Review - Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Series: Pivot Point #1

Published by HarperTeen on February 12 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Contemporary

Pages: 343

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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.

I really did enjoy reading Pivot Point, but it just wasn't that memorable for me. I didn't really feel that strongly about any of the characters (in fact, I was constantly forgetting Addie's name) and though I thought the concept was really cool the execution just wasn't quite up to par with what I imagine it could be. Trevor, while nice, was kind of a generic love interest. He certainly didn't make me swoon.

My biggest problem with Pivot Point was Addie's insistence at the end of the book that any deviation from the two paths her Search showed her would result in disaster. Pardon my language, but I thought that was bullshit. It just felt like a cop-out. The author clearly wanted to make it out to be a choice between two evils, but it didn't have to be so. Addie could have stopped Bobby from killing Laila without sacrificing her life in Dallas.

I did really like the writing style. It straddled a line between contemporary YA and paranormal YA, and it did so with finesse. I never felt like I was being bombarded with information about the Compound or abilities. It was all quite seamless and well-integrated into the story. It was really easy to read, and though it took me just under a week to get through it I know I could have finished it much quicker if I'd been so inclined (and had more free time!). It doesn't help that I was distracted by 13 episodes of Orange is the New Black (IT'S SO GOOD LET ME SQUEAL OVER THIS AMAZING TV SHOW FOR A BIT).