Stand Alone
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Borrowed from the Library (Overdrive)
Genre:Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Teen
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads
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.
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.
Review
Look, I finally read a Kacie West book. And I enjoyed it. There was a little bit of a Miranda Kenneally tone to it. Charlie is a lot like Kenneally's heroines, but a more likable.
I did really like Charlie's personal growth. She develops stronger empathy for others. And she grows into herself. She's a very typicall tomboy in the beginning. Then, she's exposed to make-up and girly girls. Through all of this, she blends "girly" into her life. It isn't a complete change, but exposes her to other options. And there are actually positive female friendships. I feel like you just don't see a lot of this in young adult.
The romance was cute. It was pretty drawn out and had a nice simmer to it. I'm not always a fan of friends-to-lovers stories (and I use lovers loosely here), but this one worked for me.
At the beginning, I was a little worried about this, but it came together. I'm glad I read it and will certainly read another Kasie West book in the future.
Thanks for reading!
Holly
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