What to Read This Weekend: My Life Next Door, by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This book has been on my to-read list for a long time, and my only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. Samantha's next door neighbors, the Garretts, are everything her family isn't, and she longs to be one of them. The heart of the book resounds with serious themes, yet Huntley Fitzpatrick does funny in a fantastic way. Some of the dialogue made me laugh so much I had to wait for the book to stop shaking before I could keep reading. The cast of characters was so interestingly flavored that I didn't mind that the plot simmered a bit slowly at the beginning. While Jase was maybe a little too perfect, I don't mind my book boyfriends that way. Tim (one of Samantha's friends) and George (one of Jase's brothers) were wonderful for comic relief. I especially love when four-year-old George acknowledges to Samantha, "I might marry you," and when recovering-addict Tim, upon hearing the revelation of Samantha's horrible secret about her mother, responds with "I picked the wrong day to give up amphetamines." Both of these one-liners are just the tip of these two funny bones. It's official - I've got an author crush on Huntley Fitzpatrick. :-)

Visit Huntley Fitzpatrick online at http://www.huntleyfitzpatrick.com

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