Book Review / On the Fence by Kasie West

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.

Published:     1st July 2014
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Library 

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...    This book was so much fun to read.  I am so glad that I picked this book up at this time of year as summer is definitely the best time to read this one!  In this story we follow Charlotte at the beginning being young, carefree and also a bit reckless having been stopped for speeding a few too many times.  With her father being a police offer, she doesn't get away with it.  She receives a speeding ticket and has to get a job to pay that off.  Although we do follow mainly the story of Charlotte this is also a story about her family too and how they cope with the loss of their mother.  Despite the obvious sadness around the mother, this book was funny, upbeat and endearing.  Certainly something that is perfect for a beach read!


What I didn't like about this story... Although this story is meant to follow Charlotte, I would have loved to have seen more of her family life and more about her brothers and her father.  Maybe that could be something for another story...