Switch by Carol Snow

Author: Carol Snow

Pages: 224

Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble

Series or Standalone?: Standalone

When lightning strikes and electric currents are in the air, Claire Martin temporarily switches into the body of any nearby girl born under the same moon as her. She knows she’s not normal ... but she’s dealing with it. Besides, it usually only lasts for a few hours and then she wakes up in her own body. So when she finds herself trapped in the body of the beautiful new girl in town, her whole world is turned upside down. This emotional story with a sense of humor explores the bonds between friends, crushes and family and the meaning of identity as Claire struggles to hold on to her own.

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This book was different than how I thought it would be, but not in a bad way. Instead of being so focused on the fact that Claire was a body switcher, it was more focused on her relationship with her mother, and her feelings on not knowing who her father was. The whole story was more geared towards making Claire thankful for what she had- - because some people did have it worse than her, even if it didn’t seem like it.

It also sort of surprised me how her “relationship” (does it count as a relationship when it’s not your body?) between Claire and Nate never developed into anything. This story was more suited for a younger grade audience, I think. Teens from 12-14 would be the ideal audience, maybe some 15 year olds.

Overall, the concept of the book was extremely interesting. I just wish the idea of body switchers had been delved into further. It could have been a much more exhilarating story, even though it was  a great story already.

As for the cover, I feel like it completely misrepresents the book. Claire is a swimmer, and as she describes it herself, she is not girly at all. She has a swimmer’s body, which is, again, not girly. The whole point is that she traded places with Larissa who is the uber-beauty. They missed the whole meaning of the book with the cover.

Other books by this author:

Getting Warmer

Been There, Done That

Just Like Me, Only Better

Snap

Here Today, Gone To Maui

Plot: 2.5/5

Cover: 1/5

Writing: 4/5

Uniqueness: 4.5/5

Characters: 4/5

Overall: