Review: Slide

Slide

By Jill Hathaway

Publication date: March 27, 2012

My review:

Sylvia "Vee" Bell is known for being a narcoleptic but the truth is that when she suddenly appears to fall unconscious, she is actually "sliding" into someone else's body. It is a creepy and frightening ability that she does not want and when she told her father about it, he refused to believe her. Vee is supposed to be taking medication but the only thing that sort of helps is caffeine pills. Most of the time, Vee sees embarrassing things but one day, she slides into the body of a killer who has just murdered her younger sister's friend. Everyone else thinks it is a suicide but only Vee knows the truth. Who would believe her if she told them? When another student dies, Vee must figure out who the killer is before her sister is next...

Vee was once a popular student and cheerleader like her younger sister Mattie. Now, she lives on the fringes, hanging out with her best friend Rollins and popping caffeine pills in an effort to stay awake so she won't slide. Vee's life is pretty isolated as she can't share the truth about herself with anyone, not even Rollins. Her dad is a workaholic still grieving the loss of his wife and Mattie is kind of spoiled and hangs out with Vee's ex-best friend and other cheerleaders.

Vee is a character who struggles with a difficult condition/ability that leaves her feeling isolated and alone. She doesn't have anyone she feels the can confide in. Given her father's reaction to her ability, she doesn't even trust her best friend Rollins. This adds to the distance between them which only increases when Vee begins to spend time with Zane, a potential love interest. This sense of isolation and the barriers she puts up only increases the suspense when Vee witnesses the aftermath of a murder while sliding. Now she is faced with trying to solve a murder on her own as well. Slide offers up a suspenseful story where it is difficult to guess who the killer is but the book is raised above the average suspense novel because of the internal struggles of the protagonist as well. 

Readalikes: Wake by Lisa McMann, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, Clarity by Kim Harrington, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Note: I received an ARC of this book for review through the Amazon Vine program