REVIEW: on the fence, by kasie west

On the Fence by Kasie West
Published by Harper Collins on July 1st 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Social Issues, Girls & Women
Pages: 304
Source: Purchased
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She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door.
With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex. So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets, she's more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique and going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden, sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there's a secret Charlie's keeping that even he hasn't figured out—she's fallen for him. 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.
On the Fence is a sweet and satisfying read about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect it.

ON THE FENCE – like all kasie west’s contemporary novels – is super adorable.

i wanted to read this since finishing the last novel i read by kasie west, THE FILL IN BOYFRIEND. when i was craving (like CRAVING) a cute, quick, contemporary book, i turned to this and it did not disappoint. i flew through this book. like, i sat down for a couple of hours, lost track of time, and finished the book. that doesn’t happen often. ironically, the last book i ~flew~ through was THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND. coincidence? i think not.

i like how this book isn’t solely focused on romance. sure, that’s a big part of it – it’s a ROMANCE novel – but that’s not the only aspect. a good portion of this novel is about charlie “finding herself” (which i know sounds really corny but it’s not) and how she deals with life and stuff.

“Sometimes we expect more than people are capable of giving at that moment.” (pg. 101)

the plot is interesting but felt very rushed. i didn’t get to savor it – but at the same time, this is a short, quick read and you’re not supposed to savor it. on one hand, i like how short the book is; but on the other, i want it to be longer and have more depth. UGH. the conflicting feelings are real. however, it wasn’t only the plot; the relationship was also rushed. for 90% of the novel, the relationship is adorable and paced wonderfully. when they ~finally~ admit their feelings for each other, they’re throwing out the “L WORD” (love) and it’s too unrealistic for me NOT to roll my eyes. in conclusion, the pacing was a bit off.

“It was amazing what happened when you let yourself be open to new things.” (pg. 288)

overall, ON THE FENCE is extremely adorable and enjoyable. it’s the perfect short contemporary that has fantastic character growth along with a cute romance. i think this is a great “post-book-hangover” novel since i wasn’t super emotionally attached to any of the characters. i’d definitely recommend it if you want to read SOMETHING and you’re in reading slump or in between series.

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