The Distance Between Us Review

The Distance Between Us
Kasie West
Harper Teen 
July 2013
4/5
Quotes:
“Is that your subtle way of saying you missed me last week?"
"I've missed my hot chocolate. I just think of you as the guy who brings it to me. Sometimes I forget your name and call you hot chocolate guy.” 
 “A lot of people don’t get my humor. My mom calls it dry humor. I think that means “not funny,” but it also means I’m the only one who ever knows it’s a joke.” 
“Caymen?”
“Yes?”
“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”
“More than anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t bring my mints.”
“And now the real answer . . .”
“Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.” 
"Sometimes it's the little things that bring that special someone back to us in some small way.” 

Even though this book has been out for two years now, I've never gotten around to reading it. Now that I finally have, it's safe to say that I'm even more in love with Kasie West's writing now. This book specifically is the perfect light and adorable summer read.

Caymen Meyers was raised by her single mother to believe that poor and rich people come from completely separate worlds, and she belongs to the first world. She works in her mother's doll shop where she gets plenty of practice observing the rich people who buy the dolls. She can instantly tell that Xander Spence is beyond rich. As she gets gradually closer to him, she realizes that the two have more in common than she initially anticipated. However, it seems like the rest of the world is against the pair being together, and Caymen learns a family secret that threatens her outlook on her life entirely.

I really enjoyed the main characters Xander and Caymen. I felt like they were well developed and I loved watching their relationship grow. I think the supporting characters could have had a little bit more development because most of them were meant to be unlikable - besides Caymen's friend Skye. So it's safe to say that I liked the characters but felt like they weren't memorable as a whole.

The relationship is obviously one of the big selling points of the book. It tells the story of a great summer romance that has a realistic and gradual build. The two face challenge after challenge and you start to wonder if they are ever going to get together at all. But that's often how it works in real life and I like the accuracy of the relationship in general. Another enjoyable part was how quirky and witty the pair of them are. When together, they seem to bring out a whole different to each other and that's fun to read about as they develop not only as a couple, but as individuals as well.

All in all, this is a book that will make a nice summer read. Yes, it's on the predictable side, but what do you expect? It's a summer Young Adult Romance book and if that's something you typically enjoy, then I'm sure this book is something you'd be interested in. Kasie West is a fantastic writer and I recommend starting with this book first if you've never read any of her stuff!