Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) - Kasie West

Judul : Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)
Penulis : Kasie West
Penerbit : HarperTeen
Jumlah halaman : 343 halaman
Tahun terbit : 2013
Bahasa : Inggris
Genre : Romance, Fantasy
Rating : 4/5 stars
Rating Goodreads : 4.08/5

Sinopsis

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . . Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not. In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Pivot Point mengisahkan tentang kehidupan Adison Coleman yang memiliki kemampuan spesial bisa melihat masa depan ketika diberi pilihan yang akan menciptakan 2 hasil yang berbeda. Kemampuannya amat sangat berguna, tatkala orang tuanya mengumumkan perceraian mereka dan ayahnya memutuskan untuk keluar dari Compound (Lingkungan dimana masyarakatnya memiliki kemampuan supernatural) dan tinggal di lingkungan orang orang normal. Addie dihadapkan pada pilihan apakah akan tetap tinggal bersama ibunya di Compound atau bersama sang ayah di dunia orang normal. Addie mencari kemungkinan masa depan yang paling bermanfaat untuknya -dan menyadari bahwa keputusannya tidak sesederhana yang ia bayangkan. Dua kehidupan, Dua orang tua yang berbeda, dua laki laki yang berbeda. Kehidupan mana yang Addie pilih?

Sejujurnya, saya agak kesulitan untuk mengulas plot cerita buku ini. Karena di awal saya membaca buku ini saya butuh waktu agak lama untuk menelaah setiap adegannya karena setiap bab memuat adegan, latar, suasana, dan karakter yang berbeda. Salah satu hal yang paling menarik dari Pivot Point adalah konsep originalnya yang dieksekusi dengan sangat baik. Kita terbiasa dengan makhluk makhluk supernatural seperti Vampire, Werewolf, penyihir dst, -makhluk makhluk supernaturnal di Pivot Point sangatlah berbeda dan menyenangkan. Ada orang yang bisa membujuk orang lain, mereka yang bisa menghapus memori dan kenangan, mereka yang dapat mendeteksi kebohongan, orang orang yang dapat memindahkan obyek massa hanya dengan pikirannya, orang orang yang dapat memanipulasi massa, orang orang yang dapat memanipulasi mood dan tentunya orang yang dapat melihat ke masa depan ketika diberi 2 pilihan. Setiap kemampuan supernaturalnya diceritakan dengan cara yang menyenangkan dan segar.

Karakter karakternya cukup menarik dan loveable. Membaca dari sudut pandang Addie sangatlah menyenangkan. Dari sisi romancenya sendiri, Addie dihadapkan pada dua pilihan lelaki. Ada  Duke seorang quarterback yang hot dan memiliki kemampuan bisa mempengaruhi mood. Di sisi lain ada Trevor, seorang good boy yang merupakan mantan pemain bola dan 'normal'. Jika dilihat secara kasar, bisa dibilang Duke bad boynya dan Trevor adalah good boynya. Trevor sedikit mengingatkan saya kepada Tucker dari serial Unearthly. Dia termasuk kategori good boy yang paling menarik dan menyenangkan. Dari saya sendiri, saya lebih suka Trevor ketimbang Duke :D Untuk endingnya, saya sebenernya lebih suka kalo bukunya gak usah dilanjutin. Cukup disini aja hehehe. Secara keseluruhan, saya puas sekali baca buku Kasie West yang ini. Buat kalian penggemar Kasie West atau Young Adult, buku ini sangat layak untuk dibaca!

“I think unhappiness comes from unfulfilled expectations.” 

Buku Selanjutnya : Split Second

The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Judul : The Distance Between Us

Penulis : Kasie West

Penerbit : Harper Teen

Jumlah Halaman : 320 halaman

Bahasa : Inggris 

Tahun terbit : 2013

Ratings : 3/5 stars

Caymen Meyers is the girl who helps her mom work in a doll store, Dolls and More. She is sarcastic, has dry humor, and wise. Caymen has issues with rich people (stemming from the fact that her Dad left her Mom when he learned she's pregnant with Caymen and her Dad's parents gave her Mom money to leave their son alone), she hates them. She meets Alexander Spence while she's looking after the shop one day and automatically she assumes the guy's just your typical arrogant, wasting-his-money-on-useless-stuff rich kid. They were being friends and this turns out to be the start of the relationship, especially after Caymen finds out that Xander is really Alex, the grandson of one of the stores best customers. This leads them to starting what they call career days, where they try and find jobs that the other would like to do, once they bond over the fact that Xander doesn’t want his family business, nor does Caymen want hers. 

The biggest misunderstanding comes from the night of the Gala that Caymen accompanies Xander to, where we find out that Xander thought Caymen had money, just didn’t live as such, and Caymen finds her grandparents. This causes angst between Caymen and Xander as well as Caymen and her mother, who we find out, is sick. But we do get a little bit of resolution on the grandparents front when they come to the hospital to visit their sick daughter. 

This book maybe a little cliche with rich-guy-falls-in-love-with-the-poor-girl kind of thing but,hey, this book isn't a disappointment, after all.The characters were really very good. I like Caymen’s character. She's funny and very, very  sarcastic that you really won't get the hint that she was using a sarcasm. Caymen had a distinct voice and personality, she was a decently complex character without being annoying or angsty. I really did love the low level of angst in this book. The relationship between Xander and Caymen develops slowly and has many false starts, but instead of being irritating, this felt real. None of the road blocks they faced felt forced for the continuation of the story. Xander is sweet and wonderful, but he feels real as well, as he is not perfect and makes his own mistakes. I also enjoyed the refreshing take on his family interactions. This was not an instance overdone spoiled rich boy arguing with his parents or rich parents who don’t listen to their children and try to force them into a mold. 

Sadly, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and some questions were left unanswered. Overall, this was a sweet romantic read. If you’re in the mood for some light heartwarming reading, this is definitely and excellent choice.