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Thursday, August 14, 2014
Easy, Breezy, Beach-y Read as Warm as Summertime Itself
1:37 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)

It's this last bit that changes things for Charlie. Forced to get a job to pay off her speeding tickets, she begins working at a tony little boutique, which leads her down a path strewn with all the girly things she eschews. Pleasant side affect to acting like a girl? The attention of an über attractive boy who thinks of her as a delicate feminine flower, not a trash-talking jock. Not so pleasant side affect? Having to hide her new-found girliness from the men in her life (they would so not understand). Leading a double life is starting to wear on Charlie—between that and the haunting flashbacks of her mother's accident that plague her dreams, she's going a little crazy. The only thing that helps is her late-night chats with her brothers' buddy, Braden, across the fence that separates their houses. Problem is, the more time she spends with him, the faster she's falling for him. Will Braden ever see her as more than a bratty little sister? And exactly how quick will her brothers pulverize him if he does start coming around? As life grows ever more complicated, Charlie has to decide what she wants—and how much she's willing to risk to get it.
Between its summer-y cover art and July release date, you can probably tell that On the Fence, the newest contemporary YA from Kasie West, is an easy, breezy, beach-y kind of book. The plot never gets too complicated, the themes too dark or the characters too angsty. With an equal mix of the constant ribbing and intense loyalty that defines the best brother/sister relationships, the Reynolds family feels strong and real. Their bond lends the whole story a warm, playful overtone that makes it a happy, hopeful novel. Sure, it's cliché and predictable, but On the Fence is also lots of fun. As long as you don't expect too much depth, you'll enjoy this light, easy read about not just discovering who you are, but also finding the courage to be that person, in spite of the consequences.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of the Dairy Queen novels [Dairy Queen; The Off Season; Front and Center] by Catherine Gilbert Murdock and a little of Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for mild sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of On the Fence from the generous folks at HarperCollins, via those at Edelweiss. Thank you!
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