A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck

The unrequited love of the girl next door is the centerpiece of this fiercely funny, yet heart-breaking debut novel.

Fifteen-year-old Matt Wainwright is in turmoil. He can’t tell his lifelong best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her; his promising basketball skills are being overshadowed by his attitude on the court, and the only place he feels normal is in English class, where he can express his inner thoughts in quirky poems and essays. Matt is desperately hoping that Tabby will reciprocate his feelings; but then Tabby starts dating Liam Branson, senior basketball star and all-around great guy. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough; but, as Matt soon discovers, he’s close to losing everything that matters most to him. 

Humorous and heart-wrenching, A Short History of the Girl Next Door is perfect for readers who fell in love with All the Bright Places' Finch or Stargirl’s Leo. 

AMAZON LINK- http://amzn.to/2fSORmN 

MY THOUGHTS:

4/5 STARS

Oh goodness, I'm not even sure how to approach this review. I made assumptions from the cover and short synopsis, but boy was I wrong. This read wasn't at all bright times, it was sad shades of grey with bursts of color. It was shadows with hints of sunlight. It was happiness with secrets and grief.

Marty and Tabby are two of the most well wrote characters I've ever read about. They were developed in such an intricate manner and their relationship was one of a kind. They had a connection that went deeper than high school crushes. They leaned on, confided in, and loved one another. They grew up together and formed a bond like no other. Matt may have felt something different than she did, but both knew that what they had was quite special.

The twist about 3/4 the way through left me a tad bewildered. I'm pretty sure as I read those words, my jaw fell to the ground. I wanted it all to be a dream, but I learned to appreciate it. I saw the inspiration and growth laced within the words and I found myself more immersed in the unknown. I saw the story in a new light and found hope in tragedy.

My initial thoughts were that this was a messy story with wild emotions and teenage jealousy, but looking back I see a rich story with deep characters and awesome life lessons. I definitely recommend it to readers of all ages and genders.