Review : Pivot Point by Kasie West

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)
Author : Kasie West
Publisher : HarperTeen
Publication Date : February 13th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Personal Thoughts

Pivot Point was a book whose blurb that I didn't even bother reading before I requested the e-ARC because the cover-whore in me was too obsessed with the absolutely stunning cover to pass it up. For me, Pivot Point, wasn't an immaculate read, but I found myself being so earnestly entertained that I wolfed down this book in a matter of hours.

Set in a secret community of paronormal human beings with advanced abilities, Pivot Point tells the story of Addison Coleman, a Searcher. Addie has the power to see into her future when she is faced with a choice. When Addie's parents divorce, her father decides to leave the Compound to go live in the outside with the Norms, the regular human beings. Her parents ask her to choose with whom she wants to live. Faced with this dilemma, Addie decides to Search into her future.

What made Pivot Point a really outstanding book were the fantastic set of characters. These were the sort of characters you want to befriend. They were entirely too lovable. Addie, the main character, was a delight to read about. She was ,basically, like any other teenager, except of course she had a superpower. I really really liked reading the book in her POV. She was witty, bright, bookish and very amusing. I also thought that she was really well-developed. What am I talking about? All the characters in Pivot Point were so well-crafted that I felt like I knew them like they were my friends. Laila, Addie's best friend, was one of my absolute favorite character in this book. I loved that she was a major pillar to Addie in both her futures. She was sweet, caring and a little crazy. Laila had nothing but love for Addie and that was clear all throughout the book. She was definitely a little different from Addie in that she was more outspoken and daring, but I thought they complemented each other very well. Addie had a love interest in both her futures. My favorite love interest was Trevor, the sweet, down-to-earth boy that Addie met on the Outside. Trevor made me so giddy with his charming, artistic and adorable self. He definitely had a few issues what with him not being able to play football anymore due to a torn shoulder muscle, but he was never a gloomy and broody character. He was just really lovable! If you haven't figured it out yet, I LOVED TREVOR! A huge flirt, Duke, Addie's love interest in her other future, was also charming, but I felt like there was something off about him from the start, which resulted in me not trusting him one bit. All in all, the characters in Pivot Point was what made the book really stand out.

I loved the ideas behind Pivot Point. I thought that the whole concept of the secret community with superpowers was utterly original. It had a lot of potential, but here's my complaint : I felt like the world-building was very lacking. The reader has basically no information as to how this secret society came to be. That was quite disappointing. Another complaint on my part was the fact that there was no plot. While I was reading, I had the distinct impression that nothing was happening. There was simply no story. In fact, it was just a narration of Addie in her two lives. However, towards the end, things started moving with a mystery, but it came a little too late. Now, I should probably have hated this book for its inadequate plot line, but surprisingly, I didn't. Instead, I found myself being thoroughly entertained, like I mentioned above. I attributed that to the fantastic character development. Kasie West nailed it with the character interactions. The dialogues and actions of the characters made this book enjoyable. Her writing had an interesting way of hooking you to the book and never letting it go. West has an excellent debut here and with a little more plot and world-building, this series has the potential to be outstanding!

Even though the missing plot could be a turn-off for some readers, Pivot Point's characters make the book definitely worth the read. If you're into strong character-driven books, then Pivot Point is, without any shadow of doubt, a book that you will thoroughly enjoy! I'm looking forward to reading a lot more from this author!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Big Thank You to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for the e-ARC of Pivot Point