∎ Download On the Fence Kasie West Books

On the Fence Kasie West Books

Download As PDF : On the Fence Kasie West Books

On the Fence Kasie West Books

An absolutely adorable tale of friends to more. Charlie is the only girl in a family of boys. Her police officer father and three older brothers have shaped her into a tough-talking athlete who is more comfortable hanging with the guys than with other girls. When Charlie speeds one too many times, her dad forces her to get a job to pay her own ticket, landing her in the unfamiliar world of fashion and makeup  with the free-spirited owner who sees auras. Charlie learns more about herself and those around here through these new experiences, but most of all, her best friend and next door neighbor, Braden. Braden and Charlie often meet by the fence that separates their two properties for middle of the night chats. Charlie is haunted by her mother's tragic death ten years earlier and Braden by the constant battles that rage within the walls of his home.

Plot
This is more than a basic romance. Charlie and Braden both have a bucketload of baggage. But as their relationship evolves and Charlie realizes her feelings for him run deeper than just friendship, she fears the changes that come with that. At least until Braden lets her know he doesn't feel the same way about her. Crush, Charlie works through her issues, a complex relationship with her dad and brothers, and her greater place in a world that worships femininity over athletic prowess.

The Characters
I love Charlie so much. She's complex and deep and wounded. Watching her work through her issues is both painful and emotionally rewarding. Her family dynamics made me smile and laugh more than once. I come from a big family, so I could relate to the interactions she had with her siblings. I loved their competitiveness and the little bets they were always doing. Even Charlie's dad, as the reluctant single father to a teen girl, is so well-developed, I couldn't help but sympathize with his attempts to relate to Charlie the best he knew how.

Top Five Things I Loved About ON THE FENCE
1. Deep characters. There is nothing light and fluffy about the characters, even though the story itself is more lighthearted than not.

2. Teen angst. The romance aspect between Charlie and Braden was my favorite part of the story.

3. Brothers. I have a couple of my own and the bond between the boys and their baby sister was beautifully done.

4. Father/daughter dynamics. The relationship between Charlie and her father rang the truest of all. It was both awkward and endearing, pretty much the definition of father/teen daughter interactions.

5. Being true to yourself. Charlie has many lessons to learn along the way, but foremost is figuring out how she fits into the broader world around her without losing who she is. This subplot is particularly well done.

Bottom Line
Sweet, deep, and moving, ON THE FENCE is more than just a teen romance. It's about finding yourself and learning how to be real.


Tags : Amazon.com: On the Fence (9780062235671): Kasie West: Books,Kasie West,On the Fence,HarperTeen,0062235672,Girls & Women,Romance - General,Social Themes - General,Brothers and sisters,Brothers and sisters;Fiction.,California,Dating (Social customs),Family life - California,Self-actualization (Psychology),Self-actualization (Psychology);Fiction.,Sex role,Sex role;Fiction.,Single-parent families,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fiction,Fiction-Romance,General fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Love & Romance,Social Themes - Adolescence,Social Themes - Dating & Relationships,TEEN'S FICTION ROMANCE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,Young Adult Fiction Girls & Women,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Dating & Sex,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),Young Adult FictionGirls & Women

On the Fence Kasie West Books Reviews

I liked her other book better “The Distance Between Us”, but I still enjoyed this book. The first part was a little slow, I can’t remember why. But I loved a scene at 42%. I kept thinking about it. And from that point on the book was very good. Although I was disappointed with the reason for the big misunderstanding.

Charlotte is 16 and 5'11". She never wears makeup. She plays tackle football with her 3 older brothers and she’s their equal. She’s a top athlete in several sports. Her mother died when she was 6 so she has no female influence. After getting three speeding tickets, her father forces her to get a job to pay for them. She knows nothing about clothing and makeup but gets a job in a clothing store. One of the makeup vendors puts makeup on her and takes her to a bar with another girl. Some cute guys talk to them. I loved that scene. That’s the scene I mention in the previous paragraph.

This is a teen romance book. The happy ending is boyfriend/girlfriend - not marriage. The characters are in high school.

CAUTION SPOILER
A guy likes her but lets her think he doesn’t. Somehow that didn’t work for me.
END SPOILER.

DATA
Narrative mode 1st person. Story length 293 pages. Swearing language none. Sexual content none. Setting current day northern California. Copyright 2014. Genre teen romance, YA.
I bought this book when it first came out but it was sadly sitting on my shelf ever since. Granted it hasn't even been a full year sitting on there when some books have been there 5+ years, but I really wanted to read this book. I've just been so swamped with review books that I just wasn't able to get around to it yet. I was able to read all my review books before the year was over though so I could start the new year out on a clean slate.

For Christmas my wonderful boyfriend went to the book store to pick me out some books, he came across this one and said it sounded just like us growing up. He was in fact my Braden. I was shocked that he spent so much time reading the blurbs on the back. He did happen to look at my shelf and see that I already owned it but told me the story anyway and let me go trade it in for something else. It was still so sweet I knew it would have to be read in January.

This book was amazing. It reminded me so much of myself that I felt very connected to Charlie. I never worked in a clothing store or anything, but I still had 2 brothers that I played with all the time as well as my now boyfriend, TJ. We were always outside playing one sport or another that I too felt like one of the guys. I didn't think any guys would want to date me, so I was definitely shocked when I found out TJ has loved me since we were little. This book was just the same.

I really liked Braden as a character as well. He had a good personality to him and was a genuine guy. He wasn't a guy who acted like he had something to prove. He didn't come across as a guy who slept around a lot and used Charlie to become more good. He was a good guy and stayed that way through the whole book.

I think what made this book as fun as it was though, was the brothers. You have a lot of serious aspects coming from the aftermath of what happened to Charlie's mother. You also have her trying to sort out her feelings as well as Braden. The brothers were all goofy and gave it a fun feel to the book. It cut some of the harshness that arose from all the seriousness and gave it a comedic feel without being too off the book. It all worked together perfectly.

I sat down to read a few chapters before bed while I waited for my other half to get home. Needless to say, I devoured it in one sitting. I wasn't able to put it down so just decided to settle in for the long haul and knock it out.

The book is set around Charlie's house as well as the park to play some sports as well as her new job. It is very easy to follow. I enjoyed picture Charlie as well as her brothers and Braden.

I loved the love that is in this book. Not just a romance that blossoms in the story, but also the love between the brothers and Charlie. They love her so much and would do anything for her. You can feel all the emotions for everyone pour of the pages after each one you turn over. It has been a while since the actual emotions of the book were able to affect me so much, but this one definitely captivated me from the first chapter.

This book was so heartwarming, there is no way any one could put it down once they started. I can see this being good for younger readers as well as older. There is no sexual context throughout the book, so it is definitely safe for a younger audience. They can connect with the characters just as much. If you haven't read this book, I definitely think you need to go out and get your own copy ASAP!
An absolutely adorable tale of friends to more. Charlie is the only girl in a family of boys. Her police officer father and three older brothers have shaped her into a tough-talking athlete who is more comfortable hanging with the guys than with other girls. When Charlie speeds one too many times, her dad forces her to get a job to pay her own ticket, landing her in the unfamiliar world of fashion and makeup  with the free-spirited owner who sees auras. Charlie learns more about herself and those around here through these new experiences, but most of all, her best friend and next door neighbor, Braden. Braden and Charlie often meet by the fence that separates their two properties for middle of the night chats. Charlie is haunted by her mother's tragic death ten years earlier and Braden by the constant battles that rage within the walls of his home.

Plot
This is more than a basic romance. Charlie and Braden both have a bucketload of baggage. But as their relationship evolves and Charlie realizes her feelings for him run deeper than just friendship, she fears the changes that come with that. At least until Braden lets her know he doesn't feel the same way about her. Crush, Charlie works through her issues, a complex relationship with her dad and brothers, and her greater place in a world that worships femininity over athletic prowess.

The Characters
I love Charlie so much. She's complex and deep and wounded. Watching her work through her issues is both painful and emotionally rewarding. Her family dynamics made me smile and laugh more than once. I come from a big family, so I could relate to the interactions she had with her siblings. I loved their competitiveness and the little bets they were always doing. Even Charlie's dad, as the reluctant single father to a teen girl, is so well-developed, I couldn't help but sympathize with his attempts to relate to Charlie the best he knew how.

Top Five Things I Loved About ON THE FENCE
1. Deep characters. There is nothing light and fluffy about the characters, even though the story itself is more lighthearted than not.

2. Teen angst. The romance aspect between Charlie and Braden was my favorite part of the story.

3. Brothers. I have a couple of my own and the bond between the boys and their baby sister was beautifully done.

4. Father/daughter dynamics. The relationship between Charlie and her father rang the truest of all. It was both awkward and endearing, pretty much the definition of father/teen daughter interactions.

5. Being true to yourself. Charlie has many lessons to learn along the way, but foremost is figuring out how she fits into the broader world around her without losing who she is. This subplot is particularly well done.

Bottom Line
Sweet, deep, and moving, ON THE FENCE is more than just a teen romance. It's about finding yourself and learning how to be real.