mrs_mander_reads
Written on Sep 10, 2019
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.
- ISBN10 0062235672
- ISBN13 9780062235671
- Publish Date 31 July 2014 (first published 1 July 2014)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperTeen
- Format Paperback
- Pages 304
- Language English
Reviews
bgsbooks18
Written on Jul 8, 2019
kymmiejournals
Written on May 21, 2018
Sam@WLABB
Written on May 30, 2015
Angie
Written on May 18, 2015
I really liked how On the Fence was about a girl who "isn't like other girls" but wasn't about a girl who judges those "other girls." Charlie doesn't see anything wrong with the girly girls, because she just doesn't know any. She's only hung out with her brothers and girls on her sports' teams. She doesn't brush of Amber, who does her makeup at the boutique. She gets to know her and gives this girly-girl business a try. I also liked how Charlie embracing a more feminine look didn't keep her from continuing to be sporty. You can definitely do both and that's okay!
The only thing I didn't care too much for was the little subplot about Charlie's make-up modeling. She's used as a canvas for the cosmetics classes, but washes it all off before going home. I totally get that she doesn't want her brothers making fun of her, but I didn't quite get why she was so desperate to hide it from her father. She's not doing anything wrong. It's for work. So his reaction later on just felt over-the-top and out of nowhere.
There's a pretty cute romance at the center of On the Fence. Charlie and Braden have always been close, and she views him like a brother. But then they start having these late night chats when they can't sleep. It starts out friendly enough, but then the topics grow more personal. Braden also seems to have a problem with Charlie dating, since she's not being herself around the guy. It did take a bit too long for their feelings to finally come out though. But I loved that Braden didn't want Charlie to change, and that he also didn't condemn her for embracing her new self. He knows she can still kick his butt!
On the Fence was a really enjoyable read. There are some parts that are more serious and sad, since Charlie finally starts to deal with her mother's death. She feels like she didn't really know her, so there's nothing to be upset about, but she also has nightmares that suggest she's more affected than she thought. Of course, there has to be some big secret about it which comes out later. But other than that, this is a pretty light, cute romance.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Aug 9, 2014
Kelly
Written on Jul 6, 2014
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/07/on-fence-by-kasie-west.html
Having never read a Kasie West novel before, I was pleasantly surprised. It was entertaining and endearing in places, but sadly I couldn't find any distinguishing qualities to set On The Fence apart from authors such as Jennifer E. Smith, Huntley Fitzpatrick or Miranda Kenneally. It follows the story of Charlie, who's only friends seem to her her four older brothers and their best friend Braden from next door. She can't relate to other girls her age, as she considers herself to be another one of the guys by being heavily into her sports and roughhousing. I really enjoyed the relationship between her and her siblings, she wasn't seen as a delicate girl, she was included in every aspect of their lives. But where they were overprotective about anyone being romantically interested in her, they would often wrestle her to the ground and playfully elbow her, wind her and rough her up. If she can handle being taken down what was essentially four muscular young men, surely she could handle her own romantic interests.
Having grown up without any female influence, Charlie has become what is seen as a tom boy, wearing no make up, not concerned with her appearance and prefers to dress in athletic gear, being basically image of her brothers. So when she meets Linda and make up artist Amber, her transformation begins. Charlie never seemed comfortable with easing into her 'femininity', she hid her new clothing from her brothers and made sure to wipe any residual make up off before she went home. With her new sense of style, Charlie didn't seem herself, she was self conscious and felt as though she was just appeasing others.
Her slow building romance with Braden was sweet and heartwarming and my favourite aspect of the storyline. The shared conversations on either side of the fence allowed readers to see the sensitive side of Charlie and how much the two had shared with one another throughout their lives. With the introduction of Evan, a young man that Charlie met while at a cafe with her new circle of friends, we finally see that Braden may be jealous, taking an instant dislike to the possible love interest in Charlie's life. But Charlie, having no romantic experience with the opposite sex, has no idea that Braden is brooding. But Evan never stood a chance, he has only seen Charlie as a girl who doesn't play sports, takes care of her appearance and plays the stereotypical role of fashion loving, helpless girl. She feels she can't be herself around him, and is torn between two worlds. She soon starts to realise that her feelings for Braden may be more than a harmless crush.
It was cute, sweet and refreshing to see two characters that didn't follow the usually contemporary storyline, being irrevocably broken and seeking solace in another who can 'fix' them. Fans of My Life Next Door, Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits series and the Hundred Oaks series by Miranda Kenneally will adore this book, as have fans of Kasie West.
Bianca
Written on Jun 26, 2014
Sometimes we expect more than people are capable of giving at that moment.
*reread*
— Rereading this made me appreciate its serious tones more. And it’s still so cute and so fluffy. I still love it.
ladygrey
Written on Jun 24, 2014
I think part of the reason I liked some of her other novels better is that I didn't relate to Charlie as much. But all the guys around her were great. I loved her relationships with her brothers. They were funny and sweet and overprotective and I really liked that family dynamic. They were also just good guys so they were fun to read.
I also liked her relationship with Braden, the way they were friends first and how that relationship changed through the story; how Charlie grew as a character through that relationship. I also really liked Charlie's overall evolution - the way she learned to be more dimensional and that it was ok to have a variety of seemingly conflicting characteristics. I think teenage girls get a lot of messages about being one thing or another - intellectual or girlie or a tomboy or athletic - and I liked that this books says you can be several of those things all at once.
I wasn't especially fond of the Evan subplot. I see the role he played in the story and I totally understood why she was interested in him. But he was kind of obviously not as good of a guy as Braden or her brothers.
lizarodz
Written on Jun 22, 2014
I LOVED The Distance Between Us and I couldn’t wait to read On the Fence. Kasie West can do no wrong in my eyes, she is a genius creating memorable couples that stay with you for a long time.
Charlie is a tomboy out of necessity. With three older brothers and a single father, she just learned to survive in an environment that nurtured competition and sports, until those became an integral part of her own personality. Since her dad felt so uncomfortable with anything related to her being a ‘girl’, she just tried to minimize reference to them and figure most of the stuff on her own. I felt sad that she felt as if she couldn’t be more feminine without facing ridicule from her brothers.
In many aspects this is a book about Charlie’s growth as a young adult, about relationships between siblings, parents, and best friends. Of course, On the Fence is also a sweet romance. She did a lot of figuring out things and facing difficult events in her past related to the death of her mom. I also love Charlie’s first experiences with having boys notice her, with her first work, and friends that were girls. It was sad and endearing at the same time that she felt so lost in a big new world that was ripe with possibilities.
Braden is the boy-next-door and Charlie’s and Gage’s best friend. He is so sweet, and felt so real. He was a bit insecure, a bit of a bully in anything related to Charlie, and a great friend. I loved that he loved Charlie as is, for who she was, and never tried to change her, but wanted her to embrace who she really was.
Everything that happened after Charlie and Braden get together felt rushed. I wish we could get to read more about them as a couple, and more ‘on the fence’ moments.
Jerom, Nathan and Gage were so much fun (Charlie’s brothers in case you can’t tell.) They all very different, except for two things, the love sports and they love Charlie. They are extremely protective of her, which is not always a bad thing. Charlie’s father is also a great guy, he did a great job considering he was a single dad. I just hoped that he would have included a female figure in the family (a family friend, an aunt?) to help Charlie along.
The characters were all amazing, the writing supreme and the story awesome. What can I say? It was a great read!
Overall, I loved On the Fence, just not as much as I did The Distance Between Us. I’m not sure that I can pinpoint exactly why, but it may have to do with how I felt that Branden and Charlie didn’t get enough time together. I still loved it and will keep Kasie West in my favorite author shortlist for sure!
Some quotes for you:
“…Then he sniffed my hair and neck. “What’s that smell?”
For a second I couldn’t answer him. My breath seemed caught in my throat. Then I help up my wrist, between our too-close faces, “It’s a spray from work…” My voice came out tight and I let my hands fall back to my side.”
“I slipped off my shoes so I could be stealthier, hooked my arm in his, and crept along the wall. “We are so winning.”
Branden smiled big. “I knew I made the right choice holdin’ out for you to get home.”
“Darn straight.”
“Let’s kick some butt”, he said, in his horrible imitation of me.”
“Today was boring,” he said. “Don’t work all day again.”
My heart did a flip and I chastised it…”Good night, Branden.”