Review: On The Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence
by Kasie West
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Publication Date: July 1st 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 296
ISBN: 9780062235671
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Edelweiss

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For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds,

aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. 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. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to start reading ‘On The Fence’! I had heard many great things about Kasie West’s writing, and I was dying to pick something up by her. Also, I’m a sucker for a good love story. I knew just from reading the synopsis for this novel that I was really going to love the story. And I did. SO MUCH.

I found Charlie, the main character, to be an extremely relatable young girl. I was a big tomboy when I was growing up as well, so I could definitely relate to what she was going through with all the boys. I remember that feeling of awkwardness and insecurity so well. Throughout the book we watch Charlie grow from a tomboy, into a young lady, with the help of some really cool new friends. Charlie was such a great character. I love that she made me laugh, more than a few times.

Braden, the boy next door, has been Charlie’s neighbor for as long as she can remember. He’s so close to her family that he is basically considered one of her brothers. But all that changes on night during one of their chats by the fence. I loved Braden! While he did act like one of her brothers most of the time, you could tell he’d had feelings for Charlie for a while. He was so sweet.

The men in Charlie’s family were amazing. Her father and brothers were so protective of Charlie, and it’s really more than just a family bond. We find out the reasoning at the end of the book, and it’s pretty heartbreaking. But these were all really great men, and I LOVE books that have strong family ties in them.

The storyline for the book was simple and easy to follow. This is one of those books that you can read in just a few hours time, because you are going to be hooked once you start it. Also, I’m a sucker for a good love story, and that’s definitely what you’re going to get with this novel.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed reading this book! Now that I’ve read something by Kasie West, I can’t wait to read more, as soon as I possibly can! Definitely add On the Fence to your to-read list today!