Review: Slide

Title: Slide
Author: Jill Hathaway
Pages: 250
Format: Paperback/ ARC received from publisher
Publishing Date: March 27th 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins (Balzar + Bray)
** A copy was provided for review from the publisher. Thank you :)
Harper Collins Canada Book Page for Slide
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The Savvy Reader Website

I was really excited when I received this book in the mail because, lets be honest, it was my first ARC! Anyways, I know this book is already out, and I wanted to have it read and reviewed a week before the release date, but there were some unexpected circumstances that made this impossible. Alas, I finally got around to reading it and spent all day today reading it. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down!

Slide is one of those unique stories about the things you never imagine. Do you imagine ever slipping into someone else's body? Didn't think so. Have you ever thought about the possibility? Perhaps, but unlikely. I know I've never heard or even thought of such a possibility, personally. So for me, Slide was exceptionally different and new to me, so of course once I had the time to dive in, I couldn't tear my eyes away!

Jill Hathaway does an incredible job of making something you'd think would belong in a supernatural or paranormal type book, and add it to our everyday lives. The tone and genre of this book didn't scream supernatural or paranormal, despite Vee's (the main character) special gift of sliding into people when she sleeps. Her gift just fit with the story, which was a realistic world you and I might live in. So I was incredibly astonished by this, since usually, when a character has powers or some special gift, the book screams supernatural or paranormal or the like.

One genre I know for sure this book falls under is mystery. If you're a CSI or Criminal Minds kind of person, I think you'll really enjoy the mystery aspect of this book. I seriously could not guess the killer. Seriously. Sometimes in books the killer is SO easy to guess. This book had me guessing one person, to the next! It`s not till the end do you discover what is really going on. However, looking back on what I read before the ending, there were some hints Hathaway dropped, so keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. Wink, wink.

The book is told in the perspective of Vee, the girl who can slide into people. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the story told by her. I personally think if it was a narrative type book, you wouldn`t understand the emotional toll Vee`s special gift had on her. So throughout the book, you`re put on a major emotional ride, right to the end. That, and I will admit, I cried a little at the end. The ending might make you cry, that`s all I`m saying. But the ending will also make you happy because it hints at a possible romance in the second book. Vee`s character was the perfect choice for telling the story of someone who can slide into people. She had the courage and strength to pull herself together during the few deaths throughout the book. I think many readers will be happy to read about a strong character, and not a damsel in distress, which becomes rather boring.

For me however, this book isn`t quite the five stars I was hoping to give it. Don`t get me wrong, it was an incredible read that will suck you in till the end. The only aspect that turned me off from it was all the alcohol and sex reference. I`m a senior high school student, I`ve heard about such topics all before, I know how teenagers can be, I`m a teenager myself, but I was still turned off a little by the amount of reference to it in the book. The only good thing about these aspects was that it didn`t really affect the main character, otherwise I would have completely hated the book. I guess the only real reason why it bugged me and turned me off the way it did was because I don`t agree with those things. Drinking and getting drunk isn`t ever on my agenda, and will never be. But if these sorts of things don`t bug you in real life, I`m sure this book will due you just fine. If you`re like me, and these sorts of things bug you in real life, then these sorts of things may bug you throughout the book.

All in all however, I really did enjoy this book and am looking forward to its sequel. The ending wasn`t quite a cliff hanger, but it did leave me wanting more of the story.

My rating;
4 "sliding" stars

Enjoy :)