Places We've Never Been by Kasie West

The Quick Cut: A cross country road trip between childhood best friends gets awkward when one of them is cold and distant.

A Real Review: Thank you to Delacorte Press for providing the ARC for an honest review. The friends we make as kids often don't last into adulthood, but when they do it can be the strongest relationships they have. So I this book between two teenagers who used to be best friends, the awkward tension is real when their families go together on an RV road trip. Norah and Skylar were best friends as kids; that is, until Skylar's family moved away. Now, years later, they are finally seeing each other again and spending the summer crossing the country. Norah has been excited about it until Skylar shows up cold and distant. Where is the tension coming from? And how will the trip unfold? Kasie West is known for her bubbly young adult contemporary romances that put a smile on your face. While this story eventually put one on mine, it took quite awhile to get there. This story is a slow burn that frustrated me with how long it took to get to the true plot. A significant portion of the story takes place in U.S. National Parks, such as Zion and Yellowstone. Having been to these places myself, it was easy to imagine being there again while reading. It certainly inspired me to want to go back there again. If you are looking for a story that will inspire a certain level of wanderlust, this story is a match for you. Norah and Skylar are lovable characters, but even at the end it seems like I never got to really know them. So much of the story is focused on their angst that we never really understand them on a deeper level. I kept hoping for more complex conversations. A slow burn romance that takes it's time to get to the point. My rating: 3.5 out of 5