| Title | : | Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062117378 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062117373 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 343 |
| Publication | : | First published February 12, 2013 |
| Awards | : | Whitney Award Best Novel by a New Author (2013), Truman Readers Award (2016), Goodreads Choice Award Debut Author (2013) |
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.
Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) Reviews
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3.5 stars
This book was exactly what I needed to read right now. After a series of books focusing on the depressing, the gory, the serious and various roads leading to the apocalypse,
Pivot Point is a refreshingly bright novel brimming with fun. From the light-hearted and hilarious dialogue between the characters, to the sheer likeability of the protagonist - Addie - who doesn't bog down the novel with melodrama and angst but leads us through a story that is completely enjoyable and practically unputdownable. I've always been a fan of a good dark tale of mystery and angst but there are sometimes when I require a read which is made up of mostly laughs, fluff and fun fun fun! But this book isn't without some heartbreak, especially towards the end, and yet I think it's all the more meaningful because the rest of the book isn't a drama-fest.
In
Pivot Point, there are people secretly living amongst us with special abilities. These abilities range from lie-detecting skills to full mind-reading to precognition. Addie falls into this latter category... sort of. When faced with a specific choice, she can "search" the future and find out what her life would look like on each path and make a decision based on this. Sounds awesome! Who could ever make a wrong decision with that ability, right? But, of course, things are not quite so simple.
When Addie's parents announce that they are getting a divorce, they want Addie to decide whether to stay with her mother in the Compound where people with supernatural abilities (including her best friend) live, or to move to Dallas, Texas with her father and live amongst normal people. Addie searches each possible future to decide which outcome will be most beneficial - and discovers that her decision will not be quite as simple as she'd imagined. Two different lives, two different parents, two different boys. And while my initial reaction to yet another YA love triangle was to roll my eyes, I really do think this is quite a unique approach to it and I finished the book with every intention of picking up the sequel.
I also really liked the choice of supernatural element in this book because it opened the story up for a wider range of character-types and an exploration into how they deal with their individual abilities. Vampires are just fine but they all tend to play by the same set of rules, whereas in
Pivot Point, each of them faces a very different set of challenges that comes along with being who they are. One thing that was touched upon - and I'd like to read even more about - is Addie's relationship with her parents and the way their abilities affect her. Her mother can influence people to do what she wants and her father can tell if someone is lying - so, as she confesses at one point, she does what her mother says and never lies to her father because she doesn't want them to use their abilities on her.
My only major criticism of this book is Laila, who I think behaves in a very questionable way sometimes and makes a pretty awful best friend. Who pushes their friend off a stage to make them stumble into a guy she wants them to be with? I'm willing to somewhat overlook this because the author has introduced us to some of Laila's background and I know she's had a hard time - I think with some more character development in the upcoming books we will be able to understand Laila better. And no one likes a faultless character, anyway.
Pivot Point, on the whole, is a great debut and a very fun book. If you like your sci-fi light and laugh-out-loud funny, this should be an instant favourite. -
Kasie West is a certified writer of fluffy reads. Even a dystopian (sort of) novel can become fluffy when she writes it. As usual,she has this way of manipulating my feelings for her male characters. Is there something wrong with me if I admitted that I swooned for both Duke and Trevor? Lol.
The first half of the story is indeed all fluff. At some point, it was too fluffy it has become a bit of a drag. (If I used the word "fluffy" one more time here, you're allowed to hurt me already. Lol.)
But wait! It’s not all f...fur? because as you reach the second half of the story, it is there you get your action and adventure sprinkled with mystery that made this for me a very unique read.
Although the plot could use a little more movement, I still find it very unique as it revolves around Addison who lives in a top secret community where all people are endowed with super psychological powers. Addie is a special sort of clairvoyant who has to make a crucial life decision by “Searching” her two different life paths and each life path has complications, high school drama and boy trouble of its own.^^
The story wasn’t perfect and neither are the characters but as already mentioned, the author seems to have this natural control over my feelings because I really enjoyed reading this despite the flaws. In fact, I liked it so much that I’m no longer going to finish this review and read the second book instead. Lol.
Is it just me, or does someone else find the vocabulary intros for every chapter odd? Hehe. -
3.5 stars Enjoyed reading this, and there are numerous things I thought were very well done.
-- a Sliding Doors type story, which is uncommon in YA.
-- Interesting paranormal abilities
-- some genuinely cute romantic moments
-- a story that moves quickly and keeps the reader's interest
-- a solid ending that commits to the path it takes.
A few things that could have been explored in more depth:
-- the powers are fairly straightforward, and your usual X-Men/paranormal types
-- all the characters would have benefited from more layered relationships and back story
-- I didn't really ever care for one romantic interest, and felt fine but somewhat indifferent to the other
-- a little more could have been done to separate the two possible futures for clarity
But most of all, for some reason I just never felt the stakes ever felt that high, so I remained somewhat detached from the story. Sure, there is a subplot involving loved ones being in danger (and yes, a choice that is agonizing in theory); but so much of the book deals with the
romances and uninteresting things like FOOTBALL that I just wasn't as crazy about this as I know some of my friends have been. Oh, and the ending is such a maturely promising but non-obvious one that I was somewhat disappointed to find there is a sequel planned.
All in all, it was an entertaining read for me, but ultimately not one of my favorites. -
Pivot Point, I'm not quite sure what you are... but I think I kinda loved it. I have this issue where I feel the need to categorize things. I can't explain it, I guess that's just the way my brain works. Pivot Point was really an enigma for me because I just couldn't tell what genre it would fall in. From the blurb, it clearly screams sci-fi, but when you start reading it feels so contemporary. And that was a very, very pleasant surprise because the novel kept me guessing from beginning to end.
Addison lives in a little community that is very different from our world. Everyone she knows has abilities similar to those right out an X-Men comic book. She herself can see into her future by Searching different paths for her to take. Unfortunately for her, she has to use this ability to choose which parent she wants to live with when they spring their divorce on her. So what does she choose? Door number one or two?
Throughout the course of the novel you have two of Addie's future telling one story. Her POV effortlessly bounces back and forth, revealing clues to the ultimate ending. It's a very clever way of telling a story. Time after time, I thought I would get lost due to the flip-flopping, but that was never the case. West wove both futures together allowing them to compliment each other and somehow not detracting from the story. I really have to give her major props there because this book could have gone very wrong, but it went so very, very right for me.
Now, what I didn't expect from Pivot Point was the very well assembled plot. West's ability to build just the right amount of anticipation reminds me of Beth Revis' Across the Universe series. Regardless of what you may be feeling while reading, you're going to be flipping pages. I really feel it's a skill that I don't see very often these days. So many times I found myself really hooked so much so that as I was carrying on the most mundane of tasks throughout the day, my eyes diverted to the book across the room. At that's mostly do to all the great moments in Pivot Point: From the witty dialogue, the mystery, the uniqueness of the story, to the character development of Addie.
And then there's Trevor. *sigh*
AWESOME. Guys, there's this part in the book where Addie learns some THINGS and he's there to hold her and says some really sweet THINGS and, I swear, I cried because that scene was just utter perfection for me.
But what I really loved about the book was the ending. I love how Addie didn't let her feelings for one guy to dictate which path she should choose. Her choice is ultimately based on love for her friends and kindness for others at the expense of her own happiness. I loved her for that and I wish I saw more YA heroines of this same quality.
In case it wasn't clear: I LOVED Pivot Point and highly recommend it. I thought it was just going to be a cutesy little book, but it slowly became more and more complex and intriguing as the novel wore on. It took me completely by surprise and I'm so ready for that sequel!
*ARC was provided by the author for a review. Thank you!
More reviews and other fantastical things at
Cuddlebuggery Book Blog. -
3.5
"I don't care when people think I'm an antisocial, controlling bookworm because that's what I am. It's when they interpret me wrong that I have a problem."
•I don't know how long it's been since a book kept me hooked and awake well into the night. Pivot Point did it, and this is always a thing that I not only take into account, but highly value.
In spite of this, the book does have a couple of flaws -the kind of flaws that made me roll my eyes and grunt unhappily as a form of protest against the dumbness of the teen share of the human race.
•Addie, the main character, in the first quarter -more or less- of the book is pretty pesky. Not because she wants to be, or because she doesn't know how to deal with people. I actually don't know even now why she had to act that weird, but, though I am sympathethic and even tend to connect more easily with a socially-awkward character, Addison just seemed ridiculous without an acceptable reason, not genuinely goofy, or self-conscious, or whatever. She was like a caricature of herself.
As proof of the fact that she is actually a likable main character, during the rest of the book she is perfectly fine. She may not be one of my favorite protagonists, she may not be particularly witty or smart, but I highly enjoyed her company. A thing I would have changed a bit, maybe, is the fact that the story is not character-driven at all, so much that I constantly had the impression that the characters, and Addie in the first place, simply went with the flow, as if the events themselves were what led them forward and not the other way around. But I wouldn't call this a flaw; it was strange, yes, but interesting too.
•The other characters are all well-characterized, and this means that even though some of the and I are not really simpatico (it's killing me to use this term without the right Italian agreement, but I just couldn't resist) I was able to enjoy them and their role in the story. For instance, I think Duke is one of the most despicable beings on the planet, but he's perfectly written, thus I liked when he was on the scene. I'm not a fan of the-best-friend trope because the cynical me is sure that a relationship such as Addie and Laila's is one in a million, but Laila is a good character -though boring, to me- so I had no problems.
Very well done, Kasie West.
•Trevor. At the beginning he was just fine, but then, little by little, the cuteness emerged.
That sound? Exaclty, me melting and dripping on the floor.
•The plot is what I totally, utterly adored. Addie has the power to see what's in her future when she's faced with a decision that offers her a double choice. And that's what the plot is about: a huge change occurs in her life, and Addie finds herself with a choice that compels her to use her gift; the book is an alternate report of both her futures. I don't know why I am so fascinated, but the point is, I am. It bewitched, seduced and won me over in no time. If I had to rate only the plot, this would be a one thousand-star review.
•Besides, and this really is an almost unique feature, in this story there is no "greater evil" to destroy. The story is about Addie's life, period. And man, I didn't expect it to feel so refreshing, but it does.
Now I really have to read book two because Trevor. I'm a bit preoccupied because I heard there'll be also Laila's POV and as I said, I'm not a fan of hers. But still, Trevor, so yeah, bye bye. -
3.5 stars because I'm feeling especially generous today.
First, let me get one very important fact out of the way: technically, Pivot Point is practically flawless. There's nothing in it that bothered me or set my teeth on edge, but while I was reading it, I couldn't help but think of how much better it could have been. Because it's true: there were so many ways to tell this story and Kasie West chose the least interesting one. But I should start from the beginning.
Addie grew up in a top secret paranormal community. She is a Divergent, a Clarvoyant of sorts, her mother is a Persuasive and her father a Discerner, a human lie detector as Addie likes to call him. Every single kid in Addie's school has some kind of mental ability, and they learn to develop the ones they don't have in school. Everything in her walled neighborhood is diffrent from the outside world, from their technology to the way they play sports.
When Addison's parents announce they're having a divorce and leave it to her to choose whether she wants to stay with her mother or go live among the Norms with her father, she Searches both futures hoping it would help her decide. Each choice brings with it a series of complications and a lot of hurt. Unfortunately for Addie, everything she sees in a Search feels completely real to her, no different from things that actually happened, so when she falls for a different boy in each of her possible futures, she comes out of it caring about them both.
Addie's choice becomes a bit more complicated when her best friend Leila gets into trouble because of her telepathic drug-addicted father, and Addie is the only one who knows exactly what's going to happen and when.
Above all, I was sorely disappointed by how much Pivot Point focused on the romance. Although it didn't turn out that way in the end, through most of the book, Addie's choice seemed to depend entirely on the boy she wanted to be with more. One of her futures held Duke, a telekinetic quarterback and the most popular boy in Addie's paranormal school. The other future held Trevor, also a quarterback, but an injured one and a Norm. I have to give it to West, this is one of the most original and inventive love triangles I've ever come across because she managed to write a situation in which a herione had to choose between to boys, but there was no love triangle angst because she had relationships with them in two different futures.
Although the narrative structure is almost textbook perfect, I didn't like how West handled the middle part. Pivot Point disappointed me in more ways than I can count, but the last part made up for at least some of it. A great premise ruined by poor execution... I see so much of this lately that I'm tempted to find a name for it, something memorable that will serve as a warning and allow me to write one-word reviews in the future.
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Buddy Read with my two lovely ladies,
Kat and
Chelsea! (click for their reviews...NOW)
So at first I was all like...
but then after a couple of chapters...
First off, this is a paranormal romance. Or sci-fi? I'm not sure, all I know is that this is a romance and nothing else, really, and I probably would have known that had I read the blurb other than the first time when I added this to my tbr more than a year ago.
So why am I going on about this?
Because for some reason I was expecting some action packed perilous showdown. That was not what I was handed.
I was given:
➲ Mean Girls
➲ Quarterbacks
➲ Boy Drama
➲ Love Triangle
But I must admit this was all my fault because I had different expectations going in. Now, don't be confused. My low rating had nothing to do with the absence of a much desired perilous situation and all to do with the ⇨godforsaken boredom⇦ that refused to leave for more then 60% of the story.I was bored shitless!
There! I said it!
And I feel SO BAD-for the first time ever- for not liking a book by an author I've come to love but damn, all I was reading was basically the same theme over and over again with different guys.
And I didn't like it one bit!
And the worst part is you're being manipulated the whole time to sway towards one guy. Ok, so yes, I fell for the guy I was being pushed at, but helouuu I have no impulse control and, well, Trevor was a nerd. And I love those-you know, aside from the badass bad boy (I'm cliche like that).
But in spite of all that bad, you shouldn't get the wrong idea cause this wasn't that terrible. The last 30% picked up something fierce and I just couldn't for the life of me put it down. It has great characters (at least the ones that were actually explored-not that many though), and actual believable growing relationship between Trevor and Addie, present parents (Can I hear a Hallelujah for not going with the trite absent, careless parents present in every other YA/NA?!!), and Trevor. It had Trevor and he made things perfect <3
P.S. Addie did annoy me on occasions. -
This review is also available over at
my blog.
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You know that feeling where you read a book that you were really really excited for, and at first you're worried that it might not live up to your high expectations, but then after you read it further and finish it, you realize that it not only lived up to your expectations, but exceeded them?
I just love that feeling. And it was exactly what I felt with Pivot Point. <3
In the world of this book there are humans with special mind powers, Paranormals, who live in a secret area called the Compound, separated from the Norms—regular humans. Addison Coleman is a Searcher, who, whenever faced with a choice, she can look into the future to see both outcomes, therefore making her choices easier. But then again, her choices have never been as big as the one she's faced now—when her parents suddenly shock her with the news of their divorce. Addie now has to choose if she should stay with her mother in the Compound, or move with her father to Dallas, Texas and live among Norms.
Since Addie has lived in the Compound all her life, and has her best friend Laila, she'd thought the choice would be obvious. But then she Searches six weeks into the future, and she realizes that she's faced with the most difficult decisions in her life. In one potential future, Addie is a new girl in a Norm school and adjusting to life outside the Compound, and she meets the cute and sensitive artist, Trevor, who becomes her first friend in her new life. In the other path, Addie's being pursued by the hottest boy at her school in the Compound—a guy who Addie insists on avoiding. But when her father is asked to consult a murder in the Compound, Addie's choices suddenly become even more dangerous, and she soon has to decide which path she has to give up.
How awesome is that concept, by the way? I love that the paranormals in this book all only have mind powers, and not the "paranormals" we're used to seeing; vampires, faeries, etc. And besides, I think mind powers are a lot cooler and more useful.
Since this is a more character-based book, though, let's go ahead and talk about the characters. First of all, Addie. I really really liked her. She has a very distinct personally and a likableness to her, and she was never pathetic or an easy swooner when it comes to guys. No insta-lust or insta-attraction, thankfully. And also, she's funny, which, I can't stress this enough: humor is always important for protagonists, in my opinion. If they're unfunny or humorless then that would make them a lot harder to like. Addie's voice, combined with her dialogue with other characters, kept me smiling from the very first page.
There are two love interests in this book, but I don't think I could really call it a love triangle, since Addie never liked both guys at the same time. Duke is the love interest for her Compound future, while Trevor is the one in the Norm world. I'll start with Trevor, because I like to think that he's the main one. And besides, I actually like him a lot. There were a few parts with him that made me swoon, I'm not gonna lie. xD And I think Addie's romance with him is fluffier and more genuine.
Duke, however, not once did I ever trust him or find him likable. And thank God I never did, because that crap he did nearing the end? Really messed up, and unforgivable, in my opinion. I was glad Addie was smart enough to think the same. At first, though, I was like "okay, maybe I dislike him and don't trust him cause he's an overly hot jock and everything, and those are usually the kind of guys that are egotistical selfish jerks, but maybe he's here to prove that that's not the case for all guys like him." I kind of saw it during the second half, actually, but when all that stuff happened nearing the end? Nuh-uh. No ma'am. I am definitely Team Trevor, no question about that.
Speaking of the ending, the author did a really good job in making me a damn mess and going all "I WANT THE SEQUEL SO BAAAAD I CANNOT EVEN RIGHT NOW" and crap. Was it satisfying, though? Hell yes. I was glad it ended the way it did. And I was also glad that the cliffhanger at the end isn't a total cliffhanger—at least the author was merciful with that. But still, the wait for book two will be painful for me, no doubt about that.
In short, this book took all my high expectations and just puked rainbows and sunshine all over it, and I am now a happy panda. I strongly suggest you read this if you're wanting an original, humorous yet gripping paranormal story.
Billions of thank you's to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for sending me this galley! -
This book was a birthday present from
Anna-thank you, crazy alien friend :D And I buddy read this with my hilarious/sarcastic friend,
Kat and asked lovely
Mela to join along.
*3.5 Stars....I think*
He grabs hold of my hips and pulls me forward. "You didn't fail me tonight. You saved me. I must've looked like the biggest idiot."
I shake my head no, his hands on my hips making my breath come in shallow sips.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"You're confusing me."
"Really? And here I thought I was making things more clear."
Phew! Now that all of THAT is out of the way....lol....I feel like I can say what I want to say. Or maybe I'm simply stalling. Hmm. That seems more like me, doesn't it? It's not often that I am so confused and conflicted about a story that I go to sleep not knowing what to rate and then wake up and feel the same way. It's more....was this a 3 star or 4 star quality book? And that is SUCH a hard question for me-Normally it's easy as breathing.
"When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel..."
On one hand-it's Kasie West. I mean, come on, there's not one boy she has created that hasn't made my heart erupt in the warm fuzzies. And it's truly a wonderful feeling to finally meet the absolutely adorable Trevor I've been hearing about. So, it goes without saying that I loved the writing-as always.
My dad shakes Rowan's hand. "You guys having a good night?"
Really? My dad is going to analyze Rowan's answer to a question about enjoyment? I give him the are-you-serious? look and he gives the I-know-I'm-overprotective-but-you-are-my-only-daughter look back. How can I argue with that look?
But then there are all these negatives. These negatives that screamed at me from the moment she split her future in half to decide what was best for her. Fuck knows why I Am. Such. A. Freak. About time travel/fake futures yada yada. I have absolutely zero clue as to why I get so overwhelmingly depressed when it comes to false scenarios and interchangeable events-but I do. And not since
All Our Yesterdays have I felt so worried and flighty as I read. You see, I like certainties. I like knowing the sky is blue (most days) and that the grass is green. I love knowing that I love steak, so guess what, I'll always choose steak, or that chicken fingers, no matter my age, will always be my jam. I like knowing that I have Keaton every day, no matter what, by my side. And I sure as hell like knowing that if I invest time into a certain book scenario...that it well and truly exists. Is that weird? Well...whatever.
So when I realized that this book was split by her two possible futures, it immediately punched me in the gut. Not because it wasn't well-written-it was. No, it got to me because I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she was falling in love with a guy (or two guys, if you wana get all technical about it), but really wasn't. She just knew she would-If she chose that path. In fact, she was actually laying on her bed hanging out with her friend Laila.
And how can I fault a book for being exactly what it said it was? What right do I have to say I didn't like it. It was executed beautifully (in my opinion-Kat may have other ideas- 's okay, Kat, you know more than me, anyway lol) and it made me smile when the two worlds would parallel the same event but in different ways. It was just sort of....cool. I liked it. So, see, it wasn't the book's fault that it was what it said it was. It's my fault that I picked it up in the first place, because I just really think I need to add this to my (LONG) list of rules: No time travel or fake reality.
So, now that I got why I felt so negative from the beginning, it's easier to break it down and say what really worked for me. I clearly wouldn't let myself connect with anyone because I kept waiting for the inevitable 'end of the vision' moment, but when I finally let go, I started to finally devour it. But maybe a lot of that has to do with one certain boy...
"She loves to read, Mom. Like these really old, boring books. The ones Dad likes." He points to the graphic novel on his desk. "Plus lame ones, like I do. And she's not a huge football fan. I think she only tolerates it for our sake. She's supersmart, my main competition in Government. And since coming into my room, she has probably had to stop herself several times from cleaning up the shoes spilling out of my closet."
Ahhhh Trevor. So flippin' cute. P.S. That's another reason I wasn't happy-I really really really reeeeeeaaaallllyyy wanted more Trevor time, but instead I had to share it with her other path. Bah. Screw her other path (barely refrained from an unnecessary expletive there...)!! I just wanted Trevor time. Sweet, funny, kind, and a total nerd, he was a perfect Kasie West book boy. And while we got very little of him (I think, but that's a subjective opinion) I still felt the rightness of him down to my core. Oh wait, but maybe those were the barely sustained butterflies that wouldn't explode until after 60%...
"In the six years I've had this ability, nobody has ever asked me that question. Nobody has ever thought they were negotiable."
He takes a deep breath. "I want you to choose me, Addie," he whispers. "I want this to be real."
Now how is that last quote not supposed to rip me to shreds?! Come on. Ugh. So, no, this isn't my favorite West novel. There was a lot of good and probably more bad, on my radar, but it doesn't change the amount of feels I received in the end. I'm a sucker for badass endings, and this one was pretty flippin' awesome. My heart was warm from the beginning, concerning Trevor. But after 60%, I finally got those explosive feelings (both good and bad) I am accustomed to getting when I pick up one of her stories, instead of the lukewarm base I started at. Anyway, I still don't know if this is the right rating, but for now it will suffice. Please note use of the 'Blur rating' shelf. It comes in handy on all these super confusing matters of the heart.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
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Buddy read with my Fab-tastic and wonderfully sarcastic Katerina and crazy Mela (whatever that means) :P
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Can someone please come and erase my memory such that I can fall in love again with this story in 2014?
I really have a hard time believing that I will be able to sit still and wait a whole year for my favorite part of this story. I am even scared. I saw Addie fall in love 2 times (and I loved both love stories – well, one more than the other) and now I expect the next ‘beginning’ to be just as sweet.
I know, this is not the way to start my review, but how do you expect me to focus on writing when the ending hit me with the force of a hurricane?
I LOVE(D) this story.
I loved Addie, I loved her friendship with Laila, I loved both love-stories, I loved how fun the writing was and how emotionally invested I got (without even noticing until I fell deeply in love with this book).
COVER:
It is so beautiful and I love how it shows the reflected futures, even though I wish the girl had curly hair in one side and a stripe of blue in the other.
CONCEPT:
A tiny world inside our world, with supernatural people and their supernatural powers and advanced technologies? A girl that needs to choose a path and that can see both futures in the need to figure out her choice? An unusual love triangle, that it is not even that but two swoon-worthy love stories, that could pin you in place reading and reading and doing nothing more than reading? I’ve been having a hard time finding a book to read in the past few weeks, but this beauty here reminds me of why I love reading so damn much!“One person can’t change the future. Do you know how many people and things are involved in every major event that happens? Sure, you might be able to change some of the minor aspects of a day, but ultimately things that are going to happen, if you go along a certain path, do happen.”
MAIN CHARACTER:
Addie is great. She is strong, she is smart, she is cute.. She is a great friend and even with her flaws she is a great person. She cares about her loved ones, she cares about doing things right, she would do whatever it takes to keep things in place even when it can cost her her own heart and happiness (and safety).
Addie has to make a big decision and it is not about what parent to choose or what boyfriend, it is about so much more.. I am a bit cryptic, but really I don’t want to spoil anything for you.
I could understand her insecurities, her need to be ‘someone’, to not be defined by her powers; her need to be loved and to love; her need to save (friendships, her heart, even someone’s life). There were so many things happening in her life, it is hard for me to pick one that defined her. I usually get annoyed by the main character and their choices, but this was so not the case. Even when my heart was screaming for her not to do a particular thing, my mind (the traitor!) understood her, approved of her actions.“It was hard when I knew I was about to be flooded with memories of a life I hadn’t lived yet. Really, two lives I hadn’t lived yet.”
FRIENDSHIP:
Laila was the best and the funnies friend ever.
I loved their little chats, their encouragements, their teasing, the way they tried to help each other. I almost got my heart broken at some point, but I was glad to quickly gather the missing pieces and put them back together.
Also I loved their friends, their interaction, the way their stories overlapped in the 2 version of the future. I loved to see that Addie and Laila made similar decisions when not influenced by the others. What can I say, it was all such a fun ride!
LOVE:
This is what I would have loved to read for Valentine’s. There are 2 different love stories and up until some point they were both so sweet and cute and giggle-inducing that I should be ashamed for loving them so much.
First we have Duke – the beginning of their relationship was the best. I laughed so much because he was so funny and together they were the cutest couple (Note to self: I loved it when he brought that movie to her house). Even though they had almost nothing in common and Addie usually didn’t like “obvious” boys, they did get along very well and made me laugh more than not.
Then we have Trevor – their story started slower and it was a lot more complicated. He was not the golden boy, but (and maybe even because of that) if I could pick one guy for some reason it would always be him.. (Note to self: I loved the zombie notes). They started as friends and developed into so much more. And I don’t want to influence you in any way, so I’ll keep quiet now.
Or not so quiet after all.
I won’t tell you what choice did Addie make, but looking back I think it was the right one. I can’t wait to see how all this will play out in the next book and I hate book series because my patience is running low and also because I am afraid that maybe I won’t love the next book just as much. And this one was perfect.
I got to fall in love twice in the same story, and there was no cliché love triangle, and you know how much I enjoy seeing people fall in love – it’s my favorite part of every story (and the thought that I might get my 3rd love story in the next book makes me so excited that I might develop a superpower myself: noting special, just that my excitement might become a bit too contagious).
CONCLUSIONS:
So I was wrong, I didn’t know who the Mood Controller really was, but I was close enough because I knew who the bad guy was (and those 2 things are closely related). I still wonder about some things – like how could someone fake a super-power and also the secondary plot about the football players was never fully revealed and explained, but we will have enough time in the next installment for that.
All I an left to say is that this book has really made my day.
Yes, in fact I had a horrible day and it cheered me up in a heartbeat – it made me smile, it made me dream, it made me giggle like a kid, it made me swoon, it made me hope.. and also it made me hate the brief ending because I wanted so much more. 2014, please come faster!
Happy midnight reading!
* This review can also be found at
ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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para·nor·mal: adj. not scientifically explainable : supernatural
-Merriam-Webster
Meet Addison, or preferably Addie;ClairvoyantDivergent. Addie has the unique and thought-provoking ability of being able to see both sides of the coin. In other words, when she has a decision to make, she can see the future of each choice and pick the one that's best. Fascinating, no? But what happens when you don't want either future you foresee? This plot revolves around Addie's venture into two futures after she was asked to pick between staying in the paranormal compound, or going with her dad in the normal world.
Told in dual reality perspective, reality one keeps us in the compound where life with abilities is the norm. From telekinesis to lie detectors, living with knowing someone may currently be manipulating your mood is the way of life for these people. Stories where characters have superhuman abilities have often been favourites of mine. We all wished, at one point or other, that we were able to move things with our mind, or know what another person is thinking, so this reality had me hooked from the start. Learning what everyone could do, as well as their advanced technology promised limitless entertainment. This future has a less than likeable love interest, however. If this was a triangle, he would have been the bad boy. His personality clashes with Addie's and I never trusted him for a minute. This is how he was meant to come off, though, so I am not saying this with negativity. It has a purpose in the story and it is not for us to fall for a jerk--Phew! This reality also involves a creep with a menacing ability who we learn early on is bad news, giving the story a bit of a dangerous vibe.
nor·mal: adj. conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern
-Merriam-Webster
Reality two takes us to the normal world where Addie has to learn our present ways of life which lacks the technology that she is used to in her compound. She also becomes the new kid at the Norm school. This was my personal favourite reality. I love seeing how someone adapts to a new surrounding, including who they meet and connect with. Plus the love interest in this future is a definite sweetheart. They start out as friends, and her intention of never becoming more than consequently makes us long for them even more, not to mention magnifying their chemistry. They have an easy way about them that makes their relationship completely down to earth and genuine. This reality also involves the football team trying to figure out the mystery behind these seeming unrandom injuries that have been incurred by their teammates.
Screwed: adj. Having to choose a bad path to avoid a worst one
-Quoted from the uncorrected proof
The gist of the story: What side do you choose, when you want neither?
In the end, Addie has to make a very difficult choice of what she came to understand is deciding which is the lesser evil. This gives the ending an emotionally gripping edge. However, I did have a small qualm with the logic behind the decision. Knowing your future, wouldn't you be able to change it? Perhaps no matter what she does the end result will be the same, but one must follow the logic that if every choice creates two alternate futures, then no future is definite; she could modify additional choices along the way which should, in turn, modify how each future culminates. With this said, I'm not sure I completely agree with the decision that she eventually makes. With such an intricate concept, it seems a little simplistic that it has to be definite A, or definite B. This is why playing with time in any way is tricky with over-analyzing minds such as mine!
No doubt a unique read, Pivot Point encompasses a lot of plot characteristics that turns this could-be cliché into an enticing novel. With two stories in one, there is no time to get bored. These two alternatives each have a love interest, each have interesting secondary characters, each with different dilemmas and mysteries of their own. What makes it even more interesting is that, as one reality happens, the events of the other still come about, but without Addie in its direct path. I found this gave it a very neat spin as, even tough we get two different reality perspectives, they're intertwined together to give us one complete story.
With plenty of romance, friendship, and paranormal abilities, Pivot Point is a refreshingly original read that is sure to delight any fan of the genre.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at
Xpresso Reads
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I sense a disturbing new trend in young adult books of borrowing high concept ideas from other genres, slapping it over your typical relationship drama like a crude veneer, and passing it off as the innovative new thing - and I don't like it. Case in point, Pivot Point, which takes the common enough science fiction idea of alternate futures serving as sort of a life lesson or teaching moment and turns it on its head with all angst, all the time. Believe me, I totally get the appeal of an ability that lets a person see the consequences of a life changing decision before making it, and if this book was actually about two possible futures stemming from one crucial choice, it would've garnered a much higher rating from me. Instead, what I feel I got is the equivalent of seeing the consequences of ordering onion rings instead of fries for lunch - well, not exactly, but close enough - because nothing really important happens to differentiate the two possible futures until the end, and even then the choice is far more angst driven than life shattering, so I was just bored the whole time because I guess I for one just don't see the appeal of second guessing everything, not when there's really no life lesson involved.
Even the reason why Addie, the super special narrator who has the ability to see the consequences of her decisions, needs to make this choice is set up really lamely and feels almost trite. I was rolling my eyes as Mom and Dad sit together on the couch and break the news of their divorce to her, she thinks about it for awhile, then uses her special ability to see which future she prefers - umm, what is this? Do people with powers not suffer from the emotional fallout of parents divorcing like the rest of us normal human beings? Does anyone respond to a line like 'sorry honey but your dad and I haven't had a working relationship in years even though you've never noticed but we're telling you now and by the way we're divorcing' with 'oh ok how strange but now let me think about which one of you I want to live with' - really? I don’t know, but the first half of the book just feels artificial and disconnected from reality, and the entire time I’m left wishing Addie had a sibling or somebody who could've put the divorce in perspective and kept the story emotionally grounded. Of course, that didn't happen, so I ended up having to trudge through alternating chapters between one of Addie's possible futures with her father and another with her mother and needless to say, there's really just no plot to speak of because until almost the very end there really is not much difference between these two alternate realities and the emotions coming off of Addie and her parents don't feel realistic at all. Do I care that in one reality she ends up with fellow superhuman Duke and in the other reality she has a thing for normal person Trevor? Why should I when the only consequences of this 'monumental' choice until the twist ending is having to make new friends versus keeping the same old ones and needing to talk to the best friend by phone instead of in person?
Besides the dull, weird, and absent parents and the illusion of choice when there’s no meaningful difference between the two realities besides one twist ending, the writing didn’t work for me either. Because what I said about the high concept being used as a crude veneer is absolutely true - just look at Addie’s descriptions of Duke and her ‘I secretly like him but I know he’s a player and just using me but whatever’ attitude - *head desk*. Ok, I know I’m supposed to give Addie a pass because of what’s revealed about Duke and his abilities, but from how their relationship is written (like a bad rom com even if the dialogue actually kind of works), I don’t think I can. Not when she could be so much better than a walking cliche. And not when the relationship pointlessly spans half the book without Addie really figuring out whether there's any consequence to her picking one parent to live with over the other. Where's the consequences of the supposed life altering decision? What's Addie supposed to learn from these two parallel realities? Then, there’s Addie’s best friend Laila who’s a total ingrate and all around terrible friend basically and Trevor, who is at least written realistically (compared to Duke) - and sympathetic and likable to boot - but I don’t know, I guess in order for the ending to work I have to have cared about Addie and Trevor - and I didn’t.
Anyway, maybe it would’ve helped had the superhuman aspect not been a complete bore, but that’s another part of the let down for me. Personally, the appeal of people with superpowers is either like X-Men where they serve as an allegory against discrimination, or like Spider-man where we have something as awesome as Stan Lee’s iconic ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ line, but Pivot Point on the other hand is nothing of the sort. The superpowers are used as more of a joke - telekinetic football!! - and while Kasie West tries to use how different Addie and her fellow superhumans are compared to the ‘Norms’ as a major plot point - it’s just so shallow to the point I really didn’t care about Addie as the superhuman trying to adjust in this ‘Norm’ town. Plus, the actual point of the book, certain characters misusing their superpowers, gets buried beneath chapter after chapter of just Addie going about the most ordinary and dull high school stuff that doesn’t really show why one future is preferable to the other, so much so the climax really didn’t fit well with the rest of the book. Yeah, I think it’s clever how certain things revealed in one possible reality sort of parallels other events in the other reality, simply because the really big events have been ongoing since even before Addie uses her ability, but no matter how much West tries to plant hints and clues like the murdered girls leading up to revealing the big villain, I think she tries too hard adding in a random crazy (because turns out the ending is completely tangential to the whole point of the Search) and making Addie seem like she’s making this big sacrifice out of a possible future and it didn’t work for me.
I guess I expected something monumental to happen at the end of the book, something that could’ve justified spending so much time on Addie’s daily life in these two different realities. What actually happens though is a disappointing, crazy villain type moment that not only didn’t fit with the rest of the book but I don’t even get the feeling Addie learns anything about using her powers or us ‘Norms’ from the experience. So, sorry Pivot Point, but you completely missed the whole point of the concept. Meh. -
Two Paths - One Choice.
3.5 stars (but the ending was 5 stars, so hurry up book 2!).
Poor Addie. I have a hard time trying to figure out which restaurant to go to or which movie to watch when given a choice. If you told me to pick between two paths which would lead my life in complete opposite directions, yet both paths might come with their own set of problems...forget it. I would probably end up having a nervous breakdown.
3 second basic story concept : Addie's parents are getting a divorce. Addie has powers which allow her to look into her future. Addie decides to investigate two different futures - one with her mom and one with her dad.
The first 30% of the book had me sort of frustrated. I knew that I was being set up for what was to come but it's slightly annoying to switch back and forth with the story pov's. Something about the flow reminded me of how I felt while reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I distinctly remember enjoying one of the Will povs, but the other not as much. Instead of 2 different Wills, we had 2 of the same Addie in a different setting. One side of the Addie story I really liked. The other side floundered. The chapter headings were a fun little touch to distinguish between 2 different stories which took place in the PARA (special powers) community and the NORM (normal) community.The PARA side : the 'not as interesting' half of the story
Everyone has special powers in this closeted community. Addie's starting something with the local football hero. You would think that the side of the story in which everyone uses special powers would be the best part, but eh. I guess when everyone can do something and it becomes part of everyday life, this turns out to be just as normal as any other story.The NORM side : wins the battle of the dueling worlds
Not surprisingly, I have to go with the lovable artistic guy as a love interest. This side of the story was more interesting because this life was new and different to Addie. For her, learning to use appliances and unlock doors the way everyone else has to IS abnormal.My overall thoughts :
I spent almost two weeks sitting on this book after reading the first 30%. There was nothing that jumped out and grabbed me about what was going on because everything seemed to be focused on everyday life and the two boys who Addie might have to pick between (which was sort of lackluster imo when you could be focusing more on crazy powers), so I decided to come back when I was ready. But when I did come back, I found myself flying through the rest of the book in less than a couple of hours. Once I started to really focus on the stories as the paths started inching closer to the collision of time when it was 'one or the other,' I realized that Addie was going to get hosed, no matter which path she took. Which immediately made the story that much more interesting, once I realized that it would eventually come to down to more than just which boy should I choose?
The last part of the book surprised me. I had some suspicions about which path she was going to choose, but didn't realize that so much would need to be altered in order for this to happen. There is a HUGE speed bump which is now going to mess with everything that happens from here on out. I think there's real opportunity for book 2 to have some crazy stuff happen. My hope is that there will be a bigger presence of special abilities and powers. We got pretty far into this book before we started to see the ramifications of messing with potential outcomes.
This book provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. -
Pivot Point was a wonderfully fast paced and exciting read. I was mesmerized from the first page. While it didn’t’ leave off on a cliffhanger, it’s going to be torture waiting for the next installment!
Addison is a girl with special powers living in a city held secret from the outside world; a city where other “paranormals” live and perfect their abilities. Addison has the ability to search her future and see the outcome of a path she takes. She doesn’t use her ability all the time, so when her parents announce they’re getting a divorce, she has quite a shock. Addie is now faced with two choices: stay with her mom inside the Compound or go live with her dad in the outside with the “Norms.” Being this is such a huge decision, she performs a search to see what decision to make. Laid out before her are two very different possible futures. If she stays with her mother, she stays with what she knows and has the opportunity to expand and perfect her powers. Addie also sees the star quarterback of her school, Duke, in that future. If Addie goes with her father, she gets to experience life on the outside, without all the facades and illusions, but life in the real. This is a future where she meets, and becomes close to Trevor, the introspective and sweet “Norm” boy. Both were potentially swoon worthy romances! Here’s a tempting sample (I’ll keep it anonymous):
His lips tickle my neck as they move along it. Is he trying to drive me crazy?.....His lips come to rest against the soft spot below my ear. I can no longer think straight. It’s then I realize I have a fistful of the back of his shirt. I clutch it tighter. He must consider this encouragement because he takes my face in his hands and presses his lips to mine.*
*sigh*
I find time travel or time altering themes are often difficult to follow and wrap your brain around. Kasie West did an excellent job keeping it simple and refrained from bogging down the plot with unnecessary details. Yet, I think she gave me enough to make the story interesting, and hold my attention.
Each reality is played out in alternating chapters, and I soon found a reality and romance I was partial to. No, I’m not going to tell you which. ;) I found myself becoming impatient for the reality I was rooting for when the story would switch to the other reality. Although, those chapters shed light on the story and gave information I wouldn’t have had otherwise, so they were interesting, too. I must add that there’s some danger and mystery that add to the overall thrill in Pivot Point, and I thought it rounded out the story nicely.
This was an impressive debut from Kasie West, and now I can’t wait to get me hands on the next one! It better turn out the way I want it!!
*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.
A copy was provided by HarperTeen through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
You can read this review and more at
The Readers Den. -
3.5 Stars
“When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel.”
This is why I read too 😀 PS. I love you, Addie 💙
Spoilers Beyond. Read @ Your Own Risk :DThings I Liked:
✔️ Trevor ( and Brody ) is the definition of a good boyfriend in my book. Does anyone know where I can obtain a Trevor?
✔️ The ending, which completely took me by surprise. I'm so dumb and didn't realize the whole book was a freaking search! Sometimes, I'm so stupid when it comes to reading, I swear. Anyways, the twist that it really was Bobby all along and wasn't even Poison literally made me gasp out loud. And also how Laila died in one future, I thought it was real. Even though sometimes I may not like her, I didn't want her end to be so tragic.“Because an illusion is an illusion. Reality always exists despite the facade.”
Things I Disliked:
✖️ Duke is probably the most stupidest and idiotic jerk I've ever met.
✖️ Bobby just makes me want to scream and punch someone in the face.
✖️ The beginning of the book ( first 150 pages ) were so boring.
✖️ Addie's power ( searching the future / clairvoyance ) : honestly, with such an incredible mind power like this, the fact that she can only see two outcomes and can't do anything about it except choose either one is quite pathetic to me. I'd rather be a Mass Manipulator, anything else beside this lame one.
✖️ World building: the Compound is pretty cool, but honestly, the world Ms. West has laid out in Pivot Point is quite flat and has no structure. It just felt like any typical world in a YA novel. The author could've done so much better and went beyond what she wrote when it comes to the Compound. Their world has so much potential and she didn't do anything about it. It just felt so simple. Personally, I like when things are complicated, but to a point where the reader can still understand everything being said and not be confused.Overall:
Really good story with lots of potential, but in the end, the dislikes ultimately won out, thus the reason for my average rating instead of 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, the story kept me intrigued and was seriously good, just that my problems with the plot line overshadowed the good things 😀“Sometimes perfection reveals the lie, ..., not the truth."
Rating: ★ ★ ★ and a half / 5 stars
Lead Male Character: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / 5 stars (Trevor) ★ ★ / 5 stars (Duke)
Lead Female Character: ★ ★ ★ ★ / 5 stars (Addie) ★ ★ ★ and a half / 5 stars (Laila)
Plotline: ★ ★ ★ / 5 stars
Genre: Young adult, romance, adventure, sc-fi
Will I recommend this book to others?: Sure
Will I reread this book?: Only for Trevor <3
Overall story summed up in one word: Eh -
I was skeptic to start reading this book. I read most of
Kasie West's work between last year and this year and have mixed to positive feelings about her work. Also, the blurb didn't sound that great but I wanted to read this as it's a Kasie West book. I wasn't sure if I'd like this book so I kept on picking up the book and putting it down for few months and then one day I thought to myself it's now or never to read this. When I first started reading this, I wasn't too invested and didn't like it at the start and then something changed. Something that had to do with Addison's Norm life.
Addison is a Paranorm who lives in a compound with other Paranormals. Compound is a place governed by Paranormals' leaders who want to keep their abilities and compound a secret at all costs. It gives some dystopian vibes as well but it is set up in today's world where Paranormals co-exist with normals and they are s secret. Addison has the ability to see her future if given a choice and her ability is called Divergence. All Paranormals have different abilities and might I add that they are all very cool.
Addison has a best friend Laila who has the ability to erase memories. I don't know if I liked Laila as a best friend or not. Sometimes, I thought she was the best best friend anyone can have and other times I thought seriously, she's the best friend?
I however loved Trevor and he's one of the best YA male characters. He's a nerd, he's a jock, he's kind, he's funny, he cares and he's oh so Trevor. He's just amazing.
I also liked Addison's dad but not her mum so much. One of the reasons is because she was hardly ever there for Addison. Duke, I obviously don't like and didn't like him from the start.
Pivot point is a character and romance driven book. It doesn't have much of a plot and the twist that was building up to something didn't impress me at all. But the ending was amazing. I didn't like Addison like crazy but she was okay. I also didn't like the fact that she was pretty bad as a best friend in her norm version. But despite all these flaws, I absolutely loved Pivot Point mainly because we all want a Trevor in our lives.
4 stars -
“Sometimes perfection reveals the lie, not the truth.”
Addison is a Searcher, she is able to see all the alternate paths when she has to make a decision. Basically, she's able to see, and live through, all the ways a certain choice will change her future and where that decison would lead.
This story is set in a modern day world, where a secret society of Paranormals with special mind abilities lives in a technologically advanced Compound, only rarely mixing with the Norms - the ordinary people not able to use any mind abilities.
“Doesn't help to waste my time thinking about would've-beens."
Laila whispers, "He says to the girl with a mind full of them.”
When Addison's parents tell her they are planning to divorce, she has to make a decision. Her father, whom she loves most, is leaving the Compound to live among the Norms, while her distanced mother is staing. Addison decides to Search in her mind both alternate paths.
Should she stay with her mother, friends, people with whom she's alike and with everyhing she has known, or leave her old life behind for the sake of being with the person she loves most and an unexplored future? Which path will Addison take? When a strange deaths of young teenagers strat to occure in the Para world, everything gets much more complicated.
“Because an illusion is an illusion. Reality always exists despite the facade.”
This book is basically mix of contemporary and science fiction, which sounds maybe a bit contradictory but does actually works out here. It was very light on the sci-fi elements though.
Pivot Point, while having many flaws, is such a page turner. The beggining is a bit generic, but after a while, the plot grippes you and makes sure you start questioning everything and whon't stop thinking about this book and all the possibe outcomes. I had also many problems with this book - the eye-roll-worthy tropes, my lack of deeper connection to the characters and their relationships, some generic parts of the story and Duke. Also, I think that the potential for this story was great and it could've been written and constructed in a better way.
“I don't care when people think I'm an antisocial, controlling bookworm because that's what I am. It's when they interpret me wrong that I have a problem.”
Pros:
* The idea of this story
* Unputdownable
* The second half of this book improves tremendously
* Great twists, not really shocking and some of them predictable, but revelations had an effect nonetheless
* Trevor
“When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel.”
Cons:
* Eye-roll-wothy tropes everywhere
* Lots of generic filler in the story
* Duke
* Certain lack of depth of the characters
* Way too much centerd on the two romances (not a love-triangle in this case though). Would've liked this story more if it was centered on other things as much as on the romances, as it was for the most part
* Overall, I expected more from this
“My bookcase is all yours.”
“I've just decided that those are my favorite five words in the world.”
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After reading:
Could not put this one down. This is the second Kasie West book in a row which I couldn't stop reading, honestly. I did expect a bit more from this - the idea of this story had tremendous potential. It was really tropey, but I also really liked the second part and some other things. RTC -
Argh. I'm so mad at this book!Addison lives in a town where people have developed their human mind and are able to access a part of their brain which gives them "superpowers".
For instance, her father is a human lie detector, her mother can convince you to do anything and her best friend can erase memories.
Addie has the ability to see the future. Sort of....
When she has to make a decision, she can see her life into the furture of every alternative, so that she can choose which path to take.
When her parents tell her that they decided to take a divorce, they ask of her to use her power to see with whom she should live, so that is more beneficial to her.
And that's exactly what she does.
She see's how her life would be if she would live with her mother or how her life would be if she moved with her father to the normal world.
This is the first paranormal book that Kasie West has written and it is great.
I loved all her contemporary romance novells so I had no doubt that I will like this one too.
Of course the romance in this book played a huge part but the paranormal aspect was pleasantely surprising.
However the ending made me mad. Not because it was bad but because it was aggrivating.
Halfway through the book I knew what would happen and which reality she would choose, but the reasone she choose that reality was just plain stupid.
I do have alot of book pet peeves but the one thing that I hate most above all of them is that the protagonist chooses to keep some things hidden and thus complicating their lifes, even tho every desaster could've been avoided if they spoke up.
But she didn't do any of those things because we need something for the second book and if she would do them, the story would have ended here.
(Not that I am mad about it), but here's to the publishers who wanted to have a series.
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*shelved under childhood reviews*
I'm not much of a review fanatic anymore, but I will say this: don't let the rather bland first half bore you into giving up.
Trust me, it gets much better. I mean, I went from reading the first 100 pages and then tucking it away for the next three months, to finally overcoming reader's block and flying through the book within a DAY.
The end will not disappoint.
...I just hope I'll be able to say the same for Split Second. *fingers crossed* -
I don't know why, but I pre ordered this book 3 months before it came out, and I am so glad I did. Pivot Point glues you to it's pages, and I finished it in one night.
The book starts out very quickly. Addie comes home from her supernatural school to hear the news that her parents are getting a divorce. Her mom is staying in the Compound, while her dad is moving to the normal world. Addie has to pick who to live with.
She calls her best friend over and, to help decide, uses her powers as a searcher to see both paths in the future. There is no dragging whatsoever in the beginning. You get a quick introduction, and then into the action. Just the way that keeps the audience interested in the book.
One path, the one with her dad outside the compound, shows Addie adjusting to "normal" high school. She finds friends, one of which, Trevor, could be more of a friend. Addie learns valuable lessons about life outside her supernatural community.
When with her mom, Addie hangs out with her best friend and a famous school football player, Duke. The paths intertwine, in each you'll earn unique information about a mystery. Another enjoyable aspect in the book. Each path also has it's consequences and perks. Very true to real life.
Addie is a very relatable heroine. She is nice, realistic, and unique. I especially think book lovers will love and understand her. Her best friend, Laila, is a pretty cool character too. She is funny and supportive, although in some ways she is very alike other best friends in YA.
The whole Compound idea is very interesting and fun to read about, each person has a power or ability. There are so many cool ideas the author throws into the book, human lie detectors, telekinetics, perceptives, mood controllers, and more. And the world created seems like a regular teens world, with the normal drama, only with a supernatural twist!
Overall, I would recommend this to all supernatural lovers. The characters were deep and the plot and writing was addictive. Pivot Point is a great read!
5/5 bookcases
I can't wait to read Kasie West's next novel, The Distance Between Us! -
This book had me hooked from the beginning and it was the ideal book to push me into reading more. Pivot Point was a light and easy book to read compared to many other paranormal/sci-fi books. It didn’t require a lot of thought and it was easy to get lost in the story. I didn’t exactly know what to expect because I’ve read all of Kasie West’s other books which were all contemporaries. I wouldn’t say this book is a big difference, it's similar to her other novels but with a twist. It was very difficult to stop reading and I definitely will be picking the second book straight after this review is written.
Pivot Point follows Addison who lives in a place known as the Compound which is exterior to the ‘normal’ world. Inside the Compound the people each have various abilities which allow them to control specific things. Addie is a Searcher so when faced with a choice she is able to look in the future to see the alternate outcomes which are supposed to help her determine what to choose. Addie is confronted with the choice of which parent to live with after her parents announce they are having a divorce. She is to either live with her mother in the Compound or leave with her father to live with the Norms. Despite being able to see both paths Addie realises the decision will not be as easy as she thought.
Kasie West has yet again managed to write an amazing novel that could not be put down. I loved getting to see the story progress through two different ways (That’s not the right way to put it but I don’t know how else to word it). Getting to see two alternative ways a person’s life could play out is something I have never read or watched before so it was something very different. I enjoyed the concept and it wasn’t annoying like I initially thought it would be. Surprisingly, there was no confusion between the two paths but that would probably be because it was easy to tell them apart. I also enjoyed seeing Addie’s experience through the two potential futures. The last hundred pages of this book did take a quite unexpected turn and it made this book so much better.
The entire idea of the world Addie lived in was very interesting. I wouldn’t say unique but it was refreshing in a way. I loved the concept but I think it just needed to be executed in a better way. There need to be more world-building and a better explanation for why things were the way they were. There were a lot of plot holes in the book. I don’t know if this considered as a spoiler but I’m marking as one anyway. These plot holes listed in the spoiler (there are probably more) just caused the book to lack something. They might be explained in the sequel but I doubt it.
Addie was probably the best protagonist I’ve read about but that might be more because of personal reasons. I could relate to her soo much! First of all her love for books and words, in general, is something I’m sure most readers can relate to but it wasn’t just that. Addie is an anti-social person which is totally me but she also had this thing with silence when talking to someone. She doesn’t like it because it's awkward and she kind of starts panicking in a way and thinking (which is quoted from the book) “oh-crap-why-can’t-I-think-of-anything-to-say” which is exactly like me. It was also just her personality in general which I could relate to. Other than I found her so relatable she was still a character that was really likeable and I didn’t have any problems with her.
Choosing between Duke and Trevor would be the easiest thing ever because I would definitely pick Trevor. Duke wasn’t a bad character at the beginning but when I met Trevor I started to like him more and then I didn’t care about Duke. I completely loved Duke at the beginning but then I didn’t. As the story progressed it was difficult to even like Duke and this whole popular jock guy thing just didn’t make it easier. Besides, Trevor was much better because he was just so perfect. I loved him so much more and I liked her life with him more.
There were several unexpected things that occur towards the end.
The book ended sort of on a cliff-hanger and it felt kind of unfinished so I will definitely read the sequel as soon as possible. I’ve heard it picks off right where this one ends but I’m wondering right now, is it necessary? Maybe if this book was longer it could have been wrapped up? I’m not sure yet because I have yet to pick up the sequel so I’ll see after I read it. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is that I think it has Laila’s POV. I didn’t hate her but she just isn’t the character that I would to follow and see her perspective. She did do a lot of irritating things in this book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I flew through it just like I always do with Kasie West’s books. Split Second is the last book I haven’t read by Kasie West and it is kind of sad because I love her books so much. She just manages to draw the reader right from the beginning and there’s no long intro to the story (although maybe this book needed one considering the total lack of world-building). Despite this novel having paranormal/sci-fi elements, there are a lot of contemporary aspects and a little bit of mystery in the mix so I would recommend this to a lot of people because it has something for everyone! -
Bir dakika durun. İkinci kitap nerede? Bunun için yayınevini taciz etmek suç sayılmıyor değil mi? Hyperion yayınlarından okuduğum 2. kitap ve şu anda diğer kitaplarına da göz atmadan duramıyorum. Her iki kitabı da bu kadar çok sevdiysem diğer kitapları nasıldır acaba diye merak içindeyim.
Kitaba gelelim hemen. Ana karakterimizle başlamak istiyorum. Kız gerçekten çok eğlenceli. Kelimeleri kullanışı insanda sürekli sırıtma isteği uyandırıyor. Özel bir yeteneği var. Bu yeteneği sayesinde geleceğini görebiliyor. Ama tek bir şartı var bu yeteneğinin. Bir seçenek ile karşı karşıya kalmak zorunda. Baloya gitmeli miyim? Gitmemeli miyim? Annemle mi yaşamalıyım? Babamla mı? Eğer seçenek yoksa görü de yok. Ve seçeneklerimiz varsa, her iki durumu da anılarında yaşayarak bir karar verebiliyor. İlk kitabımız da bu görülerin içinde geçiyor. Annesiyle babası boşanmaya karar vermişlerken, kiminle yaşamasının daha doğru olacağına Addison'ın karar vermesi gerektiğini düşünüyorlar.
Anılarının içinde dolanırken, kitabın dili şimdiki zamana dönüyor. Ve hiç rahatsız etmiyor okuyucu. Çünkü yazarın dili çok akıcı ve çok eğlenceli. Beyninize çekiç gibi vurmuyor yani o cümle sonları. Fark etmiyorsunuz bile. İnanın bana. Bu kalıba benim kadar düşman olan biri yoktur belki ve ben rahatsızlık duymadıysam eminim birçok kişide duymaz.
Kitabın ilerleyişinden devam edelim hemen ve kitabın bölüm bölüm değiştiğini söyleyelim. Şöyle ki karakterimizin önünde iki seçenek var anladığınız üzere. Annesiyle kalmaya karar verirse neler yaşayacağını, babasıyla kalmaya karar verirse neler yaşayacağını farklı bölümlerle okuyoruz. Aynı zaman diliminde ilerliyor kitap. Yani birbiriyle paravan ilerliyor. Ve farklı hayatlar yaşadığı için kesinlikle kendini tekrar eden bir şey gibi gözükmüyor.
Her iki hayatında da çözmesi gereken bir mesele var. Tüm hikâye bu meseleler üzerinde dönmüyor, yatıp kalkıp bu olayların peşine düşülmüyor elbette ama kitabın akışı için önemli rol oynuyor. Hem de çok önemli. Yani basit bir aşk hikâyesinin içine paranormallik sıkıştırılmış gibi bir kurgu söz konusu değil. Tek kız, iki farklı hayat ve tek bir seçim diyerek kitabın kapağında yazan yazıyı size kopyalıyorum. Tek bir cümle ile böyle güzel özetlenir kitap.
Biraz da kitabı okurken neler hissettiğimden bahsedeyim.
İlk 100 sayfası için;
Ah çok eğlenceli yaa. Bu Addison'ı çok sevdim. Kız gerçekten okumaya değer bir karakter. Trevor ise muhteşem zaten. Sırf onun için bile okumaya devam etmeliyim. Team Trevor. <3 Bu YA'mıydı ya? Gerçekten neden bu kadar eğlenceli YA'lar dururken basit aşk üçgenleri içeren kitapları çıkarıyor yayınevleri? Lanet olsun gerçekten çok komik.
Sonraki 100 sayfa için;
Ooooo. Kitabın temposu artmaya başladı. Neler neler olacak acaba? Sonunu çok merak ediyorum. Ve böyle devam ederse meraktan öleceğim. Aksiyonu hissetmeye başladık. Güzel. Sanki içimde de yavaştan bir adrenalin salgılanmaya başladı. Kitap fazla mı akıcı? Bu kadar çabuk bitirirsem sonrasında ne yapacağım? Biraz ara vermem gerek yoksa 1 saate bitmiş olacak ve bende yere uzanmış ikinci kitap için Tanrıya yalvarıyor olacağım.
Son 100 sayfa için;
Offf dur biraz dur. Bu kadar adrenalin sağlığıma zararlı mıdır acaba? Resmen bu sayfaları okurken elim titriyor. Bu gerçek mi? Oha -evet argo kelime kullandırttı kitap bana- neler oluyor öyle? Noluyor yaaa. Her şey karman çorman oldu. Sakin ol sakin ol. Bazen kitap okuduğunu gerçekten hatırlaman gerekiyor. Kendini bu kadar kaptırma. Tamam, şimdi de hislerim çekilmiş gibi hissediyorum. Elim ayağım boşalmış gibi. Kitabı elimde tutmaya devam edebilecek miyim? Okumaya devam edebilecek miyim? Ara vermem gerek ara vermem gerek. Yoksa nefes alamayacağım.
Kitap bittiğinde;
Evet, tüm suç benim. Kitabı okumamalıydım. Şimdiden 2. kitabın hasretini çekmeye başladım. O nasıl bir sondu öyle cidden. Bu kadar müthiş yazmaya gerek var mıydı? Hayır, tamam madem bu kadar müthiş yazıyorsun o zaman tek kitap yaz. Bizim gibi kitabın başka bir dile çevrilmesini bekleyecek olan okuyucularını hiç düşünmüyor musun? -Burada okuyucu gereksiz yere yazara çemkirmeye devam eder... -
I had a sneaking suspicion that I might hate this book and when I found out it was set in a secret high school for teenagers with special abilities. (Like the movie Sky High lol!) I was thinking “Oh crap! Abort, abort!!”
I don’t think I have really enjoy a paranormal book set in high school since Vampire Academy and I must admit I was expecting this book to be something more along the lines of The Time Travellers Wife. But this book is nothing like anything I have read before. WOW!
Addie lives in a secret community (and goes to a secret high school) where everyone has special abilities. Her ability is to see the different outcomes/futures of the choices she makes. When her parents decide to get divorced Addie must make the choice of staying with her mom in the paranormal compound or going with her dad to live in the “normal” world. This leads Addie using her ability to see which choice is best...
The chapters of this book alternate from one potential path/reality to another and you might think that this would be confusing but Holy Hell! it was well written! In each version of Addie’s “reality” she has different friends, a different love interest and different issues that make her character grow and evolve. But the author also managed to interweave the two stories in a very clever and sometimes subtle way that I thought was quite brilliant.
There is a running mystery throughout this book and I really don’t want to go much further into plots or characters and their abilities because I feel like the smallest detail might be a spoiler and I really do hope that you all read this book.
I started reading this book thinking I would read a few chapters and give up if it got too terrible, I wasn't even concentrating properly. (I was watching Batman Begins and read and the same time.)But the next thing I knew it was 3am my TV was on mute and I had devour this book! My prejudice against YA Paranormals almost stopped me from reading this and that would have been really sad because it is one of the few really original books I have read in this genre for years!
Is this book perfect? Not quite, but it is one hell of a debut!!
P.S For those of you who don’t remember Sky High, this guy was the only memorable thing about it :)
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VIDEORECENSIONE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcvdy...
La trama si prospettava interessante fin dall'inizio: ci sono delle persone che vivono tra di noi nella massima segretezza e che hanno delle speciali abilità mentali. Ci sono i telecinetici, i telepati, i persuasivi e poi c'è Addie che ha il dono della "divergenza" che le permette, se messa davanti ad una scelta, di vedere i suoi potenziali futuri. -- Il suo potere le torna particolarmente utile quando i suoi genitori le dicono che stanno per divorziare e che sarà proprio lei a scegliere con chi andrà a vivere. Ora Addie si trova a dover fare una decisione importante: rimanere con la madre nella comunità in cui ha sempre vissuto o andare col padre a vivere tra i Normali?
Lo stile di scrittura è fresco e scorrevole. Nonostante la trama fosse un po' complicata e i salti temporali si prospettavano estremamente confusionari e difficili da seguire, lo stile di scrittura mi ha permesso di immergermi completamente e rapidamente nella storia, facendomi subito appassionare.
Mi è piaciuta molto l'idea dell'autrice di mettere all'inizio di ogni capitolo una piccola definizione di una parola che dava una pallida anticipazione degli avvenimenti, ma anche un monito della linea temporale che stiamo seguendo. Infatti, utilizza parole che contengono "PARA" e "NORM", distinguendo così il mondo paranormale in cui è cresciuta Addie e quello dei Normali.
La trama è molto originale. Penso che Kasie West abbia costruito molto bene il mondo di Addie e dei "paranormali", con un'organizzazione e delle regole descritte molto nel dettaglio.
In questo libro però, bisogna ammettere, non c'è molta azione. La storia si concentra sulla protagonista, su dove la porterebbero le sue scelte e su come si adegua ad esse. Però c'è comunque un alone di mistero che circonda la storia (sparizioni, intrighi e crimini) che mi ha incuriosito tantissimo e che non mi ha fatto pesare la mancanza di grandi avventure.
Per quanto riguarda i personaggi sono un po' combattuta: alcuni mi sono piaciuti molto (Addie, Trevor, Rowan), mentre altri li ho trovati molto banali e stereotipati. Ecco cosa penso di alcuni di loro, in generale:
- Addie è una grandissima amante della lettura e i libri sono una parte fondamentale della sua vita. E' una persona molto intelligente, premurosa, timida e altruista e alcuni aspetti del suo carattere mi hanno fatto immedesimare molto in lei. A seconda delle linee temporali, il comportamento di Addie cambia ed è una cosa che ho trovato molto realistica, ma non mi è piaciuto il suo lato petulante e debole, dove permette a chiunque tranne sè stessa di scegliere per lei. C'è qualcosa però che bolle in pentola, quindi voi che non avete ancora letto questo libro: non giudicatela troppo in fretta!
- Trevor è la persona più dolce di questo mondo. E' premuroso, attento, gentile. Fa quello che fa senza chiedere mai niente in cambio ed è di una modestia spaventosa! Mi è piaciuto molto come personaggio e ho apprezzato molto la possibilità di vedere le diverse sfaccettature del suo essere.
- Laila è petulante e prepotente, ma a tratti è una buonissima amica. Non vorrei giudicarla troppo duramente, ma non mi fa impazzire nè come persona nè come personaggio. Per quanto possa essere frizzante e briosa, se incontrassi qualcuno come lei nella mia vita le starei assolutamente alla larga.
- Duke è un bastardo, c'è poco da fare. L'ho odiato fin dall'inizio e continuerò a farlo. NON ESISTE che un ragazzo del genere abbia così tante ragazze ai piedi! Il suo approccio è disgustoso.
- Gli amici di Trevor non sono niente di che, l'unico che si salva è Rowan, che mi fa morire dal ridere. E' così imbranato e goffo e i suoi tentativi di approccio sono davvero esilaranti! Per quanto riguarda gli altri del gruppo, la West non si è sprecata ad analizzarli perché il loro ruolo era un ruolo di contorno quindi non posso dire molto.
Mi sono piaciuti molto i colpi di scena finali perché, assolutamente, non me li aspettavo. Kasie West mi ha ingannato per bene! -- Sono davvero curiosa di leggere il seguito e spero di trovarci un po' più di azione ed emozione. Ad ogni modo, se vi piace il genere, è una lettura consigliatissima! A me come libro ha preso davvero moltissimo. -
I'm going to lay out two possible futures for you. Are you ready?
So, you walk into a bookstore, and there on the shelf sits PIVOT POINT. In your pocket is your most recent wad of book-money, which you had intended to spend on your ever-growing collection of books about vampires. But then you see PP, a book that is completely vampire-free, and you think "Hm. Maybe today, I should try something different?"
These are the two futures, as laid out for you by me, the Knower of Futures:
1) If you buy PIVOT POINT: You will at first think, "Oh wow, Kasie West is a cover model too??" and only later find out that no, she isn't actually, but DANG that girl is pretty close. You will whisk your new copy of PP home, cuddle up on a comfy chair/couch of your choice, and proceed to have the most mind-bending reading experience of your life. Alternating chapters told from alternating realities that align with frightening precision until you are left clutching the book and screaming out loud "WHAT THE FRENCH TOAST JUST HAPPENED????"
2) If you buy yet another vampire book: You will not be able to leave the bookstore without an overwhelming feeling of regret and remorse and guilt, gnawing guilt, because SERIOUSLY, how many vampire books do you need, and you just wasted the opportunity to have your mind BLOWN TO PIECES. For shame, good sir. FOR SHAME.
These are your futures, dear book-buyer. Read them, learn them, know them, because you will very soon be faced with this choice. And I hope, for your sake, that you enjoy having your mind severely blown.
(Hint: PIVOT POINT is the right choice.) -
West has a brilliant imagination and she’s jammed packed it into this book like it’s got an expiry date and needs to be used up. What she’s done here is weave a lovely narrative of two different realities into one coherent story and I think she’s done that very well. Let’s face it. It’s not easy to mix two completely different but chronologically equal events into one cohesive product. I have to admit to wondering, before I picked it up, if West had bitten off more than she could chew. And to be honest, if a lesser author had taken it on, it’s very likely their head would have exploded. In fact, sometimes I’d be like, “Dude! She just intergrated that plotline from the other story and we’re seeing phases of it here! Awesome!”
Addie was a fantastic character – full of personality, charm and wit. She almost completely won me over and I think her struggles and achievements in this book were well telegraphed. Because she felt so deeply, it helped connect to the story and give it a great emotional investment.
Feelcopter – it’s coming for you.
The book explorers to alternate lives for Addie and she has to decide which of two realities she has to chose to go through with. It’s actually really great to watch how she grows in each life – because she grows in two different ways and becomes two kind of different people who just happen to look alike. Mixed in with this coming of age story is a mystery and the overall plot which kind of rocks.
Both alternate realities have different boys in them: Trevor and Shitforbrains. Her relationship with Trevor is insanely sweet and refreshingly lovely. They have a complex and understandable friendship and chemistry. As for Shitforbrains, well, the best thing I can say about him is:
All up this is a very proficient book by an insanely lovely author, which you’d know if you saw our interview with her. This was a pretty high concept novel which meant that West didn’t really get the opportunity to fully embrace and lovemonkeyschnuggle with it all as much as it’s obvious she wanted to. What I generally found with West’s writing was that it was a very pragmatic, spartan kind of writing. Almost the opposite to Spooner’s writing in Skylark. There wasn’t anything wrong with West’s writing, but I didn’t necessarily feel inspired by it or in awe of it either. For some people, that’s going to be something they need to consider – for others it’s a freakin’ relief.
In the end, if you want to sit down and look into two alternate futures – one where you read this book and one where you don’t, you’re probably going to be favourable to the one where you do. It’s a refreshing, enjoyable change of pace to the usual suspects of Paranormal romances and dystopian Sci-fi.
*An ARC of this book was provided to me by the author. No goods or services were exchanged for this review. Not that I didn’t want them too. I have the biggest girl crush on Kasie West. But, you know, she’s married and I’m married and we could never find the right time or place to meet up…
This review also appears on my blog,
cuddlebuggery Book Blog. -
“When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel. To me, it almost seems more real; because I know those characters can’t influence me with any power.”
-Addison Coleman, Pivot Point
Addison is like most teen except she lives at a top secret place called Compound with others who have special abilities. Her ability is that she is a Searcher. She can look into the future and see what path in her life she should take. It comes in handy when she finds out her parents are divorcing and they want to know who she wants to live with. So she searches the future to see which life should she live, the one with her mom in the Compound or with her dad among the Norms…
Pivot Point is one of the most original YA books that I have read in a long time. I was so engrossed with the story that I was a bit shocked when I found that it had ended. Clearly there needs to be a sequel here or I will be very unhappy.
The plot just blew me away. A bit of Sliding Doors (one of my favorite movies btw) mixed in with super humans who have different mental abilities then toss in some romance, friendship and a bit of mystery and BAM! You have a book that you don’t want to put down! -
I loved how fast-paced and addictive this book was!
