My Life With The Walter Boys is an American coming of age series on Netflix and based on the book of the same name by Ali Novak. Fifteen-year-old Jackie's (Nikki Rodriguez, On My Block) life is turned upside down after a tragic car accident in which she loses both her parents and sister. She is forced to move to the countryside where she is taken in by Katherine (Sarah Rafferty, Suits), her mother's best friend. Together with her husband George (Marc Blucas, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and their 10 (!) resident children, they live and work together on an impressive ranch. Of these ten children, no fewer than nine are boys and exactly 1 is a girl. So there is indeed a certain majority of boys in the Walter family.
Ultimately, it's more about whether the series is for you, and less about whether the series is good or bad overall.
It will be a real adjustment for Jackie to suddenly exchange her carefree city life in New York for the chaotic outdoor life in Colorado. Fortunately, she gets help from the good-natured and sweet Alex (Ashby Gentry, Are You Afraid of the Dark?), with whom she has a good connection from the start. In addition, there is also the other attractive brother and polar opposite Cole (Noah LaLonde, Criminal Minds). He is unpredictable, charismatic and rebellious. The story centers around the love triangle that Jackie has between these two brothers. As a result, there is fierce competition between these two, which does not exactly make her life and that of the entire family any easier.
As mentioned above, it is a coming of age story. In terms of style, it can best be compared to series such as Seventh Heaven and Dawson's Creek. The unhurried storytelling style and camera work are very reminiscent of the many iconic scenes of these well-known nineties series.
Throughout this story we also get to know the Walter family in detail. Each member receives the necessary attention, which makes this a fun collage of countless dilemmas and growing characters. In this first season you see how this whole gang struggles through various recognizable obstacles over a period of a year, with Jackie as the central focus of course. There are so many characters that you can easily cling to during the series so that the story never becomes too one-sided.
The open prairie landscape is also impressive to see and provides an ideal setting for countless romantic intrigues. This series knows very well who its target audience is and responds very well to it. The sweet atmosphere and the countless ethical dilemmas will probably appeal to a large number of viewers.
The sweet atmosphere and the countless ethical dilemmas will probably appeal to a large number of viewers.
In terms of content, there is little that really goes against the grain. The plot and characters are all decent enough to keep you busy for several hours. Our main character Jackie also gradually learns through trial and error how to best navigate her new life. Although she sometimes comes across as a bit frumpy and ambitious, she is definitely a character who grows through the story in a positive way.
Ultimately, it's more about whether the series is for you, and less about whether the series is good or bad overall. Do you like sweet scenes with countless romantic intrigues? Then this is definitely for you. If not, I don't think this series will win you over.
If there is a negative point to be made, it is that the series is perhaps a few episodes too long and that Jackie's love triangle with the brothers Alex and Cole goes a bit off track towards the end. Jackie's fickleness between the two brothers sometimes compromises her credibility. Some moments will seem a bit dull to some viewers, but of course you are dealing with teenage drama and young love as central themes. So that is something that is inevitably part of it.
As a fairly new reviewer, this series was also a bit 'out of my comfort zone' for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this series for the most part. I recommend this for people who want to snuggle under a blanket with their partner and dream away with this series in the background.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
