A crazy kind of sweet love story.

Book Review of My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak 4/5

Welcome, everyone!

Today I get to share a rare sort of read for me, a young adult, contemporary romance novel.
Even more surprising? I actually enjoyed it.

Now, I have heard of Ali Novak before but this is the first time I’ve picked up one of her books and, guys, I’m so glad I did.
As much as I adore my dark mystery, monster, and serial killer books.. sometimes you just need a break from all the murder and madness.

Want the mayhem without the misery?
Check this one out for an entertaining adventure in hormones and hijinks.

And always.. Enjoy!

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My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak

Publication date: March 1, 2014
Pages: 402
Genre: Teen and Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Standalone

Warning: Loss. Bullying. Teen Angst. Love-Triangle. Cliffhanger.

First line: I never felt bad for Romeo and Juliet.

This is a fun and loveable kind of story full of healing, acceptance, friendship, and belonging.

Our main character will learn that sometimes it’s not what you plan for in life that brings you happiness..
but the unexpected surprises along the way.

Four Stars!

Characters: Young. Believable. Many.
Storyline: Simple. Straightforward.
Pace: Steady.
Writing: Well done.
Cover: 4/5

Povs
Jackie

Jackie’s lost her family and is being moved from the NY she loves to a ranch in Colorado with her mom’s best friend, Katherine.
Jackie, who prefers lists and order and routine, who gets comfort in feeling prepared and in control, is understandably flabbergasted when Katherine confesses on the plane that she has twelve kids waiting at home, twelve boys.

Having spent most of her life in an all girls school, Jacki knows little about the opposite sex.. aren’t boys loud and messy? But instead of freaking out (much) she buckles down and tries to learn as much as she can about them.

I admired that about her character. She’s a tough cookie.

“This was a joke, right? Katherine didn’t just have twelve kids, but twelve boys! I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about the male species. I went to a private school for girls! How was I ever going to survive living in a house full of boys? Didn’t they speak their own language or something?“

Everyone makes their feelings about Jackie’s presence obvious right away.
She’s not welcome and they don’t care if she knows it.
And she’s just too nice. If these boys had pulled even half the crap on me that they do to her.. It would be war.

The family dynamic is a bit crazy, messy, and entertaining as all get out. The relationships between characters are well written and believable, although, it was difficult to keep up with all the characters. Here’s the trick.. Quit trying to keep up with everyone and the story will be far more enjoyable. No, really, I’m serious. (If you can’t beat’em..)
As adorable as most of them are.. the sheer number left me unable to connect with any one of the characters and I felt like the book probably could have stood having fewer.

“The Walters’ house was like nothing I had ever experienced before: disorganized, rowdy, and unpredictable. Without a proper foothold, some type of steadiness, I was losing myself in the chaos.”

We have the cliche love-interest, followed by the cliche love-triangle, which are surrounded by plenty of other cliches one tends to see in books like this. None of which ruined the story.. somehow. I do remember thinking very clearly at one point, “There goes my hope that this won’t turn into some angsty teen love story,” but it actually wasn’t as bad as I expected. Kudos to the author for accomplishing that!

In the end, Jackie finds a home in the craziness of the Walter family.
Friendship, support, and new love. She learns that sometimes life can get messy and it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.. that sometimes there’s a freedom in spontaneity. I enjoyed watching her growth throughout the book and I think there are many valuable lessons here for readers of any age.

“I had been trying to fit my world into a small, safe box for so long. But life didn’t work like that. It could move in and out of the lines. You couldn’t control everything, because it wasn’t all meant to be perfect. Sometimes things needed to be messy.”

This was a good story.
Young. Cluttered. But utterly charming.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my review today, I hope you enjoyed it!

How do you feel about young adult romance novels?

Be safe and Happy reading!