Book Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

3.5 out of 5 hearts

I learned of this book while I was researching for a Book Watch a while back.  I did not feature this book for the Book Watch, but added it to my TBR list.  By the time I did start reading this, I had forgotten about the plot, so I was not expecting it.

Addie is a Searcher - a person that can "search" the future to find out the outcome of a decision she can or has to make.  She lives in a Paranormal compound which is a secluded town of paranormal individuals and families.  Despite her abnormality, she lives a regular life as a regular teen in the compound.  Yes, her high school is only for the gifted, but that's the only difference.  Her dad is a live lie detector and her mother is has the power of persuasion.  One day they hit her with the news of their divorce and she is given the opportunity to choose which parent she will live with.  If she chooses her dad, she will live the compound and live among normal people and hide her talent.  On the other hand, if she chooses her mom, she will be able to stay at the home and live the life she already knows.  

Even though her gift can be useful, it is also her curse.  She can use it to search into the future and figure out which decision will benefit her most, but she will know what happens each moment of each day and life loses it's spontaneity.  She lays down and searches six months in the future; this is the biggest search she has ever made.  Her hope is to find the outcome of one decision to be much better than the other, but what happens when they are both as bad?

The premise may not sound all that, but I really enjoyed how West told the story.  We know that Addie has two options and, therefore, two futures.  As she is searching, we read both futures as if they were happening at the very moment.  To make things even more interesting, West switches between futures with every other chapter.  So, one chapter it is her future with her dad and the next future is with her mom.  Even though there are different consequences, we can see how her futures overlap and some things are inevitable with either decision.  West addresses the question of all time:  Destiny versus Fate.

It was a pretty quick read for me and the ending was great.  It was not one of those endings you could guess at all, at least I didn't.  Definitely worth the read.

-Mariela

Hardcover, 343 pages

Published February 12th 2013 by HarperTeen

ISBN 0062117378 (ISBN13: 9780062117373)

Edition language:  English