Book Review: Sunkissed by Kasie West

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: Sunkissed
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 9780593176276

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can’t help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a remote family camp for two months of fun. Just when Avery is ready to give up on the summer altogether, she meets Brooks–mysterious, frustratingly charming Brooks–who just happens to be on staff–which means he’s off-limits. What starts as a disaster turns into. . . something else. As the outside world falls away, Avery embarks on a journey of self-discovery. And when Brooks offers her the chance of a lifetime, she must figure out how far is she willing to go to find out what she wants and who she wants to be.

---

I have to start off by admitting that I’ve never read anything by Kasie West until now. She’s published so many books! How did I miss her before? Sunkissed is the perfect fluffy, summer read that any fans of YA are looking for. It’s charming, innocent, and all around lovely. After a betrayal from her best friend, Avery is actually glad to be spending the summer at a remote family campground. She needs the space to process what happened, and it turns out, she needs these few months to start discovering who she is and what she really wants. Cute boys and cool bands help to make everything a little bit more exciting for her along the way.

Avery is the perfectly written teenager. She’s going through a bit of an existential crisis–pretty normal for any teen about to enter their senior year of high school. She feels like she plays second fiddle to her younger sister who’s life is social media and who has a natural talent for putting herself out there and taking chances. Avery has always liked to play it safe, which hasn’t been bad, but it hasn’t exactly brought her to any unique or interesting experiences. This story follows her as she blossoms into a young woman, full of potential and confronting her fears head on. There is a huge transformation that takes place with her character (you all know I LOVE well developed character story arcs) and the book has a warm and fluffy ending that brings all the feels.

The story is just the right balance of friend drama, family bonding, romance, and self-discovery in one neat package. It’s happy, light, and the perfect book to read out in the sun. Whether your out for a picnic, down at the beach, or chilling in your yard, grab a floppy had an an iced drink and sit out with this book. It’s a wonderful distraction and it’s easy to get sucked into West’s world.

Happy reading!