Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point by Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: February 12th, 2013
Number of pages: 343 pgs
Format: Hardcover
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

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.

There was so much talk about this book. A friend of mine loved it so much that it convinced me to buy it. Normally I would wait for a paperback, but I took the risk that I could like it enough to buy the paperback which was the only format available.

The moment I started reading it, I knew this was definitely my kind of book. I thought at first that it was a contemporary book, but when I read it, it was something else. I think it was probably half contemporary and half fantasy with special elements included.

This story, we are introduced to Addison has grown up in a world where everyone has a different ability. For Addison, her ability is to be able to search through different futures depending on what she or someone may or may not take. 
After her parents drop a bomb shell upon her that threatens to tear her family apart,  she has to decide who she would rather live with, her Mom in the place she has grown up in, or venture to somewhere new with her Dad, the human world where everything will be so unfamilar to her.
Deciding to search through her possible futures, Addie finds out what would happen if she stays or if she happens to leave.
In one possible future, Addie stays with her Mom and ends up dating the school's quarterback, and finds herself in a position and relationship she never wanted ton be in, but other than that, she couldn't be happier.  In the other future, Addie sees herself setting to her new surroundings, and for the first time, falls in love with a human boy.  But things become complicated when she gets involved in one of her mother's murder cases, and Addie finds herself in a position where not everything is what she thought it would be.

This novel battles many decisions.  From what you think you should do, and what your heart is telling you. From dating someone who everyone wants you to date to someone who fall in love with against your own judgment. From a world full of supernatural elements to one that has none of that.

Addison was someone who I adored right off the bat. She was a character I think many people could relate on, especially when it comes to when she was dealing with her family and personal issues, even her issues when it comes to her lovelife.  She was a great character. She has to make decisions based on what she felt in her heart, and what was best for her and in the long run, no matter what consequences may occur.

At first,  I enjoyed both love interests, but as the story went on... my perspective changed and I definitely leaned more towards one than the other when information came to light about one of them and things started to change with particular actions taken.

I even loved the supernatural elements to this story. I can't wait for the sequel to see what will happen with Addie next.

Rating: 5/5