Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Title: Slide

Author: Jill Hathaway

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 3.27.2012

Pages: 256

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (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.

Review:

It’s a shame there aren’t more books like this one. Jill Hathaway blew me away with the brilliant mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance. Once I started this book, I couldn’t stop. This is one of those books that you stay up until the early hours of the morning to finish because the tale gets so twisted and complex, you have no clue who the killer is. I love a mystery that can genuinely surprise me, and Slide delivered that in spades.

The novel is told through Vee’s point of view, which is imperative to the story. As a reader I was able to unravel the story with Vee, giving me just enough info to keep me guessing. My only issue with this book, though, is that I felt Vee tried a little to hard to be an individual. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like she wore her individuality as a shield, and I sometimes struggled to connect with her.

Hathaway’s writing, however, is so vibrant and hypnotic, that any reservations I felt about Vee became inconsequential. This story is original and quick. I love the concept of “sliding” and that Hathaway took to time to explain it so I had no question about Vee’s ability and how it worked.

I love when the twist in the story is revealed and my jaw literally drops. This is that kind of book. You won’t see the end coming, and that made the ride all the sweeter. Hathaway is a truly gifted writer, and if you enjoy a thrilling murder mystery with a hint of romance? This is totally your book. Go grab it now!

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