Where child assassins meet cults and the supernatural. [Pivot by L.C. Barlow]
While describing this book as "child assassins meet cults and the supernatural" might come off as spoilerific, in this case it serves as a really good hook. I mean, who is gonna hear that set-up and call it boring? And it's a good intro to the novel, a solid segway, but it doesn't do the plot any justice. I've made it a point to not riddle my reviews with spoilers, but to be as critically vague as possible. That said, I won't reveal any more than the book flap would. Or in this case, the Amazon summary:
Originally released in May 2013, Pivot was independently published by author L.C. Barlow and is the first in a planned trilogy. According to the author's own website the horror trilogy will consist of "Pivot, Perish, and Peak" and "was picked up in 2018 by California Coldblood Books, an imprint of Rare Bird Books." With a release date of the new edition set for October 15th, 2019, I was lucky enough to get access to the book on NetGalley.
At times I was bored. At times I was horrified. At times I screamed audibly. At times I judged the protagonist disdainfully, and other times I lived as the protagonist. I was betrayed and I was hurt. I was indignant and righteous all at once. So yes, the story does draw you in.
Throughout the book there's an ambiguity of physical descriptors, or at least the absence of repeated reminders of physical shape and form, something I greatly appreciated. Initially there was also an ambiguity, at least for me, of time frame. I hadn't re-read the book description before I started reading so initially I was confused about genders, character ages, setting and time of the book. But I genuinely appreciated that those details weren't at the front of the story. Contextually, in subsequent chapters, those details were revealed and they made little difference to the story anyway. A quality that approximates timelessness.
There's also a scene I wasn't sure of while reading, that maybe was supposed to serve as some metaphor for sexual violence or at least a general invasion of self. But the idea of it being a metaphor wouldn't necessarily make sense as the threat of outside sexual violence was acknowledged in-story. So, there's my heads up for that. That said, one of the biggest drawbacks for me with regards to the story is that there's a weird shift of tone, an ebb and flow of tone and pacing that feels like we're jumping genres throughout. Is it a horror novel? Now we're supernatural horror? Teen drama? Conspiracy thriller? I guess it's all of them, maybe? Potentially? I don't know, we'll have to see where the trilogy goes.
I will also say that there's a weird irony when contemplating the protagonist, Jack Harper, and her actions. Any attempts to garner empathy towards her personage are hard fought and rarely won. I imagine that's half the point and part of the journey to what I expect will be a drawn out redemption arc. A couple of plot points are written well enough to counteract their convenient and illogical logic. In my internal rating system Pivot falls somewhere between three and four stars out of five. Rounding up it might have been four stars, but some tropes (e.g., sudden appearance of a wise sage) and rushed pacing towards the end of the book solidify a three star rating. Also, what is "tribal hellfire?" Regardless, if you're looking for a supernatural thriller and a dark coming-of-age story that sets the stage for an epic cosmic battle, then here's an option. I can't say I'd happily recommend this book, but I won't be surprised if it does really well.
Finally, as an unrelated bonus, and in light of my recent complaints of my slow reading speed, I'd like to highlight that I read this book in a day. After realizing yesterday that I'd kept the wrong publication date in mind for River Run, a book I'd been pressuring myself to read in three days, in another futile exercise I downloaded more books to read, Pivot being one of them. A little over 200 pages with a comfortable layout and solid font size, I decided I would attempt to read the entire eBook. And I did just that. Yay for personal milestones!
"For some, the Devil introduces himself as an average man. For others, he crushes their souls and makes them bleed. For Jack Harper, the Devil renders himself a savior. But things are changing. Once a loyal follower of Cyrus and an accomplished killer, Jack Harper now begins to question everything. There are new, strange forces at work that are intruding on Jack's kills, abilities, and very being. Maybe, though, deep down Jack has been waiting for this intrusion, and maybe Cyrus is not as powerful as he seems."
Originally released in May 2013, Pivot was independently published by author L.C. Barlow and is the first in a planned trilogy. According to the author's own website the horror trilogy will consist of "Pivot, Perish, and Peak" and "was picked up in 2018 by California Coldblood Books, an imprint of Rare Bird Books." With a release date of the new edition set for October 15th, 2019, I was lucky enough to get access to the book on NetGalley.At times I was bored. At times I was horrified. At times I screamed audibly. At times I judged the protagonist disdainfully, and other times I lived as the protagonist. I was betrayed and I was hurt. I was indignant and righteous all at once. So yes, the story does draw you in.
Throughout the book there's an ambiguity of physical descriptors, or at least the absence of repeated reminders of physical shape and form, something I greatly appreciated. Initially there was also an ambiguity, at least for me, of time frame. I hadn't re-read the book description before I started reading so initially I was confused about genders, character ages, setting and time of the book. But I genuinely appreciated that those details weren't at the front of the story. Contextually, in subsequent chapters, those details were revealed and they made little difference to the story anyway. A quality that approximates timelessness.
There's also a scene I wasn't sure of while reading, that maybe was supposed to serve as some metaphor for sexual violence or at least a general invasion of self. But the idea of it being a metaphor wouldn't necessarily make sense as the threat of outside sexual violence was acknowledged in-story. So, there's my heads up for that. That said, one of the biggest drawbacks for me with regards to the story is that there's a weird shift of tone, an ebb and flow of tone and pacing that feels like we're jumping genres throughout. Is it a horror novel? Now we're supernatural horror? Teen drama? Conspiracy thriller? I guess it's all of them, maybe? Potentially? I don't know, we'll have to see where the trilogy goes.
I will also say that there's a weird irony when contemplating the protagonist, Jack Harper, and her actions. Any attempts to garner empathy towards her personage are hard fought and rarely won. I imagine that's half the point and part of the journey to what I expect will be a drawn out redemption arc. A couple of plot points are written well enough to counteract their convenient and illogical logic. In my internal rating system Pivot falls somewhere between three and four stars out of five. Rounding up it might have been four stars, but some tropes (e.g., sudden appearance of a wise sage) and rushed pacing towards the end of the book solidify a three star rating. Also, what is "tribal hellfire?" Regardless, if you're looking for a supernatural thriller and a dark coming-of-age story that sets the stage for an epic cosmic battle, then here's an option. I can't say I'd happily recommend this book, but I won't be surprised if it does really well.
Finally, as an unrelated bonus, and in light of my recent complaints of my slow reading speed, I'd like to highlight that I read this book in a day. After realizing yesterday that I'd kept the wrong publication date in mind for River Run, a book I'd been pressuring myself to read in three days, in another futile exercise I downloaded more books to read, Pivot being one of them. A little over 200 pages with a comfortable layout and solid font size, I decided I would attempt to read the entire eBook. And I did just that. Yay for personal milestones!
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