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Sarah's Reviews > My Life Next Door
My Life Next Door
by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Goodreads Author)
by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Goodreads Author)
Update 7/23/2012: I did end up writing a bit more about this book on the blog after all.
I'm waffling between three and four stars with this one (which is why I hate rating systems and we don't have one on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves, btw). There were elements I LOVED and there were elements that drove me crazy.
I really, really enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, and I LOVED that their relationship actually started fairly early in the book, because it seems like so many contemporary YAs are focused on the will they-won't they when you totally know they will. I loved that there was a healthy, age-appropriate treatment of sex (seriously YA authors, Huntley Fitzpatrick handled this aspect so, so well, including the awkward advice from Jase's father) and I actually enjoyed the political subplot with the Sarah Palin/John Edwards-style politico mother who uses her kids as props to advance her career.
The many, many secondary characters drove me nuts, especially the best friend subplot, which wasn't really wrapped up. I also didn't completely buy the ending/resolution to the Big Thing That Happens, though I did buy the ending for the two characters, because I believed in their story.
Anyway, I'm not sure if I will write a longer review of this one... I'm tempted to, just because I'd like to expand on my feelings about the way the author handled the sex thing.
Oh, and P.S., I kind of loved that Samantha is 5.'2" and Jase is 6'2". Possibly because that's more or else the heights of my husband and I and I get sick of reading about tall main characters. I am a shallow, shallow, person who thinks a one foot height difference is completely "normal." Please don't judge me. ;)
And, P.P.S., I do find the name "Jase" perplexing. At least in this context it's short for Jason, but Jace/Jase seems to be a popular fictional name, but I've never encountered it in real life (not that it doesn't exist, I just haven't met anyone with that name).
I'm waffling between three and four stars with this one (which is why I hate rating systems and we don't have one on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves, btw). There were elements I LOVED and there were elements that drove me crazy.
I really, really enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, and I LOVED that their relationship actually started fairly early in the book, because it seems like so many contemporary YAs are focused on the will they-won't they when you totally know they will. I loved that there was a healthy, age-appropriate treatment of sex (seriously YA authors, Huntley Fitzpatrick handled this aspect so, so well, including the awkward advice from Jase's father) and I actually enjoyed the political subplot with the Sarah Palin/John Edwards-style politico mother who uses her kids as props to advance her career.
The many, many secondary characters drove me nuts, especially the best friend subplot, which wasn't really wrapped up. I also didn't completely buy the ending/resolution to the Big Thing That Happens, though I did buy the ending for the two characters, because I believed in their story.
Anyway, I'm not sure if I will write a longer review of this one... I'm tempted to, just because I'd like to expand on my feelings about the way the author handled the sex thing.
Oh, and P.S., I kind of loved that Samantha is 5.'2" and Jase is 6'2". Possibly because that's more or else the heights of my husband and I and I get sick of reading about tall main characters. I am a shallow, shallow, person who thinks a one foot height difference is completely "normal." Please don't judge me. ;)
And, P.P.S., I do find the name "Jase" perplexing. At least in this context it's short for Jason, but Jace/Jase seems to be a popular fictional name, but I've never encountered it in real life (not that it doesn't exist, I just haven't met anyone with that name).
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Jul 20, 2012 08:01pm
I for one would like a longer review you, of course! You've raised some interesting points that I have seen in some of the 5star reviews.
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Mandee wrote: "I for one would like a longer review you, of course! You've raised some interesting points that I have seen in some of the 5star reviews."It seems like this one's been reviewed a lot, which is why I wasn't rushing to weigh in. I wasn't even planning on reading it after Laura gave it three stars, but I wanted something to read while I was waiting for the electrician to work on our house and it was sitting there on my Kindle and I'm a sucker for contemporary YA romance, so I read it today (I couldn't work because the power was turned off, which was actually kind of nice--I think I work too much sometimes). If I could magically take the things out of this book that were extraneous and make it more focused on the relationship and the political mother story, I would have rated it much higher.
Laura wrote: "We appear to feel exactly the same way about this book. Which is a HUGE surprise, I know."I am shocked! Shocked!
