Title : The Distance Between Us
Author : Kasie West
Rating : 7/10
Maybe the 7/10 rating is a bit too harsh for a book that I wouldn't mind reading again. But then, some parts of the book *ahem*the ending*ahem* left me like this.
I loved the book. The beginning, the middle, the little parts in between the middle and the three quarters mark. The characters are the kind of people I would like to be friends with. The setting of the book is somewhere I would like to visit someday. This collection of multiple words and chapters seems almost flawless. And then you get to the ending. It wasn't very satisfying and didn't quench my book-thirst. What happens to the doll store? Where did her grandparents go to eat? And a bunch of other questions I can't ask without ruining the book for you. How can the author sleep knowing that there is a girl sitting on her bed with a million unsolved questions?
It's better to start at the beginning. The Distance Between Us is a story about a not-so-wealthy Caymen Meyer and her mother working in a doll store, which happens to be in a town filled with two types of people, the super rich and the super poor.
I was really happy with the way the book started and the sequence and how each scene in led up to other parts of the story. Every chapter left me wondering what happened next and the urge to turn the page and keep reading was intense (and I finished the book in 2 days in the middle of my exams period. Yes it was that good). The characters were the highlight of the book for me. Caymen is a really sarcastic, witty person who is capable of making jokes in any situation.
“Note to self: Caymen is very good at sarcasm.”
“If you’re recording notes for an official record, I’d like the word ‘very’ stricken and replaced with ‘exceptionally.’”
“He has a doll phobia. Some childhood trauma.”
I could list all of them here but out of context, they wouldn't make much sense (sorry to all those who expected a string of funny words). All the other characters were the right amount of real and fictional; Xander the perfect rich kid, Skye the best friend, a drummer who has the ability to write a whole song starting from the word 'fire-hydrant'.
The story had a great plot, unexpected twists and a whole lot of sarcasm. Not to mention it oozes cuteness.
“So arrogant. Do you think everything is always about you?”
“What was it about?”
“You.”
The Distance Between Us is perfect for a quick read and if you want something light and stress-free, but if you're looking for something with a more defined ending this isn't the book to choose. I'm guessing this is what Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters felt like after they read An Imperial Affliction and got no ending to the book. But there is a difference. The Distance Between Us doesn't end abruptly. It's just a really unexpected ending. It doesn't really say what happens afterwards. There was a feeling of momentary confusion and I was so sure I had lost a few chapters because there was no way that could've been the ending. There was no complete explanation to what happened to a few people after they left the main part of the story. I mean I was sure there were a few people in the book who were worth a graceful exit in the book. One that they never got.
Sadly, I had to accept the ending and use my imagination and creativity to come up with a personal version of what happened to Skye, Henry, Mason, drummer kid and not to mention, Caymen and Xander.
-The Lady Of Cheese
