The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Publication Date: July 2nd, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

“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.”

Review:

Caymen grew up with her mom and without a father. Her mother taught her as she grew never to trust the rich. Her mother owns a doll shop and they are struggling financially. When a boy who is everything her mother not to trust enters the doll store, Caymen’s whole life gets flipped upside down.

This was my first Kasie West book, and it definitely won’t be my last. This story was adorable from start to finish. This was the perfect beach read. It went super fast and there were a lot of things to love.

In today’s society, it’s extremely heard of to have resentment with income. There’s people that get rich and they think they are above all. Caymen and her mother were very relatable. They are struggling through owning a business and having to pay their bills. As a college student who is about to be thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, I could understand their struggles. Caymen’s mom made sure that Caymen would never allow a rich boy in her life. When Xander enters the picture, Caymen had all of these problems with trying to allow him in her life, not knowing how to react to him.

I think Kasie West did a great job with the characters. There were times where the angst made my chest hurt for the characters. I especially liked Xander’s character. Xander had so many conflicting feelings and it really showed in the writing. Since he had all of these feelings, it really had the reader feeling the same thing.

Overall, if you are looking for a cute, cheesy, quick read, this is the book for you! The characters were written really well and this story was absolutely adorable. This is definitely a story that will make you swoon. I can’t wait to read more Kasie West!

Rating: ★★★★