Places We've Never Been by Kasie West - ADVISABLE

Places We've Never Been by Kasie West, 336  pages. Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House), 2022. $19

Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (catcalls, kissing, family with a cancer diagnosis); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Norah is a 17yo high school junior Caucasian artist who dreams of being a videogame designer and has an interview at her dream college in Seattle. Before that can happen, she has to survive a cross-country RV trip with her mom & brother, and her childhood best friend’s family. But both Norah and Skyler don’t click like they used to and it seems like everyone in Norah’s life is keeping secrets.

Light and fluffy, like the best cotton candy. It was a pretty quick read and just a hint of emotional depth as Norah navigates her changing relationships. I was slightly annoyed by how long it took to find out the big reveal that was hinted at throughout the story, but I could see how it would drive some readers to devour the story. This would be a nice, clean, sweet romcom to add to your classroom library, but don’t expect more depth than there is.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes