My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I added My Life Next Door to my library queue after looking for another Fitzpatrick book that won't be out until next year. My Life Next Door looked good so I added it on a whim. Oh, I didn't expect it to be fantastic but I adored My Life Next Door.
Samantha lives in a perfect house in a nice Connecticut town. Her mom is a Sentor and everyone thinks Samantha's got it all. But from her perfect house, Samantha watches the Garretts, her next door neighbors. The Garretts have eight kids. Mrs Garrett and Mr Garrett struggles to keep the yard neat and toy free. Samantha's mom thinks they are the worst neighbors and forbids Samantha from interacting with them. So Samantha spies on them. Jealous of their large family, Samantha fantasizes about being a Garrett. One day, one of the Garretts, Jase, comes over and Samantha goes from watching the Garretts to becoming part of their family.
I could relate to Samantha. She has an older sister, Tracy, who is headed to college and not really there for Samantha. Samantha's mom is running for office and has little time for Samantha as well. The Garretts are always there for each other. From the oldest sister, Alice, babysitting her younger siblings to Jase fixing up his older brother's motorcycle, they help each other out. The Garretts, while messy and out of control at times, are more of a family than Samantha feels her own family is. I grew up as a single child, so I know the jealousy of wanting siblings. It's seems cool to have other kids to play with or older siblings to help you out.
I adored Jase. He was the very definition of a nice young man. If I met Jase, I would seek out his parents to let them know they did a great job of raising him. Jase is kind, polite, loves animals, and is handy with machines (from garbage disposals to motorcycles). Jase shows Samantha a new world. More than just introducing her to his family, Jase is honest and helps Samantha see the dishonesty in her life.
I could not put My Life Next Door down. The writing was so well done. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. I can't wait for Fitzpatrick's next book, What I Thought Was True, to come out next year! Others who shared their thoughts on My Life Next Door: YA Booklover's Blog, Musings of a YA Reader, Good Books, Good Wine, Reading In Winter, and The Book Girl.