DRC Review: Slip by L. Ryan Storms
Release date: 15 April 2025
Rating 4.5/5
Synopsis: 9 minutes and 53 seconds isn’t enough time to change the world. It’s not even enough time to finish a biology exam.
But 16-year-old junior, PJ “Slip” Ellis, gets to repeat the most anxiety-inducing parts of her life again and again. Because her panic attacks send her 9 minutes and 53 seconds into the past, which means she’ll do whatever she can to avoid triggering her nerves. And she’s learned to deal with her anxiety…mostly.
At least, until Ethan Morrow appears in class. Now, PJ is falling for Ethan, and her anxiety—once under control—is quickly spiraling out of hand. So, PJ’s determined to avoid Ethan with every slip.
If only the solution were so easy. Ethan appears in PJ’s life no matter what path she takes, no matter how many times she slips. Is it fate? Kismet? Organized chaos? One way or another, PJ must make peace with herself if she ever wants a shot at true happiness with—or without—Ethan Morrow in her life.
Review
Slip adds to the ever-growing selection of thought-provoking YA fantasy (more magical realism) reads tackling issues about mental health in teenagers. As I’ve dropped off the B5 YA market quite a bit because the content does not match the market at all, I may be a bit out of the loop as to its offerings lately. I do know the indie side of the bookshelf has been hitting on more than a few cylinders in terms of showing healthy relationships and ways teens can deal with things such as anxiety, as PJ tackles in Slip. Storms manages to avoid making the kids sound like they’re from Dawson’s Creek while simultaneously giving them a degree of immaturity that feels genuine. The time slips give a bit of a SciFI edge to the story that pulled me in kept me walking with PJ to see how she’d come out of this one. I recommend this one for readers who like YA without explicit content (there is some language, though) but still want an authentic feel.
Perhaps the best aspect of the book comes in the form of PJ’s relationships. She has a best friend who knows about her problems and helps her with them. The banter made me chuckle quite a bit, and when PJ just doesn’t know what to do with herself, Mariana usually gives her a great kick in the pants to get her back on track. Once heartthrob Ethan enters the picture, the support network grows and the mystery kicks in. I love seeing examples of loyalty in young relationships; there’s so little of it in the 3D land of reality.
Slip is also a romance, and dual aspect of PJ and Ethan get to know one another while figuring out what in the world is going on with him and how he’s so special to her added a great layer of engaging mystery. As far as leading male characters in romances go, Ethan’s pretty decent and considerate, and he adds another pillar to the foundation PJ can rest on in the midst of her turmoil.
While I would have liked a bit more resolution regarding some of my unanswered questions, I’m just so ecstatic that there’s a decent and interesting contemporary book that deals with mental health for the YA genre. I’d recommend this one for the older YA audience, around 16-17, for language and heavy content that can be upsetting.
My thanks to the author for the DRC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.
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