Switch

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Age Range
12+

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4 reviews
Overall rating
 
3.5
Plot
 
3.5(4)
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N/A(0)
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Great Light Summer Reading
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
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Reader reviewed by Book Sp(l)ot

Claire lives in a sleepy beach town, but that's perfect for her. She can spend the summer hanging around the beach with her best friend and swimming as much as possible.

There's only one problem--and it also involves the summer and the beach--whenever Claire's too close to lightning (or electrical charges or any kind) she 'switches' into another person's body. Usually she switches right back but this time she's stuck...In the body of the gorgeous girl spotted on the beach the other day--the girl who's caught her crush's eye!

Switch wasn't a book that's going to really change anyone's life or pose any earth shattering questions...but it is a fun litle book (I read it during the course of one day). As the title might suggest, most of the story transpires during Claire's big 'switch' so you don't get a lot of her life before she switches with Larissa.

While Larissa and Claire are switched you do learn a good bit about both girl's lives-but most of it is pretty superficial. ..A lot of it was pretty predictable stuff (from the rich family Larissa's acting as nanny for to Larissa and her parents to Claire--though saying how would be spoilery).

So, while this book doesn't present anything new and some of the characters seem to be (slightly) formulaic/predictable, there were also well thought out points around the entire 'switching' events and I liked that the book centered on a longer switch but also explained why it was longer.

It would have been possible to just say that the entire switching bodies in general was strange and unpredictable so the long-term switch was just a fluke. That would have detracted from my enjoyment of the book, though, so I'm glad that Ms Snow kept up a consistent reason for why Claire wasn't switching back.

I also quite enjoyed the secondary story surrounding Claire's grandmother and the way it (and she) developed through the book.

Switch wasn't a book that's likely to change your life, but it is a book that you can read when you want to enjoy something that won't take too long to read and won't depreess you either (I read it after 13 Reasons Why when I needed something light).

(I'd rate this a 7.5/10 so it's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars)
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bodyswitching
Overall rating
 
2.0
Plot
 
2.0
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Reader reviewed by stephanie

Switch reminded me of Wake because of the accidentally-coming-into-your-body-slash-seeing-your-dreams stuff. Seriously. I mean, besides the fact that Wake was about dream catching and Switch was about body changing, they almost follow the same type of plot.



Both girls have powers that they didnt ask for and both girls each encounter some sort of adventure that has something to do with that specific power. For Claire, it was accidentally going into someones body and staying there&longer than she has ever known. For Janie, it was breaking cases and finding out who was the culprit by using her dream catching powers. And at the end of each adventure, they are relatively satisfied and *bam* end of story.

However, despite Switchs close relation to the Wake series, it definitely isnt as good or as well-written. For Wake, I was completely and totally drawn into the book, whereas for Switch, there were multiple times where I had to put the book down&and didnt really want to pick it back up.

And the characters, specifically Claire and her grandmother, are so weird, okay? Im not even kidding. You know that summary, the last question where it asks: will she ever figure out how to get back to her old life? More importantly, will she want to? That question? Well, it was really subtle. It wasnt obvious that Claire didnt want to go back to her old body because she kept trying to go to sleep and return to her previous body. It wasnt until around the last few chapters where the author subtly suggested that Claire didnt want to go back, but it was so subtle that you basically had to read between the lines to understand it.

And Claires grandmother? Epic weirdness. There were times where I wasnt even sure if she was on Claires side or not because she kept going out doing weird things and not going to sleep so Claire wouldnt return. She kept dressing funny and basically embarrassed the heck out of Claire, who wasnt Claire at the time. So she was like one of those characters who were important but, at the same time, not important.


Overall, this book was not that interesting. The summary sounded way better than its reality.
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Switch: A Different Freaky Friday
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
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Reader reviewed by designsbymikayla

Switch by Carol Snow is a captivating and hilarious book. Fifteen year-old, Claire Martin has a seemingly ordinary lifethat is to say, ordinary when there are no thunder and lightning storms around. When lightening is near, Claire is open to whole new opportunities, in the way of her spirit coming out of her body and shooting into the nearest girl born under the same moon. The things she is capable of are beyond the average human imagination!

Claire Martin used to think she had a guardian angel but she knows now that the woman who sits on her bed is the spirit of her deceased, fellow body-switcher, grandmother, Evelyn. At least there is someone to explain the switching to Clair; not to mention, keeping Clairs body safe when she leaves it. Thats usually how it works, Clair shoot out and Evelyn slips in as a place-holder; however, not this time. Now she has a major problem&shes switched bodies with a striking summer visitor named Larissa and she cant seem to get back to her own body. Worse yet, Claires friend (also her secret crush) seems to be more and more interested in Larissa, while still ignoring Claire as anything more than one of the guys. Claires life has turned into a horrible episode of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The many intricate pieces of the humongous puzzle that is Clairs life are scattered and this complexity just goes to make the story all the more interesting. The plot is, in a way, a dramatized version of life as a 21st century teenage girl. Constantly, in todays society, people are challenged to fit a certain mold and be a certain way. In this book, Claire has many opportunities to try many different molds, be it that of her over-weight friend Beanie, the mysterious child named Kimmy, or the beautiful Larissa. This plays one part in Clairs voyage to self discovery.

The setting is both colorful and influential to the overall plot. The place is set as a small beach side town called Sandyland; however, it is not very clearly stated exactly where the town is located. This, in my opinion, is one point that needs correction in the book. It is easier to imagine and create the setting in the minds eye. Otherwise, the setting is that of a stormy ocean town. The roots of the town are deeply based and the people are all interconnected except for the seasonal tourists. It is this setting that has led to a friendship between Claire and Nate and the relationship between the pseudo-Larissa (Claires spirit) and Nate. Without this setting, it would have been impossible to create the connection between Claire and Nate and then the pseudo-Larissa and Nate. The pseudo-Larissa and Nate relationship is very complicated and based on a web of lies. Due to the fact that Larissa is Clair, she does not know anything about Larissa personally. This leads to Larissa having a difficult time being both herself and someone else. This relationship plays a key role because it leads to Clairs release from Larissas body and her discovery that being herself is always one of the most important things in life. This is a very strong image for the girls of today.

Throughout the book, I noticed a few things that I took issue with. First, as was mentioned before, the setting is not clearly defined. Second, I believe more should be revealed about Nate and his family, so as to show more of a feeling of friendship between Clair and Nate. The story is set, that they have known each other since childhood; nevertheless, if that were so, Clair would know more about Nate and his family. Third, and last, more should be written about Larissas family since it is history that aids in the determination a persons personality. She is such a mysterious character. The only necessary change is the first, having to do with the setting, the others are personal opinions. It is all in the eye of the beholder.

Overall, I find the book Switch by Carol Snow to be an empowering and outstanding blend of science fiction and teen literature. The plot is complex and heavily dependent upon setting and characters. The characters each play an important role in the development of the storyline. Specifically, the character of Claire is confused about her own social, physical, and mental standing in society and this book reveals her struggles to find stability in an unstable situation. In effect, Claire is trying to balance on a constantly moving surface. This book, the first young adult novel by Carol Snow, presents a strong image and a great start for a promising author. A few small changes would make it even better but, it is good all the same. I readily recommend this book to fellow readers, especially those who enjoy the movie Freaky Friday. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
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Interesting, but could've been better
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
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N/A
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Reader reviewed by the book muncher

Claire Martin leads a pretty regular life in the resort town Sandyland. She loves hanging out with her best friend Beanie and spending as much time as possible in the water, not to mention lusting after the hottest guy on the swim team, Nate. Theres only one thing that sets her way apart from other girls: when Claire gets too close to lightning or another electrical charge, her spirit will switch from her body to the body of the nearest girl born under the same moon. Usually, the switch is fast and Claire is back in her own body by the next morning. But when Claire accidentally switches into the body of a beautiful summer resident named Larissa, Claire finds herself reluctant to return to her old life; after all, her crush Nate is rather interested in Larissa. But after waking up the next morning still in this beautiful strangers body, Claire starts to wonder if shes stuck as Larissa for good.

Switch is a fast-paced and interesting story. Though the idea of switching bodies may have been borrowed from Freaky Friday, it still made for a good story. Plus the fact that Claire couldnt control when she switched or who she switched with was entirely unique. Sometimes, though, the characters were a little confusing. The flashes you get of Claires background dont completely add up, Larissa change from being extremely snotty to nice isnt thoroughly explained, and Claires grandmother Evelyn was always strange and mysterious. The moral of the story did seem to be taken directly from Freaky Friday, but I didnt really mind it that much. However, I wasnt left with a sense of understanding at the end; sure, Claire got that she should appreciate everything she had in her life, but the ending seemed a little cut off. Im not saying that Switch was a bad story; it just couldve been better.

I wasnt completely taken with this story, but I did enjoy the plot. If you liked the novel and/or movie Freaky Friday, you will probably like reading Switch.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
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