The Distance Between Us

Gr 7 Up—Seventeen-year-old Caymen lives with her mother in the small apartment above her mother's doll shop. Her world consists of going to high school in the mornings and working at the doll shop in the afternoons and on weekends. Enter Xander Spence, who is rich, privileged, and supremely self-confident. He is destined to run the hotel chain his family owns; she seems headed to take over the doll shop; neither are happy with what the future seems to hold for them. The sweet, slow Cinderella-type romance that builds between sarcastic Caymen and entitled Xander will enthrall listeners. Jorjeana Marie narrates the first-person story and does a wonderful job. Her friendly, approachable voice perfectly expresses Caymen's confusion while she weighs her mother's mantra of "never trust rich kids" against her attraction to Xander. The characters are well defined and there are enough twists to give interest to this story of star-crossed lovers.