Slide by Jill Hathaway

Title: Slide
Author: Jill Hathaway

Release Date: 27th March 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
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.

In A Nutshell:
Slide is a murder mystery/thriller and a total page-turner. It joins the small list of YA detective style stories that are available and will appeal to fans of Veronica Mars (the TV show).

My Review:
I am super excited by the fact I got the chance to read an ARC of Jill Hathaway’s Slide, which is not due for release until March 2012. I’ve been following Jill for a while now and I became totally hooked by the premise of Slide; Vee, a girl who can slide into other people’s minds but has no control over who or when this happens. After seeing her sister’s best friend killed through the eyes of the murderer she decides to play detective and find out who the killer is. I am so pleased to be able to say that Slide lived up to my expectations, and then more, and I can’t wait to read its sequel!

Slide is a murder mystery/thriller and a total page-turner. It joins the small list of YA detective style stories that are available and will appeal to fans of Veronica Mars (the TV show).

I really like Vee, with her pink hair and awesome 90’s music taste. She’s not perfect but she tries hard to deal with her ‘episodes’ and slightly disjointed family. Vee’s father is a paediatric doctor and also councils people whose family members have passed away due to cancer, just like Vee’s mum did. He appears to be the hero dad, spending all his time trying to help and comfort others but he ignores what is right in front of him; his own pain and that of his daughters.

Even though Vee has to act like a mum sometimes, I really like the relationship between her and her sister Mattie. They clash at times, but they are there for each other and support each other as much as they can. This is a very real portrayal of a sisterly relationship. In many YA novels, siblings often play a very small background role and are not really part of the story, or the main character is an only child.

And what of our other supporting characters? The relationship between Vee and her best friend Rollins is predictable but not infuriatingly so. You have the hot mysterious newcomer Zane who seeks out the weird girl, Vee. There is Scotch, the stereotypical self-centred jock you just love to hate and the bitchy high school girls who are not all that they seem. The characters all have depth and their stories are incorporated into the storyline. Everything is connected and it isn’t just mentioned to fill up a word count. Parents and teachers also have parts to play. Just like the teenagers, they all have secrets and problems in their own lives which influence the story.

Slide does well to point out that the image someone projects, isn’t necessarily who they are and has the age-old warning (not in a preachy way), not to judge someone until you get to know them. Appearances can be deceiving and everyone has problems. It also highlights bullying and just how cruel teenage girls can be, but also how vulnerable they are.

With her wits about her, Vee must learn to control her ‘episodes’ to get to the bottom of the mystery and find out who killed Samantha. There are quite a few twists and turns, with misdirection and different theories and to who the killer is. It is suspenseful and entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A big thank you to Jill Hathaway for including me on her ARC tour!