My Life Next Door

Fitzpatrick can recognise that some aspects of her characters in My Life Next Door come from the people around her, though no characters are based on any specific person. She found inspiration for this book when going about her daily life, in everyday situations like visiting the beach or shopping, where she would often find herself scribbling notes and ideas down on old receipts using her makeup. She credits a young couple who were laughing, teasing each other and taking photographs together as a main inspiration for Samantha and Jase.[1]

My Life Next Door was originally published by Dial, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 14 June 2012 in hardback and eBook editions. The paperback was published by Speak, another imprint of Penguin Random House, almost a year later on 13 June 2013.[2] On 7 January 2016, the My Life Next Door paperback was republished by Electric Monkey, an imprint of Egmont.[3]

Samantha Reed is a 17 year old American teenager living in the fictional town of Stony Bay, Connecticut. After her father left when she was a baby, Samantha's mother, Grace, threw herself into a career in politics which leads to her being State Senator when the story begins. Due to her mother's commitment to her career, Samantha and her sister Tracy are often pressured to be perfect. As the summer begins, Tracy leaves to work in Martha's Vineyard, leaving Samantha feeling abandoned and smothered by their mother.

After having a bad meeting with Clay, her mother's new campaign manager and boyfriend, Samantha retreats to her balcony where she's spent years watching her neighbours, the Garretts. As a family with eight children, Grace distanced herself and her daughters from them due to her belief that they are chaotic and irresponsible people. For Samantha however, the Garretts provided an escape from her boring, micro-managed life. Although she's spent years watching them, Samantha has never interacted with the Garretts because she doesn't want to disobey her mother. However whilst up there, Samantha meets one of the Garretts who climbs the tendrils to join her. The boy introduces himself as Jase Garrett, the third oldest child and from this point they begin growing closer as friends.

Over multiple occasions, Samantha is introduced to the other members of the Garrett family and is later asked by Mrs Garrett to babysit the younger children, to which she agrees. This results in Jase and Samantha spending more time together and their friendship soon turns into a romantic relationship.

The hardcover edition of My Life Next Door has a lifetime sales figure of 289 units in the United Kingdom,[4] whereas the paperback edition has a lifetime sales figure of 2407 units in the United Kingdom.[5] The republished paperback edition from Electric Monkey has a lifetime sales figure of 8601 units in the United Kingdom.[5]

My Life Next Door has been described by Publisher's Weekly as a book that ‘captures the intensity of first love, the corrupting forces of power, and the losses suffered by innocent victims caught in a web of political deceit’.[6] My Life Next Door was described as a ‘summer romance with depth’ by the Boston Globe,[7] and Kirkus Reviews dotes the book ‘an almost perfect summer romance[8]’. It was also included on a list by Lauren Morrill, another YA author, who attributes it as one of five books which inspired her to write her own novels.[9]

• 2012 Publishers Weekly - Starred Review (*) [6]
• 2013 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers - Young Adult (Nominee)[10]
• 2013 Rita Award - First Book (Finalist)[11]
• 2013 American Library Association - Best Fiction for Young Adults (Winner)[12]
• 2014 Nevada Young Readers' Award - Young Adult (Nominee)[13]
• 2015 Sequoyah Book Award - High School (Nominee)[14]