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A review by joyousreads132
Split Second by Kasie West
3.0
Kasie West is a phenomenal author. Prior to reading this book, she’s 2 for 2, and while I can admit that this book is a strong follow up to Pivot Point, I, however, did not fare very well with Split Second.
Quick Story:
Addie’s eventual choice from the first book brought on some dire consequences that she wishes she could unmake, but with the other path equally damning, she had no choice but to live out the path she chose. She, not only could Search the future; she is also now saddled gifted cursed with the ability to manipulate time. In the meantime, living with her father for six weeks will bring out some family secrets that will expose the real truth about the Compound, and an elaborate plan to test her loyalty.
Laila’s guilt over her betrayal fills her with an overwhelming determination to enhance her ability. With the knowledge that she can restore memories, she will do everything in her power – including befriending the Compound’s “dealer” – to enhance that ability, and all for the sake of absolving some of the guilt.
My Thoughts:
I’d like to reiterate that this book is a fantastic follow up to Pivot Point. The 3-star rating is more reflective of this reader’s experience and the book’s failure to meet my expectation. And we all know how inadvisable it is to set such a high expectation. Regardless of how wonderful it is, Split Second comes with its brand of flaws. It would be far more beneficial if I’d re-read Pivot Point before jumping head first to Split Second. This is one of those instances when I couldn’t follow along with the story, and considering it wasn’t too long ago since I read Pivot Point, I thought for sure reading it would be a breeze. The author jumps right into the story without preamble. There’s a lot to be said for laying out a sturdy plot foundation so your readers will not feel like they missed the boat entirely. This is how I felt while reading the story. I was lost.
The Goodreads ratings and reviews will contradict this, to be sure. This book is highly rated and well reviewed. But to be honest, I don’t get it. I have multiple problems with it that consequently earned it a middle-grade rating. I felt like there really wasn’t any developments with the characters. It was like meeting them for the first time again. It wasn’t so much as a deja vu as it was repetitive. However, just because Trevor and Addie’s relationship was sort of a dud here for me, fans of this pairing will be thrilled as Stephanie’s role is wholly revamped. Gone is the innate hostility she felt towards Addie, replaced by a startling friendliness.
This book also features a Laila perspective, which in my opinion, didn’t really help the book’s cause. I understand why there needed to be a Laila POV though. Look forward to an explosive Connor/Laila pairing! Seeing them butt heads, and Connor not give into Laila’s feminine wiles was a lot of fun to watch.
What was surprising, however, was how easily Addie and Laila forged on a stronger relationship despite the latter’s betrayal in the first book. Granted, Laila has done her best to earn Addie’s trust again, I was still surprised by how seemingly apathetic Addie had been.
Moreover, I didn’t find any relevance to her newfound ability. There was some drivel about Addie absorbing Bobby’s powers (the guy from book 1), but to be perfectly honest, it held very little consequence to the plot. Though it was the reason why she’s being monitored, that story arch was simply not explored enough.
In the end, die hard fans of Kasie West will find very little faults in this book. I was just a little disconnected with this story and therefore able to look outside of the hype. Ultimately, a disorganized plot and a story that lacked substantial heft made for a disappointing read.
Quick Story:
Addie’s eventual choice from the first book brought on some dire consequences that she wishes she could unmake, but with the other path equally damning, she had no choice but to live out the path she chose. She, not only could Search the future; she is also now saddled gifted cursed with the ability to manipulate time. In the meantime, living with her father for six weeks will bring out some family secrets that will expose the real truth about the Compound, and an elaborate plan to test her loyalty.
Laila’s guilt over her betrayal fills her with an overwhelming determination to enhance her ability. With the knowledge that she can restore memories, she will do everything in her power – including befriending the Compound’s “dealer” – to enhance that ability, and all for the sake of absolving some of the guilt.
My Thoughts:
I’d like to reiterate that this book is a fantastic follow up to Pivot Point. The 3-star rating is more reflective of this reader’s experience and the book’s failure to meet my expectation. And we all know how inadvisable it is to set such a high expectation. Regardless of how wonderful it is, Split Second comes with its brand of flaws. It would be far more beneficial if I’d re-read Pivot Point before jumping head first to Split Second. This is one of those instances when I couldn’t follow along with the story, and considering it wasn’t too long ago since I read Pivot Point, I thought for sure reading it would be a breeze. The author jumps right into the story without preamble. There’s a lot to be said for laying out a sturdy plot foundation so your readers will not feel like they missed the boat entirely. This is how I felt while reading the story. I was lost.
The Goodreads ratings and reviews will contradict this, to be sure. This book is highly rated and well reviewed. But to be honest, I don’t get it. I have multiple problems with it that consequently earned it a middle-grade rating. I felt like there really wasn’t any developments with the characters. It was like meeting them for the first time again. It wasn’t so much as a deja vu as it was repetitive. However, just because Trevor and Addie’s relationship was sort of a dud here for me, fans of this pairing will be thrilled as Stephanie’s role is wholly revamped. Gone is the innate hostility she felt towards Addie, replaced by a startling friendliness.
This book also features a Laila perspective, which in my opinion, didn’t really help the book’s cause. I understand why there needed to be a Laila POV though. Look forward to an explosive Connor/Laila pairing! Seeing them butt heads, and Connor not give into Laila’s feminine wiles was a lot of fun to watch.
What was surprising, however, was how easily Addie and Laila forged on a stronger relationship despite the latter’s betrayal in the first book. Granted, Laila has done her best to earn Addie’s trust again, I was still surprised by how seemingly apathetic Addie had been.
Moreover, I didn’t find any relevance to her newfound ability. There was some drivel about Addie absorbing Bobby’s powers (the guy from book 1), but to be perfectly honest, it held very little consequence to the plot. Though it was the reason why she’s being monitored, that story arch was simply not explored enough.
In the end, die hard fans of Kasie West will find very little faults in this book. I was just a little disconnected with this story and therefore able to look outside of the hype. Ultimately, a disorganized plot and a story that lacked substantial heft made for a disappointing read.