Review: On the Fence

Author Kasie West

Format e-book

Print Length 296 pages

Publisher HarperTeen

Published July 1, 2014

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.

My Opinion

As the only girl in a family of four children, Charlie had no chance at becoming a girly girl. Her widow father did the best that he could, it just wasn’t girly enough. Oh she could protect herself like no other, and she honestly didn’t need to- three older, muscled out big brothers are protection enough especially with their best friend Braden willing to help out. Circumstances, totally her own fault, force Charlie to get a job at a boutique in a shopping center owned by a new ager name Linda. Linda expects a certain attire to be worn at work, and it is not Charlie’s normal blue jeans and t-shirt. When Charlie subs in as a make-up model, she becomes friends with Amber. She also begins to like things that are a little more girly than a Saturday pick-up game. 

I liked Charlie, she is likeable. She is confident in herself in all areas- brains, sports, food, fitting in with the guys. She is noticeably uncomfortable with things she is not familiar with- make-up , dresses/ skirts, dating. This is perfectly normal as she had no one to show her the ropes. Until her new job and Amber show up. One my favorite parts is when she is on a date and how she acts.

Braden was a cute love interest, although I am a little annoyed that he only showed interest in her when another guy did. Who does that? He is always there for her, and tries so hard to stand by her. You can tell that he cares about her. Their interactions both together in front of the siblings and against the fence are adorable. Although, I was a bit angry with him for the question he asked the other guys during the pick-up game. I felt that he was out of line, there and it was only to humiliate Charlie as he was angry with her.

On the Fence is a cute contemporary romance about a girl and the boy next door. It is a light read, with a bit of gray mixed in (certain parts are a bit sad). Overall, the characters are likeable, and get along great with each other. I would recommend this one for pretty much anyone.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote "If he doesn't want you for you, then he's not worth it." 

Other People

Gage- brother

Linda- Charlie’s boss

Amber- friend of Charlie’s