Thursday 18 July 2013

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West


Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: 2nd July 2013
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description: 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 t here’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.

The Distance Between Us is a delightful read that is sure to capture your heart. Kasie West delivers a novel with charismatic characters, sharp dialogue, and a story that immediately sweeps you off your feet to leave you feeling good about everything. From the first few lines I was immediately captivated and wanted to immediately know what was in store for these characters.

The Distance Between Us is a swoony romantic story centred on people who were raised in completely different situations. Caymen works in her mother’s struggling doll store. She has always been told that the rich are people she should not associate with.  One day she meets the incredibly charming and wealthy Xander who is on an errand to buy a doll for his grandmother.  As they begin to spend more time together Caymen and Xander develop a meaningful relationship but as they fall in love, they have to overcome preconceived notions and expectations.

The heart of the story was about the characters themselves and what they wanted in terms of love, family and career. The book explored family and the expectation they can have. The career days that Caymen and Xander participate in gave them a chance to figure out where they were going in their life and gave the characters more depth. The romance was pitch perfect. I really appreciated that Xander and Caymen didn’t immediately jump into a relationship. Their relationship started as a friendship and they slowly evolved into a sweet romantic couple over time. This made their relationship feel more solid and rewarding when they finally got together. The inside jokes between the two added yet another layer to their relationship. Money and stereotypes of the rich were a few of the issues Caymen and Xander had to overcome however the most compelling part of this story for me was Caymen reconciling her beliefs about the rich with her growing attraction to Xander.  

Caymen and Xander were well defined individually and as a couple. Their chemistry leaped of the page and you couldn’t help but want them to be together. Caymen had a very sarcastic sense of humour that made you want to laugh. She was also a character that was very relatable, practical and pragmatic. Xander on the other hand was the very epitome of cool and smooth and polished. He also had a very caring and loyal side. The dialogue Kasie wrote was sharp, witty and laugh out loud funny, often-making Caymen’s banter with Xander and those around her a highlight.  The secondary characters

The Distance Between Us is a heart-warming tale that is a must read, if only for its humours snark, great characters and sharp writing.


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