The Boy Next Door

Rating:
Summary: Very funny!
Review: Romantic comedies can be a dime-a-dozen, but this one has really stood out. the way it was written in all emails was great for getting all the characters points of view firsthand. This is the first laugh-out-loud funny book i've read in a while. I loved the way the super model wrote emails in the same way as the little girls. Also, many books of this genre throw in a twist like the attempted murder of the elderly neighbor at the end, unexpectedly, but Cabot had this going from the beginning with common references to the transvestite killer and the way John was snooping around with the cops. This was very well written, and Cabot did an excellent job dishing out all the details through the emails. I loved this book

Rating:
Summary: predictable at best
Review: This booked was recommended, so I was intrigued enough by the email format to give it a go...I found it completely predictable, and the dialogue supposedly written by children (character John's nieces) was just not believable at all...In fact, it was inane and added nothing.I've lived in NYC for a long time and cannot imagine that anyone would call the police out of concern because they do not know enough about their friend's date. Further, I am from the Midwest, and these conversations with the Illinois parents are over the top. No one is that much of a meddling rube...I found these parental characters to be totally cliche.

Rating:
Summary: fun, light book
Review: I admit to reading this book only after hearing about it from Kelly Ripa. The whole e-mail format intriqued me, and despite the romantic qualities (I'm much more a mystery/short story kinda girl), I decided to check it out.

As mentioned about, the entire book is in e-mail format. That did take a while to get used to, simply because the e-mails are usually about 1/3rd of a page long (not much room for description). The one glaring omission about this format is that the e-mails aren't dated, which I wish Cabbot had done simply so it was easier to get a feel for the time frame of this book. I was surprised at the end to find out the true time span of the story- it seemed like it all happened in just a few days, not several months!

Overall, it's a fun book. It was light and funny and the characters were easy to like. I wasn't expecting to be able to guage much about their characters given the average size of each e-mail, but I very quickly learned who everyone was and it was a surprise each time something new was revealed about them. The ending was a little too tidy, but not nearly as "convenient" (can't think of a better word without spoiling the book!) as some other books I have read, where everything fits together in the span of the last few pages.

I finished "The Boy Next Door" very quickly, so it's not the kind of book to take on a vacation, but I don't regret reading it and would seek out other Meggin Cabot books (although I will continue to skip romances...) This is more of a buy the paperback/check it out from the library book than a book you invest in- I don't think I would re-read it (which I do with most of my books) unless I needed something very light and cheery.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I read this book in less than 3 days even with working 8 hours each day. It is so easy to read and kept my interest the whole way throughout!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!...
Review: I have read all of the books in Kelly Ripa's book club so that is how I came across this wonderful book. I loved it. It's funny, the story line is very easy to follow and its a different way to write a book. I read it in just two days I couldn't wait to find out what happens.

Rating:
Summary: The Boy Next Door
Review: I loved this book! I read it in 2 days! The book was written wonderfully in all emails. As the story line increased so did my interest! To be honest I am not a huge reader but I read this book in less that 2 days! Half the time I never have a chance to finish books but, "The Boy Next Door" was a great book to read! I heard about the book from Kelly Rippa. What a great book. It was so fun to read the emails from all the characters in the book... :) I am excited to see if Meggin Cabot writes another book similar to the structure of emails. It was very fun!

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: "The Boy Next Door" was absolutely one of the funniest, cutest books I've read in quite some time! I really enjoyed the format of having the book entirely written through emails, and unlike some other reviewers, I found I got to know the characters quite well by how they wrote and responded to their emails. The interplay between Mel and John, between Mel and her co-workers, and the various family members, all were priceless! They were all larger than life, without being over-the-top. Nadine was the perfect best friend, and I loved that she was a size 16! All the pieces and subplots fit well together, and even when I could see how certain things would end up, I still enjoyed watching the pieces come together. This was a light, fun read, and very, very enjoyable. I caan't wait to see what else Meggin Cabot comes up with next!

Rating:
Summary: Made me want to fall in love
Review: This was my first Meggin Cabot book and I heard about it from Kelly Ripa. I read this quirky semi humerous book in one day because I just couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened to Mel and John in the end. It was a day well spent. I encourage anyone who likes a good book to rush out and get "The Boy Next Door"

Rating:
Summary: A Fun Book!
Review: I loved The Boy Next Door!! Funny, romantic, witty and thoroughly enjoyable. Great for a snowy weekend! Also highly recommend SHADE OF THE MAPLE and THE GRAVEL DRIVE by Kirk Martin - must reads!!

Rating:
Summary: pleasing prose
Review: I enjoyed Volume 3 of her Princess Diaries and I felt that this novel was a great breakout for Ms. Cabot, but it wasn't too adult for teen readers. She didn't push too far away from her popular style and it is a quick comfortable read that you'll enjoy for its escapism. The best part is her writing style; she knows when she's given you enough information and then moves on. The book was very funny and the characters had a lot of lilt; it was a real happy romp. If you enjoyed this novel you will also love CLONED LOVE.