Summary

Jackie Howard went through the tragic loss of her family. Distraught and directionless, she is taken in by a family friend. However, what Jackie does not realize until she is on the plane, the Walter’s have 11 sons. As someone who went to an all-girls school, Jackie is unfamiliar with this messy, annoying species. Her organized world is turned upside down as she learns to cope and navigate a life with a huge family. She tries to maintain her standards of perfection to keep the memory of her family alive, but she struggles juggling all the boys who seem adamant on distracting her.

“This might be where I have to live and I’m going to make the best of it, I thought, but it will never be my home.”

—Ali Novak, My Life With the Walter Boys

Why should I read this?

This book addresses the loss of family and how grief can be dealt with. Jackie struggles to move on after her family’s death, and she is afraid that if she doesn’t reach perfection in everything she does, she will be letting them down. Jackie also has to adjust to a big move across the country and learn to make new friendships and get along with people who have a different lifestyle than her. This book is funny, engaging, and, of course, has a little romance mixed in, which makes it the perfect combination for any young adult to pick up and read.

Overall review

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5/5 bookmarks—As someone who has read this book seven or eight times when I was younger, I have a soft spot for this book. Although it can get a bit cliché at times, “My Life With the Walter Boys” takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of moving in with a whole new family and learning what ‘home’ really means.