The Boy Next Door - Meg Cabot

Date of Reading: 02/09/2012

Source: Internet (e-pub version)

Year: 2002
Rating: 3.5/5

           One of my friends who is studying to become a nurse, once sent me a letter. Oh, not a mail, but a handwritten original letter. Needless to say, I am surprised. Glad to know that the post office still exists, thanks to the convent mode hostels which still scrutinises our letters and allows us to make a call to home only on Sundays.

            With this almost extinction of letters, gone are the days of epistolary novels. Or so I thought, until I have come by this one. Samuel Richardson has written the first novel in English, 'Pamela', in  a series of letters and it seems the tradition is not forgotten. Well, except for 'Colour Purple' of Alice Walker and 'Dracula' (though it is in the form of a diary), I don't have much favourites in this mode.

          This one is the modern form; story is all in e-mails and rest is left to the imagination of the reader. Its all about a romance which blooms in a crime scene; too bad, its all predictable. At least Cabot has made an attempt with an ordinary story. What should we expect next? A novel made out of SMS! (As for that matter Sophie Kinsella's 'I've Got Your Number' is a partial attempt in this field)

          Melissa Fuller, a gossip columnist of the New York Journal has just broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Aaron Spender. When the novel opens, Mel is late for work and her friend Nadine Wilcock, the managing editor George Sanchez and the style editor Dolly Vargas all send anxious, threatening e-mails to her, all for different reasons. 
        Her next door neighbour Mrs. Helen Friedlander is found facedown on the carpet of her apartment and Mel is with her in the hospital. The victim hasn't yet recovered her consciousness and so Mel is forced to walk the lady's Great Dane, Paco everyday and as a result is late always. She informs Mrs. Friedlander's super model nephew, Max, about the incident and the need to take care of the pets.
         Max is in vacation with her girl friend, Vivica and so obviously not in a nursing mood. He asks his millionaire friend John Trent to take his place in the apartment in return for a former favour. John is a crime reporter in the New York Chronicle, the main rival of Journal. He moves to Mrs. Friedlander's apartment and soon a relationship is underway between him and Mel.
          In the end Vivica spoils this identity secret to have her revenge on Max. Mel lashes out at John and they split up. Max occupies his aunt's apartment but Mel begins to doubt his intentions. By making a frienship with Vivica she finds out that Max has visited his aunt on the day of the attack.

Meg Cabot

          John's relatives are in a move together to join the lovers; his grandmother Genevieve forwords her grandson's e-mails which explains his attachment to Mel. The couple makes up the differences and brings Max to the justice. Story ends with Mel accepting the proposal of John.