses, you see many of the characters change dramatically as Jesse’s condition worsens.
Sam’s character starts off strong and very hopef...more

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Nov 11, 2010 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mg

Sam, the novel’s narrator, was warm and strong and real. I liked her from the beginning. The other characters, though less dynamic than Sam, were also believable, if a touch cliched. The writing was good about 95% of the time, with just a few spots that made me cringe a little. Hey, it happens.

The story is as much Sam’s as Jesse’s. Yes, Jesse is the sick one, and time is given to his feelings. But I would say that more emphasis is placed on Sam and her struggle to deal with Jesse’s illness. I am...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a type of story that I love and devour. The main characters Sam and Jesse are well written, and the plot is well paced. I am able to understand where Sam is coming from and it is an adventure to watch how they deal with these life altering circumstances.
Their relationship is touching and though I would only recommend this for older teens and adults because of sexual references and action (which seems a bit excessive to me at times which is why I deducted a star), it is feasible that i...more

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Jun 13, 2010 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-review-from-publisher-author, read-teen

A tale of love and loss, pain and healing, The Girl Next Door is an arresting read that carries its own black cloud. Launching right into the pain aspect of the story, the book opens after Jesse’s cancer has ravaged his body. Enduring another round of chemo, Sam wakes up to hear him throwing up- again. The situation set up in this book is highly distinctive, as Sam stays with Jesse every night despite his mother’s disapproval to ensure Jesse doesn’t die alone.

Sam’s character changes dramatically...more
A tale of love and loss, pain and healing, The Girl Next Door is an arresting read that carries its own black cloud. Launching right into the pain aspect of the story, the book opens after Jesse’s cancer has ravaged his body. Enduring another round of chemo, Sam wakes up to hear him throwing up- again. The situation set up in this book is highly distinctive, as Sam stays with Jesse every night despite his mother’s disapproval to ensure Jesse doesn’t die alone.

Sam’s character changes dramatically throughout the book. Coming off initially strong, her fears and weaknesses are exposed as the story progresses. Flashbacks to the kids she and Jesse used to be are also prevalent, bringing to light how much has changed on account of Jesse’s rapid digression. Sam is a highly flawed character but also holds plenty of strength and an empowering strength that is refreshing and memorable. Her story is painful but endearing, her character empathetic and struggling.

Jesse is as radically shifted as Sam, a host of different personalities mixed within one boy and his daily state of health helps determine how weak or strong he is. Struggling with knowing he has just months to live and not even eighteen yet, seeing Jesse through Sam’s eyes is a very rough part of this book to stomach. She loves him as the boy who lived next door all her life- her best friend and confidant. But as they spend more time together, the love she’s held for him as more than friend is slowly returned, taking the entire situation to a new level. Jesse’s character comes out strongly, showing just how intensely he can love but his desire to live is tarnished by the near constant pain he lives with.

Jesse’s prognosis is not good and no matter how great things seem to be going, the weight of the cancer is always present. Throughout the book, the reader will be wondering if Jesse will be that 4% to survive although no one has yet survived his particular kind of cancer. With everything stacked against him, Jesse still fights even when it seems hopeless. Though this is a tale of first love, there is no promise of a happy ending. As things progress, Sam’s own mental state and ability to handle the situation is brought into question, casting a dramatic and heartbreaking light on an already dark tale.

A small but well developed cast of characters, a brave but heartrending set up, and lithe writing make The Girl Next Door an emotional but striking read. Intermixing several elements, there is a beautiful mix of life and death, happiness and pain throughout the book. Teenage love and lust play a large part in this book but it is cast in a different light given the seemingly hopeless scenario. The related situations are handled maturely and fluidly, adding to the story overall. Decisions and actions that would be deemed objectionable in a different situation take on a new form and the entire plot plays out in a surprising, stunning manner.

The final outcome is written exceptionally well, the entire story and last words reverberating for days after the book is put aside. The way Jesse’s condition affects not only him but those around him is portrayed, as is both his and Sam’s fight and desperation. This is a very moving and emotional read and a beautiful example of how one diagnosis can tear a world apart.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Steffy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked that book but, as you can imagine it was pretty depressing. It touch the hard subject of cancer and more than that, it shows the devastating effect of cancer for the person who loves and are helpless.
Sam, the narrator is a great character. She already lost her father in the 9/11 tragedy (another very sensitive subject) and now she sees her best friend, the boy she had met when she was 3, the boy she thought belonged to her, withered and died in front of her and she cannot do anything ab...more I liked that book but, as you can imagine it was pretty depressing. It touch the hard subject of cancer and more than that, it shows the devastating effect of cancer for the person who loves and are helpless.
Sam, the narrator is a great character. She already lost her father in the 9/11 tragedy (another very sensitive subject) and now she sees her best friend, the boy she had met when she was 3, the boy she thought belonged to her, withered and died in front of her and she cannot do anything about it.
She realize very soon in the novel that she loves him for more than a friend and probably always did. She is so strong for him, helping him up etc….The only thing that bothered me with Sam is that she can be petty sometimes. She keeps thinking that Jesse wouldn’t be with her if he didn’t get sick and she is jealous when he get back to his friends because he feels a bit better or when he finally find peace by finding god. She is wondering if God can steal Jesse from her. That was a ‘huh?!’ moment for me because she was so selfless, putting everything else in hold to be with him, hoping for him to stop being angry all the time and when he finds peace….accept what is happening she get jealous. That was the only little inconsistency in the character.
Now Jesse, Jesse broke my heart. He was a fantastic boy and what scared him most of all was not to die but to be forgotten as he never excited and his time he mentioned that…well a few tears escaped my eyes. His father walked out on him when he was 8 to never come back, his mother is the Ice Queen…He is terrified not to let his marks on the world, like he was never there but he found peace as he releases that he will be here in Sam’s heart. You can really see the depth of his love for Sam, even when he knows there is no hope anymore, he accepted that but he keeps fighting, not for himself but for Sam. I really think that Selene did a fantastic job writing Jesse, how he went from anger and depression to acceptance and peace.
Don’t expect an happy ending here, you know from page one that you will read a tragedy but the love those two teens share, how they are, in fact, each other salvation…It’s bittersweet, heartbreaking and yet pure love.
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Jun 03, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: I always tend to like these kind of stories. When I first saw this one in people's mailbox posts, I automatically knew I had to read this. It reminded me a bit of His Eyes by Renee Carter which I really loved. We meet Jesse and Sam. They grew up with each other and have been best friends since they were little kids. Jesse had another friend Pete and a girlfriend Cindy. Than he got sick and things went downhill fast. He was diagnosed with cancer and the only one he could stand to be...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Megan (Unearthly Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-with-adorable-boys

This book was beautifully written, it had me constantly crying. I was constantly turning pages, I read it in one day. This book didn't really have many fillers, it just got straight to the point. For an example, Sam's mom is always talking about school, but she's only there during the book about three to four times. Sam was a great character, I can definitely say that I would've done everything she did. All the problems she had to face, it's amazing that she didn't do anything stupid, she did wh...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Lori Calabrese rated it 5 of 5 stars

Make sure you have a box of tissues handy for this one! The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla is an endearing tale that follows two teenagers as they struggle to understand the effects of cancer, relationships, and themselves.

Sam is the girl next door, you know the cultural stereotype--wholesome, average, not your girly-girl type! But when 17-year old Sam is right there every step of the way for her best friend, Jesse, he begins to see her in a different light. Only thing is--he has a rare, t...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Cheryl-Lynn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I felt like the characters fell flat. The content issues (particularly teenage sex but also the language) were a big turn off. I felt like in this book it was like someone saying "what would you do if you had only 6...or 10 months left to live." The answer being ignore and shut out all my old friends and sleep with my next door neighbor. I get that Jesse felt awful from the chemo a lot of the time but really? Shouldn't some parents have been dealing a bit more with the deep issues going one here...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

This book has been very popular with my students since I purchased it for the library in January. Castrovilla very convincingly portrays the emotional ups and downs of a teenage boy dying of cancer and the girl who loves him even as she knows she's going to lose him. The characters are well-developed and their reactions and emotions seem realistic and believable. While this kind of tear-jerker story is not overall my cup of tea, this book will definitely appeal to teens who like stories full of...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Alba rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

~"Death can never rob us of the love we give away"~

If that first quote there doesn't strike to your heart and doesn't even twitch your heart then nothing ever will...

Grace girl! again can't thank you enough for encouraging me to read this book.

And just so you know... this is the second book of Selene I read AND a signed one so...yeap I'm in heaven allright!

I read earlier in another book how someone thought how it was so much better to feel angry, anger, resentment,etc. Instead of sadness and pai...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Malynda rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has been shitting on my shelf for—LOL. Oh my. It’s a good thing I reread as I type; otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed that. Best typo ever! I have to keep it. But REDO:

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I probably wouldn’t have just read it if it weren’t for drawing its title out of my plastic container. It was just never calling to me like other books were. I have so many books I have yet to read, and I can never decide which one to tackle next, so I have written...more This book has been shitting on my shelf for—LOL. Oh my. It’s a good thing I reread as I type; otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed that. Best typo ever! I have to keep it. But REDO:

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I probably wouldn’t have just read it if it weren’t for drawing its title out of my plastic container. It was just never calling to me like other books were. I have so many books I have yet to read, and I can never decide which one to tackle next, so I have written all of the titles on little slips of paper, and dumped them all into a container. When it comes time to read another book, I shuffle, draw a title, and read that one. I’m glad this is the one I had drawn last time, because I’m happy to have it out of the way.

Samantha’s best friend Jesse has developed terminal cancer. The two have known each other since they were babies. Samantha has been in love with Jesse for years, but has never told him. Now, with Jesse basically on his death bed, she tells him of her feelings, and he reciprocates those feelings. The two develop a romance and try to have a full blown relationship in such a short amount of time, while also dealing with Jesse’s cancer; she stays by his side, encouraging him, and he uses her love as a source of strength. Will Jesse succumb to cancer, or will his fighting pay off? To me, that is the most important part of the story: Jesse coming to terms with and trying to fight his illness. I could do without everything else that was in this book. Well, maybe not EVERYTHING, but most of it.

This is not a light story at all. It has its light moments, but it’s mostly a sad, emotionally draining story tinged with hope. The beginning starts off really well; it is a griping way to be pulled into this story, and I even got a little teary eyed. There were moments where my heart hurt, because I kept thinking about all of the people who go through this and lose the ones they love, and it’s just heartbreaking. All of my sadness was for Jesse. I really enjoyed his character, and I kept hoping for him to pull through. His thoughts , feelings, and actions were all over the place at times, and then calm, rational, and hopeful at times, as well. Selene really captured what people most likely say, feel, and do when they know their death is just around the corner, and I love that about this book. I felt everything Jesse felt, and I really understood him.

Samantha, on the other hand, can just go away. Hey, Samantha? Get. Over. Yourself. Your best friend and supposed love of your life is dying and you have to be so selfish?! Granted, there were times when she was a good friend/girlfriend to him, but, mostly, she was just whiny and selfish. She constantly wanted him all to herself and got jealous whenever he’d spend time with his other friends. He’s DYING, for God’s sake. Grow up and acknowledge the fact that he needs to make the most out of his life and spend time with other people who care about him. Gah, I still want to slap her. There are quite a few things Samantha and Jesse do that also seem a little farfetched, even for someone on his death bed, and especially for their age. That’s another rant for another time, though.

This story is good for the message, but I still wouldn’t read it again. Samantha and Jesse’s relationship craziness and Samantha herself ruins this story for me. Read it for yourself, and, hopefully, if you can look past the crap, you’ll like it more than I did. It’s not a BAD story, by any means, I just can’t really say I like it. (less)

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Aug 27, 2010 Lawral rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ya

Girl Next Door is the more grown-up version of those really sad books everyone reads for a while in junior high. Death is more than a possible ending for this book; it is practically the setting and a main character as well. Jesse and his mother are, of course, consumed by Jesse's sickness, but so is their housekeeper Maria, Sam, and Sam's mother and little brother. Sam especially. She starts to fail out of school, she moves into Jesse's room, and she lets everything that is not Jesse fall to th...more Girl Next Door is the more grown-up version of those really sad books everyone reads for a while in junior high. Death is more than a possible ending for this book; it is practically the setting and a main character as well. Jesse and his mother are, of course, consumed by Jesse's sickness, but so is their housekeeper Maria, Sam, and Sam's mother and little brother. Sam especially. She starts to fail out of school, she moves into Jesse's room, and she lets everything that is not Jesse fall to the wayside. She desperately wants Jesse to live, but she knows that it's very possible that she has years and years to catch up on things like high school while she may only have months (if she's lucky) to spend time with Jesse.

It is unbearably sad.

More sad than the situation itself is the way that Sam deals with it. She truly becomes a shell of herself, her sole purpose to make Jesse as happy and as comfortable as possible. The prime example of this, and one that causes more than a few problems for both Jess and Sam, is that she crawls into bed with him based on nothing more than her lifelong crush and Jesse's wish to not die a virgin. He doesn't fall in love with her until afterward. With that kind of a set-up, of course she doubts Jesse's feelings for her! She's available and willing to put out (and make sandwiches and clean when he pukes them up later) all the time. Even though her doubts linger for a whole lot of the book, Sam never backs up, sets boundaries, or ASKS Jesse about his feelings for her. She just clings to him all the more. When her mother finally notices that Sam has gone to the bad place over Jesse and over Jesse's illness and makes Sam see a therapist, Sam won't even go to his office without Jesse.

Sam's so desperate throughout the whole book, not only to have Jesse live but to be Jesse's whole life the way he has become hers. To be honest, it made me uncomfortable. I wanted for someone, her mom, her therapist, Jesse, to make Sam see that she needed to be her own person in order to survive when Jesse may not. They all tried, but it never really sunk in. Even when things start to get a little bit better, Sam is still all about Jesse. Their relationship becomes more healthy than it is in the beginning, but Sam is never just Sam.

Still, I don't know that teen readers will have the qualms about Sam that I do, and even with my worry for Sam and discomfort over the way she was portrayed, I was totally sucked into this story. I cried. And I would have eaten this book up when I was in junior high/early high school. It is a really good sad story.

Book source: Review copy from publisher (less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was so sad, one of the most morbid YA books I've ever read... I couldn't put it down, and I wanted Jesse to live, so that he and Sam could have their happily ever after. It doesn't always turn out like you expected.

**SPOILERS!!**
I thought it was funny that one of the first things Sam wanted to do for Jesse when he found out he was more than likely going to die was to have sex with him. To take his virgin card and give him hers, so that he didn't die a virgin and she could fill out some...more This book was so sad, one of the most morbid YA books I've ever read... I couldn't put it down, and I wanted Jesse to live, so that he and Sam could have their happily ever after. It doesn't always turn out like you expected.

**SPOILERS!!**
I thought it was funny that one of the first things Sam wanted to do for Jesse when he found out he was more than likely going to die was to have sex with him. To take his virgin card and give him hers, so that he didn't die a virgin and she could fill out some fantasy that she had of them being together at some point. But there time was short and so I guess she thought she'd make the best of it. And that was the beginning of, well, the beginning. Jesse finally starts to live again because he's falling in love with Sam.

This book kept breaking my heart over and over again. When she first told him that she'd loved him forever and he was only just starting to love her, and she stormed out and he nearly died trying to get to her next door just to apologize. When she caught him with that whore kissing him in his bed, I cried. I really did, and I would have done the same exact thing as her: run away. After all she did for him, there's nothing really to say when you see something like that. But what surprised me is that when he found her, he asked her to marry him. She deserved it. That's all I could think, was that she deserved it more than anyone.

I loved the little brother. Drag queen in the making, definitely. But he was the little comic relief... There wasn't much, but he was it. And Sam's mom was so entertaining. She would have been a romance novel writer. But she was very understanding and compassionate because she'd been there in a way, with her husband who died in the trade center. Unlike Jesse's mother who annoyed the hell out of me. Just get over yourself and focus on your son, you witch! I don't care what problems you have. When your son is dying, you're there for him!

I knew somewhere deep down that he was going to die, but I didn't want to accept it. Even though the story leaves you off with him still being alive, he's in so much pain that it's going to happen soon. I cried at the end, nearly sobbed. I can't even imagine how that feels like, and just reading hurt beyond imagining. If you want to read a great story about death, this is it. I loved this book as much as I hated the way it made me feel. But I won't read it again, because of how truly depressing it was. It was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but in the end it only made me cry.(less)

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May 25, 2011 The BookWhisperer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Be prepared to cry your eyes out. It is a tragedy to view something so horrible as this young man struggles with such an aggressive and lethal cancer. Even more intriguing I love that way that the author not only shows the Jesse's progression of cancer and acceptance; but it also the acceptance and emotional progression for Sam. Sam and Jesse have been best friends and drawn to one another since they were toddler, but only once Jesse is diagnosised with Cancer do they realize what they truly mea...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Karen DelleCava rated it 5 of 5 stars

Samantha and Jesse have been best friends since they were in strollers and now they’ve fallen in love. While most of their friends are involved in sports and fantasizing about the prom, Sam’s heart is breaking as Jesse’s body is being ravaged by cancer and chemo side effects. I was gripped by the urgency of this novel and how Selene Castrovilla portrayed their loving relationship in almost real time. Every moment spent with these characters is meaningful to the reader because time in not on thei...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-good-books

This book is amazing... it has romance, things that will make you cry, make you wanna read it faster, make you not want to put the book down, make you laugh, make you wounder, make you stop to understand,make you wish, make you imagine the setting and make your own movie in your head... Great Details... I recommend this book if your interested in romance novels and if you curious as to what happens to Jesse & Samantha after Jesse is dignoused with cancer. Do they survive through it or do thi...more

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Oct 26, 2010 *~Sammy~* rated it 5 of 5 stars

This really taught me some good life lessons, and it was so sad. I love sad books, especially the ones that can actually make me cry, but they have to have some happiness in them too, and no depression. This had every single one of these, and it was okay because they all worked together to make the story that much better. I love how she knew the moment they met they were destined to be together, but then it all fell apart when he got sick. This book took me a little longer to read then usual, b...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young adults

This book really brought me a different perspective on cancer patients. I have to remind myself that younger kids also have it. This book really touched me because I felt for the characters. No matter what the complications and pain, their love remained and nothing could keep the couple apart. True everlasting love is so special and I really appreciated the way THE GIRL NEXT DOOR showed me how that love is.

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Apr 06, 2011 Sheri rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, but did not love it. The story wasn't original and it reminded me too much of Nicholas Sparks "A Walk To Remember." I loved the character Sam and thought the author did a good job of writing from a teenager's perspective. I thought there were some excellent view points on healing and coping with loss towards the end of the book. There is a lot of profanity.

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Jun 27, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great capture of a girl's mind and reactions. Selene Castrovilla has brought me to tears with this story of love and life. The connection between thought processes that she has staged out reflects such realistic portrayals that leaves readers with no choice to but to praise such accurate writings of the complicated, irrational world of a girl's mind.

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Sep 22, 2010 Judy added it

Sixteen year old Samantha has been best friends with seventeen year old Jesse since she moved into the New York high-rise apartment next door to his thirteen years ago. Jesse is their school's poster child for popularity: good-look Tear jerker, love story about cancer FIC Castrovilla 334301

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Sep 10, 2010 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ahh, so here we have it: my noble stab at a related read for Lurlene McDaniel, Nicholas Sparks, et al. type weepies, and what do you know -- didn't suck near so much as I thought. It was actually kind of sweet
(definitely sweet enough that fans of the above will happily lap it up w/ a spoon!).

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About Selene Castrovilla

Selene is the author of four captivating books, including her newest teen-read, The Girl Next Door (Westside Books, Summer, 2010), which deals with the question of how people can possibly feel safe in the world with so much unexpectedness.

Her first novel, Saved by the Music (Westside Books, 2009), was inspired by her experiences helping her aunt, Olga Bloom, found Bargemusic (www.Bargemusic.org) w...more

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Quotes from The Girl Next Door

“Everyone leaves, Sam, in one way or another.But death can never rob us of the love we give away.Love stays with us-- it never dies.You carry my love with you.Let go and feel it,Sam.Death is only an end if you see it as one” — 9 people liked it

“Just in case i forgot to mention it. Jesse said "I love you Sam" "Somethings can never be overstated".” — 6 people liked it

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