Review : Slide by Jill Hathaway
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.
Personal Thoughts
Mystery/Crime books have been a favorite of mine since a very long time. I love the rush and the anticipation in such books. So, when you combine YA books with mystery and paranormal , there's no one happier than me! I was really excited to start reading Slide by Jill Hathaway although it had received mixed reviews. Mystery books are always fun to read!
Slide tells the story of Vee who can slide into other people's mind when she touches objects that have once been touched by these people. In that way, she can see what the person is seeing. Soon, one of Vee's younger sister's friend, Sophie dies. Everyone believes that she committed suicide because of the events that occur right before Sophie's death, but Vee knows that this wasn't the case because she slid into the murderer's mind right before Sophie was killed. However, she cannot tell anybody of what she saw because nobody would believe her and her friends and family think that she is narcoleptic. The story is, basically, about Vee trying to find a way to find out who the true killer was and to how she will solve this crime.
Vee was a fabulous main character. All the books that I've been reading lately have had some protagonists that were so hard to connect with. This was definitely not the case with Vee. I instantly clicked with her character for some reason. I really loved that she appreciated music and astronomy. From those little pieces of information, you get to know the personality of the main character a little. Most often in books, I cannot relate to the protagonist for the simple reason that no information whatsoever is given regarding his or her traits and characteristics. Moreover, I thought Vee was a pretty brave and courageous girl. She had to look after her young sister, cope with the death of her mother, get used to the whole 'sliding' process, get over a near date-rape, try to understand why her best friend was becoming distant and try to help solve a crime. She was emotionally very strong, according to me, which made her even more realistic and likable. Even with all the problems and hurdles she went through, she didn't complain once. I liked that about her because it only showed that she wanted to deal with her obstacles herself and she did a great job at it.
Rollins was, by far, one of the best male character, I have ever come across. He was really enigmatic and mysterious. With his leather jacket and lip piercing, he gave off a bad boy vibe. However, he was a lot more than that. Inside, he was someone who was suffering from his own problems. Throughout the book, I slowly grew to cherish and love his character. At first, I was frustrated whenever his character would keep away from Vee. Knowing what he was going through was heart breaking. All I wanted to do was give the guy a huge bear-hug. I loved his supportive side towards Vee although he was very hesitant in showing it.
Overall, Rollins was the kind of character I believe many YA readers will swoon over.
Like almost all YA books these days, Slide had a romance. Luckily for me, in a long time, I didn't find it bothersome. Sure, there was a love triangle, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. At the start of the book, Vee meets the new boy, Zane. Zane was a very likable character although he was a little suspicious. Vee falls for Zane pretty quickly, but it was easy to understand why. Zane was always sweet to her. Plus, he was attentive to her and Vee needed someone to listen to especially because of the fact that her dad was always working late and Rollins, her best friend was distancing himself from her.
However, I thought Rollins was the best choice for her. His feelings for her are clear to the reader since the first page that he's introduced. His protectiveness and care for her had my heart melting. In addition, I love romantic relationships that develop from friendship. The whole idea of the relationship seems more realistic that way because the two people actually know something about each other. Overall, I believe that Vee and Rollins were made for each other!
In my opinion, the mystery and suspense element in Slide was very well executed. The author did a great job with the numerous twists and turns in the book. I won't say that the book was completely unpredictable. No, in fact, there were hints relating to who the guilty party strewn all across the book, but I still found it to be enjoyable. The reason behind the murder had me shocked and I love that in a book.
Jill Hathaway has written an excellent debut novel. Her writing is gripping and addictive. I also loved the different themes that the author touched in this novel : friendship, loneliness, family, suicide, pregnancy etc ...
All these ensure that you're not bored at all during the book. Plus, the mystery element kept me reading until very late. My only disappointment comes from the fact that the whole 'sliding' process wasn't explained at all in the book. Still, I'm hoping that it is explained in the next books since it is a series!
Overall, I thought Slide was a fabulous book that was mysterious, fast-paced, full of suspense and kept me on my toes with a set of wonderfully developed characters and some amazing themes!
Mystery/Crime books have been a favorite of mine since a very long time. I love the rush and the anticipation in such books. So, when you combine YA books with mystery and paranormal , there's no one happier than me! I was really excited to start reading Slide by Jill Hathaway although it had received mixed reviews. Mystery books are always fun to read!
Slide tells the story of Vee who can slide into other people's mind when she touches objects that have once been touched by these people. In that way, she can see what the person is seeing. Soon, one of Vee's younger sister's friend, Sophie dies. Everyone believes that she committed suicide because of the events that occur right before Sophie's death, but Vee knows that this wasn't the case because she slid into the murderer's mind right before Sophie was killed. However, she cannot tell anybody of what she saw because nobody would believe her and her friends and family think that she is narcoleptic. The story is, basically, about Vee trying to find a way to find out who the true killer was and to how she will solve this crime.
Vee was a fabulous main character. All the books that I've been reading lately have had some protagonists that were so hard to connect with. This was definitely not the case with Vee. I instantly clicked with her character for some reason. I really loved that she appreciated music and astronomy. From those little pieces of information, you get to know the personality of the main character a little. Most often in books, I cannot relate to the protagonist for the simple reason that no information whatsoever is given regarding his or her traits and characteristics. Moreover, I thought Vee was a pretty brave and courageous girl. She had to look after her young sister, cope with the death of her mother, get used to the whole 'sliding' process, get over a near date-rape, try to understand why her best friend was becoming distant and try to help solve a crime. She was emotionally very strong, according to me, which made her even more realistic and likable. Even with all the problems and hurdles she went through, she didn't complain once. I liked that about her because it only showed that she wanted to deal with her obstacles herself and she did a great job at it.
Rollins was, by far, one of the best male character, I have ever come across. He was really enigmatic and mysterious. With his leather jacket and lip piercing, he gave off a bad boy vibe. However, he was a lot more than that. Inside, he was someone who was suffering from his own problems. Throughout the book, I slowly grew to cherish and love his character. At first, I was frustrated whenever his character would keep away from Vee. Knowing what he was going through was heart breaking. All I wanted to do was give the guy a huge bear-hug. I loved his supportive side towards Vee although he was very hesitant in showing it.
Overall, Rollins was the kind of character I believe many YA readers will swoon over.
Like almost all YA books these days, Slide had a romance. Luckily for me, in a long time, I didn't find it bothersome. Sure, there was a love triangle, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. At the start of the book, Vee meets the new boy, Zane. Zane was a very likable character although he was a little suspicious. Vee falls for Zane pretty quickly, but it was easy to understand why. Zane was always sweet to her. Plus, he was attentive to her and Vee needed someone to listen to especially because of the fact that her dad was always working late and Rollins, her best friend was distancing himself from her.
However, I thought Rollins was the best choice for her. His feelings for her are clear to the reader since the first page that he's introduced. His protectiveness and care for her had my heart melting. In addition, I love romantic relationships that develop from friendship. The whole idea of the relationship seems more realistic that way because the two people actually know something about each other. Overall, I believe that Vee and Rollins were made for each other!
In my opinion, the mystery and suspense element in Slide was very well executed. The author did a great job with the numerous twists and turns in the book. I won't say that the book was completely unpredictable. No, in fact, there were hints relating to who the guilty party strewn all across the book, but I still found it to be enjoyable. The reason behind the murder had me shocked and I love that in a book.
Jill Hathaway has written an excellent debut novel. Her writing is gripping and addictive. I also loved the different themes that the author touched in this novel : friendship, loneliness, family, suicide, pregnancy etc ...
All these ensure that you're not bored at all during the book. Plus, the mystery element kept me reading until very late. My only disappointment comes from the fact that the whole 'sliding' process wasn't explained at all in the book. Still, I'm hoping that it is explained in the next books since it is a series!
Overall, I thought Slide was a fabulous book that was mysterious, fast-paced, full of suspense and kept me on my toes with a set of wonderfully developed characters and some amazing themes!
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
Thanks so much for this fantastic review, Nick! I have been looking forward to reading Slide for a little while now, but oddly haven’t seen many reviews on the book so it was great to hear such a nicely written review! :)
ReplyDeleteDarlene @ Leather Bound and Lovely
Yay I'm so freakin happy that you enjoyed this one. I was scared when I recommended it to you that you would read it and not like it. I'm glad you found this story to be as interesting as I found it to be. I can't wait for more books from this author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review.