"Slide" by Jill Hathaway Review

Date Published: March 27, 2012

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it on Amazon or B&N

Number of Pages: 250

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

First Thoughts:

I was so excited to finally get the chance to read this book, the summary had me hooked with its awesome concept and promised plot. I was so into wanting to enjoy this book but I just couldn’t get into it…it had such promise but I felt that it fell short in the end…like I was cheated. But it did have some good moments in the book so I didn’t feel like it wasn’t a waste of time; I was just disappointed. But I did enjoy the concept of sliding and how the main character slid into the mind of a killer. I’ve always enjoyed reading books that divulged deep into a killers mind…I’ve always wanted to see what was different about them. So overall it was an interesting read just not well executed.

Plot:

So the concept like I mentioned earlier was really amazing, to be able to slide into the mind of another person and see through their eyes would be pretty cool and useful at times and then again not so much at others. And the concept on who and how she slid into was pretty creative also but I just didn’t feel like the plot was enough to let this concept truly soar. I mean the mystery was there, it wasn’t that easy to configure who the killer was so that kept the book at a good level but some of the scenes were just plain, nothing really special about them. And the pace was quick at times and then really slow…so I didn’t really enjoy the pace of the book. And as far as the characters world it was just like any other world you live in with just an added paranormal element. So that wasn’t bad. And the actual plot-line wasn’t that bad either because there was a resolution at the end but it just wasn’t as fun to read as I imagined. I guess that’s one of the problems I had. I was all hyped up with this book and had all these high expectations and when it actually came time to sit down and read it I felt…cheated. So don’t read this book because of how I felt, I mean it has potential and it is the first of the series so there’s a good chance this series will get better but just know that it has some moments of teen drama and almost has a childish feel to it. Maybe I’m starting to outgrow some YA…maybe this book is meant for a younger crowd. But whatever the case it could be enjoyable for some readers and I do hope you could enjoy this plot; this story. So overall the plot was kind of dull but not all that predictable but in the end it just wasn’t for me.

Romance:

There’s a little romance in this book but thankfully it wasn’t the main focus! It was more of a sub-story and I did enjoy that about this book. Kind of getting sick of full-blown romance if you know what I mean. But this romance was nice, it wasn’t overwhelming and it wasn’t love-at-first sight either. It was just a romance filled with conflict and a little drop of love! So overall this was one aspect I enjoyed in the book and didn’t have any problems with.

Characters:

I loved some of them and I hated some of the others. I wasn’t really connected with the main character; Vee. She had personality and thoughts but she just wasn’t a character I really liked all that much, the way she acted and responded wasn’t all that fun to read. So not liking or connecting to the main character was another downfall to this book for me but Zane definitely was really fun and easy to connect with. I loved him the most really, he had this mysterious vibe going on and an edge of comedy…definitely worth getting to know in this book…just wish there was more of him in here! And also I didn’t really all that enjoy Vee’s sister’s gang…too drama filled for me. So overall this was an okay aspect of the story but could have been better.

Transformation of the Character:

There weren’t that big of transformations in this book. It was mainly just the secrets and unknown traits coming to the surface. So this are of the book wasn’t important on how I felt about this book and therefore wasn’t a bad aspect of the book; it just wasn’t there, or at least from my POV, maybe I missed it?

Description:

I felt at times the description was really good, I could really grasp a feel on the world and feel what was happening but there were times I felt distant and that was because the description was lacking either the senses or just the words themselves. But I did enjoy how she described the process of sliding and how Vee knew it was coming, it really gave me a sense on what was happening and prepared me for the switching of POV’s…and as far as the dialogue goes it was good, some of the dialogue was really true to the character, just by the way the character was speaking I could pretty much pin point which character was talking. And I didn’t feel there was too much dialogue either. And as far as the amount of description there wasn’t too much at any point but there was some lacking at others. So overall this aspect was okay just had a few minor issues with it.

Style:

This was written in first person which allowed the reader to get closer to the main character and understand what was happening.  And this book was mainly told in Vee’s POV but there were a few moments where it switched but I didn’t have any problems with being able to tell when that happened, so no confusion there. And I enjoyed the switching of POV’s, added a different element to the book. As far as the authors writing it was good just not as fun to read as others I’ve read lately. So overall this was a pretty good aspect of the book.

Quote of the book:

“I stand there for a while, feeling the emptiness of the house down to my bones. Shadows stretch long across the floor. I hear nothing but the steady tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the living room. I am totally alone.”

Goodreads 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.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to the younger crowd of YA readers and to anyone who is interested in this books particular concept. I overall liked the read but didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. Will I be reading the next book in the series? Perhaps and most likely, I’m always willing to give the series another shot and therefore probably pursue the next book but this time I won’t expect much that way my disappointment won’t be that bad. So in the end I’m glad I gave this book another chance and I hope you as the reader enjoy it more than me.

My Rating: