Jessica's books

The One and Only Ivan
Pollyanna
Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Leprechaun in Late Winter
Ella Enchanted
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Plain Murder
Gone-Away Lake
Circling the Sun
Maggie and Max
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
The Night Sister
Tuck Everlasting
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Bedknob and Broomstick
Mister Monday
Alice Through the Looking Glass
The Birchbark House
The Hobbit
The Witch's Daughter


Jessica's favorite books »

Friday, February 10, 2012

Book Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Slide 

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

My Thoughts:  I enjoyed this book and thought it was a refreshing YA novel.  I loved the "sliding" aspect of it and I can honestly say I had no idea who the murderer was.  I really couldn't put the book down except for during one small part.  Other than that, it was pretty great!

Vee is does not have narcolepsy.  She doesn't pass out, she is not tired...well, maybe she is tired but not because of some disorder.  She is tired because she refuses to let herself sleep for very long.  However, everyone in Vee's family and at her school believe she suffers from narcolepsy because when she "slides" into someone else's mind, she goes unconscious.  But she still stays very much away.  She is just awake in someone else's body.


When Vee witnesses a murder through sliding, she is unable to tell anyone.  After all, who is going to believe it when she says she can enter someone else's mind and see what they are seeing and doing?  Her sister's best friend's death is labeled a suicide but Vee knows better and she is trying her best to figure out how to prove it without revealing her own secrets.


I really liked Vee.  She was always there for her sister, Mattie and their father. She was a great caretaker!  Vee was very strong, especially after dealing with her mother's death from cancer and then another horrible experience at school the previous year.  She knows she has made mistakes but she uses those mistakes to make her a better person instead of making excuses for herself.  


Rollins was awesome!  His home life left something to be desired as well but the secret behind it made him mysterious and dark.  He wasn't necessarily a bad boy type but I liked the mystery that surrounded him.  He was a great friend for Vee, even when he was distant.  I believe part of his distance was because of Zane but I am just speculating here.


Some issues I had with the book were the mystery of who the murderer was and Rollins' background.  The author didn't really go into Rollins' background a whole lot and while you do find out why he never invites Vee to his house, you don't know what caused those issues (does that make sense?).  I would have liked to know why his family was the way it was and just a little more about him.


The mystery behind the murder was just kind of unrealistic to me.  I can honestly say I didn't figure out who the murderer was but that is because you are not introduced to the murderer at all until maybe one chapter before he/she is revealed.  Then, when I thought the author could have gone so many other ways and made the reason behind Sophie's murder realistic and believable, I think the way it played out was just, quite frankly, ridiculous.  It was the only part of the book that I really didn't enjoy.  


Also, what happens to Amber wasn't really realistic too.  I mean, I can see it happening but it was all just very convenient.  I think there could have been more there and that would have made this book a solid 5 stars!


All in all, I really did enjoy the story and think if you like a mystery and want something a little new in YA, this is a good one to pick up!



No comments:

Post a Comment