Slide is a little hard to rate, but if you can suspend reality a little bit for a good story, I think you'll enjoy it. It is unique from every other novel I've read, across all genres and I really enjoyed it. It was interesting and clever at page 1 and even better, Jill Hathaway doesn't lose you through the novel.The concept is nothing short of amazing to me: a teenage girl, Vee, who is mistakenly diagnosed with narcolepsy by health professionals, slips into an unconscious state and her mind "slides" into that of another person, IF she happens to be touching something the other person "imprinted" on. Hathaway writes these episodes brilliantly and the reader is never left confused whether they are in Vee's head or the other person's. I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed this aspect of the story, it was completely fascinating. That's also where it fell a little short for me: it is hinted strongly throughout SLIDE that Vee's ability is hereditary, however Hathaway doesn't really ever delve into why she has it and how it came to be with her when her mother passed away. I was very interested in this and it disappointed me when I didn't get the answers I was looking for. This is why I advise suspending reality while you read it: Vee just accepts she has this ability, but never really looks into how or why. She does tell her father in the beginning (who doesn't believe her), but overall, she just fakes the narcolepsy diagnosis and carries on with her life. I have a really hard time believing anyone would actually do that.Hathaway does a really great job keeping the reader guessing who the murderer is. I can't tell you how many times I was REALLY SURE I knew who it was, only to have that confidence ripped away from me in the very next chapter with another twist. I love twists, they are like book roller-coasters! However, when I did get the answer, even though I was surprised, I was a little let down. It didn't seem to flow well with the story and it felt disjointed overall. I was especially surprised at the murder accomplice in the story; it just didn't seem like something they would do and very out of character. Hathaway's writing in SLIDE is wonderful; she nails the YA genre very well and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The characters were all very likeable, and clearly, there is a story here to tell. The concept is a unique one and I had a great time reading it. I would definitely recommend this for fans of YA/SFF and thrillers.
