On The Fence by Kasie West is a young adult, contemporary, romance following a very sporty girl who grew up with three older brothers.
I really loved this story. It’s kind of exactly what I needed to hear at just the time I needed to hear it. I think the message is to any girls out there who feel like outsiders. Who feel like they’re missing out on something. Who feel like they won’t ever find love.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was cute and romantic but also so heavy. I almost cried a few times but somehow held it together. It had some great quotes and I loved all the characters. I really liked how the conflict was almost external. It didn’t necessarily involve a lack of communication between the love interests. Don’t get me wrong, the conflict was partly because there was a lack of communication but it was mainly out of their control and I really liked that.
The story was hinting at the trope, “I’m not like other girls” but not enough to cloud the reader or weigh down the story. The main character – Charlie, feels like an outsider. She feels like no guys will ever like her for a number of reasons. So, yes, the theme “I’m not like other girls” is brought up but not in a way to put down other girls. It’s brought up solely to explain why Charlie feels on the outs. Which personally, I think is well done.
The ending was great. Cute, happy and sad all in one. I really liked the character growth from Charlie. She grew in a lot of different ways and I loved to see her overcome so many obstacles. Like I said before, this book was exactly what I needed, and for that reason I gave it 5/5 stars. Definitely something I might revisit.
Official 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.
Book details:
293 pages (Paperback)
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Main characters: Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, Braden, Gage, Jerom, Nathan
Setting: California (USA)
Extra: Charlie plays many different sports.
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