The Distance Between Us

This book was about a teenage girl named Caymen who is 17 years old. She and her mom owned a doll store and they lived in a small place right above. One day a guy came into the doll shop and immediately Caymen knew he was “oozing rich”. His name is Xander and he came in to pick up a doll for his grandmother. Caymen helps him with what he needs, meanwhile bringing up a conversation about a bakery down the street. She tells him how much she loves it. The morning after, Xander brings her a hot chocolate and muffin from the bakery she told him about, and they talk a little again. They find out they have something in common, taking over the family business. They talked about the possibility of doing “career days”. This is where one of them gets a day and they set up different careers that they think the other might like. Throughout the book, they had continued to do “career days”, but eventually Caymen finds she has feelings for Xander. But her best friend Skye introduced her to a guy named Mason, who is in a band with Skye’s boyfriend. While Caymen was hanging out with Skye and her boyfriends band, Mason hands her a magazine that shows Xander holding hands walking around LA with a girl. She knew that Xander had been in LA the week before and this made her really upset because Xander had never mentioned a girlfriend. This leads her to stop talking to Xander and she tries her best to avoid him. But Xander had invited the band to his house to use his studio, and she ended up going. While the band is recording she, Skye and Xander are on the opposite side of the glass and they start talking. This eventually leads them to schedule another career day, so they start to do career days again. For one of the career days Xander took Camyen somewhere that involved flying. When they get to where they are going they get off the jet and Xander meets his brother. They get into a car and start driving. During this car ride Xanders brother brings up the magazine. This causes Xander to get really upset. This starts up a conversation of Xander really upset and Caymen brings up that she called him and she answered his phone. He looks through his messages and sees that she left one, saying that he needed to fix what happened on the cover of this magazine. Soon Xander realized this was why Caymen had become so distant from him. He immediately explained that the picture in the magazine was from last year and that he didn’t have a girlfriend. Caymen became so relieved and realized her feelings were even stronger. They end up dating and during this she finds out a big secret her mom had been keeping from her.Rating: 5/5 starsI rate this a 5/5 because it is such a good book that represents how different people can be and how much your life can change in such a short amount of time. To explain, this book shows a poor girl who falls in love with a really rich guy and they got together even though their lives were so different.

First off, I just want to say this is my first Kasie West novel--I know! I own PIVOT POINT and need to start it--and I was pleasantly surprised! I'm a big plot lover but the characterization of Caymen is what truly impressed me.Caymen is your typical high school senior who is working way too hard to keep her little family afloat, never wanting to let her mom down. She works long shifts in her mother's doll shop, willing to risk her education and her own dreams. In walks Xander, the heir to a 500 hotel chain franchise. Caymen has had it drilled into her that people like Xander would never want someone poor like her. In this worlds colliding novel, the two characters start a quest to find a future for each other that does not involve their predestined ones. Filled with highs, lows, and witty, sarcastic humor, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US is a great contemporary YA novel you can't help but devour.I'll start off with Caymen. I loved her attitude. You can immediately tell how much she hates working in that creepy doll shop. You can tell that she'd much rather be doing other things but is willing to sacrifice her own fun for her single mother who is just trying to make ends meet. I loved the devotion she had to her mom. Even though her life wasn't glamorous or her ideal version of fun, she still appreciated everything her mother did for her and never seemed to take anything for granted. But that certainly doesn't mean she doesn't have some of that teenage rebellion in her. Caymen is probably the most sarcastic person I have ever "met" in my life. She's so quick to make a comment, she doesn't miss a beat. I loved every remark that came out of her mouth. I'm very sarcastic and have the dry humor like she has but man, that girl is good. She comes up with the perfect thing to say at exactly the right moment. I usually think of good things, after the fact. (Fun fact: this is called "L'esprit de l'escalier"). Sometimes I did think that she got a bit whiny and jumped to conclusions way too soon but overall, she had a great head on her shoulders.This brings me to Xander. Xander is the kind of guy you wish would walk into your place of work and fall in love with you. I mean really. Caymen gives him all these rich boy stereotypes that he just completely shoots down. He's sweet, he's super thoughtful--I wish I had a guy to bring me coffee on my way to school everyday!--he fires away sarcastic comments right back at Caymen, and he's just the all around good guy you can't help but love. I love how he never once looked down at Caymen for being someone not in his social class. Besides beckoning at her when they first met, he treats her with the same sort of respect he would treat his mother. He takes her on all these elaborate "career days" and when she takes him to a graveyard, he doesn't even bat an eye. He enjoys spending time with her and could care less about the money issue. I do wish he would've stated his feelings for Caymen sooner. Although he did all the gestures that point exactly to that, girls can be silly and don't believe anything until they hear it come from your mouth. If he had said something sooner, I feel like a bunch of the drama that took place could have been avoided--see above mentioned jumping to conclusions part.As Jess said in her review of this book, we miss out on a lot of the relationship building between these two characters. She says it more eloquently than I could. Here's the gist: we know they have feelings for each other, it's super obvious, but we don't get to see those feelings evolve into something more. Again, check Jess' review for better explanation! I did love the plot of the story, though. I loved the idea of these two perfect strangers planning fun "career days" for each other. These showed just how much they paid attention to each other. Each day was unique and let their personalities shine. I think this is a great way to truly get to know someone!Aside from the great characters and plot, West teaches the readers a very important lesson. Firstly, don't judge a book by its cover. Always take the time to get to know somebody, they may surprise you. Next, take time for yourself. While it's nice to make others happy, you have to make yourself happy too. Do what you love and take some risks. And lastly, learn forgiveness. One of my all time favorite things about YA novels are the moral lessons that are in embedded in them. I adore authors who take the time to show true character growth and learning. It's what life is all about. Although I did have some slight issues with it, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US was a highly enjoyable read that I would recommend to any YA contemporary fan!

Once again, Kasie West has captivated me. I read Pivot Point back in January, and went on to push it towards everyone I came into contact with. I've been waiting a good six months for The Distance Between Us to be released, eagerly anticipating West's first contemporary novel, and I can gladly announce that it was well worth the wait!The main character, Caymen, is my number one reason for enjoying this book so much. I was able to connect with and relate to her with incredible ease, which is due to both West's writing and her skill when it comes to character building. Caymen's sense of humour was the major draw for me. In fact, I'm pretty sure she is me in bookish form, since our sense of humour is so similar. No one understands mine, either. I'm pretty sure most of my blog readers think I'm a total weirdo.I loved how strong Caymen was when it came to her mother, who was clearly having a tough time throughout the novel due to financial troubles and such. Financial struggles that I could completely relate to. Caymen was there for her mother a lot, to such an extent that it messed with her own life. It was only after she met Xander that she decided to start branching out and living her own life. Before, it was all about the doll shop.Which brings me onto Xander, who was funny and charming, and a total Logan Echolls. Except not as perfect as Logan because, let's be honest, who is? Xander got a decent amount of development compared to some YA love interests I know. We got to meet his family, we heard about some of his backstory, and he had his own little storyline running alongside Caymen's. But, even though he was a prominent character, he didn't overshadow Caymen in any way. Which is great since, you know, this is a book about her.I got really into Caymen and Xander's relationship, to the extent that I may have hugged my pillow over them a couple of times when they had a falling out or misunderstanding. I shipped them, of course I did. Were you expecting anything else from me?The only flaw I found with this book is that it ended a little too soon, story-wise, for me. I would have liked the book to have continued on for a bit longer, just give me a more specific idea of where the characters were headed. I mean, it was pretty clear and a more casual reader would be thrilled with the way it ended, but I was so invested in Caymen and her mother's lives that I just didn't want to let them go just yet.Basically, Kasie West is a queen and I love her books to pieces. While this isn't quite as fabulous as Pivot Point, it's pretty bloody close. If you're looking for a summer contemporary with a sarcastic and strong main character, a relationship that you can get invested in, and writing full of charm, humour and wit, then The Distance Between Us is for you.

What Occurs:Caymen Meyers knows only one thing about rich people: they're nothing like her.So when Xander Spence walks into her mother's doll shop, oozing his rich all over the place, Caymen knows instantly that they have nothing to talk about. After all, if it's one thing she's learned from her mother, it's that rich men have short attention spans. They lose interest. And they always leave.Only, Xander doesn't. He keeps coming around, despite Caymen's dry humour and scathing retorts. And, more surprisingly, she starts to enjoy it. Despite her mother's warnings, Caymen beings to wonder whether having money isn't actually a character flaw. And if it's Xander she should worry about, or her own mother.My Thoughts:Kasie West knows how to write witty banter. Dare I say, she manages it better than any other author on my bookshelf. Period.Caymen is one of the funniest characters I've had read about (she actually kind of reminded my of myself. Because I'm so hilarious. Right?). She's sarcastic, quick-witted and her humour isn't at all corny, which I find is the case in most Contemporaries. Instead it's dry, playfully berating and genuinely hilarious. Caymen's the kind of gal who fires the perfect comebacks straight away, while we all think of them an hour later.Xander was also a great leading man. He took Caymen's humour in his stride (screw 'em if they can't take a joke, right?) and returned the banter with a smile. Plus the fact that he brought her morning cups of pre-sipped hot chocolate - and, actually, pre-sipped all her drinks - was the cutest thing. And yes, I understand that anyone who hasn't read the book may find that weird and disturbing. But if you read it, you'll get it. And you'll love it.Xander also never tries to hide his wealth or pretend he's 'just like everybody else deep down'. I mean, the guy wears driving gloves. But that was part of his charm: he was rich and he didn't hide it or flaunt it. It was just part of who he was. A fact of life. And I loved that he didn't want his money to define him or his future - he wanted to find out what his dreams were and see if they were a possibility.Which leads me to another part of this book I loved - Xander and Caymen's 'career days', where they had turns taking each other to places they felt would help the other realise their deepest aspirations. Mostly, Caymen took the comedy route in her attempts to find Xander his place in the world, but Xander's attempts to help her were really heart-warming and considerate.I also enjoyed the sub-plot with Caymen's mother. I was intrigued by what was going on with her and the story behind her family and it was great to be there with Caymen as she tried to figure it out.But, as brilliant as the 'reveal' was it all just ended too quickly. There was quite a big bombshell and then BAM a nice little bow was tied on top and everything was resolved with happily ever afters. It just felt kind of rushed.Saying that, I still really enjoyed this and finished with a smile. Sure, there were a few things I would've liked explored a little more, but that didn't matter too much, because I loved the book.If you're looking for a sweet contemporary with a host of authentic and genuinely likeable characters (and a new boy to add to your Literary Crushes list), then I'd recommend you pick this one up. If nothing else, you'll have some great new retorts at hand to use on the next unsuspecting person who tries to mess with you!

Protagonist Caymen expresses her feelings about the wealthy from the very beginning of the book. She also states that her father was from a wealthy family who abandoned her and her mother after paying them off. Obviously, she has issues because of this event and so I couldn't really blame her for her preconceptions. Caymen could be bitter but she isn't. She makes the most of what she has, even if she hates living above and working in her mother's doll shop. Dolls are bloody creepy so no wonder Caymen doesn't enjoy her job. As a character, I absolutely loved Caymen. She was funny and sweet although snarky and sarcastic at the same time. She gave as good as she could get and was so fun to read about.Then comes Xander aka Alex or Alexander. To begin with I had a bit of a problem with him because of his name. Now, Alexander is a normal name but I hate names being shortened. My fiancé and I have had a big thing over this particular name as an option for our own children because I would refuse to have it shortened to anything. So, because Alexander has two alternatives, this really bugged me. Name aside, I did like him. He comes from a world so completely different to Caymen's and the banter between the two was fantastic. Caymen has ideas about Xander from the very start whereas he doesn't judge her at all. He is from a very well off and successful family but he isn't what Caymen expects him to be at all.What I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship building between Caymen and Xander. There isn't any of this instantly falling in love stuff that we get in a lot of young adult books. Instead, the two form a friendship and build from there slowly. At the same time, West gives us a really fun plot about finding yourself and trying new things. Neither Caymen or Xander know what they want to do with their lives and a large part of the book is spent trying to figure that out together. As the characters spend quite a bit of time together, we get to know each of them individually and together which was a great thing. Throughout the book, we get to realise that even though their families have different incomes, Caymen and Xander really aren't that different in the end.So, not only is the plot great and the main characters fantastic, but there are other awesome things about this book too. The Distance Between Us is really funny. Caymen has this dry sense of humour which had me laughing out loud at times. Add her sarcasm into that and she's a definite winner. There are also some great twists in the plot which were quite exciting and they also broke up the romance between Caymen and Xander. Secondary characters were also great and all (especially Caymen's mum) brought something different to this book.Overall, I loved this book. Kasie West's writing is addictive, as is her plot. She writes great characters who are easy to relate to and also who I liked very much. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I was really in the mood for a contemporary, so when I was on amazon and saw that The Distance Between Us had been released on kindle I just bought it straight away. I'd been waiting for this one to come out for ages because it sounds awesome and I knew I just had to have it.I dove straight into it and instantly fell in love with the story. It follows out main character Caymen who lives with her mum above the doll shop she owns. Caymen is working in the shop when an extremely handsome and rich guy walks in. This is Xander Spence. After all her mothers warnings, Caymen knows she shouldn't spend time with him, but he seems to get her and she finds herself starting to really like him.I loved Caymen! She was so sarcastic and funny that I connected with him immediately. I loved seeing peoples reactions to her when she spoke because they had no idea whether she was being serious or not. It was hilarious! She's such a great character.And then we have Xander. I instantly liked Xander as well. I knew that he was going to be different from the guys that Caymen's mum warned her off. He was so persistent in getting to know Caymen and wanting to be friends with her. He was such a nice, sweet character.So it turned out that there were a few secrets being kept in this book. Caymen's mother hadn't been completely honest with her and it caused a lot of problems for them throughout the book, but especially towards the end. Her mother was kind of acting like a bitch when she was trying to tell Caymen what to do. She made split judgments about people that were completely wrong and led to a lot of problems and secrets being uncovered.Caymen and Xander's relationship was a complicated one. He was constantly in the public eye for being the face of his fathers hotel business and there were so many articles and rumors that caused problems. On Caymen's side, trust and her mother were the issue. Caymen didn't believe Xander or really trust him and her mother was constantly trying to stop them being together. It made an interesting story and I loved seeing Caymen and Xander together because they were so good for each other. They helped each other a lot.There was a lot of other stuff going on in this book that I'm not going to mention because I don't want to spoil anything :)But I just loved it. It was such a cute, summery read that I definitely recommend. I can't wait to read more of Kasie West's books!

The distance between us follows Caymen Meyers and her observations of people, in particular rich people and their arrogant ways. This book was okay, I just wasn't completely thrilled with it. There were moments when I thought that it was cute and funny but mostly I was just underwhelmed by it.To start with I didn't really click with the characters, Caymen seemed really rude and in her own way arrogant to me by the way she looked down on the rich people without giving them a proper chance. While Xander to me didn't really seem very loveable in the beginning but he did grow on me more towards the end. Out of the two of them I definitely preferred Xander because at least he was a little bit more mysterious, like I couldn't really get a clear idea on his intentions so I was more interested in him. When it came to their relationship I just wasn't thrilled by it and was not cheering for them to get together. It seemed very rushed and under developed for a contemporary read, so I felt like there was not a lot of thought behind the characters.Overall I liked the sarcasm and wit that the story had and there were times when I did think the characters were cute, but I thought that the story in itself needed more development.