Book Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Series: Slide #1
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller
Publication Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: eARC
Pages: 187
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

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When I read the premise for Slide by Jill Hathaway I knew this was a book I had to read. I mean, I've never read anything like it. This girl can slide into other people's mind and she witnesses a murder. No big deal, right? Seriously, though, this story is epic. It's full of deaths and mystery and so much frackin intrigue. How could anyone resist? 

The beginning was really strong. We're introduced to Vee's narcolepsy, and in turn her sliding, which really sucked me in! But then the middle kind of sagged for me. Vee spends a lot of time wishing and wanting. She wishes that she could tell Rollins the truth about sliding, she wants to figure out who the murderer is, and she wishes people would consider the prospect of a murder instead of suicide. It killed me because it's like, Girl, you've got this incredible skill and you're not even trying to utilize it. But once she realized she could use her gift to help her solve the mystery, things got much more interesting. All of a sudden, everyone was a suspect. As the story unfolded, though, it was pretty obvious who was guilty and his or her motivations. 

I simultaneously liked and disliked the ending. I mean, it was really intense, but it almost felt like I was watching a scary movie. You know the whole, "DO NOT GO UPSTAIRS. DON'T LOOK IN THE CLOSET! TURN AROUND. RUN. RUN NOW!" kind of thing. Sometimes I thought that Vee was kind of dumb. Everything was right under her nose the only way she saw it was with a big neon sign. At first, I wasn't pleased with the ending, because I thought this was going to be a standalone, but when I discovered it is a series, I thought it was all wrapped up quite nicely. Still, there are more things I want to know. Like, why does she slide? Is there a way she can control it? And did the very very very ending mean what I think it did!?

I thought that the characterization was executed pretty well, for the most part. Vee may not be the brightest, but I do love her background story and the way that, even though her sister is a complete brat to her, she is still always there for her and eager to protect her. Rollins was my favorite, of course. He was mysterious, but not in a way that we didn't get to know anything about him. He was sweet and obviously really cared for Vee. I hope there is a buttload more of him in the sequel. Zane was an okay character. We learn a few major things about him but for the most part we don't get to know him at all. There was a case of insta-love with him, but the romance doesn't play a particularly prominent role in the book, so it's not as annoying as most cases. 

All in all, Slide by Jill Hathaway was a quick read with an interesting premise. I will definitely be looking forward to the sequel. Although I wasn't particularly blown away by the book, I think it's a book that appeals to everyone, and I'd recommend you give it a shot!