She Shoots, She Scores?

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 1st 2014
Source: Publisher
Synopsis:

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

Review: On the Fence - Kasie West 

Kasie West's books has always been a sure win for me. Her dystopian debut, Pivot Point captivated me with it's time travel angle. When she followed it up with The Distance Between Us, another smashing success West became one of my auto-buy authors.

When it was revealed that she was releasing another contemporary this year Kasie West cult (including moi) went like Hallelujah. Tomboy falling in love with boy next door?? GIMME. The pre-release reviews were promising so I was definitely hyped up for the book.

I thought that I could count on West for a contemporary novel that would make the reader swoon, giggle and re-think. In short, I expected a mind blowing, coming of age read that I could would add value to the genre. And yes, majority of the readers thought that the novel succeeded in this aspect. Unfortunately, I'm with the minority saying nuh uh.

Review: Pivot Point - Kasie West

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Feb 12th 2013
Source: Publisher
Synopsis:
Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .
Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

My Thoughts

After reading The Distance Between Us last month(and lovin' it!) I could hardly wait to pick up Pivot Point. As excited as I was to find out that Pivot Point focuses on parallel worlds I have to admit that I felt a little apprehensive when I found out that about the super powers part. But all of that vanished when I started reading Pivot Point. This book was good. Like really really good.

All of us make choices on a daily basis, right? 

What if you were to find out that one of these seemingly minuscule decisions has the chance to change your life forever? 

And what if you knew the consequences that came with making one of these seemingly unimportant choice?

Does being aware of these consequences make it any easier to make that decision?

Review: The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: July 2nd 2013
Source: Publisher
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

My Thoughts

When I added Kasie West's The Distance Between Us to my TBR list I did it solely for that gorgeous cover. Boy am I'm glad I did it because this heart warming story just became one of my favorite reads for 2013. 

The Distance Between Us takes cliche poor girl/rich boy scenario and turns it into an amazing story that will leave you gushing about it weeks after you turn that final page! 

I feel that characters can make or break a book. The Distance Between Us is a solid example of this-If the characters were flat and poorly constructed the whole rich guy/poor girl story would have been a huge fail. So I'm glad to say that the awesome-sauce characters were one of the strengths of The Distance Between Us.