Kasie West

By Your Side

Lucy 

Nabila Azahra

overall quite an entertaining read. there wasn't a wow factor here tho. plot was pretty boring. character wasn't really explored enough in my opinion.

4 of 5 stars

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I've avoided Kasie West's books for a long time. I'm an awful person for judging that I wouldn't like her works as much as other people. I thought her works would be overly cheesy and cringy and that's what I don't like in a romance. Just a right amount of cheesiness  is enough for me. Until I decided to pick this book up. I'm glad I did because I proved myself wrong! I just want my YA contemporary romance to be a quick read, sweet, light and fun. And this is exactly it. It was not cringy at all. I liked both Autumn and Dax's personality. I usually got annoyed with teenage characters because they seemed to have a two dimensional personality or they're just plain awful, but not them. I loved how they have their own flaws and issues but still managed not to be nasty as a person. And I think the author also handles the representation of the characters' certain issues (e.g. anxiety) well. It was kind of a plus for me for having that kind of mental representation. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. I am positive this is just the beginning of my journey through Kasie West's books. I will probably pick up her other books as well soon.

Melissa Palmer

Book #32 Read in 2018
]By Your Side by Kasie West

This is a well-written YA romance book. Autumn gets locked in a library for the weekend but quickly realizes she is not alone; her classmate and edgy guy Dax is also locked in with her. The two begin a sort of friendship over the weekend, until Autumn sees on the news that her parents believe she was killed in a car crash. She has a panic attack and Dax hits the fire alarm. After being rescued from the library, the two rejoin their normal lives but are still drawn to each other. Will Autumn decide to go after what she wants, even if it is out of her comfort zone?

alexandra

3.5/5 ★ BY YOUR SIDE has all the adorable fluff you can expect in a kasie west novel, but also with a touch of mental illness.

when i initially read the synopsis, i imagined it might be paradise to get stuck in a library. i soon realized how bad it could be (and that our MC isn't a huge fan of reading *sigh*). instead, we get to focus on our characters Dax and Autumn. 

Dax is known to be a "loner" at school, but slowly grows out of his shell when being stuck with this girl for three days. there were times i felt he was out of character and had a hard time imagining him. but, that doesn't mean i didn't love their banter and cute scenes. their relationship was much more intense than i expected, but i still enjoyed it nontheless.

Autumn is a girl on the yearbook staff who also struggles with anxiety disorder/panic attacks. when she first mentioned that about herself, i wasn't sure if it'd play a big part of the story (it did/does). i loved seeing things from someone with anxiety because it's really different from simply saying "i'm anxious/nervous." it opened my eyes and helped me understand those with anxiety and/or have panic attacks.

for the most part, i enjoyed this book. the characters weren't too bad; the plot was interesting; and the romance was adorable. there were just certain moments i felt could've been better (ex: the ending was too fast-paced, people were occasionally ooc, etc.) but overall i liked it! the love triangle initially bothered and frustrated me but it had a good conclusion so i'm not complaining too much. i'd recommend if you're interested in a cute story with a touch of mental health/family problems. <33

Colleen

DNF after Chapter 1 

I've read a couple of Kasie West books (The Fill-In Boyfriend and P.S. I Like You) which were alright. I grabbed By Your Side when I was in the mood for something light. After reading the first chapter though, I knew this was a not a book for me. It seems like one of those attempts to write something more serious dealing with real issues, but from the setup I could not see myself ever being able to stand the main characters. Add to that the bad boy troupe and predictable thrown-together; fall in love plot and I just could not do it. I realized I was not remotely in the mood to slug through that much self-centered teenage uber angst. 
 

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 1 Star
Writing Style: 1 Star
Characters and Character Development: 1 Star
Plot Structure and Development: 1 Star
Level of Captivation: 1 Star
Originality: 1 Star

Victoria

Nothing special. But I did appreciate the fact that this talked about mental health.

Emily Chernisky

Gosh I am in love with this book. It has a teen romance feel with minor drama and a easy storyline to follow. The way Dax was portrayed—your classic badboy, don't go near me—versus the way Autumn was portrayed—your classic goody two shoes with an anxiety disorder—is the classic character basis for many teen fiction. I love books that have such immense contrast that also spread awareness about mental health issues. I feel that in this day and age it is important to talk about them at teenage years and maybe even younger. The way Dax proves every theory about him wrong (at least for the most part) and the way he cares about Autumn is an amazing thing to read. I could imagine myself in their situation. This is such an amazing read and anyone who enjoys simple teen romance should read it.

I wish there were more chapters after they got together and an epilogue but overall really fast read and I think it’s a really good book to get you out of a reading slump. I love the popular girl/loner boy trope.

Elena

Devansh Patil

Abrianna

I honestly haven’t read in a while and this book it great to get you out of a reading slump.

Fátima

Es la primera vez que leo un libro de Kasie West en el que el interés amoroso es un bad boy... bueno, quiere hacernos creer eso pero en realidad es un sweet cinnamon roll, ¿para qué engañarnos? Y para ser sinceros, I loved it! No estoy segura de haber tenido un crush con él, pero sí que su personaje me cayó muy bien. Dax, tú muy bien.

Respecto a la protagonista, Autumn, debo decir que me identifiqué mucho con ella (esa es la cosa que más me gusta de los libros de K.W., sus protagonistas casi siempre tienen algo que me recuerda a mí. En este caso fue la ansiedad. Yo también tengo ansiedad y nadie que no sea de mi familia lo sabe, por lo que constantemente tengo que evitar situaciones e irme antes de los lugares (igual que Autumn), así que tengo que enfrentar lo mismo que ella. Que sus amigos y todas las personas de su alrededor malinterpreten el por qué de su actitud. Siempre es agradable cuando los personajes de alguna historia pasan por situaciones como las que pasas en tu vida, porque te hace sentir más cercana a ellos y porque te da cierto sentido de pertenencia, de no estar tan solo. Este libro me llegó y en ciertas partes logró ponerme sentimental. Good job Kasie!

Gisela Ayala 

That was the sweetest thing I've read in a while even with it beginning with a cliche. Good girl meets "tough and tender" boy and get locked up in a library by accident over a long weekend. That sounds like a dream come true to me. 

Despite the cliche beginning, the book had serious undertones to it, and one that I admittedly and personally can relate to. The main character, Autumn has an anxiety disorder. She panics over many things and it's not until Dax (tough and tender boy) shows her that it's okay to say no to friends and situations if they make you feel uncomfortable. Her mother was a super hero too letting her know that it's okay to take mental health breaks once in a while. 

There was a moment in the end that made me tear up a bit, where Autumn explains her disorder as her mind not being in tune with her body sometimes. Such a simple statement that speaks volumes. 

This book was adorable too. I'm a sucker for tough and tender boys. Especially ones who read. Anyone who needs a little light in their day should read this.

Sven Test

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Autumn was supposed to spend the weekend with her friends and with her crush. When everyone is getting ready to leave from a study session at the library, she has to go pee. When she's about to head out of the library, every door is locked. It is there that she encounters the silent and mysterious Dax. She slowly starts to get to know him and realizes he's not a bad guy. She also notices that around him, her anxieties aren't existent and she can just relax.

Autumn suffers from panic attacks and she hasn't told any of her friends. She's scared of the way people might treat her so she keeps it hidden. Autumn is an authentic teen girl with a great personality, and at times she can be awkward but in a cute way. As I mentioned above, Dax is a mysterious guy. Everyone at school has formed their own opinion of him and is why he has a "reputation". The students think he's a drug addict who's a criminal, but he's actually not. He's a very reserved and shy guy. His living situation isn't the best and is why he was at the library. Autumn was very relentless in wanting to know Dax and because of her persistence, Dax was able to open up to her.

I really thought this would be a love-triangle but I'm happy to announce it is not! Kasie West handled this angle very well and I was so happy with the outcome. I was expecting this book's setting to be completely in the library, but it wasn't. It was divided between the library and after Autumn and Dax got out, which I really liked since the reader is able to read how Autumn is after getting to know Dax, her interactions with her friends and her crush, and with Dax himself. In the second half of the story, Autumn and Dax got to spend more time together and they grew closer and closer! Their romance was the sweetest! Just the smallest brush of Dax's finger on Autumn's jaw would send my heart into overdrive (I had to highlight that part on my Kindle).

I was happy that Autumn could see the difference between her crush and Dax. Where with Jeff, Autumn's anxieties would be present all the time, with Dax, she could just relax and be herself. He had this calming vibe to him that helped with Autumn's anxieties and I loved the way Kasie West showed this to the reader. Speaking of anxieties, this subject was also handled really well. It wasn't thrown into the story just because, but it wasn't the major focus of the story. It was more in the background but it played a big role as the story progressed. I felt Autumn's anxieties and my heart went out to her.

To be honest, I was expecting more of the story. With her previous book, I was head-over-heels in love from the get-go. However, I never got that feeling with this one, but I still found it adorable and equally entertaining. The characters are great! There was this one character that had me mad but his reasons were legit so I tried to ignore how I felt towards him. I wish Autumn's friend Lisa had made more appearances! I feel like she was barely there and I wish she had been. She was funny and a huge supporter of Autumn.

Overall, By Your Side is a sweet and adorable story that's equally fun and emotional. For me, it did lack that Kasie West magic, but it's still good.

I received an eARC from the publisher via Edelweiss for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

I think I want to give this a 4, cute read. But it also incorporated social anxiety issues which is very relatable. Definitely worth the read.

Sin duda, este es mi libro favorito de la autora hasta el momento. 

Es una historia que te engancha desde el primer instante, lo juro, terminé el libro en una tarde y realmente deseé que tuviera más páginas. Quedé con ganas de más. 

Me gustó la protagonista, y me identifiqué mucho con sus problemas de ansiedad, y en lo mucho que se hacía énfasis en el hecho de que "algunas veces está bien desconectarse de todo y poner como prioridad tu salud mental". Además también uno se da cuenta de lo sencillo que hubiera sido todo si tan solo la protagonista hubiera hablado abiertamente de su trastorno, y la autora destaca la importancia de tener la compresión de las personas de tu entorno. 

Me hizo un poco de gracia todo el asunto de la biblioteca, y es que fue demasiado hilarante... Autumn y Dax encerrados ahí por casi tres días, casi sin comida y una calefacción cuestionable, todo bastante dramático. En verdad todo el romance entre ellos dos fue precioso, y es que ese par era demasiado adorable, me hicieron morir de amor una, y otra, y otra vez. Fue un libro bastante bonito.

Lauren Tabor

elizabeth church

Surprised this isn't a Wattpad book... yet I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! Took a while for me to get into since it seemed as though it was written by a teenager aspiring to be the next top-selling romance novelist by writing fanfiction, but after I got past 100 pages I couldn't stop reading.

Sophie

I loved this book it was so heartwarming and adorable. I always love Kasie west's books and this was not an exception. Totally worth it!!

April 8th, 2021
I just finished rereading this book and I don't remember when was the last time I read this book. 
So I just checked and apparently it was June of last year. From then to now many things have changed and one of those things is my anxiety has gotten a lot worse. I now have panic attacks and it helps me understand this character a lot more. I've had panic attacks in stores and even in school or family events. It happens. Crowds or lots of people makes my anxiety worse for some reason. I understand why she leaves events. I do the same. Only my best friends and family know about my panic attacks and anxiety. I also understand why she doesn't tell all her friends. I think that another thing about reading books is that if you reread them maybe you'll feel different about the book the second time around. I do because I have changed quite a lot from the last time I read this book. Lastly, I understand her to need to have control and her fear of not being able to control people's reactions and what people think, I have the same problem. 
Overall this is a good book and I really enjoyed it. I feel a sense of identification in me when reading about Autumn and I just love how Dax helps her and puts her at ease. Everyone needs a person like that in their lives, Someone you feel comfortable with and they make you relax. I love this book and how it deals with real problems and struggles teenagers go through and at the same time keeps the story so heartwarming and light. And it's such a quick easy read.

Emi Gilmore 

If you are going into this book expecting book appreciation (because they are locked in a library) just be aware that it doesn't happen. But it takes place in my home state so that was cool (Even though the characters didn't feel like they are from my home state, but that's me being analytical). Anyways RTC.

Mariam Mohsen

Audio 4 stars... Story 4 stars... This book was an awesome ya read, autumn and her hero.. as she called him were so adorable and nice, I really loved how every one of them has found his own way and discovered how to live his life properly, they were just the rescue for each other, really injoyed the story and the authors writing style was great

chloe mcpherson

This was too stinking adorable! 
This is the third Kasie West Book I’ve read and it is my favourite so far. 
Autumn is so strong, I could totally relate to her because I have anxiety too and can panic over the smallest things. 
Omg and Dax, my heart really goes out for him!

I wish I got to see if Dax ended up speaking to his mum or something?

But overall this is definitely the cute fluffy book I was expecting and would definitely recommend.

Kaley Catron

** spoiler alert **
           I needed a light read and I got it. THIS WAS SO FLIPPING CUTE ALRIGHT. I loved it. Like I'm so happy with all of the events that happened and nothing made me too mad I loved that Jeff was a sweetheart and not the jealous almost bf- Dallin was the jealous best friend which kind of bothered me but I still loved it. And Dax hot damn I just picture that boy attractive. I just can't wait till probably like next year when I can reread this book again!!

Kathryn 

*4.5*

I really love Kasie West's contemporary books I really do. This one was no exception! I love all the twists in this book I love that we had a main character working through an anxiety disorder I loved our main love interest. Like love so much. So refreshing to have a perceived "bad boy" character who doesn't need fixing because he's a total dick. (Not that Dax is really a bad boy but you know what I mean.) Highly enjoyed would definitely recommend

By Your Side

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