Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: 1st July 2014
Genre: Contemporary, YA, Summer
Source: Received for review via Edelweiss
Synopsis:
"She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…
Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high."
Review
When people think of Charlie Reynolds they see her as one of the guys. Growing up in a house with three older sports loving brothers, her dad, and the boy next door as her best friend it’s no wonder Charlie is a tomboy who loves nothing more than playing sports and goofing off with the five loving and protective men in her life. Charlie knows how to hang with the guys but when she gets a job at a clothing boutique and starts crushing on her best friend she’s thrown in at the deep end with no mom or girlfriends to help keep her afloat. On The Fence follows Charlie’s journey over one summer as she ventures into the unexplored territory of girlhood whilst trying to stay true to who she is.
One chapter in and I knew this was going to be the kind of contemporary summer story that I love to read. There’s a lovable and large close-knit family, a boy next door/ best friend, and a coming of age story looking at grief and being true to yourself. On The Fence was a sweet, quick, read that left me all smiley.
The relationships here had to be my favourite thing about this book. The goofy and teasing relationships that Charlie had with her brothers reminded me so much of the one that I have with my own brother. There’s also a really sweet slow burning romance between Charlie and boy next door Braden that is easy to get behind. They have these honest and meaningful midnight fence chats and you watch these two long term best friends blossom into something more as they share their secrets underneath the stars. Braden was the boy next door, brother’s best friend and boy you’ve know your whole life rolled into one which made for a really cute love interest.
Overall On The Fence is a sweet summer read that’s perfect for fans of ‘My Life Next Door’. It’s utterly feel good but there’s enough depth there to stop it from being fluffy. All in all? Perfect summer reading.
