Book Review: My Forever (The Boys Next Door) by Jolene B Perry

****--4 Stars.
July 2012, 422 pages.


Amazon Description: Dani is mortified that she’ll finish her senior year of high school as the pregnant girl, and has no idea how to tell her father, who is also the pastor of her church.

When her friend, Michael, sits down next to her in the hallway at school, it leads her inside the doors of the Mormon church, a group she’s been warned against for years. Dani begins to listen to the small voice in her heart even as her world crumples around her.

Her old friends aren’t around anymore. And when her father discovers not only her pregnancy, but her involvement in the LDS faith, he asks her to leave his house.

Dani’s life is turned upside down as she moves states, tries to find parents for her unborn baby, and says goodbye to her friend, Michael, as he leaves for two years to serve a mission.

My Forever is a novel about the struggle to find the balance between what your head screams for you to do and the power of following the quieter voice inside your heart - wishing for a time when they both say the same thing.  

My Review: When I started reading this, I wondered how it could be a part of The Boys Next Door series, but then the connection was made. And in such a great way. I was amazed at how much emotion was evoked through this story and how real and raw it was. It was told in a way that really drew the reader in and I had a hard time putting it down.

Dani is a character who realizes that she made a mistake and does what she needs to do to fix it. Even though it's embarrassing to have people know, she tells people and is very upfront about it. She faces and deals with the consequences with a lot of bravery. I don't know how I could do what she had to do--leave everything she knows behind and face rejection and heartache--and at such a young age.

Michael is amazing. Who wouldn't want a friend like him?! He's very accepting, even when others think badly of him. He doesn't care what people think--he knows the truth and that's all that matters. I love how determined he is to do the right thing, even when it's very difficult to do.

Every girl really should have a Jackie in her life. She is exactly what Dani needed--lighthearted and fun.

So many things happen in this story. Lives change; people grow. I don't want to give anything away, but a lot happens and it's hard not to keep thinking about this book.

Content: obviously things happen, but there aren't details given (all behind closed doors), aside from kissing.

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