Last week, I featured three romantic contemporaries. This week, I'm levitating over to the paranormal and fantasy side of things...
Balzer and Bray
Source: received an e-ARC from Netgalley
My summary: If you think high school is tough, try being a girl with a dead mother, a perpetually distracted father, and a conniving little sister who's taken your place in the popular crowd. Oh, and if that isn't enough, Vee's also a narcoleptic. Well, everyone thinks she's a narcoleptic. Actually, she has psychometric powers. When she touches an object that's imbued with another person's strong emotions, she slides right into their consciousness for a few minutes. When one of Vee's classmates commits suicide, Vee knows for sure the girl was murdered. Vee was there. She was in the murderer's body and saw her hands (well, the murderer's hands) holding a bloody knife. The problem? She doesn't know who those hands belonged to. And she's determined to find out.
My take: I loved this book. Vee is tough-but-vulnerable, my very favorite kind of heroine. Plus, she's funny. Since she's sure no one will believe her about the sliding thing, she pretends to go along with the narcolepsy diagnosis, all the while popping caffeine pills like a college student during finals. She has this doesn't-realize-he's adorable guy best friend who writes a 'zine about all the nasty goings on in the school in-crowd. Vee's obsessed with astronomy and her dead mother's collection of 90s music. What's not to love?
I was also impressed by how well this book works as a mystery. Jill Hathaway has brilliantly solved one of the problems that has plagued mystery writers since the days of Wilkie Collins: how do you give an amateur detective access to the details of the crime in a way that's plausible? Especially when the amateur detective in question is a high school student. I mean, can a bunch of teenagers and a Great Dane driving around in a psychedelic minivan really solve mysteries? They'd be laughed off the crime scene faster than you can say Scooby Doo.
I have studied the Amateur Detective Access problem in depth and concluded that the usual order of business is to make the amateur detective the kid of a police officer or the girlfriend of the kid of a police officer, offering them access to the details of the case. Okay, that works.
Slide by Jill Hathaway
March 27, 2012Balzer and Bray
Source: received an e-ARC from Netgalley
My summary: If you think high school is tough, try being a girl with a dead mother, a perpetually distracted father, and a conniving little sister who's taken your place in the popular crowd. Oh, and if that isn't enough, Vee's also a narcoleptic. Well, everyone thinks she's a narcoleptic. Actually, she has psychometric powers. When she touches an object that's imbued with another person's strong emotions, she slides right into their consciousness for a few minutes. When one of Vee's classmates commits suicide, Vee knows for sure the girl was murdered. Vee was there. She was in the murderer's body and saw her hands (well, the murderer's hands) holding a bloody knife. The problem? She doesn't know who those hands belonged to. And she's determined to find out.
My take: I loved this book. Vee is tough-but-vulnerable, my very favorite kind of heroine. Plus, she's funny. Since she's sure no one will believe her about the sliding thing, she pretends to go along with the narcolepsy diagnosis, all the while popping caffeine pills like a college student during finals. She has this doesn't-realize-he's adorable guy best friend who writes a 'zine about all the nasty goings on in the school in-crowd. Vee's obsessed with astronomy and her dead mother's collection of 90s music. What's not to love?
I was also impressed by how well this book works as a mystery. Jill Hathaway has brilliantly solved one of the problems that has plagued mystery writers since the days of Wilkie Collins: how do you give an amateur detective access to the details of the crime in a way that's plausible? Especially when the amateur detective in question is a high school student. I mean, can a bunch of teenagers and a Great Dane driving around in a psychedelic minivan really solve mysteries? They'd be laughed off the crime scene faster than you can say Scooby Doo.
I have studied the Amateur Detective Access problem in depth and concluded that the usual order of business is to make the amateur detective the kid of a police officer or the girlfriend of the kid of a police officer, offering them access to the details of the case. Okay, that works.
But in Slide, Vee actually slips into the consciousness of all the suspects and finds out their secrets. Did I mention that there are a whole lot of suspects in this murder? Including, but not limited to: Vee's sister, her father, her favorite teacher, the hot new guy in school AND her 'zine-writing best friend?
I thought I knew who the killer was. Then I changed my mind. Lather, rinse, repeat. Jill Hathaway did a brilliant job of keeping me guessing right up until the end.
The end. That was the worst part of Slide, because it was not entirely clear to me whether or not Vee's story would continue in another book. But I slid into Jill Hathaway's consciousness visited the author's blog and ... YES! She's writing a new book called Impostor.
My happiness is complete.
What are you reading this week?
I thought I knew who the killer was. Then I changed my mind. Lather, rinse, repeat. Jill Hathaway did a brilliant job of keeping me guessing right up until the end.
The end. That was the worst part of Slide, because it was not entirely clear to me whether or not Vee's story would continue in another book. But I s
My happiness is complete.
What are you reading this week?
Fantastic review!! Slide sounds really awesome! I am really looking forward to reading this book.
ReplyDeleteI loved it! Hope you do too!
DeleteI have been really bad this week and have been reading fanfic instead of the pile of TBR books I have! But thanks for this review! I had heard about this book but now I am really looking forward to getting my hands on it. I don't think anyone has done a YA mystery quite like this and I am excited to read it!
DeleteOoops! That was meant as a comment, not as a reply to Amy. Sorry!
DeleteNo problem -- its just a big chatfest here at my blog :)
DeleteGreat review! I want to read this book :)
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading Mockingjay :D and Exceeding Expectations for review.
I'm sure you'll love it. Maybe I'll give a copy away....
Deletehaha i don't know how u can afford to give so many away :D but hey, i'm not complaining especially when 5% of it goes to me lol!
DeleteWow that book sounds interesting--and different. I haven't seen that psychic gift (is that a good word for it?) done in that way in YA lit. I am intrigued!
ReplyDeleteI am currently reading Fat Vampire, Delirium (audiobook!), and The Girl Who Was On Fire. I am starting my re-read of Hunger Games tomorrow! I am so excited!
Shanan
http://thebookaddictnet.blogspot.com
The Delirium audiobook is really good, isn't it???
DeleteGreat review! I have this on my tbr list, but I was a little apprehensive about it, but you've convinced me it will be worth the read. I just started the Hunger Games since I want to read it before I see the movie and I'm starting A Million Suns.
ReplyDeleteTry it and let me know.
DeleteI love it that everyone's re-reading the Hunger Games! Can't wait for the movie :)
I've been waiting impatiently for your review! So glad to read it finally. I'm curious to know who was at the top of your suspect list. :-)
ReplyDeleteWill email you. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it :)
DeleteSLIDE sounds fabulous. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteI loved it!
Deletewow.. i'm loving it
ReplyDeleteP/S New Follower @ When She Reads
Followed you back :)
DeleteI love to read a good mystery book that keeps you guessing and when you think you are right.....you turn out to be wrong. :)
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's no fun when you can figure it out right away....
DeleteThanks for the great review. I love the Scooby Doo part lol. Slide sounds like such a great read. I defintely love reading paranormal mystery type books. Especially ones where you are constantly trying to figure out what is going on which is this book, says your review, so I am happy about that. I will be definitely needing to read this book and I'm glad to know there is a sequel.
ReplyDeleteThen you will love it. Maybe I'll have to give a copy away!
DeleteYou know what happens when I read your reviews? I end up adding more books to my TBR, like this one! It's never going to go down! LOL! And I mean this as a total COMPLIMENT to your reviews :-) :-) This books sounds really good!
ReplyDeleteSorry. And not sorry ;)
DeleteI was looking forward to this book already, but after reading your review I can't wait to get my hands on it! I love your whole thing about the Amateur Detective Access problem - I hate when young characters just happen to stumble upon huge clues that they would never have found... Drives me nuts. But this one does sound like the perfect solution to that problem! Awesome review - I really love your humor! ;)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE mysteries and think there should be more YA mystery. Sadly, kids solving mysteries is a bit implausible. This is a brilliant solution!
DeleteSo glad you loved this one. I've been dying to break into my copy but I'm trying to hang on a little longer. I still have Jan and Feb bks to read :( *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI was trying to read in order then decided to switch to a themed week for a few weeks just to mix it up!
DeleteI just recently read this book and it reminded me of two things. Lisa McMann's Wake series (have you read it? sort of similar concept) and, and this may seem odd but hear me out: The Taming of the Shrew and the movie 10 Things I Hate About You (with Heath Ledger.) Have you seen that film? It's a LOOSE retelling of The Taming of the Shrew but a) there are two sisters, an older one who used to be popular and a younger one who is now popular and sort of the bell of the ball b) the older sister had some bad stuff happen to her, hence her fall from popularity and the in-crowd and c) the girls live with their dad who is a widower AND (at least in the film) the father is a doctor (they are both OB's)- just like in Slide. Not sure if the girl's father in Taming of the Shrew was a doctor too, it's been a while since I read it.
ReplyDeleteThat's sort of where the similarities end but I still thought about it as I was reading. Did you pick up on any of that or is it just me? I'll have to check out the author's site and see if there was a connection.
Anyway, sorry about the tangent, great review as usual:)
Yay -- so happy when an old post gets some comment love.
DeleteI have not read the Wake series. But I have seen 10 Things I Hate About You and I do see your point. I think you and I should do some 90s trivia, though you'd kick my butt for sure....
Yes, I LOVE trivia! I'm a sponge for completely useless information:)
Delete