By Your Side Review

Synopsis from Edelweiss:
In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

About: By Your Side is a fiction novel written by Kasie West. It will be published on 1/31/2017 by Harper Teen, 352 pages. The genres are young adult, contemporary, and romance. This author has written many other popular books that I can’t wait to read: P.S. I Like You, The Fill-In Boyfriend, On the Fence, The Distance Between Us, and more.

My Experience: I started reading By Your Side on 1/12/17 and finished it on 1/18/17. This book is absolutely a fun read. This is my first read by Kasie West and this author is becoming one of my favorite contemporary writer. I really can’t wait to read all of her other books. This book is easy going and full of humor. The characters in this book are all great and the plot flows perfectly. There’s hardly a dull moment when reading this book.

 I wished I didn’t care what people thought about me. “Why don’t you care?”
“What?”
“What people think about you?”
“Because I have no say in what other people do .. or think.” 34%

The main character is Autumn and she’s such a sweetheart. I like following her train of thoughts. She’s very relatable. I like her positive thinking and how she treats other people. I like how she eats her half of an apple and give the other half to Dax. I like the romance because it’s not instantaneous. Autumn’s family is great, especially her dad and his slogan.. haha..

All of the characters in this book are likable, except Jeff’s mom. I don’t like how she brush off Jeff’s other friends. Dax and his hard earned smile is cute. I like that despite his situation, he’s actually a caring person. It would have been good to read his point of views, but the book is still good without. One thing I still don’t know how to interpret is whether he gets good grades in school because he reads Hamlet but he doesn’t go to class. He may not be as smart as Autumn because she’s the one that found the food and the bell tower. Since the story takes place in high school, I feel the grades should at least win a small mention in this book.

The main plot of this book is Autumn accidently got stuck in the public library and whether she will be rescued. Yet, Autumn don’t seem to like to read much. Dax seems to always be reading but he doesn’t discuss anything about his books, especially why he carries around the Hamlet book. Even all of their fun games, there’s no book related games. If not look too closely in this angle, the book overall is a fun light-hearted read. I do like reading this book and find myself smiling often.

Pro: humor, family, positive thinking, light-hearted, fast-paced, page-turner, witty, easy going,

Con: stuck in a library but no favorite book discussions? what?!

I rate it 4.5 stars!

Grab yourself a copy here: Book Depository

About the Author:

Kasie West is the author of several YA novels, including The Distance Between Us, On the Fence, and The Fill-in Boyfriend. Her books have received numerous awards and accolades, including an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers selection, a YALSA Best Books for Young Adults selection, and a number of Whitney and Goodreads Choice Awards and Nominations. Kasie lives in Fresno, California, with her family, and you can visit her online at kasiewest.com. (Photo obtained from Goodreads and Info obtained from Scholastic website).

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author, Kasie West, publisher Harper Teen, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine