SLIDE by Jill Hathaway

About the front:
When I first saw this cover, I was so drawn to the white ‘bright spots’ that I had to click to see it bigger. Those lights (or I think they are) and totally and completely blinding! It’s so bizarre, yet as a photographer, I totally get and see their purpose. So I want to almost close my eyes when I look at this cover because I can’t ‘see’ beyond the lights staring back at me.

Then the words … the sliding words. Up and down. It makes me think I’ve stared at the bright lights too long and my eyes have gone wonky in looking at the title. It makes me want to click and try to focus — as if I’ve lost my ability to see any one thing as ONE thing.

And then there’s the face. So for the first 3-4 times I stared at this cover, I couldn’t tell that there was a face. I kept imagining that there was a body, but the profile didn’t fit. It’s like one of those eye catcher things where you see one thing when you look at it cross-eyed and something else when you stare at it with two eyes open.

But it’s not. It’s actually a very very cleverly composed photo! The lights flare. The face is both silhouetted and highlighted by those lights and the words really fit with the feel of the image. This is a very captivating photo because you have to look 2-3 times to figure it all out.

So now the question is … what is it about? A girl? A movie star? That’s where I went at first. A movie star who falls (slides) into the depths of drug abuse and something.

Now let’s look at what the back says:

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Does it match? Front to Back without the in between?
Well … it’s not a movie star! I love this premise, but somethings really bothering me. So, okay … she doesn’t want to tell, but she KNOWS who it is, right? Because this opens saying she opens into the minds of people she knows. But then she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife … who? Is it someone she KNOWS? Is this different than with the other situations where she knew who the people were? Seems odd that she would slide into a perfect stranger and I hope that gets answered really quick (not the who, but the how can that happen or THAT it can happen).

So we start with the mystery of her gift and then we introduce two male characters. Someone please tell me this isn’t going to be yet another teenaged love triangle because honestly? HOW many teens have love triangles?? I mean, I went to high school. NEVER did 2 boys vie for my attention. ergh. That’s my own petty perception of any story that focuses on a love triangle and the introduction of Zane and Rollins IN the blurb really makes me think that’s where this will go. As such, for me (clearly not the target audience) this is actually a turn off from this awesome cover.

Did we even need to know about Rollins and Zane? what role will they even play when the end line is all about Vee finding and unmasking the killer? And given she apparently doesn’t know who this person is … shouldn’t that be more clear in the blurb too so we aren’t blindsided by it?

Okay, that ended up a critique of the overall, which I don’t normally do, but I was SO enamored by the cover, I HAD to look at it. Really really wanted to like it.

Where I’d read it
Gonna have to think about this one. I see it’s getting great reviews, so I’ll keep an eye on it. 🙂

Will you add it to your bookshelf virtual or otherwise? Share in the comments!

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