The Boy Next Door (novel)

The Boy Next Door is a novel written by Meg Cabot. The book was published in 2002. It is written with an e-mail format throughout the book.

Contents

Plot

The main character in this novel is Melissa Fuller, but "You can call me Mel", as she says. Mel is a gossip columnist for the New York Journal and has just broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Aaron Spender. Her best friend, Nadine Wilcock, a food critic, is getting married to her boyfriend, Tony Salerno, who is a chef at the popular restaurant Fresche. Melissa also has many coworkers, including Dolly Vargas, an outlandish Style Editor who has her eyes on quite a few men.

The book starts with Melissa being late to work after finding her neighbour, Mrs. Helen Friedlander, facedown on the carpet of her apartment after a brutal attack. Mel gets her to the hospital but has yet to solve the problem of walking Paco, Mrs. Friedlander's Great Dane. She calls upon Mrs. Friedlander's nephew, Max Friedlander, to come and take care of Paco and the two cats Tweedledum and Mr. Peepers. Max, who is on vacation with the supermodel Vivica, calls upon his millionaire friend John Trent, who is a crime reporter for the New York Chronicle, the Journal's top competitor. John impersonates Max and moves into Max's Aunt Helen's apartment.

John and Melissa get off to a good start after sharing mutual affections for not only each other, but other things as well. They go on a date but are stopped by Tweedledum's hospitalization. Afterwards, John kisses Mel over Chinese food, and gets mixed reactions from her as she jumps off to her apartment.

John is troubled over whether he should sleep with Mel. He asks for advice from his family, including his grandmother, Genevieve Randolph Trent, his rich brother Jason Trent, and his sister-in-law, Stacy Trent. They each feel that he should go for it. He does, in fact, take Mel out for dinner and afterward, they have sex. They express their love for each other.

Max's ex-girlfriend, Vivica the supermodel, later spoils their love by telling Mel the big secret. Mel lashes out at John and they split up.

Meanwhile, Max replaces John in the apartment and takes over the pet jobs. It is expressed that he is interested in the thought of insulin injection killing his aunt(his aunt would bequeath him $12 million upon her death), which worries Mel and prompts her to forgive John and ask him for his help in saving Max's aunt. They wire John and catch Max with a murder intent.

The book ends with John proposing to Mel, and she agreeing to marry him. [1]

Characters

Main

New York Journal and Friends

-Several other reporters

New York Chronicle and friends

John's Family

Max's Entourage

Mel's Family

Animals

References

  1. ^ Cabot, Meg. The Boy next Door. New York: Avon, 2002. Print.
Works by Meg Cabot (publication order)
The Princess Diaries novel series

The Princess Diaries (2000) • Princess in the Spotlight (2001) • Princess in Love (2002) • Princess Lessons (2003) • Princess in Waiting (2003) • Project Princess (2003) • Princess in Pink (2004) • Perfect Princess (2004) • The Princess Present (2004) • Princess in Training (2005) • Holiday Princess (2006) • Party Princess (2006) • Sweet Sixteen Princess (2006) • Valentine Princess (2006) Princess on the Brink (2007) • Princess Mia (2008) • Forever Princess (2009)
The Mediator novel series

Shadowland (2000) • Ninth Key (2001) • Reunion (2001) • Darkest Hour (2001) • Haunted (2003) • Twilight (2004)
1-800-WHERE-R-YOU novel series

When Lightning Strikes (2001) • Code Name Cassandra (2001) • Safe House (2002) • Sanctuary (2002) • Missing You (2006)
All-American Girl novel series
Avalon High novel series

Avalon High (2005) • The Merlin Prophecy (2007 manga) • Homecoming (2008 manga) • Hunter's Moon (2009 manga)
Airhead novel series

Airhead (2008) • Being Nikki (2009) • Runaway (2010)
Abandon novel series

Abandon (2011) • The Underworld
Allie Finkle novel series

Moving Day (2008) • The New Girl (2008) • Best Friends and Drama Queens (2009) • Stage Fright (2009) • Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out (2010) • Blast From the Past (2010)
Boy novel series

The Boy Next Door (2002) • Boy Meets Girl (2004) • Every Boy's Got One (2005)
Heather Wells novel series

Size 12 is Not Fat (2006) • Size 14 is Not Fat Either (2006) • Big Boned (2007)
Queen of Babble novel series

Queen of Babble (2006) • Queen of Babble in the Big City (2007) • Queen of Babble Gets Hitched (2008)
Insatiable novel series

Insatiable (2010) • Overbite (2011)
Other teen novels

Nicola and the Viscount (2002) • Victoria and the Rogue (2003) • Teen Idol (2004) • How to Be Popular (2006) • Pants On Fire (2007) • Jinx (2007)
Other adult novels

Where Roses Grow Wild (1998) • Portrait of My Heart (1999) • An Improper Proposal (1999) • A Little Scandal (2000) • Lady of Skye (2000) • Educating Caroline (2001) • Kiss the Bride (2002) • She Went All the Way (2002)
Short stories:

"The Christmas Captive" (2000) • "Every Girl's Dream" (?) • "Girl’s Guide to New York through the Movies" (2003) • "Kate the Great" (2003) • "Party Planner" (2004) • "Connie "Hunter" Williams, Psychic Teacher" (2005) • "Allie Finklestine's Rules for Boys" (2006) • "Reunion" (2006) • "Cry, Linda, Cry: Judy Blume’s Blubber and The Cruelest Thing in the World" (Spring 2007) • "Ask Annie" (2007) • "The Exterminator's Daughter" (2007) • "Princess Prettypants" (2010) • "The Night Hunter" (2010) • "The Protectionist" (2011)