Author: Kasie West
Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Published on: February 12, 2013 by Harper Teen
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.
The premise of this book is one of the things that drew me to it. A young woman who can “see” the outcomes of her decisions before taking them? That power is cool! Most of us would like to be invisible or super strong, but Addison “Addie” Coleman’s gift is so useful. Wouldn’t you wish you had it?
At the start of Pivot Point, Addie’s parents drop a bomb on her: they’re getting divorced. Not only that, her father is moving away. So, Addie has to choose whom she wants to live with. In a normal world, the decision would already be difficult to make. Addie lives in the Compound, a closed-off town where only people with special abilities reside. That’s one thing that surprised me at the start. I thought Addie would be the only character with a gift. The abilities in this book are all mind-based. Addie is mostly referred to as a Searcher. Her gift is a special type of Clairvoyance, which allows Addie to see only her future. Laila, Addie’s best friend, has the ability to Erase memories. Other abilities in Pivot Point include telekinesis, lie-detecting, and even phasing.
If Addie chooses to live with her father, then she’ll have to adapt to life in the outer world. To help her choose, Addie Searches her future to see which one would be better. The rest of the chapters in the book alternate between two timelines. In one timeline, Addie stays with her mother and lives life as she’s always known it. Only, Addie is pursued by her school’s popular quarterback, Duke. In the other timeline, Addie moves with her father. She attends a Norm (that’s what they call people without powers) high school. Soon enough, Addie makes new friends. One of them is Trevor, a laid-back but cute boy who Addie's drawn to. At first glance, both of the possible futures seem all right. Addie has no idea what awaits her, though.
Keeping track of the two timelines seemed challenging at first. I thought it would be like reading two books at once. I’ve never done that to avoid losing track of either story. In Pivot Point, the dual timelines worked well, though. I was never confused when I continued reading. You may notice that every chapter starts with a word definition. They’re not there just for decoration. Starting with chapter three, you’ll find that those definitions give you a clue as to which timeline the chapter belongs to. The definitions are also loosely related to the events in that chapter. I thought those were clever additions, and quite helpful.
As the events unfold, Addie is drawn into a murder investigation in both of the timelines. Simultaneously, she falls for both of her love interests. Addie seemed to grow closer to Trevor, though. I thought they made a better couple than Addie and Duke. There’s the obstacle of Trevor having an ex-girlfriend, but he isn’t interested. In the end, Addie’s decision turns out to be much harder to make than I expected. Both futures end with awful consequences, and Addie must choose the future she’s more willing to live with. The synopsis tells you that Addie needs to decide who she’s willing to live without. Will it be Duke, or Trevor? The answer may surprise you.
As marvelous as Pivot Point was, some things were just plain silly. It appears that the author took a leaf off J.K. Rowling’s book, and the results were rather embarrassing. You know how wizards are all but helpless in the Muggle world? They suck at picking an outfit, for instance. Kasie West tried to do the same with her gifted people. There was a scene with Addie and Duke in which the latter gets stuck in a bathroom in the normal world. He has no idea how to unlock a door with a knob, as all doors in the Compound are automatic. I mean, seriously? A dog could figure out how to open a door, given enough time. The people of the Compound are said to be able to use 100% of their brain (that’s the reason why they have gifts). Getting bested by a door? Unbelievable.
Should you pass up this book? I say definitely not. If you’re a fan of romantic paranormal fantasy with really likable characters, you’ll enjoy Pivot Point. Just forgive the author for the gaffe I mentioned above. Other than that, this book is a gem. It was riveting.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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