“It’s our memories that make us who we are – those moments that for whatever reason, big or small, stick in our brains, that make up our stories.”

Matty Wainwright and his best friend, Tabby, grew up across the street from each other in their idyllic suburban cul de sac. A few years ago Matty realized he was hopelessly in love with Tabby but is too afraid to do anything about it. Tabby is your typical YA heroine. She is beautiful, but doesn’t know it, smart and funny. She has a fiendish obsession with Nerds candy and will happily play with Murray, Matty’s four year old brother. Half way through Matty and Tabby’s freshman year of high school Tabby begins dating the most popular guy in school, a basketball playing senior named Liam, which fractures Tabby and Matty’s friendship.

“Seriously, how can you see a person nearly every day of your life and never think a thing of it, then all of a sudden, one day, it’s different? You see that goofy grin a thousand times and just laugh, but goofy grin number 1,001 nearly stops your heart?”

My sister recommended A Short History of the Girl Next Door because she “thought [it] was going to be all manic pixie dream girl but it’s really not and also it’s really good” and I nearly text her while reading that she was full of crap and it was totally manic and pixie and then the twist happened. 

I can’t tell you what the twist is because it’s a huge spoiler and you’re really better off going into this one a little unaware. Just know that you need to stick it out through Christmas.

I think this one is going to hit the spot for fellow John Green fans. It’s no Fault in Our Stars but it’s well written YA that is on par with Searching for Alaska. I also appreciated how well written Matty’s family was, actually all the secondary characters were well rounded and realistic, in particular his mother and grandfather. I look forward to more, hopefully less heart wrenching, of Reck’s work.