Switch

by Carol Snow

Book Overview

Claire Martin has some serious body issues. Ever since Claire hit her teens, electrical storms have been making her switch bodies. Usually she's back to her old self in no time. But when something... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061452106
• ISBN13: 9780061452109
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Harperteen
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Good for Fun After a Heavier Read

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 dont' 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 rated this a 7.5/10 so it's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars) Review by Book Spot [...]

Gripping

Claire is your normal teenage girl, except for the fact that the boy she has a crush on calls her "dude". Oh, and you can't forget the fact that during storms, she can switch bodies with you. Yup, that's what I said. Switch bodies. The good thing is that it's usually at night, so by the time she gets into your bed and falls asleep, she'll wake up back at home and in her own body. The only girls that she can switch bodies with are people who are born near her birthday and live near her. Not a big deal, right? Well, that is until one night she gets stuck in a girl's body, Larissa, and she can't get back out. So, what does Claire do? She improvises, of course. Especially the since the guy she has a crush on likes Larissa. But, then Claire finds out more about this girl and her life and she's ready to get home. School starts soon and if she's in Larissa's body, who's in hers? This books is another one of those fast reads. It only took me a day, since it only has 215 pages. I love the whole story, though. It has a different feel to it, when you're reading and you get sucked in to the story. It's a one of a kind, that's for sure. Bravo, Ms. Snow! You really know how to drag the reader in and keep us focused on the story at hand. Hopefully we'll have more great stories to follow from her! reposted: http://writersblockreviews.blogspot.com

A FUN READ!

This Young Adult book caught my eye with it's great cover and the fact it is Carol Snow's debut Young Adult novel. What a fun read! The right balance of serious issues with lots of humor. Perfect for the Young Adult crowd. My 12 year old daughter and 16 year old son both enjoyed the book. Claire, is a body-switcher, who is trying to move thru adolescence with this strange ability. Her grandmother Evelyn is hilarious and I couldn't wait to see what she would do next. The book has a great message for the YA crowd about being liking yourself.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Claire Martin is your average 15-year-old girl. She has her loving mom (Dr. Martin) and her best friend, Beanie. She also has a big crush on her fellow swimming buddy, Nate. And of course the ghost of her deceased grandmother (Evelyn) who has been around since Claire was a baby, even long before that. She probably doesn't sound that average anymore, right? Here's the real kicker: Claire is what she and her grandmother call a "Switcher." Whenever a bad storm kicks up in Claire's little beach town, she'll be pushed out of her own body in to another girl's body. But only a girl who was born close to the same time Claire was and that lives only around a mile or so away. So most of the time Claire switches in to a visiting girl's body. Just someone who is vacationing with her family. Overnight, Claire ends up back in her own body and wakes up back to her old self. But at one point (during the day even) a little bit of static electricity sends Claire in to the body of a girl that her and her friend Beanie saw just the other day on the beach. She was obviously not a local from the looks of her, and she was watching two little boys. She was a skinny little thing in a bikini that barely covered her at all. She also seemed like a complete B word to both Claire and Beanie. Of course, she had all the attention from the guys, especially Nate. So when Claire is zapped into this girl's body (her name is Larissa) she is shocked, but at the same time a bit excited. She finally has a body that she loves and is actually able to show it off without looking ridiculous. But when Claire wakes up the next morning she's still in Larissa's body. And now she's stuck watching these two attention-starved boys from basically dusk till dawn. But she has the attention of Nate and she's not about to lose it. What could a few days in Larissa's body hurt? Except for the fact that Larissa's soul is just floating around, while Evelyn is hanging out in Claire's body for the time being. Will Claire ever switch back to her own body? And the most important thing: will she actually want to? This book was amazing! I pretty much couldn't put it down. I got so engrossed in it every time I picked it up. I could totally understand why Claire was debating whether or not she wanted her old body back. I mean, she finally had the attention of the guy that she has liked for so long. Who would want to give that up? And I loved Evelyn's character. She was hilarious. Always walking around as her ghostly self (when she wasn't in Claire's body, that is), smoking the same cigarette day after day. The ending was also really touching. It was just overall a fantastic book. I highly suggest reading SWITCH when it's released. You won't be sorry. Reviewed by: Breanna F.

Similar to Freaky Friday

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. There's 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 stranger's body, Claire starts to wonder if she's 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 couldn't 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 Claire's background don't completely add up, Larissa change from being extremely snotty to nice isn't thoroughly explained, and Claire's grandmother Evelyn was always strange and mysterious. The moral of the story did seem to be taken directly from Freaky Friday, but I didn't really mind it that much. However, I wasn't 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. I'm not saying that Switch was a bad story; it just could've been better. I wasn't 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.