Book Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: July 2nd, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA/Contemporary
Standalone
Book Link: Goodreads
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.
Disclaimer: This book was a personal purchase.
Review:
Oh my goodness, I need to start off by saying that I absolutely adored this book. I mean I am full on, madly in love with this book and I want to marry it.Yes, I know that sounds weird and borderline creepy but holy crap Kasie West has done it again. Although I have not finished Split Second yet, Kasie West has been firmly placed on my author auto-buy list. With The Distance Between Us,she managed to capture my heart completely. This book made me laugh but also cry.
Caymen is pretty sheltered and she lives with her mom above a doll shop that her mom owns and runs. Her mom is very against anyone who is rich because Caymen's father's family was rich and they basically gave hush money in order to keep Caymen's mom & Caymen away from their son who "was going places"
So when Caymen starts spending a lot of time with the grandson of a customer, she keeps it to herself for the longest time, while also realizing that maybe her mom is keeping secrets of her own. Caymen's not used to that as she and her mom have a very open relationship where they talk about everything. I related to that because that is exactly how I have been with my own mom. I know it's weird to think of your mom as your best friend, but that's how close my mom and I are.
From the beginning, I sensed that Xander was different. Yes he oozed money, but he didn't wave it around obnoxiously. That would have driven me crazy. He's nothing like the stereotypical rich teenager which I loved. He wasn't rude or arrogant about it at all and I have a feeling that Caymen hadn't expected that.All she had been taught from her mother was that rich = bad and poor = good.
Caymen had given up a lot of her dreams in deference to her mother. Instead of going straight to college, she was going to work at her mother's doll store for awhile. Her dream was to major in science. There is a specific scene in the book where you just know that science is something she is very interested in. Xander is definitely supportive of that.
Contrary to what people think, money doesn't solve everything. While having money can help, it can also create a heavy burden. Xander's family owns a lot of hotels and he is expected to go right into that business but his real passion seems to be photography. Watching him come to terms with where he needed to be was a great story arc.
The end had me full on bawling like a newborn. It was beautiful and kind and full of love and forgiveness and honesty. All things that were important to the story. They tied together perfectly and neatly like a little bow.This book was beyond fantastic, it was amazing and definitely Kasie West's best book. 5 stars to this beautifully written book. Everyone needs to read this book right now.
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