Publication date: Feb. 11, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Category: Young Adult - Paranormal/Sci-fi
Source: Borrowed from library
Summary: Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced and her boyfriend used her. On top of that, her ability is acting up and now she can manipulate time but not without a price. When Addie’s dad invites her to spend time with him, she jumps at the chance to escape to Dallas, Texas where she meets the achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a stranger to her, so why does her heart flip every time she sees him? Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, can restore Addie’s memories.. once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding boy from school—and the only one who can help her. As Addie and Laila attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot. (Adapted goodreads.com)
The good
This time last year I was reading a lot of books involving alternate realities and parallel universes. It was a coincidence and of those books, Pivot Point by Kasie West was a clear standout. It still surprises me that this series has only recently gotten a lot of high praise in the book blogger community because it’s a really good one. (I think I need to work on my book pushing skills, or lack thereof.) Split Second deals with the aftermath of the path Addie chose after her Search ended. She chose the reality where: her best friend Laila lived, they stopped a murderer and ability stealer named Bobby, she was fooled and used by fellow classmate and jock, Duke. And heartbreakingly of all, this choice meant never knowing Trevor. Of course, Addie doesn’t actually remember what she’s missing. (But I do! Oh Trevor.)At the end of Pivot Point, Addie writes a note to Laila telling her she can extend her Mind Erasing ability to also restore memories and she has to restore Addie’s. This and Addie’s ever-evolving powers — which now include time manipulation — are the catalysts for Split Second. It’s told in alternating chapters, between Addie and Laila’s point-of-views. What I liked about this was getting to know Laila better and have a strong understanding of what Addie’s friendship means to her as well as her home life (it’s complicated). Addie is sent off the compound to live with her dad for 6 weeks which means.. she sees Trevor again. She doesn’t know their past but she senses a strong connection to him. The problem is, in this timeline, she becomes friends with his ex, Trevor notices something off about her and the government officials at the Compound are watching her (and everyone’s) interactions with the “Norms” very closely.
Laila is stuck on the compound and trying to figure out how exactly she can advance her ability and help Addie. This leads her to Connor, a mysterious fellow classmate with an unknown ability but he’s got connections to the kind of tech Laila needs. This time around, their relationship was my favorite of the book. They both have secrets they’re unwilling to reveal and half the time they’re trying to push each other’s buttons but they keep getting thrown into situations together. Or rather, Laila keeps going to him for help and he keeps showing up. Eventually the two sides of the story merge and all the characters meet, which I enjoyed. There’s government intrigue, secrets and lies and it was fun watching them team up and take them on.
(Super minor) reservations
A part of me wishes it was a teeny, tiny bit longer cause certain aspects of the ending did feel slightly rushed. But otherwise, this was a great follow-up and end to the series. (I’m pretty sure it’s just these two books.)
Do I recommend?
Yes! It’s an engaging series with great characters and I’m a big fan of Kasie West’s. Definitely check it out.Happy reading!
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