Split Second (Pivot Point #2) by Kasie West - Ashley's Review

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Title: Split Second (Pivot Point #1)
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: February 11, 2014

My Split Second Pre-Reading
My Pivot Point Review
My Pivot Point Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

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Review: This book is exactly how a sequel should be done! Kiersten White knocked it out of the park, and I'm still a little upset that it's over. I read this book in basically one sitting and it left me wanting to start the series all over again just to experience it again. This was a fantastic conclusion to the duology, and even though I wish there was more I'm kind of glad it wasn't a trilogy. It wraps up perfectly in just two books.

I really liked that Split Second is written from both Addie and Laila's perspectives. Pivot Point is kind of told from two perspectives as well (the alternate realities), but this gave a whole new depth to the story. Addie is, understandably, confused about why it feels like certain people and things are familiar when she's never seen them in the timeline she chose. Laila is conflicted over so many things, and I loved learning more about her. Her family life is rough, but she cares about her brothers and tries her best to care for them and even begins to see things from her dad's point of view a little bit. Not much, because he's still the source of their problems, but a little bit. 

There's so much that goes on in this book, and somehow Kiersten makes it all seem important and related. For example, Laila's brother is two years older than most kids are when they present and still hasn't shown any signs of a mental gift. In the midst of trying to figure out how to advance her own ability, Laila tries to help her brother. I mean, that's all well and good and sisterly... but I didn't even realize how important it would be to the overall story until much later. All of the minor characters are even somehow important and interesting, and I realy enjoyed seeing familiar facfes as well as meeting new people.

The relationships in this book are really well done too. Addie and Laila are best friends, but they still disagree sometimes. Addie's relationship with her dad is strained and they fight, which is something they've never done before but is totally understandable considering the circumstances. Duke is still a jerk and I found myself wanting to punch him in the face pretty much every time he shows up. Laila and Addie both get romantic interests, and it was really fun watching their relationships develop. I still loved Trevor!

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who has read Pivot Point. You want to read this sequel to know how the story ends! I would also recommend this duology to anyone looking for a thrilling read with romance, mystery, action, and all of the things a good thriller could have. It all seems really realistic, which is pretty awesome/kind of terrifying. A 5/5!


--Ashley

Split Second (Pivot Point #2) by Kasie West - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Split Second (Pivot Point #1)
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: February 11, 2014

My Pivot Point Review
My Pivot Point Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Why?: When I read Pivot Point earlier this year, I knew I would absolutely have to read the sequel. Especially after that ending! I need to know how Addie's life changes based on her decision, and I want to know if Laila is ever able to restore her memories. 

Expectations: I really enjoyed Pivot Point, so I have really high expectations for this book. I expect it to be fast paced, but I also expect Addie to spend a lot of it confused and trying to figure out why things that should be brand new to her seem so familiar. I also expect that most if not all of my questions will be answered, since this series is a duology. 

Judging a book by its cover: I kind of like this cover. I like how intense the girl on the front looks, and I like that it's so similar to the cover for Pivot Point. I think that it's different enough from most other YA covers out there that it would stand out on a shelf, and that I would pick it up based on the cover alone.


--Ashley

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West - Ashley's Review

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Title: Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)
Author: Kasie West
Year Published: 2013

My Pivot Point Pre-Reading

Synopsis: 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.

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Review: There were just so many things that I loved about this book! It's thrilling and deals with so many tough topics and was everything I hoped it would be. It's got a paranormal twist to it, but it really wasn't too outlandish or anything. The teenagers acted like teenagers even though they have special gifts and the relationships are believable.

One of my favorite things about this book was how each chapter began. You would think that switching between realities would be incredibly confusing, but Kasie makes it easy to decipher which one is which. Each chapter begins with a word, followed by its definition. At the beginning of the chapters where Addie adjusts to life outside the Compound, "NORM" is emphasized in the words defined. For the chapters in which Addie has chosen to stay in the Compound, "PARA" is emphasized. This made it really easy for me to jump between her two lives and follow what was happening. The chapters that are not part of the search  have neither "NORM" nor "PARA" emphasized.

I think one of the things that this book deals with really well is loss. Loss is never easy no matter what form it comes in, and Addie deals with it in so many different forms. Her parents get divorced, so she loses either her mother (if she leaves) or her father (if she stays). She loses friends in both realities. No matter which reality she chooses, she has to give up one love. There's so much at stake that I can't imagine being able to search the future and then having to decide which life would be the best. Her decision at the end of the book is a brave one, and one I hoped she would never have to make. But there is hope for the future, and hope is always an excellent note to end on. 

I don't want to give anything away because I think this book is better experienced on your own. The writing is beautiful and kept me hooked from the beginning. I found myself wanting to read this book into the wee hours of the morning, and I am a little upset that I didn't immediately get the sequel to continue Addie's story. I will definitely be picking it up ASAP, because that ending (while not a cliffhanger) makes me want it now! 

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of paranormal YA and is looking for something totally different from most paranormal YA out there. All of the abilities are mental ones, and I found that to be really interesting and I think most people will too. I also think fans of Contemporary YA would enjoy this as well, as long as you're willing to accept a paranormal aspect. It's not too much and not totally far-fetched. A 5/5! 

--Ashley

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)

Author: Kasie West

Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: 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

Why?: I've heard really excellent things about this book, so I finally decided to give it a try. The synopsis also sounds like something I would really enjoy - a book set in our time but with a paranormal twist. I'm really curious what it would be like to be able to see into the future every time you're faced with a difficult choice.

Expectations: Since I've heard so many good things about this book, I've got relatively high expectations even though I've never read anything by Kasie West. I expect a fast-paced book with romance and mystery and loss, although I'm not sure what to expect other than that.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover is really interesting. Mirror images of the same girl, which I guess represents the two futures. It doesn't look paranormal, but maybe that's a good thing. I would most likely pick it up if I saw it on a shelf somewhere. 

--Ashley