Monday, May 18, 2015

The Distance Between Us


A friend recently suggested Kasie West as an author. Said friend has amazing instincts when it comes to books. We're soul mates, you might say. Her recommendation did not disappoint.

This book was an easy, but interesting read. The characters were lovable. They had real flaws as well as believable triumphs.

Caymen, the main character, is an extremely smart teenage girl living in a wealthy beach town in California. Unlike the majority of the area residents, she and her mother are not bathing in money. They're broke and getting poorer by the second. Caymen is a selfless, loyal girl who is dedicated to her mother, but soon discovers that adventures lie just outside her door. She has spent her entire life hating the rich people surrounding her, never trusting them, always keeping them at an arms length. Out of nowhere, two boys vie for her attention. One of them (Mason) is a very sweet boy of average means and the other (Xander) is clever and earnest, from an outrageously wealthy family. Caymen finds herself having to balance her family life and her friendships while analyzing both her academic and romantic futures.

Skye is Caymen's best friend in the world. She's a little bit vintage, somewhat rock and roll, and extremely unique. Her pink hair and second hand outfits make her stand out from the crowd. She is fiercely devoted to her friendship with Caymen. She stands by the side of her friends, no matter what the situation. Caymen would be lost without her and her sage advice.

Susan. She's Caymen's mother. She's a complicated one. She hates the wealthy people in her town, but she is a slave to them. She depends on their money to survive. She's two-faced to an extreme. She loves her daughter and is a wonderful mother, but she is extremely confusing. Her logic sometimes sends me spinning, and I just want to smack some sense into her. But at the same time, she's so lovable.

Mason is a flirt. He's adorable, talented, and exudes kindness. He has a passion for life, and his life is filled with endless possibilities. He's the lead singer of the beach town's most popular band, and he is loved by all. He has an unwavering interest in Caymen, and is exactly the kind of guy she could be happy with.

Xander is intense and powerful. He has the world at his fingertips, but is losing touch with his dreams. He's lost in the world, but if he knows one thing, it is that Caymen is the girl that can set him on the right path. He doesn't seem to care about social status, instead he is looking for love. He's a bit stubborn, but always willing to talk through anything.

This book was filled with fun antics, a delicious amount of sarcasm, and so many interesting characters. The setting felt a bit MTV, giving off a Laguna Beach feel and some parts of the story line were a bit hard to believe. Overall, the book was a very pleasurable way to fill a Sunday afternoon, and something I would suggest to any fellow book lover.

How about you? Any favorite characters in this piece? Any strange pet peeves about something from it? How do you feel about the relationship between Caymen and Susan? Or Caymen and one of the boys? Which of them did you like better?

Happily daydreaming of California sunshine,

Jackelyn Stange


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