ARC Review: By Your Side by Kasie West


Title: By Your Side
Author: Kasie West
Series: N/A, Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: January 31st, 2016
Pages: Paperback, 352
My Rating: 4 Stars

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.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?



Kasie West is definitely the queen of contemporary fluff! Whenever I need my fix of light and fluffy contemporary books, Kasie West is definitely my go-to person for it. Her books has never disappointed me before, and By Your Side is no exception.

By Your Side is about Autumn, who was left behind by her friends in the library and was accidentally locked up there for days. To make things worse, she finds out that she's locked up with Dax, who has a bad reputation. Um, the girl is locked up inside a library. With a guy. What bookworm wouldn't want to read this book? (Although Autumn didn't really use the time to read books, tsk tsk.)

I think my favorite thing about this book is how it explores anxiety disorder, which I think not many YA books has talked about. I'm an advocate of mental illness, and I love how this book shows how mental illnesses may seem from the outside, and how social stigma can keep a person from admitting having a mental illness. For a light and fluffy contemporary novel, Kasie West definitely explored a topic that is worth exploring, and an important one at that.

The romance is definitely cute, as how it usually is with Kasie West books. However, this book, in my opinion, provided less depth than the other Kasie West books I've read in the past. As a result, I can only give this book 4 stars, instead of the 5 stars that I usually give to Kasie West books. I also don't really have much to say about this book because of this. Overall, it's really just a book to pass time, and I really enjoyed it.

cute and fluffy stars


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