Gr 8 Up—Warmth has always been a trigger for Vee Bell, making everything go blurry and seem as though the world is pulling apart at the seams. But lately it has been happening more and more—not just when it's warm—and at unexpected times and with unexpected consequences. The folks in Vee's life have learned to spot the signs, the moments right before she slips into unconsciousness; they think she has narcolepsy. But what they don't know is that Vee isn't just falling asleep: she is sliding into another person's consciousness. As disconcerting as her astral projection is already, her episodes intensify when she finds herself sliding in and out of minds of those connected to a series of murders, including the murderer's in the midst of killing her friend. Unfortunately, the community believes that Sophie's death is a suicide, and it is up to Vee to find out the truth while keeping the secret of her metaphysical skills. This supernatural mystery employs some more positive tropes of young adult literature—identity formation and discovering who your real friends are—alongside more frustrating images, such as out-of-control mean girls, unnecessarily complicated drama, and inconsistent character motivation. Its innovative premise, though, is memorable.—
Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VAVee has the unusual ability to temporarily see the world through someone else's eyes. When she witnesses the murder of her sister's friend (from the perspective of the unknown murderer), she attempts to unravel the mystery herself, but things go decidedly awry. The mystery is far less the point than the vulnerable, slightly lost Vee seeking any sense of home she can find.
Vee is the only one who knows that instead of the narcolepsy everyone assumes she has, her episodes actually entail her temporarily sliding into someone else, thus seeing the world through his or her eyes. When Vee witnesses the murder of her sister's friend (from the perspective of the unknown murderer), a case that is labeled a suicide, she knows that no one is going to believe in her unusual ability or her insistence that the police pursue the case. While she attempts to unravel the mystery herself, things go decidedly awry, as her hunky new boyfriend turns out to have some horrible secrets, another cheerleader dies, and her father, the one anchor of which Vee was always certain, seems tied in some way to the death of the two girls. Red herrings abound in this novel, and the ultimate reveal (conveniently viewed by Vee using her sliding power) strains credulity; however, the mystery is far less the point than the vulnerable, slightly lost Vee seeking any sense of home she can find. Her dependence on others will both frustrate and evoke sympathy in readers, who will be relieved that the last glimpse of her shows that she may finally be headed toward a stronger sense of self. april spisak
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