What's Pivotal about PIVOT POINT? Well...

Pivot Point
By: Kasie West
Reported by: Julianna Helms
Source: ARC via tour
Release Date: Already released by HarperTeen

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

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

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

-Summary from Goodreads
Purchase: Mrs. Nelson's || Barnes & Noble || Amazon || Book Depository

When I first saw this summary, I was feeling a bit, well...

That is Sokka in disguise in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season 3. STILL THE BEST SHOW EVER YUP.

That is to say, I thought it was a fabulous idea, but I was skeptical towards how it would work out. There are many brilliant ideas that turn out to be an utter flop, and I just worried about how well Kasie could handle the whole shebang.

Well, one thing's for sure: that woman can plot.



The way the different futures of Addie intertwined was just fabulous to watch, really. I was mostly gleefully cackling in my corner while reading, delighted nonetheless by the awesome surprise this book was. The plotting was just so well done; the timeline was quite impeccable. The different relationships developed with the same characters in each future was accentuated more the fantastically by the synchronized pacing.

That is, until I realized just how meh I felt.

So disappointing, I know. I just told you how awesome the book was. And it was! But that's not to say I did not have reservations. First of all, the writing was just... very bland. It wasn't bad; it just didn't do anything for me. Furthermore, the twists felt too overt. I guessed practically every single one from the first time they were hinted at, which was, unfortunately, quite early in the story. So I was slugging through, not because the pacing was bad, but because I already guessed what would happen, when I realized another thing that was bothersome: I couldn't relate to any of the characters. Sure, I cared for Addie and Leila, but I never felt a connection with them. This is mostly because they don't feel much, Addie and whoever else. We are told a lot of their reactions, but those reactions never delved deeply enough into internal pondering and just rudimentary feeling for my liking.

That's not to say that the plot was the only saving grace for Pivot Point, though. I quite enjoyed the cute fluffiness of naive romance, and the friendship between Addie and Leila was fundamentally heart-warming. And most of all, I very much appreciated Kasie's lack of hesitation with enforcing the consequences of decisions. Often times you see authors skimp on what would have realistically happened with a choice because they were unprepared to explore the unknown results of a spontaneous choice, but Kasie handles it with the skill and ease of a pro.

Overall, this was a solid debut. Not particularly dashing, but not distasteful, either. Try it out. You just might fall in love with it.