Title: Slide Series: Slide #1
Author: Jill Hathaway
Published: March 27, 2012
Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 250
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads: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 distant lately, 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.
Jill Hathaway’s debut novel is set up extremely well: a murder mystery with a unique paranormal twist all sounds very well on paper. And I must admit that the first half or more of Slide was very well written, engaging, and different. Yet this mystery’s rushed and emotionless conclusion really failed to bring the story together in any meaningful way, and my final impression of the book was one of dissatisfaction.
The author’s premise, as I said, was a good one. Protagonist Vee “slides” into another person’s body whenever she touches something they’ve emotionally imprinted on. That’s troublesome enough as it is, but when she accidentally slides into a murderer’s body, things get more bothersome. Even so, I felt that Vee’s ability was more on the fringe of things, was not as pronounced or high-consequences as I maybe would have liked. Though the paranormal has an impact on Slide and its story, it felt like Hathaway was understating it in some way.
And in terms of characterization, I really would have wanted more depth. Vee is dealing with a lot of problems and has a painful past, but she doesn’t emotionally connect to the reader, really. The book’s supporting characters are even less well-drawn, and often come across as stereotypical puppets rather than three-dimensional human beings. Vee’s two love interests (yes, there is a love triangle) in particular could have been expanded upon.
Speaking of the love triangle, I was very unimpressed with Slide in that area. It’s never been my favorite trope, especially when it doesn’t serve the purpose of aiding in the protagonist’s growth or self-actualization in any way. On one hand, the reader has Vee’s best friend, Rollins, who’s a bit touchy about his home life, and gorgeous New Boy Zane, who Vee feels is just “too good” for a girl like her. (Oh, yes, naturally, Vee is very self-depreciating and compares herself to an ugly black sharpie, whereas her gorgeous sister is a sparkly valentine). Anyway, the Rollins vs. Zane debate adds unnecessary tension to what should a tense book already, seeing as Slide is supposed to be primarily a murder-mystery. And the way the love triangle resolves itself? Super lazy writing.
Even more disappointing than all of these aspects was the way the mystery itself wrapped up. And it wasn’t that it was predictable so much as that it was supremely rushed. Hathaway spent a lot of time in the build-up, but when the big reveal is made, everything moves way too fast and because there’s no emotional well to draw from, it becomes a flat, silly disaster. Instead of a complex, intriguing antagonist, Slide pulls the “crazy card” because having a murderer with mental health problems is, honestly, so much easier to write. That was very frustrating for me.
It’s so sad to see a good idea go to waste and get buried under writing that seeks the easy way out and doesn’t push boundaries. Slide, for all its promise, falls flat due to its lack of original plot or characters, though Jill Hathaway initially gives readers a unique concept to chew on. In the end, this book doesn’t really stand out from the bulk of YA fiction. Sadly, this is a story all too easily forgotten.
