My Life Next Door - Book Review

Woot, another book review coming your way. This time it's about My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It is her debut novel and came out in 2012. There will be a sequel in 2015 (so EXCITED!).

Original Cover

Version I read (German)

Synopsis
"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them...until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Story

The story is very realistic but still delicate and cute which I think is what makes this novel so interesting. That is also what makes it stand out from all the other contemporary YA romance books. Also there is a good amount of tension and excitement and you'll want to keep reading until you're through.

Characters
What I enjoyed most about the book are the characters. They are all unique, very well developed and appear so real. Even the smaller ones are perfectly thought out and likable. Then I also loved how mature Jase and Sam are. By that I mean that they aren't just guided by feelings and hormones but they also think and reconsider.

Writing Style
The story is written in first person from Samanthas POV. This suited very well because we get Samanthas thoughts and comments on certain situations. A lot of them are sarcastic remarks which she would never say out loud but for us as readers they are hilarious. 

Overall Opinion
I rated the book 5 out of 5 stars because I just really enjoyed this book. It made me feel happy and the characters felt so real. Also the story is very touching and I liked that besides the romance between the main characters there was also focus on other themes like family and friendship. 

I would recommend the novel to people who enjoy teenage love stories. It is also a nice read for the summer or the beach when you're on vacation. Generally I think girls will enjoy this more than boys would.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Book Review

This book is the first in a trilogy, it was written by Laini Taylor and published in 2011. It had been on my TBR shelf for quite a while before I finally picked it up and I don't know why I waited this long because I absolutely loved it! Seriously I was so pleasantly surprised with everything that happened that it became my favourite book of 2013 and it also has a spot on my Favourites of All Time list. But before I just go on and on about how great it is, let's start with the actual review.

Paperback (version I read)

Hardcover

Warning

I feel like I can't do this without revealing minor spoilers. I'm going to write them like this so you can skip these parts if you want to get through the review completely spoiler free.

Synopsis (as written on the back of the book)

"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come,

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. 

When Brimstone called, she always came." 

In general, Karous has managed to keep her two lives in balance. One the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunter and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. 

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Story:

I didn't really have much information about this book and so I was very surprised with how it all turned out. The world was built beautifully and the story developed so nicely. Generally Laini Taylor did a great job planning it and all the pieces fell into place by the end of the book while also leaving us with new questions and excitement for the sequel. 

I also liked how we discovered most of the mysteries just as Karou did. There are some things you could predict but most of the story came as a surprise.

Another point I particularly enjoyed about the story was that it's divided into different parts. This suited very well because Karou also went through different stages of finding out who she was and every part kind of matches with one of these stages. 

Characters:

I loved the diversity of the characters personalities and that you actually care about them. To me that is one of the most important things when reading and so I was very glad to have it in this book. 

The relationships between all the characters were developed so beautifully and delicately which lead to several very emotional scenes and I loved it. An example would be the relationship between Karou and Brimstone. You only learn about the true depth of their relationship towards the end but it's just so bittersweet considering how coolly he threw her out and that he's possibly dead now.

Writing Style:

The story was told in third person which I do not always like but in a Fantasy novel like this it was perfect because your view of the world is still focused on the main character but you also have a broader knowledge of what is going on around her. For once I even enjoyed the altering POVs because it let me learn more about Akiva and his motives. Also the changes seemed fitting.

What was truly amazing was Laini Taylor’s descriptive and vivid style of writing because it really helped letting Karous world come to life in my head. You might feel a little weirded out at the beginning because Mrs. Taylor has her way of weaving in information which won't always make sense to you but as you read on it's just like: Ahh now I see! 

Overall Opinion:

As you certainly figured by now I really enjoyed the book and I'd definitely recommend it. There is a bit of everything: romance, mystery, badassery... and once you get used to that world and how Laini Taylor builds it you will fall in love with the story and the characters. This is why I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I was very excited for the sequel and started reading it right away. Now I can't wait for the final book which is coming out in April.