I have seen Kasie West’s name a lot in YA contemporary, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually, finally, read one of her books. And now I’m kicking myself for not having read her books earlier. They are amazing! I already made a Goodreads TBR list of her books, entitled “To Binge Read,” because obviously I’m going to binge-read all her books now.

Anyways, so now that I’ve embarked on my Kasie West journey, I thought I’d document it by writing mini reviews for each book. I’m going to start with By Your Side since it’s the book that started this all!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Author: Kasie West

Stand-alone or series: Stand-alone

Page Number: 346

By Your Side by Kasie West is a book about a girl who gets stuck in the library for a few days with the school’s loner and “bad boy.” Autumn Collins and Dax Meller don’t seem like a couple, but they can’t help but fall for each other when they are forced to open up to one another. Even after they leave the library, their relationship progress. Of course, Autumn’s friends, almost/maybe boyfriend, Jeff, and the world complicate things. But the two must navigate those waters if they want to be together. So, can they?

SPOILERS BEYOND THE QUOTE

Don’t pretend to know what I’m thinking based on your experiences

The idea of two sort-of enemies getting stuck in the library for several days and have to open up to each other and then proceed to fall in love? Uh, sign me up please! The idea and the book itself is amazing. Truly fantastic. It had all the things I love in books and life together, and West crafted an easy and enjoyable read here.

Autumn deals with anxiety, and I can’t speak for how accurate the representation is because I don’t have anxiety. It matches what I saw in other books and shows, but it’s not my place to determine if it’s good or not. Read reviews from people who do have anxiety and see what they say!

I loved the characters in this book, especially Autumn and Dax. They are the most developed, obviously, but I felt like I could connect to them both. Especially Autumn. I wish we’d seen a bit more of Dax’s inner thoughts, but for a 300 and a bit page book, enough of him was shown to make him seem real. Also, Autumn’s friend group is so supportive and I wish had her friends. Good friends are not easy to come by 😦

There’s not much to say or analyze about this book without feeling like I’m repeating myself, other than it is the perfect mindless and easily enjoyable book that you can read in between bloodier and heavier fantasy (or other) books. Or just when you need to read but also take a break. It’s like a snack for your brain. Trust me.

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on it? Did you like it? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Thank you for reading and see you next time ❤