Blog Tour & ARC Review: Places We've Never Been by Kasie West
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Series: None
Author: Kasie West
Published May 31st 2022 by Delacorte Press
Goodreads Synopsis
A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!
Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they'd talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.
But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems...like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.
An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Finding out that she will be going on a road trip for the summer with her mam, brother, and former best friend, Skyler, and his family, Norah can't wait to reconnect. But as soon as Skyler arrives, it's clear he doesn't feel the same way. Now forced to be in close proximity for weeks, sharing two RV's between the families, Norah needs to find out just what's wrong, and why they are so far apart when so close physically. As the miles roll by, and it's clear that Norah's strong feelings towards Skyler aren't quiet those of hatred, but one's of love, it's a struggle for her to reconcile with keeping secrets, and becoming closer than ever before.
When I learnt that Kasie had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance of reviewing it for the blog tour. I've always adored her books, and from the synopsis of Places We've Never Been, I knew this was one for me. Norah's character was one who was open to anything, and wore her heart on her sleeve, so learning that her former best friend, Skyler, who she's missed since he moved away years ago, would be back for the summer, she was overjoyed. However, he doesn't welcome the trip - or time with her - with open arms, and is rather standoffish, which wasn't what she expected at all. She's also got her upcoming interview at college to prepare for, and she can't get into the wrong head space for that - not when she knows that being a woman in a male oriented industry is already a difficult thing. I really liked seeing them reconnect, and be with each other now as teenagers, rather than preteens. They both held things back from each other, and there was a little plot line I wasn't too keen on, but I understood why it had to be included. Kasie has really hit it out the park with this one, and, once again, I'll be waiting for her next!
Dates Read:
May 14-15, 2022
Rating
4 Stars
Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, including The Fill-in Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, JLG selections, and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. When she’s not writing, she’s binge-watching television, devouring books, or bury-ing her toes in the sand of the Central Coast. Kasie lives in Fresno, California, with her family.
LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook
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