Book: Places We’ve Never Been
Author: Kasie West
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Delacorte Press, for sending me an ARC. I still can’t believe that I managed to get one. Kasie West is one of my favourite authors and one of the few YA authors who I still keep up on.

Kasie West always has a way of making me just feel good inside when I read her books. They are light and fluffy. They are just something you pick up when you want to have a good time. This one is no different. We follow two families who have been long time friends, but have drifted away over the past four years. Now, the moms decide to bring them and the kids together for an RV road trip. Norah, our main character, is up for this. She longs to see Skylar, her childhood best friend. They had drifted apart over the years and she is sure that as soon as they see each, things will go back to the way they used to be. However, it doesn’t work out this way and it leads to some great tension. This one has the enemies to lovers troupe, which I think is becoming my favourite type of romance.

I really enjoyed Norah as a lead character. She is an artist and gamer. She wants to create video games, which is part of the reason for this road trip. She and the others are going to her college interview for a program all about creating video games. She builds what she wants to happen up in her mind. She thinks in terms of stories and that everything should turn out like it does in her head. During the course of the road trip, she realizes this and has a lot of disappointments. However, I think this really allows her character to grow. She realizes that what she builds up and what she knows her mind isn’t always what her heart is telling her. At first, she doesn’t embrace this concept, which does put her in some very messy and difficult situations. However, when she does, she comes to realize that maybe all of these pitfalls and heartbreaks were really leading her into something better. One thing that I would have liked to have seen was a bit more of the gamer side. We are told throughout the course of the book that Norah is an avid gamer, but that side of her really isn’t explored the best. The artist side is nailed though.

At first, I really didn’t like Skylar. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the book is told from Norah’s point of view, so we are only getting to see him from her side. Through the use of flashbacks, we do get to see what he was like before the start of this book and are able to see why Norah does like him. Before the start of the book, it is like they are soul mates and made for each other. However, as they are now older, it’s like the charm is gone. He is aloof and cold. It’s like everything that we and Norah know about him is gone. He has put up this wall around himself and it’s like we really can’t break through it. As the story goes on, we are able to see these walls being taken done and start to see these little cracks. We start to realize why he has these walls put up and it just makes sense. It fits so well. By the end of the book, I could not have but to think about how great of a character he actually is. To me, his character development was better than Norah’s.

I loved the whole idea of a road trip. I don’t think that Kasie has ever done something like this. It worked so nicely for the story that we needed to have here. Our characters all have this almost closed down sense that makes them not free-I don’t know if that makes any sense or not. This road trip was almost like it was freeing the characters and giving them what they needed, when they needed it. It was almost like a journey of self-discovery of sorts, but done in the normal Kasie West way.

Anyway, I think this is the perfect summer read and a must read if you are a fan of Kasie West. If I had a road trip planned, this would be a must pack. However, if you don’t have a road trip planned and are just looking for an escape, then this may be the book for you.

This book comes out on May 31, 2022.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/jqEE8pIY53Y

I will post this review to Goodreads on May 17.

Norah and Skyler— childhood best friends, until they weren’t. Years and distance chipped away at their unity, but Norah is hopeful that a summer trip RVing will change everything. That is, until Skyler shows up and barely maintains eye contact. Norah wonders what could go so wrong, and then makes a game plan for how to handle her new friendship with Skyler, despite her old feelings.

Places We’ve Never Been is classic Kasie West: light, romantic, reflective, a pinch of drama, and butterflies in your stomach vibes. This is exactly why I read her over and over again. She’s like the first bite of cotton candy—sweet, nostalgic, airy, without being too much. I adore this author and will read anything she puts out. I’m so glad that she came up with another sweet story to enjoy. Norah and Skyler were just too cute, and there have been moments of their story that pop into my head and just make me smile. I’m already anxiously waiting her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy in exhange for an honest review.

Kasie West is a fantastic writer! This was my first Kasie West book and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her books! Her writing style is easy and fluid. I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was right alongside the characters. It was fun to read about where they were traveling too. Iv been to a few of the places written about in the book and it really took the story to a whole new depth for me. I fell in love with each character. The development of each character is fantastic and well thought out as well as the storyline. The only character I wish was more thought about was Paisley. I believe she is supposed to be 14 but she came across as much younger. I say like 11-12. She just didn't add up to her age. Nonetheless, I enjoyed her character very much. I really loved Norah. She felt very real and authentic. I'm sad to have finished this book. I really enjoyed it Iv been in a nasty reading slump and this book cleared it right up. This is such a great summer read and I highly suggest reading it!!!
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley & Random House Children’s (Delacorte Press)!

Time and distance has pulled apart Norah and Skyler’s friendship. When their families plan a road trip together, Norah hopes to rebuild their relationship. The two begin to feud when Skyler arrives and acts like he would rather keep his distance than rekindle anything.

Places We’ve Never Been is a sweet, angsty teenage romance. Miscommunication and lack of communication plays the largest part of the story. The characters are likable and relatable. The plot starts out a little slow but it’s worth sticking with. The second half of the book is much more fast paced.

This is the first book that I have read from author Kasie West but I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

I love everything Kasie West has to offer. She has great talent creating lovely sqeeworthy romances, while also touching on tough topics. Childhood friends to more is an especially favorite trope of mine, so this was a delightful read. I was immediately engaged trying to puzzle through all that was going on. Highly recommend for anyone who loves Kasie West.

3.5 Stars

This was cute and fun for the most part. I did feel it was short so a lot at the end felt rushed. I wanted just a little more of the story. Honestly I think I was missing flashbacks to really understand the connection and the past between Norah and Skyler. But that is just my personal preference. And I think many people will fall in love with this all around enjoyable Kasie West book.

Places We've Never Been was a nice, short, and sweet read perfect for those weekend getaways or when you want a quick read that will make your heart flutter. Norah wants to work in the gaming industry and I liked that touch of introducing young girls to male-dominated fields and teaching them to take up space. This is a childhood best friends to strangers to enemies to friends to lovers and I really did enjoy this trope and following along with Norah and Skyler's reunion after many years. There were little side stories that helped build up the actual plot which helped give the other characters more spotlight as well which I enjoyed. Overall I really liked this book, the characters, the chemistry, and the summer road trip atmosphere. The only reason I rated the story a 4 out of 5 is because I did feel like the ending was rushed. Besides Norah and Skyler's past and present coming together there was so much build up around other parts of Norah's life we didn't really get closure with that I think would've made the book more satisfying to complete.

Honestly this book was a bit dry in the writing and uneventful lol it’s the plot. Skyler and Norah felt a smidge borning and lack a connection with both each other and the reader. There was such a disconnect while reading that at times I found myself getting distracted rather than engulfed with the story. There wasn’t much substance to the story or even Norah to make this an enjoyable read for me. I found myself trying to grasp at anything for this to be a feel-good romance I know this author is capable of. I think overall, for me, this is a case where the cover and plot are promising, but the overall Execution fell flat. I think maybe I’m just not the reader for this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this eARC

Excellent teen themed novel with great characters, teen angst, and family relationships. Skylar and Norah were best friends until he moved. Given a chance to reunite when their moms plan a three week RV trip makes Norah so excited. Skylar is indifferent to her which throws Norah into confusion. The healing of their relationship is up in the air as they travel and try to get reacquainted.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kasie West can never disappoint. If you are in the mood for some great young adult reading, with some good people then you know you can always count on any of her books. This was no different. Her books just make you feel, make you step into the shoes of the main characters. I love that feeling, that connection.

We meet Norah as her family and her family’s best friends are about to go on a road trip, this includes her long-time best friend Skylar who moved away 4 years ago. Their reunion is left to be desired in Norah’s eyes, but she’s determined to get that friendship back. The two of them grew up together and share so many memories, some are sprinkled throughout the book, and you just couldn’t help but aw about them being so adorable and innocent.

Watching them rekindle their friendship and having both families back again was a joy. You can see the dynamic of true friends, even when 4 years separated them it’s like no time has passed at all.

Of course, there are some hardships along the way, some secrets that are kept and found out later. It’s the adventure and the togetherness that made this book special. Not everything can be perfect all the time and it’s those imperfections that bring people together. Those shared memories, those shared experiences that will live with you for a lifetime.

Overall, I thought this book was great, adorable and I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, wondering always what was going to happen next. Kasie West is by far one my must-read authors.

“Love is a pretty powerful thing.”
“It doesn’t take away all of life’s disappointments, but it can provide a nice place to fall.”
— 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙒𝙚’𝙫𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙚𝙚𝙣, Kasie West

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

All told, this book was an adorable story about two childhood best friends reunited on shaky ground and finding themselves and their way back to each other in the process of a three week long RV trip from Fresno to Seattle.

Kasie West is a master at cutting to the heart of the matter, and while this was a quick read and I genuinely enjoyed it, I didn’t find myself connecting with our MC, Norah, at all. That coupled with a relationship between her and her love interest, Skyler, that, after four years apart, felt extremely rushed, I just didn’t love this one like I wanted to.

I also found myself annoyed with Paisley. This girl is 14 and yet she acts like someone far younger. Her antics would be cute on an 11 year old, but 14? On a 14 year old they’re just weird and immature.

I do recommend giving this one a shot when it comes out on May 1st! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Kasie West's books and this was the same. It was a fun road trip story. I liked this one a lot and will recommend it to YA readers.

I couldn’t put this book down. I felt like I was with the characters on their physical and emotional journeys. I am eager for my students and colleagues to read this book. The characters and scenarios are relatable, and left me feeling very invested and deeply connected to all of the characters.

I love Kasie West and I'm always ecstatic to read her new books when they come out. I loved the two main characters in the story and the romance was adorable! I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to Kasie West's future works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 1.5 stars

I haven’t ever read a book by this author before but have seen her name many times. Since this was a “read now” title on Netgalley I figured I would give it a try. The blurb sounded really interesting too! Sadly, it wasn’t a fit for me and maybe what didn’t work for me will work for others.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Norah. She is about to head out on an RV adventure with a long-time friend she hasn’t seen since he moved away. They haven’t been close since then and so not only does Norah have to deal with being prepared for a college interview, but also trying to rekindle an old friendship and maybe turning it into more.

There was a lot of plot points to follow in this book. At times I think it was a bit much and some felt like they didn’t get enough attention or that they were added to give a more dramatic flare. If you know me, I’m not one for over-the-top drama.

The ending was very bland and didn’t feel like it had enough time to develop. There is an epilogue but it also didn’t add much either.

Another thing that was off for me was how cringey the writing could be. There was one time something like “bathroom bully” was mentioned because one of the characters was hogging the bathroom. It was a weird way to say it but okay, lol. I just had a really hard time with it. It felt like Crave all over again for me.

Other than that, the characters felt unmemorable.

Overall, this one just didn’t work for me. I can see it being a a cute, quick, summer read for others. This author just isn’t for me and that is okay!

I am a huge fan of Kasie West and look forward to reading her new book every year. This time we follow two childhood best friends that grew apart when one of them moved. Norah and Skyler were childhood best friends but don’t really talk anymore now that it’s been a while that Skyler moved. Now, the two are spending a summer together on an RV road trip and whole Norah has been excited to reunite with her best friend, Skyler seems indifferent about the entire thing. Who doesn’t love childhood friends to lovers trope? :)

I have read almost every Kasie West book, so I get incredibly excited every time another one comes out. I am so appreciative that I was able to read an advanced copy of "Places We've Never Been".

Something that Kasie West absolutely crushes in every one of her books is her dialogue. This story had such natural dialogue that also had me laughing out loud so many times. She is so gifted when it comes to writing natural family and friend relationships.

Norah's hurt and confusion when seeing Skyler again after so much time? Big oof. That hurt me. Just like her amazing skill with dialogue, West also has a talent for created moments to hurt the main character that are felt viscerally by the reader as well.

I also loved her incorporation of scenes from their childhood. The friendship and pining was beautiful.

Overall, this story had great characters, great relationships, a fun plot, and a nice incorporation of serious aspects that didn't take away, but added to the story.

Kasie West delivers again! The author is a master at writing sweet, contemporary YA romance that will leave you in your feels. This is the perfect summer read and I cannot wait for it to come out.

I love a good former best friends to enemies to lovers trope, and Norah and Skylar’s story was just that.

Norah and Skylar, childhood best friends coming together for a co-family road trip after years apart. Something to be said about West’s books that have the perfect blend sweetness, little bit of angst, and a happily ever after. Never disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

This was such a cute read. It was a little slow in the beginning, but I loved seeing how Norah and Skylers relationship blooms. Also, I love the relationships of the two families. I always enjoyed books from Kasie West, and she didn’t disappoint.