Review - Slide

by Jill Hathaway
publisher: Balzer + Bray
date of publication: March 27, 2012
format: eGalley
pages: 187
source: Netgalley
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

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.

What I Thought

I have become more and more interested in YA murder mysteries as of late, especially if they contain some element of the paranormal.  When I initially read the description of Slide on Netgalley, I knew that I had to give it a go.  The concept of a person being able to see through the eyes of a killer is an intriguing one, and for that person to be a teenage girl is even more interesting.  That it lacks the typical psychic angle confirmed my need to read this book.  I am glad that I did.

Vee is an emotionally bruised girl who wants nothing more than to hold herself back from those around her.  Fearing disappointment and heart-break, she has resorted to shielding herself through her outward appearance as well as her outward attitude.  Her armor is about to be cracked, however, as the body count begins to rise and an unexpected attraction to the new boy makes her reconsider everything.  I felt very empathetic toward Vee as I learned more and more about her and her past.  Though she maintains a stubborn veneer throughout the novel, I couldn't bring myself to be irritated by her.  Instead, she evokes much concern until you find yourself wishing for something to come along to make things better for her.  She is a very well-written main character that I very much enjoyed reading about, as well as an effective narrator.  She made the story easy to comprehend and provided a fantastic amount of useful information.

Slide is a very evenly paced, well-written mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end.  As I often am able to glean enough information to figure out the culprit at the wrong stage, the fact that this story threw me for a loop left me feeling very satisfied.  The plot twists are excellent and the themes touched upon (i.e. bullying, underage drinking, and suicide) are important ones.  The impact of such themes are exhibited, which provides important insight into the dangers.  Overall, Slide is an excellent paranormal mystery with an added layer of import.

Slide has left me with a stronger interest in mystery novels thanks to its impeccable storyline and ability to provide a complete surprise as to the perpetrator and their motive.  Jill Hathaway has written an engaging, imaginative story that will make most anyone a fan of mystery novels.  If you're looking for an engrossing, well thought-out story, I recommend Slide.  Whether it is to remain a standalone novel or is the beginning of a series, Slide is an enjoyable book that should not remain absent from your TBR shelves for long.  I give Slide 5 hoots for ease of reading, intrigue, and re-readability.

  
Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.