PIVOT POINT & Subplots

Back in high school when I was looking at colleges, people constantly asked me what I wanted to major in. Whenever I answered that I wasn’t sure, that I was deciding between some kind of science or some kind of English/writing, people always looked at me funny. It was like they couldn’t understand how the two connected, as if that was the point. Many suggested I write science textbooks. They were missing the point—by a long shot. Others asked what I thought I’d do with a writing degree…and then they answered the question for me. Their most common answer was teach. Ha. These people didn’t know me at all. I don’t have patience to teach and the thought of thirty-on-one always terrified me.

Even though teaching was never my goal, sometimes I read books that make me think, “Yes. THIS. If I were a teacher, if I could choose my own books, I would use this one in my class.” Today’s book choice? The YA book PIVOT POINT by Kasie West.  The lesson? Subplots. Kasie West’s book is full of clever, intertwining subplots that have me hooked. I have fifty pages left and I can’t wait to see how she resolves it all. So why am I writing this now instead of reading the book? Because once I start reading again, I’ll have to read until I finish and I might not blog after, especially if the end’s as good as I’m hoping.

PIVOT POINT has so many subplots that I can’t help but speculate about the ending. The main plot? Addie has the ability to see into her future when she’s faced with a decision. She can experience what it would be like if she made each choice, and she remembers each once she’s finished searching her future. Her parents tell her they’re divorcing and force her to make the choice about which parent she’ll live with. She looks at both options, delving six weeks into the future. Though she experiences each future independently, the book’s chapters alternate between them.

Each subplot is present in each possible future, but Addie’s experiencing them separately and can’t see, as I can, how they connect. I want to list the subplots here so I can draw you in the way PIVOT POINT captured me. In fact, I tried to list them. I’ve deleted those paragraphs because I can’t begin to compare to the actual book. When I think about what Kasie West’s query must have been, I wonder how she expressed it all in so few words. I want to read it. It must have been amazing.

I’m not saying this clearly. This is one of those times words are failing me and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m having a writing off day or if PIVOT POINT is so good that it’s left me speechless. I’m fumbling through my explanation as though you’ll understand what I’m saying. All I’m doing is confusing you. Am I confusing you? I hope not. I love this book and I want to convince all of you YA readers that you should borrow it, buy it, READ IT. I want to study it, learn from it, improve my writing because of it. Kasie West builds so much tension and the closer I get to the end, the more I want to know how it ends. How will she reconcile so many pieces? I can’t tell you because I haven’t read it yet, though as soon as I post this, I’m going to. Read it. See why, if I were a teacher, I’d use PIVOT POINT to teach students about subplots. I hope you like it as much as I do.