Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Title: Slide
Author: Jill Hathaway
Publisher: Baltzer & Bray- Harper Collins
US publication date: March 27, 2012
UK publication date: OUT NOW!

Summary:  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

Review: My first thought was, WOW! what a cool idea for a book. Its fresh and young. I loved the idea of a person being able to "slide" into the mind of someone else, and view events from their perspective. The summary caught my attention right away and I knew I had to get my hands on this book!

Sylvia has the ability to slide in someone else's mind whenever she touches something that they've touched. What most people would think is a sickness or push Vee away and not believe her, she is able to use this somewhat debilitating condition and make it useful.

What I loved most about this book was the intensity build up of the plot and the fact that we were still trying to figure out who and what right down to the last pages. I was literally on the edge of my seat at certain sections of this book because I couldn't tell where the book was headed. And that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed the surprises. 

Author Jill Hathaway knows how to write suspense-- that, is a given! 

The thing that made me cringe was the cattiness and "high school" drama that was brought out. I know I know, its a Young Adult book so that's pretty much expected. I guess the attitude of some of the characters was just not appealing to me, and I wish I could've connected with the characters on a different level. And I'm sure that's what Jill was going for, I mean we can't like every character in the books can we?

This also goes for Vee, she's hiding so much that the reader doesn't actually get a sense of who Vee really is until later on in the book. In a way I felt sorry for her- because as a reader I knew why she couldn't tell anyone about her "gift" of sliding. So all in all, I just wanted to jump in and give her a hug really haha and I wanted to know more about her characteristics & personality that is hidden under her secret. 

Overall, I think that Jill Hathaway has created a brilliantly structured book with a strong plot and new storyline; some will connect with the characters and some not as much. But there is still something in this book for everyone- who doesn't like a good mysterious plot!

                                                     US Cover!                          UK Cover!
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