Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Published: July 2, 2013 

Publisher: Harper Teen

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.

My Thoughts

What a pleasant surprise!! I finished this book in one short sitting. There was so much that kept me hooked on this novel, but I have to say how much I absolutely loved the dialog between the characters! Great YA Contemporary novel that introduced me to an author I’ll be sure to read more of.

In The Distance Between Us, Caymen Meyer is no stranger to living within limited means. She is finishing our her senior year in high school and has a work release, so she can head over to her mother’s doll shop to help out with the struggling family business. Living in a plush small town, she knows that the rich inhabitants are necessary for their business to survive, but not a group you get to mingle with.

When Xander Spence enters the shop on an errand for his grandmother, he “beckons” Caymen over for help and is quickly caught off guard by her sharp witted ways. They eventually strike up a friendship that exposes Caymen to his wealthy world and unfolds secrets that leave her wondering how much she really knows about her mother’s past.

Caymen Meyer was an easy character to fall for from the very beginning, and I have to attribute it to her voice, which is both sharp and witty. Her sarcasm is my brand of entertainment. Xander Spence was a surprisingly loveable rich boy that has both charm and depth that had me rooting for him from the beginning. Together Caymen and Xander shared a worthy story about friendship and trust. This steady story had a low-level of drama that made the adventure enjoyable and interesting.

The Distance Between Us is my first novel by Kasie West, and I'll definitely check out her other novels. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Jessie Kirby and Huntley Fitzpatrick who enjoy YA Contemporary that includes a light romance, great family dynamics and awesome friendships will surely enjoy this novel.

4 Snowflakes