Saturday, November 24, 2012

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West + Signed ARC Giveaway!

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)
Pivot Point by Kasie West

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: ARC from author
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
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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.

Addie lives in a paranormal compound hidden from the normal population. Her best friend Leila can erase memories, her mom can influence people, and her dad is a lie detector. Addie has a unique power where she can see the different outcomes of a choice in her life. She can only look into her own future and she usually doesn't look further than a few hours or days. Too many extra memories to deal with. The farthest she ever looked was one week when she waned to see how a date to the dance with Bobby would have went. It was awful so she kept her memories. Laila could erase them but if she erased them then Addie wouldn't remember why she should stay away from him. When Addie's parents decide to divorce they give her the choice of where to live. It is a huge decision since her dad will be leaving the compound to live with Norms. Addie will look a full six weeks into both futures in order to make her choice. The lives are told through alternating chapters.

Choice 1 or Team Mom-Para-Duke as I like to call it lol

Addie is sad that she doesn't get to be with her dad so she decides to do some teenage rebelling that she read about in books. She is pursued by the very charming quarterback of the football team, Duke. Addie is usually into the reserved type but Duke peruses her relentlessly so it would be hard not to give into his charm. He says all the right things and makes her feel special and popular. I really liked Duke. He wasn't perfect but I felt for him and the difficult decision he was facing. During this choice we also got to know Addie's best friend Laila more. She has the power to erase memories which makes them a perfect friend combo. If Addie doesn't like the way one choice goes, Laila can erase it out of her mind. Although Addie explains how she sometimes looks to the future and sees that one choice was so much fun but lead to getting in trouble so she doesn't take it. But she will always have that happy memory even if it never happened. Kind of sucks for Laila who will never live the choice with her though. I enjoyed this choice because Addie stayed at the paranormal compound. I really wanted to learn more about it but the book focused more on her choice. I really hope to get further into this world in the sequel.

Choice 2 Team Dad-Norm-Trevor

This choice is a big culture shock for Addie. The outside world is very different from where Addie originally lives inside the paranormal compound. She has no idea how to make friends with Norms especially when she has to hide a big part of who she is. Looking at things in our world confused her but made me laugh. She attends a football game and meets Trevor who she decides will become her new best friend. Trevor is exactly Addie's type, shy and reserved, but then Addie learns that Trevor actually used to be a football player but was recently injured when playing against Lincoln High, Addie's paranormal school. (Lincoln High was actually the name of my high school!) A new mystery of whether or not paranormal students are using their powers incorrectly. There is also a murder mystery that her dad researches. Trevor was so sweet and a perfect friend to Addie. He saw the real her but Addie desperately wanted to tell him the truth about her powers. The compound had strict rules about who to tell. I also didn't understand why Addie's dad was looking into the murders so undercover. The compound seems to be hiding too much. Laila is really distant since Addie left her. Laila avoids a lot of her calls and hangs out with Bobby who Addie used her power to see that he would have been a big jerk on their date. I didn't like Laila in this version. I understand that Addie left her but was sad with the way she treated Addie.

About both choices

It is so hard to review and explain this book without giving too much away and also trying to explain what I liked about each life at the same time. lol I have no idea how the author kept both worlds lined up! That is what I really loved. Both choices have events line up and there are little clues scattered in both lives to give you hints to the mysteries. I somehow didn't guess it. Looking back maybe I should have but my mind was everywhere at once (And mostly on the boys as it always is!) It makes me really want to go back and read it a second time. Especially since I was literally up all night reading. So many emotions and trust issues while reading. I couldn't decide who or what choice was better and who or what to trust. It was crazy in a perfect way! I also liked that it didn't feel like a love triangle. Even though there are two love interests they are both in separate lives so there isn't any of that cheating or the guys fighting over her. I loved the build of both relationships. No insta-love at all. They felt very real to me and very close to the way I fell in love in high school. I had butterflies with Addie. Then is slowly becomes clear which guy is best for Addie. Of course I still really liked both guys but one guy was better for Addie.

Making a choice

As you can guess both lives have good things and bad things but one life had something horrible. I kind of expected her to make the choice she did but at the same time was a bit surprised. To try to change the choices would risk something even more disastrous happening. Like in Sliding Doors I guess no choice is perfect and no matter what choice you make shitty stuff is going to happen but maybe in the end you will always end up where you are supposed to be and maybe you couldn't avoid certain things no matter what. (Sliding Doors is a great movie BTW and streaming on Netflix) My mind was reeling for days off of it! It makes you wonder...where you might have been if... Anyway it was a brilliant book and I want Laila to erase my memory of reading this book just so I can read it again for the first time! It didn't end exactly how I wanted but what I did love was that it was fully wrapped up with no cliffhanger! Although I still think about it often and can't wait to see what happens in the sequel!


-----
"First of all, I can't just ask the universe if Duke likes me. It doesn't work that way. I have to be faced with a choice. There is no choice here. Second, even if I did get the opportunity to find out my future with Duke, I wouldn't, because if it tells me I end up liking that guy then I'll just kill myself now."

"You know what else the average girl who's acting out does?" Duke asks quietly.
I glance once at Laila, but it's obvious she can't hear us. "What?"
"She starts spending her all her time with the boy who's no good for her."
"And that boy would be...?"
"Me, of course."

"No, it's not that. It's that if everyone else likes something, that something usually knows it and has a huge head because of it. The things I have to hunt for don't even realize how awesome they are."

"Smile, I'm about to embarass you."
"Please don't." But before I even finish the words, Duke stands and says, "Everyone, this is Addie, my girlfriend, and her best friend, Laila. Introduce yourselves when you get a chance."

He shrugs."Doesn't help to waste my time thinking about would've-beens."
Laila whispers, "He says to the girl with a mind full of them."

Rating: 5/5 

~Giveaway~ 

55 comments:

  1. I am super excited for this one! The premise is way too awesome to pass up!

    I would have liked to see both decisions for choosing my major. While I'm happy that I chose Environmental Science, I wonder where I'd be now if I stuck with Math or Statistics instead.

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  2. Thanks for the great post and congrats to Kasie on the new release! I think that I would have liked to have seen both decisions for and against finishing college :)

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  3. This book sounds amazing,and I loved your review! Let's see... what would I have liked to see both outcomes for? Well, I broke up with this one guy because we were just too wrong for each other. But it would have been kind of fun to see what my life would have been like if I'd married him. I have my speculations, but I'd love to know if I would have been right! Either way, I know it was the right decision to break up with him. Thanks for the giveaway!

    - Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl

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  4. I would like to see what would have happened if I had went to a magnet high school for Environmental Science and Technology, rather than go to the public high school I'm in now. While the public high school is in the top 5% of all high schools in the country, and that magnet school is not, the magnet cshool would probably prepare me better for my proposed major - environmental engineering. Just food for thought :)

    Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  5. Great review! This book has been on my wishlist forever. It sounds really unique and interesting!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

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  6. I saw this book. I thought it was an original and a neat idea. Have not seen another one of those floating around. It add dept. Awesome review, it makes the book even more enticing.

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  7. Wow this sounds really cool. I was going to request it from Edelweiss, but I was undecided about whether I wanted to read it or not. After reading your review I am really interested in it. I love that it goes back and forth between both choices. Fantastic review!!

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  8. This sounds amazing :) I loved the review and I liked how you break it down!

    Janina @ Synchronized Reading

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  9. I would have like to see both outcomes of moving

    Kmichellec87(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  10. I'm very excited to read this one I love parallel universe stuff :)

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  11. This sounds so intriguing. I can't wait to read it!

    I emigrated when I was 17...sure wish I could have seen my choices then. What a cool power. :)

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  12. Seems like an interesting great reading, the review was nice...

    Thanks for sharing :)

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  13. Thanks for the review. When I first saw the premise for the book I was worried that it would be confusing with what seemed like two different stories into one, but it sounds like it did work. Plus, I love it when a book actually has a satisfying ending, it seems to be a rarity recently.

    I wish I could go back and see what would have happened if I had either gone to a different college or maybe transferred after my second year . . . it's the one decision that I keep questioning.

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  14. I am so excited to read this book and your review has me even more excited! I am always terrible at picking teams but your teaser quotes already have me leaning toward Duke.

    If I had that power I would have liked to see the what it would have been like if I had picked a different law school.

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  15. I am so glad you like this one because I haven't heard a lot about it and I have it in my TBR ARC pile too.

    I love the cover!

    Great review! :)

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  16. I think I'd like to see both decisions of staying home and commuting to college or going away to school. Thanks!

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  17. I'm really excited for this book! I've never read anything that sounds remotely close to this and it sounds so unique! I can't wait to see both sides of the choice she has to make! Great review.

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  18. Thanks for the great review, Jennifer! :) It *is* hard to review, huh? It's like trying to review two stories melded into one. You did a great job. I love the quotes you picked to highlight. So fun.

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  19. I am so glad to see that you liked this one! I just love the premise and the choices the character needs to make. I love the quotes, especially the second one. :)

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  20. Thank you for such a great review! I love reading stories whereby people can foresee the outcomes of their choices. I think if I could choose a time it would be my freshmen year in college if I had stuck with what I had originally planned for myself.

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  21. I have been seeing so many reviews come out for this book and they are all crazy amazing! I'm so glad you liked it. And, I think it sounds like one of the coolest most original concepts. She can see outcomes...so interesting. The quotes were really great too :D Awesome review, Jennifer!

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  22. GREAT review! ive already been dying to read this book, and your review just made me crave this book even more! ahhhh! awesome job!

    thanks for the giveaway too!!!

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  23. Eek! Now I'm even more excited to read this, especially since I tend to like the same books you do. :)

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  24. I would like to see both outcomes of whether I went to law school. I always wonder how different my life would be today if I decided to go. Thanks for the giveaway!!

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  25. I would have liked to see the outcome of me going to a different high school.

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  26. Wow, and to think that I never intended to read this book because of its pretty cover! I've been disappointed by so many gorgeous covers lately. But wow, this sounds absolutely amazing, and I love the idea of all these powers, seeing different outcomes, erasing memories. It's right up my alley!
    Thank you for the wonderful review! I'm very excited about it now.

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  27. I wasn't sure about this one, but if you loved it then it must be good ;)

    Definitely adding it to my wishlist!

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  28. I am kind of a worrier and really agonize over a difficult decisions, having the ability to see both outcomes really is intriguing. I probably would spend nearly all the time deciding and little time living.

    Pivot Point really does sounds interesting. Great review!

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  29. Wow! A five star read....Hmm as far as decisions go that I would like to see both outcomes perhaps t)3 break up of a boyfriend O had in college...what would it be like if we stayed together....

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  30. I just got this one off Edelweiss and I'm so excited to read it. Especially after it got a 5 star review from you!

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  31. I am super excited to read this one. The idea is so unique and it just sounds exciting....which I love about any book! I can't wait to read this! I can't wait to read more about the romance too. Sounds Fun! So glad you enjoyed this! :D Fantabulous review!

    P.s. I loved Sliding Doors too! Awesome movie! :D

    ~ Maida @ Literary Love Affair

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  32. I will be going to college and I'm not sure which major I want. I would love to see what my life would be like

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  33. 5 stars ? Wow! This book seems to be pretty brilliant! The concept sounds pretty fascinating and the way you described the book just makes me want to read it sooner!
    Fab review, Jennifer! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much! :)

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  34. First of all it would drive me crazy to have this ability. I already have trouble making up my mind on something. Now I would know other outcomes. Maybe in my furniture selections it would help me! Ha ha!! maybe in who I dated as a teenager too!

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  35. I am currently trying to decide between going to my current school to be a school librarian (where I have to do two years of teaching) or just going ahead and doing the straight librarianship. I would love to see the outcome of what would happen if I picked either or.

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  36. I'm really excited to read this one. There is some major buzz on Twitter about it. I'm disappointed that I didn't get an ARC at NCTE. Can't wait for the release.

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  37. Super excited for the release! Great Interview!

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  38. I would love to have seen the outcome of marrying my X or not? Who would I have married instead and would we have stayed together? **sigh** It sucks being a single Mom. Great question BTW and this books seems like it will be one of my favorites next year. Can't wait to read. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  39. I think your book sounds great will have to add it to my list of must reads.

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  40. Great review! I love the idea of this book, and even if I hadn't already wanted to read it, the quotes you picked cemented my interest in this novel.

    In answer to your question, and this might sound horrible, I'd like to go back to the day my husband (then boyfriend) asked me if we were exclusive. Because at the time, I'd only a month before gotten out of a terrible, TERRIBLE relationship that lasted way too long, and I had planned on being single for awhile. I wanted to be on my own for awhile, but instead, after only a month or two of dating, I moved in with my husband, three years later we got married, and a year after that we had our daughter. And in March she'll be five. I don't regret any of that, but I'd still like to see how I would've turned out if I had branched out on my own and done my own thing for awhile...

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  41. This book looks beyond amazing. It was one of my picks in My Most Anticipated Reads in 2013. It was a pleasure to read more details than I have seen thus far on Pivot Point. Thanks for the giveaway and for the great post.

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  42. Thanks for the review! Since a really big opportunity just presented itself to my family, I could really use an ability like this right now. I would love to see both outcomes of our family decision.

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  43. This book sounds interesting. I was trying to figure out from the review which choice would be better, but I don't know!

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  44. What a great review. Very detailed, and it makes me want to read the book even more. I can't really think of anything from the past that I would have looked forward to see what would happen. (Did that make sense?) But I would love to be able to look into the future right now, and see a little baby that looks like me and my husband. That would make me happy, ecstatic, joyful, tearful, just AHHHHH!!!!!

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  45. Fantastic review! I'm really looking forward to reading this one. It sounds really unique, which is rare these days for young adult. For me, I'd probably want to know about my boyfriend's job. We've been wanting to get married for years now and haven't been able to afford it - I have expensive medical bills and he has a crappy salary. He's debating on whether or not to stick with his job in hopes he'll get a big enough raise eventually or try to find something elsewhere, which seems unlikely. Sometimes I wish I could know for certain what the outcome would be. I just need to be patient, though. Sigh.

    Anyway, love the review! The giveaway brought me here, but I think I'll stick around. :-)

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  46. Finishing my Masters in Special Education. I stopped to get a real job so I could support myself and get out of my parents house. I always wonder what it would be like if I had finished and I had worked with Special Education children.

    Someone likened this book to a movie I love called Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow and I absolutely loved the movie, so I think I'll love this book. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Heather

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  47. I'd like to have seen the outcomes of going to a different college.

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  48. Great review! I can't wait to read this book!! So, I hope I win :)

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!

    --Sam @ SIK Book Reviews

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  49. Thanks for the review, this is a book I've been wanting to read but this is the first review I've seen of it. I'm glad you liked it! It reminds me of an episode of a show called So Weird...I think it was on Disney Channel a reallllly long time ago, but it was an episode based on a simple choice of what to eat for breakfast and the whole idea of 2 such different outcomes stuck with me.

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  50. I would have loved to see both outcomes of going to my current high school. I would have loved to go to another one, but maybe, I would not have met such amazing friends.

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  51. Love your review! I fell hard and fast while reading this book. I cannot wait until February so I can have a finished, shiny copy adorning my shelf.

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  52. Thanks for the giveaway! I cant wait to read this book.

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  53. Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed this so much because it's one that I'm really looking forward to! I've only heard awesome things about it so far.

    Hmm... I guess I wish I could see what my life would be like if I had gone to my second choice college. I've been wondering about that a lot lately, actually.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  54. This one is on my Wishlist, and I'm excited to see how much you enjoyed it!

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