An expertly plotted, deliciously clever story.” — Kiersten White, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of PARANORMALCY
“West’s premise is a winner, and Addie is the kind of heroine readers would want as a best friend—loyal, unpretentious, and thoughtful.…What truly makes West’s story memorable, however, is Addie’s wry humor…and the book’s fascinating exploration of how life can change with one simple choice.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“With superb storytelling, a masterful blend of paranormal and normal, a helping of wit and humor, and a mouthwatering romance, PIVOT POINT is one of the most delicious books I’ve read.” — Elana Johnson, author of POSSESSION
“The unique structure, seeing two alternate realities playing out at once, leaves you pleading with the characters—don’t answer that phone, don’t go in that house, don’t talk to that person. PIVOT POINT is at once tense and romantic, challenging and engaging. It’s a truly remarkable debut.” — Robison Wells, author of VARIANT
“West’s debut showcases riveting storytelling.” — Kirkus Reviews
“West takes [an]… intriguing premise and infuses it with a conclusion that will surprise and please the romantic teen reader.” — Booklist
“West has created an intricately woven story of two possible futures. This debut novel…is a welcome change.” — School Library Journal
An expertly plotted, deliciously clever story.
The unique structure, seeing two alternate realities playing out at once, leaves you pleading with the characters—don’t answer that phone, don’t go in that house, don’t talk to that person. PIVOT POINT is at once tense and romantic, challenging and engaging. It’s a truly remarkable debut.
West takes [an]… intriguing premise and infuses it with a conclusion that will surprise and please the romantic teen reader.
Addie Coleman has an ability anyone would relish. She’s a Searcher who, when faced with a difficult choice, can foresee both outcomes before deciding which she’d rather live out. Since Addie’s parents have just announced they are divorcing and her father will be leaving their secret paranormal Compound, Addie must do her most important Search yet. Debut novelist West cleverly alternates chapters to show readers how Addie’s two very different futures will play out—one with her mother on the Compound; the other with her father in the Normal world. West’s premise is a winner, and Addie is the kind of heroine readers would want as a best friend—loyal, unpretentious, and thoughtful. Two love interests in Addie’s divergent futures make things even more interesting, as does a murder subplot. What truly makes West’s story memorable, however, is Addie’s wry humor (“I’ve been thinking about books where the main character’s parents are going through a divorce. A big theme is rebellion. I think I should give it a try”) and the book’s fascinating exploration of how life can change with one simple choice. Ages 13–up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency. (Feb.)
West takes [an]… intriguing premise and infuses it with a conclusion that will surprise and please the romantic teen reader.
With superb storytelling, a masterful blend of paranormal and normal, a helping of wit and humor, and a mouthwatering romance, PIVOT POINT is one of the most delicious books I’ve read.
The 1918 flu outbreak and Spiritualist craze are the setting for this gorgeous production, which features photographs and ads from the era. When her Socialist father is arrested for treason, Mary Shelley Black goes to live with her aunt in San Diego, hoping the warmer clime will offer some immunity from the deadly flu that has its hold on the rest of the nation. No such luck, for even in sunny California, the hospitals and morgues are full of flu victims and inconsolable survivors seek solace from charlatans offering means to communicate with the dead. When Mary learns that her great love, Stephen, met his end on a Great War battlefield, she begins to feel his presence all around, leading her to believe that his soul is not at peace and that his brother (himself a “spirit photographer”) may not be telling the truth about his demise. The book’s historic setting is as much a star as the plucky Mary Shelley, bringing to life a time when the flu was far more deadly than a few days of congestion and imposed bedrest. Fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners (2012) will particularly enjoy this one, while waiting for the next in that series.
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Clairvoyant Addison Coleman must choose between two futures and two love interests. Addie has the ability to see potential futures. Her powers are very specific: She can only see her own futures and only what will happen if she makes a decision. When her parents decide to divorce, her father drops a bombshell on her--he intends to leave the secret community that is home to the paranormal and live among the normal people. In order to decide whom she will live with, Addie performs a Search that, in alternating chapters, reveals Addie's two possible futures. The plotting is deft enough that the stories interweave without being repetitive, and both give clues to a mystery Addie's father is investigating that involves dead teenage girls from the Compound. If Addie stays, she will be romanced by handsome quarterback and all-around-most-popular boy in school Duke Rivers. If she leaves, she befriends the thoughtful, witty Trevor--who was quarterback for his school before an injury while playing against Duke's team. Both love interests are developed well, and readers will be able to see Addie with either. The worldbuilding isn't as on point--the Compound raises logistical questions that are glossed over for the sake of the plot's strong pace. Minor missteps are easy to forgive given the underlying suspense of multiple mysteries. West's debut showcases riveting storytelling. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)