bgsbooks18
Written on Jul 8, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom's porcelain doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander Spence - he's tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and the fact he seems to be 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 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. With so many obstacles standing in their way, can they close the distance to each other? A perfect mixture of bittersweet and charming, this new paperback original from house author Kasie West is an endearing romantic comedy that will steal your heart.
- ISBN10 0062235656
- ISBN13 9780062235657
- Publish Date 22 July 2013 (first published 2 July 2013)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperTeen
- Format Paperback
- Pages 320
- Language English
Reviews
Mercy
Written on Jul 31, 2018
kymmiejournals
Written on Mar 30, 2018
mrs_mander_reads
Written on Nov 14, 2017
ross91
Written on Apr 10, 2016
girlinthepages
Written on Mar 11, 2016
For a YA romance, West added some quirky elements that were fun and different to read about. Caymen and her mother live above her mother's porcelain doll shop, which is their main source of income and their entire lives, essentially. This setting was definitely different, and what's more is that compounded on the element of being a small business owner, Caymen's family is poor. Not lower-middle class that's "poor" compared to the rich kids at school. Caymen and her mother do not have cell phones, cannot buy whatever groceries they'd like on a whim, and have to account for every single expense. While this book didn't really go into the nitty gritty of poverty, it was interesting to see it portrayed in a more "fluffy" sub-genre of YA.
As per the synopsis, Caymen has a budding relationship (as much as she'd like to deny it) with Xander, someone who is in a very different socio-economic class than Caymen. Contrary to most stories who use the rich-boy-poor-girl trope, this novel really focuses on Caymen's reluctance to accept Xander because of his money, rather than Xander's family taking issue with Caymen because she's poor. I thought this was an intriguing spin on the genre because it shows the prejudice toward privilege that a more disadvantaged person may have, and discomfort they feel, while also highlighting that not all "rich" people take issues with dating someone from a different or "lesser" socio-economic class. It was a refreshing inversion of the trope.
While Xander and Caymen's witty banter and slow progression toward being more than friends was adorable, there were some issues that I struggled with while reading. Caymen's trademark sarcasm felt heavy handed at times, and more like a stereotype of a sarcastic teenager rather than a nuanced portrayal of someone with a very dry sense of humor. There were a lot of plot inconsistencies (like with her mother's background) that were all hastily resolved at the end that felt very rushed and too convenient I also wish that more focus had been given to Caymen reaching out to find her father, as her curiosity about him peaked my interest while reading the book but wasn't really ever explored.
Overall: The Distance Between Us was a cute read with a likeable love interest and an OK protagonist. However, it brought up a lot of "heavier" topics (teenage pregnancy, socio-economic struggles, familial estrangement, serious medical illness, etc.) yet resolved them too quickly and conveniently at the end. It felt like a book that was trying to insert plot elements to make it seems a bit deeper, but really didn't escape being an average, though enjoyable, fluffy romance. A quick read, but I think I might be simply outgrowing this sub-genre of YA.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Linda
Written on Jul 28, 2015
COYER Scavenger hunt item #36: Read a book with a car on the cover (3 points).
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
whisperingchapters
Written on Jul 18, 2015
I went to the book store back in July with Gaby and I snagged myself this copy, which I read in a day! I seriously ate up this whole book. I had no idea what to really expect from it—I was just in a contemporary mood (still am) plus, I had seen this book around a lot and I hadn't read anything by Kasie West so I decided to get it and I'm glad I did!
Caymen and her mom own a doll store and they are barely surviving, keeping the store afloat. One day, Xander arrives at the store and I have to say he was smitten with (or by) Caymen. But Caymen has been warned by her mom to steer clear from the rich people and Xander is just that so she tries to keep his identity hidden since his family owns a big corporation. I have to say I enjoyed Caymen and her dry, sarcastic humor. Once I realized how she was, I stayed glued to my book because I was so entertained! I mean, Caymen and I can be the best of friends because I used to be extremely sarcastic but that would get me into trouble (imagine how sarcastic I was) so now I either tone it down or say it in my head and laugh with myself :D Xander, while being a rich person and kind of stuck up at times, he still was such a sweetheart. This book shows the rich side and the side where you are struggling to make ends meet. While both of these characters and families are different, they have similarities and quite a few things in common. Caymen discovers a secret that shatters her world and leaves her not knowing who to trust. Caymen's mom comes from a rich family who kicked her out when she got pregnant and she has kept this secret all of these years. I enjoyed having Caymen's best friend in the book. She was kind of crazy at times and so full of life and would get very thoughtful at times. I also really liked her boyfriend. At first I was so frustrated by him but slowly I started liking him! This book has a really great set of characters that many readers will enjoy.
The ending left me bummed because I felt like some aspects of Caymen's life weren't fully resolved at the end and it left me wondering what would happen but this is a stand-alone book so we obviously won't get any answers. Other than that, I fully enjoyed this book and all it's wittiness. I am definitely paying attention to this author and I really want to read more of her books.
Leah
Written on Jun 23, 2015
It was so nice to read a book that was light and summery. Something I didn't need to put too much thought into, but still gave me the warm and fuzzies and boy, did this novel give me the warm and fuzzies. Xander and Caymen were so cute together and I LOVED Caymen's dry humour. Any girl who does sarcasm is a girl after my own heart, and any boy who appreciates sarcasm is freaking awesome.
I can't wait to read more of Kasie West's YA novels. I loved Split Second, but I love her contemporary novels too. She's a fabulous writer and I loved The Distance Between Us.
Bianca
Written on Apr 4, 2015
Anything worth having is worth the risk.