Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West

Description from Goodreads:

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.

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I remember that Pivot Point was first published in 2013 by HarperTeen, because I was just dying to read  it the minute it was shipped to the bookstores. The premise just sounded so exciting - mind powers, alternative universes, romance! Unfortunately, I never got the chance to read it back then, and I kind of forgot about it as other books came along. Luckily, I got the e-copy of Pivot Point recently and I was finally able to read it! While the book wasn't exactly a life-changing, it was very entertaining and exactly what I needed at that moment - a fast-paced love story with a supernatural twist to it.

I really liked the idea of parallel stories. The view points alternated between the life Addie chose to spent with her dad and spent with her mom. I really couldn't decide which reality I liked better, because there was always something happening with both view points. You know the feeling when your reading "one more chapter, and then I'll stop"? Well, that's exactly the kind of feeling you get while reading Pivot Point.  You get attached to the characters from both worlds, and at least I felt very torn at one point when I was thinking about what will Addie choose in the end. And I'm not saying this only because of the romance, but there will be dire consequences depending on what Addie will decide to do. And ugh, the ending! That finale makes you want to read the second book as soon as possible. You just need to know what happens next. 

The mind powers were a pretty cool thing, and I liked how those abilities gave insight about the personalities of the characters themselves. For example, Addie is able to see the future when in front of a specific choice, which ultimately makes her a very careful and even a reserved character. Laila on the other hand, who is Addie's best friend, is able to erase memories so she appears to be very care-free and doesn't seem to have any limits - she does what she wants because she is able erase the memories if needed to be so. The things is this though: at times I felt like there wasn't enough exploration of those abilities. Maybe this was exactly what the author wanted, a contemporary novel with a scifi twist, but I really liked the abilities and I deeply wished that the author would have told more about the origins of the powers (and of course  showing off with them). That would have been cool. 

Even though there's isn't exactly a love triangle going on, there still are two very eligible contenders for Addie's affections. I'm usually very quick to set my mind on one certain guy whom I'll root until the end of the book/series, but Pivot Point made me question my choice every once in a while. "Oh Duke, I'll love you forever", "Oh no no, Trevor I think I'm in love with you instead", "But Duke, y u so sweet", "TREVOR!" . Yeah.. That was basically me while reading the novel. However, by the end of the book it was pretty obvious which one I prefered the best, and I really hope that I'm not cheering for the underdog this time (that tends to happen and then I get all depressed because the girl didn't choose the guy I liked better). 

Pivot Point was a fun, quick read which is something I definitely need from time to time. However, I'm afraid that Pivot Point is going to be one of those novels which you read and even though you really liked it, it will be forgotten in about a week (I hope not though). There's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to read the next book, Split Second, as it is highly important for me to found out how the story ends (read: which guy Addie picks). I've also noticed that Split Second has higher ratings than Pivot Point on Goodreads, so that's pretty encouraging too! Actual rating 3.5.

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