Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Slide by Jill Hathaway
Hardcover; 256 pages
Expected publication: March 27, 2012

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.

Slide has such a fascinating premise, I couldn’t wait to read it. A girl who “slides” into the minds of others and sees through their eyes, with no way of knowing what she is going to see, or how to stop it? To slide behind the eyes of a killer standing over a body, with the murder weapon in hand? So many possibilities. I think I expected too much out of this one, and unfortunately, a lot of it fell flat for me.

I think the high school setting was well done. The things the characters did and said felt very authentic, and seemed to mesh perfectly with the mystery and paranormal aspects of the story.

I liked Vee well enough. I felt she was a genuine character and there were times when I really felt for her. But aside from her, none of the other characters stood out to me. My biggest issue admittedly lies in the romance, which was instant and I never felt it. I didn’t find Zane appealing, and I didn’t understand how Vee did either. His character wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to even feel like he was real.

While I still love the idea behind Slide, the mystery surrounding the murder wasn’t very mysterious. I found it a bit predictable, and not in a good way, because I wasn’t a fan of the ending. If not for the ending, this may have been a four star book. But it felt contrived, and certain characters and situations seemed to be there for shock value, but I wasn’t shocked.

Despite all of this, Slide was still enjoyable. I will most likely be reading the sequel, because it sounds like it has a lot of promise.

3 out of 5 Stars