Release Date: February 12th 2013
Published By: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Review: I knew only very little about this book before going into it, but based on the hype, I knew I was in for something special, and I was definitely not disappointed. Pivot Point is special… it’s unlike other books I have read and it’s complex. It’s fun, but it’s also quite deep at times.

Pivot Poiint tells the story of Addie who lives in a community of people who all have different mental abilities of sorts. Addie’s is the ability to see her futures based on decisions she makes. She can see two outcomes to each decision and can let this guide her into not making mistakes with her life. Her best friend Laila has the ability to erase memories. Her mother has the power of persuasion and her father can detect lies amongst truth. This community is kept completely secret from the outside world, but when Addie’s parents announce they are getting divorced, Addie needs to make a life altering decision. Does she stay with her mum in the para community or does she follow her father outside the community where the ‘normals’ live.

In order to help Addie make this decision, she searches 6 months into her possible two futures based on each decision. Both futures involve two different boys and two completely different lives. The decision isn’t made easy though because potentially, lives are at risk based on what she decides.

I can’t express in words just how much I really adored the structure of this book! Each chapter alternated between Addie’s future in the para community and in the world of the normals. And whilst this had the potential to get messy and confusing switching chapter to chapter, Kasie West did a stellar job of making sure that the pace and flow of the book was at a similar place at each point in time, even referencing some cross overs between both worlds at certain points. It’s very clear that the structure itself was well thought through, and in my opinion, it’s a major part of what makes this book as great as it was.

Another reason I loved this story so much was because we think at the start that the book is going to go in one direction and then it completely changes. If I may quote the book itself, “Sometimes perfection reveals the lie, …, not the truth”. And this was so true with the love triangle. To start with, I wasn’t too skeptical of Duke’s actions. Complete jock perhaps, but I thought he was harmless and charming albeit a little corny at times. And Thomas, I wasn’t sure exactly where he was coming from. And then half way though, and I am completely in love with Thomas and everything he stands for, and I am completely cynical of all of Duke’s actions… someone can be too perfect, it’s true. It was a nice turn of events and well played out.

I actually didn’t realise this book was the first of a series, and personally I felt it could have been wrapped up in the first book. But I do like where it has finished because there’s potential to really expand on the current story as it stands right now. I just hope the next book is as good as this one was!

Quotes: “When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel.”

“Just promise me something. If this is a Search and you don’t pick me, don’t pick this path, for whatever reason, promise me you won’t Erase me.”

“Our relationship feels different. Like someone has taken my favorite sweater and thrown it in the dryer and it doesn’t fit right anymore. I want to pull and tug on it until it feels comfortable again.”