Saturday, July 11, 2015

REVIEW: On The Fence

     Hello fellows!

     Another review? Yes, my friends. Another one.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: On The Fence
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Edition: read as an ebook
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis: For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.
  

 
     Kasie West has created a wonderful story about finding yourself, even though it can be tough sometimes. Charlie is a tomboy. Although as she is raised by a single father surrounded by three brothers, that is to be expected. Her life has only consisted of boyish events; football, baseball, you name it. She can play it. Very well.
 
     While her brothers have prepared her for a simple pick-up game, she'll be completely in the dark to deal with a new job, new friends, and a new boy. Charlie needs money to pay off a speeding ticket so she has applied for a job at a chichi boutique. Knowing how to throw a football won't help her learn to dress like a girly-girl or how to apply mascara. Knowing baseball players' names won't help her cope with her newfound friends. Once she's developed another side to herself she never thought she'd ever have, she's decided to keep her two worlds separate. Feminine from boyish, makeup from pickup game.
 
     “We can't let boys define how we feel about ourselves. You have to know who you are before you should let any boy worth anything in.”    -Kasie West, On The Fence
 
     Another change in Charlie's world is her fence talks with Braden late at night. She seeks solace from her childhood friend, but maybe these talks have created a desire for more than friendship. Although the introduction of another (cute) boy into her life can mess up things even more.

     Charlie was an amusing yet frustrating character to read through in this book. For me, as I'm described as a girly-girl, it was nice to see the perspective of a tomboy. Her life isn't that much different from mine, we just had a couple hobbies that the other  doesn't, but that's to be assumed as we are two separate people. She still had boy problems, family problems, and inner thoughts like I do. It was a refreshing read to watch a character's life that differs from most. Many female protagonists from romance-contemporary books these days wear make-up, worry about their look and their hair, etc. Charlie was the complete opposite until she starts making new friends.

     What irritated me was her will to change who she was in front of her new friend(s). She tried her best to completely separate her two selves (her old one, and her new one). Although you'll see what happens with that as the story progresses. (I won't indulge into much detail on that, as spoilers aren't much fun).

     There was a lot of character development in this book. Charlie started as an aggressive, competitive, tomboy. With a little help of a chichi boutique, and new girl friends, Charlie has become a different person, but yet remains Charlie. The amount of progression that was made with her personality is astounding. She's gone from boyish to... well, you have to read the book to find out!

     ROMANCE. OMG, I just love the romantic scenes here and there. Charlie and [a certain boy] were extremely adorable together and every cute moment just made me want to squeal out loud. It seems after reading so many books, I've mastered the art of keeping your squeals to yourself. Although the love between these two characters had been a massive temptation to turn away from that practice and squeallllllllllllllllllll.

     Okay, I've composed myself now. Good.

     Overall, it was an enjoyable (yet a tad annoying) read. A great book to read in the summer time. Cute boys, adorable romance, character development. What more would  you want from a beach-y book? Read through On The Fence, as Charlie figures out who she really is, but loses herself along the way.

      If you have any thoughts, questions or comments, feel free to contact me by commenting below!
 
      That's all for my post, and remember: you should be a tree; they have awesome afterlives.



No comments:

Post a Comment