The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

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It's Dade's last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a "boyfriend" who won't publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade's shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.

Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet - and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he's gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.

This is one of those lovely finds I came across when my kids asked me to take them to the library. Two wins here: one, my kids who love to read think that the library is a magical place and two, I discovered Nick Burd.

Dade is a quiet kid in a quiet town just waiting to get out.  Get out of town, out of the closet, out of a bad relationship, out of the mundane and immobile position he finds himself in. He has an awkward relationship with his parents who are experiencing marital problems. His no-so boyfriend Pablo treats him poorly. When he happens to meet Alex for about five seconds at a party, he’s smitten. He’s not even sure of Alex is gay but he takes a chance.

I was a bit skeptical about Alex initially because he screams “loser” being a drug-dealer and working at a hole-in-the-wall fast food joint. But any kind of judgment is abandoned once you recognize that this is a story about being stuck, directionless and waiting for something happen. Dade is looking for outside acceptance. He has already accepted that he’s gay and has proclaimed that to all the inanimate objects in his room. He knows he’s worth more that the crappy way Pablo used him when no one was looking. There’s a sweet moment when Dade describes how he feels with Alex, “He leaned over and kissed me…At first I was worried that I wasn’t doing something right, and then a few seconds passed and I realized that he simply wanted to kiss me. It was the first time someone had given me everything I wanted and asked for so little in return.” I almost wanted to cry for Dade at that realization. And I wanted to hug Alex for how well he treated Dade. He didn't have any unrealistic expectations of him and he too felt close enough to him to share his innermost feelings.

The other bright spot in Dade’s life is his new friendship with Lucy. She’s one of the few people who understands him and the first person with whom he can actually be himself completely. It's their friendship that stands in sharp contrast against those that he's been disappointed by. She breathes some life into an otherwise dull summer and brings him out of his shell.

What is really striking about the book is how Dade starts to awaken and realize that everyone is in the same boat. Not everyone is happy all the time or perfect. Alex puts it best when he says, "We're all sick ...Everyone's got that thing in them that keeps them awake." It's true and there are so many points in the book that so eloquently describe that struggle to break out and latch on to something that gives hope.

It's easy to assume that this is just a gay romance story. It isn't and that is secondary to everything that happens in it. Anyone who reads The Vast Fields of Ordinary will undoubtedly recognize a little of themselves in it. Whether it's during the high school years or when you're in your forties, as Dade's folks demonstrate, everyone is looking for direction.

~ Bel

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

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 “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 night 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 to save herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

I don't read contemporary romance too often but if they're written as lovely as My Life Next Door then I am thrilled to read more. It's been a while since I've read a book and seriously gushed over it to anyone who comes near me.

Seventeen year-old Samantha is an absolute delight. I enjoyed everything about her – her naiveté her awkward moments, her maturity and most importantly her eventual decision toward the end of the book to stand up for what's right – even if it means she has to stand up to her narrow-minded mother. Samantha’s mom, Grace, has good intentions for her children, though it’s evident from the beginning that since she entered into politics, her attention to her daughters has lessened. It’s Samantha who notices how much her mother has changed especially when she starts dating a younger man who also happens to be her campaign manager. Samantha is a bit blindsided by these events yet Grace shows no recognition of how much Samantha is changing.  Instead she mothers through post-its and schedules but doesn’t really engage with her daughters. She sees what she wants to and has expectations that are a bit unfair. Samantha, being the good kid that she is takes it in stride. She is very insightful when it comes to noticing her mother’s change. It's too bad her mother doesn’t wake up for a while.

It's when Samantha offically meets Jase for the first time after years of observing his family over their privacy fence that her world starts to change. Jase is impossibly perfect but a dream come true for Samantha – and for all us other girls too. He’s easygoing and unfazed by things. Plus he can fix cars, motorcycles, vacuums and babysit! But it's his thoughtfulness that really does a girl in. Case in point:

"Jaces' green eyes meet mine, then his lashes lower. 'I guess I like things that take time and attention. More worthwhile that way.'"

Seriously, can we clone this guy?  The Garrett’s home is a culture shock to Samantha who has only known order and routine all her life. Every member of the Garrett family shines with abundant personality and she takes to them instantly. 

As Samantha spends more time with Jase and his family she learns the valuable lesson of looking beyond the surface. Sure their yard may be a perpetual mess and Jase’s parents my breed like rabbits but that doesn’t make them bad people. In fact, they’re all hardworking, upstanding folk. This lesson comes in handy particularly when she is blindsided by how her two best friends, Nan and her brother Tim, have always viewed her as a trust fund baby. They’re under the misconception that she has always had it easy because her family has money. As these two worlds eventually meet, Samantha has to figure out how she'll balance her mother's expectations with her own growing independence. And when things take a turn for the worst, Samantha finds a way to push through. This is what I adore about this book: Fitzpatrick allows her characters to evolve and surprise you and she does it so well. Samantha learns that given the chance, some people can pleasantly surprise you and some can also disappoint you.

I know Huntley Fitzpatrick hit the mark with me when I kept reaching for the book even after I finished it. After the initial twinge of sadness that I had done so, I reminded myself that I can always reread it. This book is simply dazzling and will appeal to anyone who loves Stephanie Perkins’  Anna And The French Kiss  and Lola And The Boy Next Door. It has the growing pains issues of the latter but will leave you with the same good vibes that you get from reading Anna. Needless to say, My Life Next Door stands in good company on the bookshelf.

~ Bel