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Showing posts with label kasie west. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kasie west. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Author: Kasie West
Date Published: July 2nd, 2013
Grade: A :)
Goodreads Summary: 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.
Review: Ah this was such an adorable book! I had been waiting for The Distance Between Us for the longest time- but it was definitely worth the wait. Although the book was pretty short, it had all the elements required for a great, young adult read.
Ever since reading Pivot Point, I have adored Kasie West's writing. Her voice is so strong, it always keeps you one hundred percent engaged in the story. West's writing is also undeniably hilarious, I found myself chuckling every other page (you know it's a good book when it can make you laugh). There's something about her writing that flows so nicely together, it's simple, yet addictive. Kasie West also has this wonderful ability to create the most adorable male characters, characters whom she develops so well, all us female YA readers fall head over heels for.
Let's talk about Xander. At first, I was kind of hesitant on whether or not I liked him... But then, twenty pages later, I get to the part of the story where he brings her hot chocolate and shows up on her doorstep and he's all smart and funny and witty and can handle her sarcastic comments and then BOOM. This happens.
Actually though, even if you hold some grudge against Kasie West and you don't like her writing or whatever, READ THE BOOK FOR XANDER AND CAYMEN'S CHEMISTRY. It's so much fun watching their characters develop with each other. The sarcasm and humor that occurs between the two is refreshing and funny. Caymen was also a great character. Typically, I dislike the female protagonists in books, but from page 1, I loved Caymen's wit and "dry humor". She is independent and hilarious, a sass master who has perfected the art of sarcasm- Honestly, she's the type of girl you want as a best friend. Kasie West also made sure she wasn't perfect. Of course she made mistakes, but that just made her that much more relatable and lovable.
The plot itself was smooth and worked well. Nothing really awful ever happened, so there was no huge life changing climax or anything. However, I really loved the story. I loved the little twists and turns throughout the book. My one complaint would be that the ending felt pretty rushed, although I liked the final twist. The Distance Between Us was definitely an addictively funny, happy, summer read, one that had me smiling the entire time I was reading it. I definitely recommend it for you YA readers looking for a light, cute read with the two most sarcastic, funny protagonists of all time.
Happy reading y'all!
PAULA :)
Friday, 24 May 2013
Author: Kasie West
Date Published: February 12, 2013
Grade: A
Goodreads Summary: 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.
Review: EVERYONE LISTEN UP I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE. I AM VERY, EXTREMELY, SUPER EXCITED AND PLEASED TO WELCOME A NEW FICTIONAL MALE CHARACTER TO MY LIST OF BOOK BOYFRIENDS. YAYYY.
Normally, I'm not one to love supernatural/super power books and I prefer to stick to the reality young adult novels. However, this book was incredible and has completely changed my attitude towards supernatural books. Just the concept of a community with people each having a different power- it almost reminded me of Divergent, except with a cuter, more believable romance and slightly less fighting/action- is a pretty neat concept. Unlike the normal supernatural concepts we come across as young adult readers (vampires/werewolves etc.), this cool idea of mind powers and abilities really stood out to me as original, engaging, and fascinating to read.
Gah. And the characters and romance in this book.. GAHHH. By the end of the 350 pages of this book, I felt as though I knew the characters so well, the main ones were all so well developed and complex- each having their own challenges and obstacles to face. Addie is super-relatable and lovable, expecially being a teenager who loves to read and does somewhat dorky things, and experiences the things normal teenage girls go through. Most of the characters also worked super well together. Especially the romantic chemistry between Addie/Trevor and sometimes Addie/Duke. The chemistry between these two was incredibly enjoyable to read. Addie and Trevor's relationship also felt very consistent, never faltering. They were just so funny and adorable with each other, always responding to each other with witty comments, and saying the cutest things at just the right moments. Trevor- *sighs* -was the cutest thing ever, with his cowboy boots, smart and clever responses, and his sensitive and artistic side. I seriously wish I could have seen more Traddie moments (They already have a relationship name! That's how much I ship them!). Aaaaand, like I said earlier, he has officially made my top ten list of book boyfriends! Welcome Trevor!
Kasie West's writing is also really quite amazing. Her writing is easy to follow and extremely engaging. I never found myself bored. She's not the type of person who needs millions of metaphors and deep quotes to grab your attention, her writing is straight forward and fun to read, not to mention straight up hilarious at times. This was definitely a book that I was not able to put down!
The ending of the book killed me. No- actually what killed me was the adorable chemistry between Traddie... And then I came back to life after calming myself, and then I died again after finishing it. "Why?" You might ask? Well, the ending came so suddenly, and everything was so chaotic, and not everything was resolved, and I was upset! Then, I checked Goodreads and HALLELUJAH, a sequel to Pivot Point is supposed to come out next year! Thank goodness. So now, I'm back, alive, and really looking forward to next year. This book is definitely one you do not want to miss, especially if you're a fan of cute romantic chemistry (duh, who isn't?) and supernatural stuff. And don't make the mistake that I almost did of turning away from this book because if has supernatural stuff. It's a really great read and I highly recommend it.
PAULA :)
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly feature, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that features upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Harper Teen, 320 Pages
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.
~Summary taken from Goodreads
Look at that cover. 'Nuff said.
Okay, but seriously, I am really looking forward to this book. As you guys all probably know already, Sarina and I are major suckers for some straight up, good ol' fashion romance. It probably helps that the average rating on goodreads is a whopping 4.4 and that the reviews are all really positive! Apparently Xander Spence is also super adorable and cute and swoonable (is that a word..?) (sounds like a very likely addition to our top ten book boyfriends!), which would also help quite a bit, wouldn't it?
And not to mention that I cannot wait to have that ADORABLE cover on my bookshelf.
PAULA :)
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