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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Source: Library
After adoring Pivot Point, I was thrilled to discover that not only did West have another book coming out, but that it was going to be in my favorite genre: contemporary. How could I resist?
Caymen has grown up always knowing that she is separate from the rich people in her town. She lives with her single mother above their doll shop and she sees the financial struggles they endure. So when Xander Spence walks in and beckons her, she's ready to give him his grandmother's doll and get him out of there. But somehow he gets under her skin
Almost immediately I found myself caught up in West's addictive writing. I don't know what her secret is but I just click with it. Then, sadly, life got in the way and I had to put the book aside for a full day (see work, Taylor Swift concert, etc.) When I picked it back up, I found myself less enthused but I don't think it was necessarily the distance between us (haha) so much as some of the plot points that were increasingly emphasized.
Or rather one particular plot point, being Caymen's insecurity over how rich Xander is. This keeps hitting the reader over the head as the book progresses and I don't feel like it was dealt in a real and meaningful way. It was just the same observation repeated ad nauseam and Caymen unable to handle their socioeconomic difference. Another storyline that bothered me was involving Caymen's mother-a lot of information about her is thrown at us toward the end and I disliked how nothing was resolved. It is merely introduced-this is actually a case where I would have liked the book to be longer to more fully explore these issues.
So while those two elements bothered me and kept me from rating this higher, there were still a lot of things I liked. For one, Caymen is hilarious, maybe a bit rough around the edges with her sharp words but I clicked with her. For another, Xander reminded me very strongly of Dexter from Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby; this is not a compliment I give lightly but his sweet adoration of Caymen even when he found her bewildering struck a chord with me. One of my book weaknesses is reading about rich people so I also loved the peek into Xander's privilege like his own recording studio and jet. While Caymen and Xander are definitely the main characters, it was also fun to meet her best friend Skye, her boyfriend Henry, another possible love interest for Mason (don't worry, it's not a love triangle) and Xander's grandmother were some of the other standout characters. Also as I mentioned above, the writing was just my taste.
Overall: Though I didn't think the ending really resolved anything, I am still very happy I read this book and it was just what I need to perk myself up! Trying to squeeze in one last contemporary before the end of summer? Make it this one :)
Cover: Love the cover-her dress is super covet worthy and I can't even see all of it!
After adoring Pivot Point, I was thrilled to discover that not only did West have another book coming out, but that it was going to be in my favorite genre: contemporary. How could I resist?
Caymen has grown up always knowing that she is separate from the rich people in her town. She lives with her single mother above their doll shop and she sees the financial struggles they endure. So when Xander Spence walks in and beckons her, she's ready to give him his grandmother's doll and get him out of there. But somehow he gets under her skin
Almost immediately I found myself caught up in West's addictive writing. I don't know what her secret is but I just click with it. Then, sadly, life got in the way and I had to put the book aside for a full day (see work, Taylor Swift concert, etc.) When I picked it back up, I found myself less enthused but I don't think it was necessarily the distance between us (haha) so much as some of the plot points that were increasingly emphasized.
Or rather one particular plot point, being Caymen's insecurity over how rich Xander is. This keeps hitting the reader over the head as the book progresses and I don't feel like it was dealt in a real and meaningful way. It was just the same observation repeated ad nauseam and Caymen unable to handle their socioeconomic difference. Another storyline that bothered me was involving Caymen's mother-a lot of information about her is thrown at us toward the end and I disliked how nothing was resolved. It is merely introduced-this is actually a case where I would have liked the book to be longer to more fully explore these issues.
So while those two elements bothered me and kept me from rating this higher, there were still a lot of things I liked. For one, Caymen is hilarious, maybe a bit rough around the edges with her sharp words but I clicked with her. For another, Xander reminded me very strongly of Dexter from Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby; this is not a compliment I give lightly but his sweet adoration of Caymen even when he found her bewildering struck a chord with me. One of my book weaknesses is reading about rich people so I also loved the peek into Xander's privilege like his own recording studio and jet. While Caymen and Xander are definitely the main characters, it was also fun to meet her best friend Skye, her boyfriend Henry, another possible love interest for Mason (don't worry, it's not a love triangle) and Xander's grandmother were some of the other standout characters. Also as I mentioned above, the writing was just my taste.
Overall: Though I didn't think the ending really resolved anything, I am still very happy I read this book and it was just what I need to perk myself up! Trying to squeeze in one last contemporary before the end of summer? Make it this one :)
Cover: Love the cover-her dress is super covet worthy and I can't even see all of it!
This book was okay. The story was enjoyable enough but the main character, Cayman, got a little annoying and whiny at times. I enjoyed Xander and I wished that we got to know him a bit better.
This was a fast read and somewhat enjoyable but I'm not sure if I'm going to check out any other books by this author. I didn't love this book enough to.
This was a fast read and somewhat enjoyable but I'm not sure if I'm going to check out any other books by this author. I didn't love this book enough to.
I do believe that was the fastest I've ever read a book. Hot dog!
4.5/5 stars, but I chose to rate it up because that's how much I enjoyed it.
I read some reviews for this book, so I wasn't interested in reading it initially, but my friend recommended it and said she really enjoyed it, and since we have similar tastes in books, I decided to go ahead and give it a read.
I don't know why people have extremely high expectations for chick-lit? I really enjoyed this book. I started it at 2 AM last night and finished it at 5 AM because I couldn't put it down. The characters were very enjoyable, from Caymen to Toad, and don't even get me started on Xander. There are very few books where I actually like the female lead, and this was one of them. Caymen is witty, bold, and energetic, and I guess I loved her even more because of her humor. I loved her best friend Skye, as well as the other minor characters. A lot of times, minor characters get thrown in just because and don't really add much to the story, but West does a really great job keeping them around and making them important to the main characters' growth.
I love Xander. What a cool guy. I know that a lot of people were saying how even by the end, he doesn't understand how privileged he is. And I agree with that, but only because privileged people will always be privileged even if they come to terms with what that means towards them. I guess people were looking for a more riches to rags story to deal with his internal conflict of choosing a career, but personally, for me, it doesn't take anything away from the story. He's kind, and tries to understand Caymen and her life as much as possible and does admit to his faults at the end of book. But I really enjoy the little things he does for her and how he enjoys Caymen's wit, which actually is what draws him into her initially, as opposed to her status, wealth, or looks.
There were some loose ends with the book or some very slightly anti climatic parts which makes me give it a 4.5, but I think overall it was super refreshing. I feel like after reading a lot of cookie-cutter teen fiction (which is not a bad thing, necessarily), it's nice to read something that kind of diverts from all that.
Some of the problems I did have were having to do with the end, I guess.
Overall though, this book was such a fun read. I smiled through it all, and laughed out loud more than once. The characters were lovable, the dialogue was witty, the writing was good, and the plot was something different, which I appreciated. I'm definitely looking forward to what Kasie West has in store for us next.
I read some reviews for this book, so I wasn't interested in reading it initially, but my friend recommended it and said she really enjoyed it, and since we have similar tastes in books, I decided to go ahead and give it a read.
I don't know why people have extremely high expectations for chick-lit? I really enjoyed this book. I started it at 2 AM last night and finished it at 5 AM because I couldn't put it down. The characters were very enjoyable, from Caymen to Toad, and don't even get me started on Xander. There are very few books where I actually like the female lead, and this was one of them. Caymen is witty, bold, and energetic, and I guess I loved her even more because of her humor. I loved her best friend Skye, as well as the other minor characters. A lot of times, minor characters get thrown in just because and don't really add much to the story, but West does a really great job keeping them around and making them important to the main characters' growth.
I love Xander. What a cool guy. I know that a lot of people were saying how even by the end, he doesn't understand how privileged he is. And I agree with that, but only because privileged people will always be privileged even if they come to terms with what that means towards them. I guess people were looking for a more riches to rags story to deal with his internal conflict of choosing a career, but personally, for me, it doesn't take anything away from the story. He's kind, and tries to understand Caymen and her life as much as possible and does admit to his faults at the end of book. But I really enjoy the little things he does for her and how he enjoys Caymen's wit, which actually is what draws him into her initially, as opposed to her status, wealth, or looks.
There were some loose ends with the book or some very slightly anti climatic parts which makes me give it a 4.5, but I think overall it was super refreshing. I feel like after reading a lot of cookie-cutter teen fiction (which is not a bad thing, necessarily), it's nice to read something that kind of diverts from all that.
Some of the problems I did have were having to do with the end, I guess.
Spoiler
Her grandparents kind of appear out of nowhere, which might have been the point, but it would have been nice if Caymen's family didn't come from a rich background, particularly because if her grandparents did disown their daughter, and the backstory for that was kind of brief. Matthew was easily dismissed as the bill collector which was slightly anti-climatic, and I would have liked a scene where Xander beats the crap out of Robert (or at least a confrontation).Overall though, this book was such a fun read. I smiled through it all, and laughed out loud more than once. The characters were lovable, the dialogue was witty, the writing was good, and the plot was something different, which I appreciated. I'm definitely looking forward to what Kasie West has in store for us next.
Reread (December 2017): I still love this book just as much as I did the first time I read it.
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Reread (May 2016): still loved it.
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Kasie West will forever be one of my favorite authors. The Distance Between Us was the first book of hers that I ever read, and it will always have a special place in my heart.
The Distance Between Us is an all-around feel-good book, it’s simply amazing. It’s wonderful, witty, hilarious, romantic, incredible, and heart-warming.
The characters are likable and relatable, you will see bits of yourself in them. You will want to be friends with them.
This was a page-turner, I read it in a couple hours. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end. There wasn’t a dull moment. I liked everything about it.
Something that I really, really loved about this novel is the dialogue. It was AMAZING. Caymen is sarcastic, and she isn’t a character that everyone will love because of that, but I loved her personality. I would totally hang out with her.
Caymen has been raised by her single mother, her mother distastes rich people, so Caymen has some opinions about them too. Caymen works at her mother’s doll shop, and one day Xander Spence walks in. Xander is rich, popular, and good looking.
The two of them end up spending time together and they learn more about each other. They become friends. And then their friendship turns into love.
Those two were super adorable together. *sigh* I love Xander. He had a ton of swoon worthy moments and he’s one my favorite book boyfriends.
I didn’t roll my eyes once while reading this. I literally loved everything. This is a book that is realistic, believable, and will melt your heart.
This is a perfect YA novel. It’s giddy, fun, entertaining, amazing, and it’s not over the top cheesy.
If you’re looking for a book that will leave a smile on your face, then read this one. If you’re looking for a book with great writing, amazing story line, and a swoon worthy guy, then read this one. If you haven’t read this one yet, you’re totally missing out.
This book is so great that after the first time reading it, I immediately went back and re-read it. This is a story that no matter how many times you read it, it’s just as great as the first time.
Rating: 5 stars
Some quotes from The Distance Between Us:
“Caymen?”
“Yes?”
“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”
“More than anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t bring my mints.”
“And now the real answer . . .”
“Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.”
“Is that your subtle way of saying you missed me last week?”
“I’ve missed my hot chocolate. I just think of you as the guy who brings it to me. Sometimes I forget your name and call you hot chocolate guy.”
“Sometimes it’s the little things that bring that special someone back to us in some small way.”
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to start something because I’d rather not try at all than fail at it”
“Feelings can be the most costly thing in the universe.”
“I turn my head so that he doesn’t see my smile and secretly curse him for making me feel special.”
Read more reviews on Britt’s Book and Life Blog. You can also connect with me on Facebook.
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Reread (May 2016): still loved it.
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Kasie West will forever be one of my favorite authors. The Distance Between Us was the first book of hers that I ever read, and it will always have a special place in my heart.
The Distance Between Us is an all-around feel-good book, it’s simply amazing. It’s wonderful, witty, hilarious, romantic, incredible, and heart-warming.
The characters are likable and relatable, you will see bits of yourself in them. You will want to be friends with them.
This was a page-turner, I read it in a couple hours. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end. There wasn’t a dull moment. I liked everything about it.
Something that I really, really loved about this novel is the dialogue. It was AMAZING. Caymen is sarcastic, and she isn’t a character that everyone will love because of that, but I loved her personality. I would totally hang out with her.
Caymen has been raised by her single mother, her mother distastes rich people, so Caymen has some opinions about them too. Caymen works at her mother’s doll shop, and one day Xander Spence walks in. Xander is rich, popular, and good looking.
The two of them end up spending time together and they learn more about each other. They become friends. And then their friendship turns into love.
Those two were super adorable together. *sigh* I love Xander. He had a ton of swoon worthy moments and he’s one my favorite book boyfriends.
I didn’t roll my eyes once while reading this. I literally loved everything. This is a book that is realistic, believable, and will melt your heart.
This is a perfect YA novel. It’s giddy, fun, entertaining, amazing, and it’s not over the top cheesy.
If you’re looking for a book that will leave a smile on your face, then read this one. If you’re looking for a book with great writing, amazing story line, and a swoon worthy guy, then read this one. If you haven’t read this one yet, you’re totally missing out.
This book is so great that after the first time reading it, I immediately went back and re-read it. This is a story that no matter how many times you read it, it’s just as great as the first time.
Rating: 5 stars
Some quotes from The Distance Between Us:
“Caymen?”
“Yes?”
“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”
“More than anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t bring my mints.”
“And now the real answer . . .”
“Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.”
“Is that your subtle way of saying you missed me last week?”
“I’ve missed my hot chocolate. I just think of you as the guy who brings it to me. Sometimes I forget your name and call you hot chocolate guy.”
“Sometimes it’s the little things that bring that special someone back to us in some small way.”
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to start something because I’d rather not try at all than fail at it”
“Feelings can be the most costly thing in the universe.”
“I turn my head so that he doesn’t see my smile and secretly curse him for making me feel special.”
Read more reviews on Britt’s Book and Life Blog. You can also connect with me on Facebook.
The Distance Between Us is a cute, if a bit predictable, romantic comedy.
Cayman (warning, there are almost zero non-trendy names in this book...we have Skye and Xander and Tic/Mason and Cayman) is a senior who works in her mother's doll shop almost every day. She's very aware of the haves vs. the have-nots. Her mother likes to remind Cayman that her father, a "have" wanted nothing to do with them once Cayman was conceived.
Because of the countless warnings, Cayman is a little anxious about how attracted she is toward Xander, the grandson of one of their richest customers. Despite her hesitance, she quickly realizes she's falling for him.
OK, so the good - Cayman is hilarious. I appreciate a bit of dry humor and sarcasm, and Cayman has it in spades. (On the flip side, some of her sarcasm is really obvious, and the people around her must be just really, really dumb when they don't realize she's being sarcastic.)
The bad - the "twist" really isn't very surprising at all. And throughout the book, I really wanted to just shake the mother for how much she decided to hide from Cayman.
Overall, this book won't win any awards. It won't be remembered as a major literary masterpiece. But it's a fun, quick read with an adorable love story, so it was totally worth my time.
Cayman (warning, there are almost zero non-trendy names in this book...we have Skye and Xander and Tic/Mason and Cayman) is a senior who works in her mother's doll shop almost every day. She's very aware of the haves vs. the have-nots. Her mother likes to remind Cayman that her father, a "have" wanted nothing to do with them once Cayman was conceived.
Because of the countless warnings, Cayman is a little anxious about how attracted she is toward Xander, the grandson of one of their richest customers. Despite her hesitance, she quickly realizes she's falling for him.
OK, so the good - Cayman is hilarious. I appreciate a bit of dry humor and sarcasm, and Cayman has it in spades. (On the flip side, some of her sarcasm is really obvious, and the people around her must be just really, really dumb when they don't realize she's being sarcastic.)
The bad - the "twist" really isn't very surprising at all. And throughout the book, I really wanted to just shake the mother for how much she decided to hide from Cayman.
Overall, this book won't win any awards. It won't be remembered as a major literary masterpiece. But it's a fun, quick read with an adorable love story, so it was totally worth my time.
I was thrilled to see another book by this author. I am really enjoying her books. The plots aren't too overwhelming even though her main characters have challenges. Caymen and her mom struggle financially, Caymen feels rejected by a father she has never met and she is also confused and worried about secrets her mother is keeping, particularly about her health. Then enters Xander. He happens to be very well off but is a sincerely nice guy. I really enjoyed Xander and Caymen's banter and was happy to immerse myself in their world for a couple of hours. Very delightful!
This book (and the two I read following it) were just what I needed. On a rare occasion I feel frustrated when I feel like I'm being forced to read things. I'm grateful this isn't usually the case. Perhaps I felt it more because I knew I had half a dozen fun books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read and it was hard to wait. The minute my self-inflicted book ban was lifted (I finished the books that I needed to) I was off. It was WONDERFUL to pick this book up. I may have binged a little bit. ;)
This book (and the two I read following it) were just what I needed. On a rare occasion I feel frustrated when I feel like I'm being forced to read things. I'm grateful this isn't usually the case. Perhaps I felt it more because I knew I had half a dozen fun books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read and it was hard to wait. The minute my self-inflicted book ban was lifted (I finished the books that I needed to) I was off. It was WONDERFUL to pick this book up. I may have binged a little bit. ;)
KASIE WEST IS MY FAVORITE YA NOVEL WRITER! (Sorry for it being all captions)