I've been excited for this one since I saw either Magan or Estelle @ Rather Be Reading tweeting about this one over the summer. I put it on hold at the library and it FINALLY arrived in mid-December. I dove into this one with SO MUCH excitement and anticipation and, while I enjoyed the majority of the book, there were a few things that fell flat for me.First of all, the characters in this book are incredibly well-developed. I loved the entire Garrett family SO MUCH and thought that Huntley did such a great job of bringing that crazy household to life. The contrast between Jase's lively and busy household and Samantha's cold and quiet household was so well done and really added to the storyline. It'll be hard for me to outline the things that I didn't like without being spoilery, so CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED! I felt that the friendship fallout between Samantha and Nan wasn't resolved and, although Tim kind of saved the day at the end, his storyline needed more closure, especially considering how messed up he was for most of the book. And, finally, although I wanted a happily-ever-after between Jase and Samantha (because, really, who doesn't?), the whole reveal-of-the-big-secret and how their relationship surpassed that moment didn't quite sit with me perfectly. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it was that made it less-than-perfect, but it just seemed to resolve itself just a little too perfectly, considering what a momentous secret it was. But, on the whole, My Life Next Door is a fantastic contemporary ride, and definitely deserves its spot on all of those best of 2012 lists and I, for one, am SUPER excited to see what Huntley has in store in her next book! She's definitely a writer to watch.
