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By Your Side
By Your Side
By Your Side
Audiobook6 hours

By Your Side

Written by Kasie West

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect?

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her.

Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye.

As he and Autumn at first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperTeen
Release dateJan 31, 2017
ISBN9780062661302
Author

Kasie West

Kasie West lives with her family in central California, where the heat tries to kill her with its 115-degree stretches. She graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree that has nothing to do with writing. Visit her online at www.kasiewest.com.

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Reviews for By Your Side

Rating: 4.012064396782842 out of 5 stars
4/5

373 ratings25 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a great pick-me-up read that kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched Autumn and Dax’s romance unfold. I loved how Dax helped Autumn be true to herself and how Autumn helped Dax to come out his shell and allow people in his life. The story was touching and their romance is adorable- LOVE THEM! They’re perfect for each other.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Now that I am re reading it for the 12th time, I notice flaws in the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sweet and touching story. Loved it. Liked the happy ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was so sad that this book was over !
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I want to follow Dax and Autumn everywhere, forever. I loved every character in this book: so many healthy relationships to root for! It was truly refreshing to read something that wasn't laced with petty or catty backstabbing.

    Autumn is smart and realistic and just a normal girl. Dax is dreamy and mysterious and the type of person that's just let's people be who they are with no expectations. Autumn's circle of friends was my favorite! Even the brief interactions with family and other characters feel genuine and wholesome. I wasn't expecting the story to make some of the turns that it did. At different points in the story I found myself proud of Autumn's maturity and other points I wanted to shake her and say "is that really the best choice?"

    I'm sad that this book is over. I want to follow them forever.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    My audiobook was extremely faulty, Parts were repeated and huge chunks mid chapter were missing!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was a cute contemporary read! Nice for a pallet cleanse!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I never read about a character that i could relate to as much as autumn. This was amazing!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Enjoyed the story!! Very well written!! How to accept anxiety and let it be known!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    BY YOUR SIDE was an excellent contemporary romance. Autumn has a strong group of friends and a crush on one of them - Jeff. He fits perfectly with her desire to plan and control her life. She is keeping the fact that she has an anxiety disorder from all her friends because she doesn't want them to treat her differently.One evening, after a study session in the public library, she finds herself locked in when the library closes. Her friends think that she has caught a ride to the party and bonfire with someone else. She's sure they'll come back for her as soon as they realize. But hours pass, and they don't come back. Just as panic is setting in, she discovers that she isn't alone in the library. Dax Miller is locked in there with her. Even though Dax goes to the same school, she doesn't really know more about him than the various rumors that say he's spent time in juvie.Dax isn't quick to share his story with her. He is trying to live his life without attachments. A disappearing father and a mother who chose meth instead of him have taught him that attachments cause a lot of pain. He's counting down the days until he's out of the foster care system and can get away from this place. When she learns that her friend Jeff has been in a car accident and that people thought she was with him and is now dead, she has an anxiety attack that forces Dax to pull the fire alarm, which he was previously reluctant to do, to get her help.Now free from the library and with Jeff in a coma, Dax pulls away. Autumn is torn between an old friend who likes her and her new friend who doesn't want any attachments. She also has to find a way to manage her anxiety. I really liked this story. I could sympathize with Autumn who just wanted to be one of the gang and who didn't quite know what to do about this new boy who wrecked all her careful plans but offered her something she didn't know she needed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    the perfect cute story pick me up! It was very cute
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Our story starts with Autumn, a teenage girl who is supposed to be going to a cabin with her friends for the weekend, but somehow manages to get herself locked inside a library for the weekend. For a lot of us, this would be a dream come true, but Autumn has anxiety and this is something of a nightmare for her. Thankfully, she finds out quickly she's not there alone. Dax, a guy from her high school is there as well. His story is much different than Autumn's, but he helps her more than he knows. When I read the synopsis on the back of the book I thought this would be a really great romantic read about two people who get locked in a library and start a connection. Well….thoughts..

    Autumn
    My initial reaction to Autumn: was a bit mixed. She seemed very uptight and was stuck in her head a lot. Comparing herself to others she seems privileged and judgmental. She’s not mean she’s just ignorant. During her time at the library I was mentally screaming about the lack of communication between what she wanted and what she actually said or did. She just seemed a bit self absorbed at times. It seemed that with Dax's help, she does learn to widen her views, and become selfless fortunately.I found it frustrating that she cared way too much about what people think about her and want from her. From an outside perspective it showed her lack of self esteem. Sometimes all you need is mental support to help you get through it (Dax)


    Dax
    Hes’s Sweet complex and good. I love that he has been there for Autumn, and ugh all the hugs they give each other are so darn adorable. He’s not perfect, he gets moody and secretive and standoffish. However, even when he didn’t like Autumn, he was decent to her. And when he did like her, he treated her unbelievably sweetly. Even with his terrible circumstances/ childhood, he never channels his negativity onto people. He’s a good guy. I wish that we could’ve seen more information about Dax and his backstory about Foster Care and his parents. I did like Dax’s character more than Autumn. I found he could take care of himself and he stood strong regardless of his calm demeanor. It could’ve been better if we got more of Dax’s P.O.V during the book.

    Family
    I loved how understanding Autumn's family was during all of her mental stress between her Anxiety and Jeff who's in the hospital. Her brother really makes an attempt to make spending time with her a priority even though hes in college. However I do find it unrealistic that her mother let her stay home from school for 3 full days. NO!

    Dax's Mother
    I found her two faced after the chapter that Autumn goes to meet her and talk about the letter. I get that his mom was eager to finally come in contact with him but come on that wasn't cool to break the deal you made with Autumn less than a day later. My head's gonna explode.

    Problems I had

    I found the first part to be wholly unrealistic. I thought the main character Autumn would be snowed in and the doors wouldn’t be able to open, However when I started to read this book I figured out it wasn’t the case. Kasie described the library having no emergency exits or the ability to open any doors or windows from the inside. To me I found it very unrealistic and probably illegal for most buildings nowadays. Oh and the lack of phones at desks and no landline is so not believable. In reality you would be able to contact SOMEONE! I mean I couldn't stop thinking about the ways they could have escaped, but I guess they both needed it.


    In regards to the friendships built in this book I found it very frustrating at the fact that none of Autumns friends bother to call and see where she was regardless of whether or not they thought she left the planned trip for the long weekend after leaving the library. I get that they’re teenagers but they really should’ve been responsible enough to check up on their friend that they could not find.

    I found it frustrating that Autumn made plans with Dax towards the end of the book to go to the park and hang out after school at 4pm that same day and when she receives a text from Jeffs mom at the hospital saying he was awake and wanted to see her bam Dax leaves Autumns mind completely along with the already made plans. I found that so rude. Of course since she forgets about him shes late finally getting to the park later that night. We find out that he used his bus money to get a ride there and waited for over an hour and a half for her to show up.. HELLOOO I wouldn’t wait but hes a good guy and he didn’t yell or complain. I found it so rude and selfish of Autumn

    Overall
    I Thought Autumn and Dax had a strange dynamic at first, they do become friends eventually. They learn a lot about each other being locked together in that library. When they get out, though... things change. Dax is back to his life, and Autumn is back to her family and friends. They both make a pact however to be each others distraction during all that is going on mentally and in day to day events and I found that cute and realistic. I wasn't sure how things were going to work out between them and I do wish that they figured it out a little faster, but I was happy with how the story ends.



  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    If you know anyone in middle or high school that has an anxiety disorder, definitely tell them about this book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked that Autumn had an anxiety disorder and that she was able to be more real with her friends about her issues. I liked that Dax came from a difficult place and that somehow they were able to make a real connection. I had a hard time believing the whole "locked in a library" thing and the characters were a little flat. But overall, entertaining.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book about a girl who has am anxiety disorder. Her experience was quite different from mine in that I almost exclusively have panic attacks when I'm alone and she has them alone and in groups. But I thought the author did a good job describing it in the scene in the library. Ald how she feels like she can't tell anyone about it except her parents and brother.

    I also liked how the book is about her learning to do what is best for her and not just doing what others want her to do.


    some notes on content:
    * no swearing that I can recall
    * only a few kisses
    * some underage drinking
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was going to give it five stars. (I give most things five stars I know) I'm just not a fan of when teenagers are written so naive and innocent (looking at you too Sarah Dessen) but I think that just because my life experience was/is different, but maybe not the norm like I thought. Still enjoyed the book though.

    Edited to add: the anxiety parts were well written and very relatable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cute, fun and a quick read. The writing flowed well, and I enjoyed the plot. A little cliche, but I still liked it enough.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A sweet, page-turner YA with a surprising amount of serious issues: anxiety disorder/panic attacks, foster care, near fatal car accident, hospitalization, and a parent with a drug addiction. I'm impressed how effortlessly the author weaved it all in without bogging down the romantic tension!

    The main character, Autumn, is definitely an inspiration for girls with anxiety. The YA world needs more characters like her. When Autumn finds herself accidentally locked in a library over MLK weekend (ah, jealous, being locked in a library is almost bucketlist worthy IMO), she feels abandoned and forgotten by her friends and family. Little does she know, Dax, her quiet, loner classmate with the bad reputation, has also been locked in the library, on purpose.

    The characters bond over their circumstances. Only slightly reminiscent of the princess (Claire) and the rebel (Bender) from The Breakfast Club, in a good way. However, when Autumn and Dax are free of the library, life suddenly becomes more complicated. Autumn needs a distraction just as much as Dax. A secret friendship emerges, and soon, more.

    This was my first read by Kasie West. I definitely plan to check out more of her work in the future!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kasie West is my go-to author when I want to read light romcoms with substance. By Your Side is another story about teen romance, but with a twist. Autumn is one of the popular girls in school, Dax is the opposite, he's notorious. So when they are trapped inside a library their first interactions were strained. Before long the two start to form a friendship, but will it continue once they are free from the library, and will it blossom into something more? I like it that this story incorporates issues with anxiety and addiction, issues that many teens are exposed to. I also like the fact that, although there are some antagonists and a love triangle, the real conflict is within the main characters themselves. And as with previous Kassie West books that I've read, the story ends with compassion and hope.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was an okay read, but I didn't think it was up to the author's usual standard. I was excited by the 'locked in a library for a whole weekend' teaser, how wonderful would that be? As it turned out, unfortunately, it could have been any building. Only when Autumn started throwing books at Dax did I think, yes, she actually is in a library.Basically, the book was dull. While I liked Dax, I wasn't that keen on Autumn and I found the story of Jeff a total waste of time and space. It wasn't necessary. To have a love triangle was painful enough but then, to add insult to injury, one of the guys was in a coma for half of the book!!!??? By far my least favourite Kasie West novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This young adult book is like a retelling of “The Breakfast Club” but with a sequel added. Autumn Collins is the popular girl from a well-off family in Utah who gets stuck in the library over the weekend with Dax Miller, a “bad boy” - who, it turns out, is not bad at all, but in fact, almost perfect. He is not well known and is misunderstood by the kids in school, who have judged him on erroneous rumors.At first the two are hostile toward one another, but predictably become allies and perhaps even more than that. When in school, Autumn had convinced herself she wanted the attention of Jeff, a fun boy in her crowd. But Dax makes Autumn feel relaxed, something she hasn’t experienced with anyone else.Distinguishing the plot a bit is the fact that Autumn has anxiety attacks, for which she takes medication (but doesn’t have any with her in the library) and is a condition that even her closest friends don’t know about. She is hyper-sensitive to what her friends think of what she does and who she is, and guides her life by that. With Dax, she learns there can be another way of living. But needless to say, it takes her almost to the end of the book to have this epiphany.Evaluation: The writing isn’t all that sophisticated, but the plot line is an enduringly appealing one, especially for teens nowadays, who might not even aware (how can that be?!) of “The Breakfast Club”, the 1985 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes, with the parts analogous to Autumn and Dax played by Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson. Or if you are one of the many fans frustrated by no sequel and are always imagining what would come next, this book might appeal to you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely 4 stars, maybe even 4.5!! A very easy and cute read! Definitely recommend!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Stuck in the pubic library for the weekend two unlikely people find love.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    ***BEWARE OF SPOILERS***This is my first Kasie West read. I am really glad I bought four other books of hers. This book is super adorable. Although, I feel like someone wouldn't get locked in the library, much less two people. It seemed pretty unrealistic at that point. I originally thought the entire book was just going to be in that library. Boy, I was relieved I didn't have to read over 300 pages of that! There's only so much you can write about being in a library!!Autumn is your typical teenage girl. Except, she has anxiety that nobody knows about. She gets locked in the library when she declares she had to pee after consuming a crap-ton of soda. Dax is the "bad boy" at school who was rumored to have spent some time in juvie. He isn't what people make him out to be. He's far from it. He's a boy who's scared of commitment and friendships.When Autumn and Dax end up in the library together, things could have gotten ugly. They didn't. Their time together is actually pretty fun. They play games and learn secrets.Whilst watching T.V. and eating stolen food, they see a news broadcast that says Jeff (the guy Autumn likes) has been a wreck and she was presumably with him and currently missing. This sends her in a panic attack. Her and Dax's friendship sort of dwindles from that moment. He's not a real people-person. He likes to be by himself so he can't help to push Autumn away when she tries to spend time with him. Autumn feels pressured to tell her friends the truth about her anxiety and she's more pressured to tell Jeff that she doesn't like-like him anymore. All of that ends with Autumn and Dax as a couple. There are a lot more key parts but you can find those out for yourselves!!I loved Autumn and Dax's relationship. I feel like it's a typical teenage romance though. Especially with Jeff involved. Although, any normal person wouldn't push their crush to another guy, just saying.I'm really trying to get into YA contemporary books and I feel like this was a really good place to start. Kasie's writing was very easy to read. It took me a little bit to get into the book, though. But as soon as I was in, I didn't want to put it down!!It's super cute and will make you grin like a dork!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my first Kasie West book, and it will not be my last.Everyone I have seen/heard talk about this only really says it it about two teens who get locked into a library together. But, this book was about so much more than teens falling in love. It dealt with anxiety disorder, fitting in with your peers, finding yourself, young love, and a child facing his past demons while being in foster care. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. There were a few times I was starting to get bored, and instantly something new would be thrown my way to pull me back into the story. It kept my interest the while book and I flew threw this in only a few days.I will say, since I work in the CPS field, I hate when books bring negative looks into foster care and foster parents. I do think she did a good job with not making the group home seem horrible (most books will have a negative twist, but I wish they did not).Overall, this was a very cute read and I really think it would be excellent for any teen to read. I cannot wait to pick up my next Kasie West book now.