On the Fence by Kasie West [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

On the Fence by Kasie West
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release: July 1, 2014
Hardcover:  304 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
My Copy: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

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

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

Kasie West's books are the perfect sort of contemporary YA that isn't over the top or twee.  Her characters are funny and real and you can't help but root for them. On the Fence is no exception.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  It was neither too light or too heavy and felt grounded in all the right spots.  The characters are interesting and fun and don't veer too heavily into cliche territory.

I especially loved Charlie.  Having three older brothers (plus one older honorary one) and no mother means Charlie feels much more comfortable being "one of the guys".  She is a tomboy and mystified by all things she considers "girly".  But at the same time, there is a part of her that yearns to understand it even if she turns her nose up at the idea of dresses, makeup and shopping.  I loved Charlie's journey into the unknown world of femininity.  But what I liked most about it was this wasn't a ugly duckling kind of story.  Charlie's problems are not solved by wearing makeup.  Most of Charlie's insecurities come from within.  She worries how she will be perceived by her guy friends, but also by her new girl friends.  Mostly, she worried that becoming more of a "girly girl" will make her lose some of her sports cred and that she won't be able to really be herself if she is trying to be a typical girl.

The romance is also sweet, if not a tad bit bland.  It takes a long time for Charlie to figure out what to do about her feelings for Braden, but overall it was a decent romance.  But really I was more interested in everything else going on:  Charlie figuring herself out, making new friends, dealing with the death of her mother, and her relationship with her brothers.  Those things really drove the story for me.  The romance was just icing on the cake.

If you haven't checked out Kasie West's books, you should! If you like easy and fun romances, check out The Distance Between Us.  If you like paranormal-y type stories, check out her Pivot Point duology.


Disclosure:  I reviewed a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Split Second by Kasie West [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Split Second by Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point #3
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Paranormal
Release: February 11, 2014
Hardcover: 368 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

**spoilers from the first book**
Split Second takes place six weeks after the conclusion of Pivot Point.  Addie is still in the Compound, but reeling from her near death experience and betrayal by her boyfriend, Duke. Addie is Divergent, meaning she can Search the two outcomes of any given choice.  When she discovered her parents were divorcing and offering her the choice of who to live with, Addie Searches the outcomes of staying in the Compound with her mother or leaving to live in the Norm world with her father.  But after searching, she discovers one path leads to the death of her best friend.  So she realizes she needs to make the choice to stay in the Compound and to forget about the other path, which means forgetting about Trevor, the boy she falls in love with in her "Norm" path.  Addie asks Laila to erase her memories, but leaves a note telling Laila to restore the memories after everything happens. The only problem is Laila doesn't know how to restore Addie's memories.  This leads her to seek out Connor, who she hopes will have some answers for her.  Meanwhile, Addie decides to spend her winter break with her dad in Dallas and re-meets Trevor.  She doesn't remember him, but she is nevertheless drawn to him.

Split Second is a small departure from the first book.  Instead of two timelines, there is just one.  In fact, Addie does very little Searching at all.  But we do get two narratives:  Addie and Laila's.  I can't say that Laila had a very distinct voice than Addie, and sometimes I got confused about who I was reading. Or, really, had a hard time re-orientating myself after the POV changes.  But it was very minor.  There is a lot more action and deception in the sequel.  It is less a love story than a government conspiracy story, but it definitely kept me on my toes.

I really liked Connor and Laila's interactions.  He is the one person who is immune to Laila's powers and charms.  This frustrates her to no end, but it also gives them a lot of chemistry.  And, of course, Trevor is adorable and sweet.  I actually found all the characters to be endearing in their own ways.  West does a decent job of giving everyone distinct personalities.

Overall, I found it a fun follow up to Pivot Point.  I was a little sad we didn't have the divergent timelines, but I understood why.  I definitely recommend checking these books out.  Kasie West is quickly becoming a new to-go author for me.

Other books in this series in the order that they should be read:
1. Pivot Point
2. Split Second

Pivot Point by Kasie West [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

 

Pivot Point by Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release: February 12, 2013
Hardcover: 343 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
My Copy: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

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.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

I have decided I am a big fan of alternate reality books.  They are becoming more popular and I've read a couple recently and really love the concept of choice and how the future is affected by that choice.  And Pivot Point was no exception.

There are two elements here.  First is the paranormal aspect.  I liked the idea of people having these special powers, but being hidden away and living in secret in the Compound.  I also like that it wasn't melodramatic or dystopic, as so many "special power" books are.  The second element the two realities.  When Addie is faced with a choice, she can Search her future and see the outcome of each choice.  When she finds out her parents are divorcing, she is given to the choice to stay in the Compound with her mom, or to leave and live as a "Norm" in Dallas with her dad.  So she Searches each option.  From here, the book splits into the two realities:  life in Compound and life in Dallas.

It took me a little time to orientate myself with the paranormal aspects.  You are just kind of tossed into it.  It is also a little tricky to go back and forth between the realities.  The definitions at the beginning of each chapter helped.  But sometimes I had to really think about what had happened in each reality previously. 

I really liked the characters.  Addie is spunky and I liked her.  I loved Trevor.  Really, who couldn't?  Laila is a lot of fun and I loved her and Addie's relationship. 

Overall, I thought this was a fun book.  If you like alternate realities and paranormal mind abilities, then you should check this book out!

Other books in this series in the order that they should be read:
1. Pivot Point
2. Split Second

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you to Harper Teen for the opportunity to review this book!