2015 Reading Challenge: On The Fence

via Goodreads

2015's first read! Huzzah! I remember starting the past two years with relatively sad reads such as The Fault in Our Stars (2013) and Just One Day (2014), and well, books and movies sort of affect my mood and so 2013 and 2014 were like saaaad for most part and I want 2015 to be happy, upbeat and all unicorns and rainbows soooooo.... I started with Kasie West's On The Fence. Kasie West's one of my favorite authors when it comes to YA and these days all I read are YA. I love her characters and how they have their issues but they don't sulk tirelessly about it. I have read and liked all her novels and all her heroines were likable.

I should really write these (non)reviews right after I read the book cos I tend to forget "the feels" of it when I jump right into another read and the emotions get a little jumbled up. So anyway, I will try to recall.

Charlie grows up in an all-male household which in effect makes her sort of a tomboy who's into sports and ungirly stuff. She gets a speeding ticket and her cop father's not taking anymore of it and wants her to learn her lesson so he makes her get a summer job to pay for her ticket. She gets this job where in she sells, surprise surprise, girly stuff and makeup. But wait, there's more- she gets to be the canvas. At first she refuses but being that it pays a lot of moolah, she agrees to it anyway. That and Charlie also has these recurring nightmares and when she does she runs at night but there was this time when she and Braden, the neighbor and the honorary fourth brother, talk about their problems by the fence.

I think I already sort of knew how this was going to turn out but when Charlie came clean about it to Braden and he replied with a "that's not what this is about" and "is that what you thought I was trying to tell you," all my illusions of Charlie and Braden went flying out the window. Which left me all confused. What's this all about? I was sure then that Braden liked Charlie in that way and if he doesn't, is he gay and is actually in love with Gage instead? Dislike-frowning face here- I respect other people and their beliefs and inclinations but I am not yet ready for gay fiction.

So I was mej annoyed with Braden when Evan comes into the picture and he gets all jealous. Parang pre-Evan he wasn't interested in her but now that there's someone there, he suddenly decides he likes her in that way? Nakakainis, diba? So I finally get my answer in the end and while my heart still feels sorry for Evan, I'm happy for Braden and Charlie.

See, YA novels can work without too much angst and too much sex (ahem, Waiting For You) and it's much more kilig when it's pa-innocent effect. Haha.

4/5 stars