Adapted for television by Melanie Halsall and the team behind the “Kissing Booth” film trilogy, the Netflix adaptation of “My Life with the Walter Boys” was a satisfying viewing experience that had engaging humor, intriguing plot twists, a talented cast, and horses.
The ten-episode series premiered on Netflix on December 7th and is based on Ali Novak’s 2014 book. The story follows Jackie Howard (played by Nikki Rodriguez), a fifteen-year-old girl who becomes an orphan after a tragic accident.
She moves from New York City to Silver Falls, Colorado to live with her mother’s best friend, Katherine Walter (Sarah Rafferty), and her large family consisting of her husband, George (Marc Blucas), and their ten kids: Will (Johnny Link), Cole (Noah LaLonde), Danny (Connor Stanhope), Alex ( Ashby Gentry), Isaac (Issac Arellanes), Lee (Myles Vincent Perez), Nathan (Corey Fogelman), Jordan (Dean Petriw), Parker (Alix West Lefler), and Benny (Lennix James).
Each character possesses a distinctive background and personality, which differentiates them and makes it difficult to confuse them, furthering the show even more.
Jackie is a kind, disciplined, and ambitious student who strives to excel in her AP classes, run her school’s events committee, and attend Princeton.
Among the Walter brothers, Cole is struggling the most to find his identity after a football injury ends his career and derails his scholarship dreams. LaLonde also appears fated to draw squeals from a percentage of the teen viewing population; in a different era, his face might stare out from teen fan magazines.
Danny, Cole’s twin, is a thoughtful and well-read character who loves theater.
Alex is a dependable and bookish character who becomes fast friends with Jackie, and he may want to be more than just friends. Ashby Gentry does an excellent job portraying Alex’s shy, awkward, yet genuine nature.
The Walter cousins, Isaac and Lee, have also endured family struggles. The twins’ mother left home when they were young, and their father recently got deployed.
Nathan, the kind and awkward character, is always carrying his guitar around and becomes Jackie’s running buddy shortly after her arrival.
Jordan aspires to become a film director and always has his camera with him, but he’s not always good at keeping track of his pet snake, Rumplesnakeskin.
Parker is the only daughter of the Walter family, and she is a bit hesitant about Jackie joining the household. She loves playing football with her older brother Cole and is often seen wearing his old clothes.
Benny is the youngest of the bunch and is full of energy, always running around and getting underfoot of his older siblings and parents.
YA fans are familiar with the trope of the love triangle involving two brothers because of shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, but My Life with the Walter Boys outdoes them all. Although it is immediately clear that Jackie will have to choose between two options, similar to the Edward vs. Jacob scenario, it is entertaining to observe the interaction between these two charming young actors.
With a cliffhanger ending that has you yearning for more episodes and the nature of adolescence, there are few critiques to be made, and the engaging humor, intriguing plot twists, talented cast, and horses make it a must-watch for all.
