Novel Melodies: The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Pub Date: July 2nd, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 320

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Title: Emergency
Artist: Paramore
Album: All We Know is Falling
Release Date: July 26th, 2005
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen
iTunes

This comparison is actually one of the more "different" ones I've done. If you've read Distance, you'll know that it's a pretty light read. Lots of humor, lots of feel good but still with awesome messages. That being said, it's almost...weird that I'm comparing it to the song Emergency. If you know this song, you'll know that it's pretty heavy [Paramore's old stuff is gold, by the way]. Hayley wrote it based on divorce and in context to this book, it also makes sense.
I recommend listening to the song as you read the dissection.

"Emergency"

[Verse 1]
I think we have an emergency
I think we have an emergency
If you thought I'd leave, then you were wrong
Cause I won't stop holding on
The novel starts with Caymen meeting Xander. And this works both ways because Caymen expected Xander to lose interest, him being rich and all, but he didn't leave. Likewise, Caymen finds herself staying too.

So are you listening?
So are you watching me?
If you thought I'd leave, then you were wrong
Cause I won't stop holding on.
This is an emergency
So are you listening?
I picture the "emergency" as Caymen's confusion. She's starting to think against what she was brought up with. Suddenly "rich people are bad" starts to ring less true. I feel like she's either talking to her mother, who gave her that prejudice, Xander or the reader.

[Pre-Chorus]
And I can't pretend that I don't see this
She can't pretend that she doesn't feel for him.

It's really not your fault
That no one cares to talk about it,
Talk about it
This ties into the original meaning of the song. No one really wants to talk about why Caymen's mom hates rich people so much. It's almost like a taboo topic even though Caymen hasn't been told everything about her family and past. I'm going to shut up now because spoilers to those who haven't read it!

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
So you give up every chance you get
Just to feel new again
"Feeling new" is actually a spoiler [highlight to read.] Caymen's mom doesn't tell Caymen about her family because she wants Caymen to stay the same. She wants to shield Caymen from her world and by doing so, she's taking a decision away from Caymen.

I think we have an emergency
I think we have an emergency
And you do your best to show me love,
but you don't know what love is.
This can be seen two ways. In one way, Caymen is being cynical towards Xander. She still thinks he's going to get bored. In another way, it's Caymen's mom's feelings towards the rich man that burned her.

So are you listening?
So are you watching me?

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
These scars, they will not fade away.
Despite it not being as bad as some relationships, Caymen's mom has scars of what happened, which is why she's passed on her prejudices to Caymen.

No one cares to talk about it, talk about it

[Chorus]
Cause I've seen love die
Way too many times
When it deserved to be alive
(When it deserved to be alive)
I've seen you cry
Way too many times
When you deserve to be alive, alive
Caymen to her mother.

It's actually a pretty straightforward comparison. Most of it can be assumed, especially if you've read Distance. If you haven't, I strongly recommend it. This book was filled with feels for me and I adored Caymen's sarcastic but loveable personality. Also, Kasie West slays me with her brilliant author skills.

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I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT (HarperTeen) came out February 12, 2013, and will be followed by its sequel in 2014. I also have a contemporary, The Distance Between Us, coming out July 2, 2013 with HarperTeen. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.