Teen Fiction

Switch

Name: Switch
Author: Carol Snow
ISBN: 9780061452109

by Carol Snow

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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 goes terribly wrong, she finds herself stuck in the fabulous body—and life—of Larissa, the icy blonde beauty who has caught the eye of Nate, Claire's longtime crush.

Will Claire ever figure out how to get her old life back? And, more importantly, will she even want to?

Synopsis

Claire Martin has some serious body issues.

Will Claire ever figure out how to get her old life back? And, more importantly, will she even want to?

KLIATT

If Claire Martin could change one thing about herself, she'd wish for narrower shoulders or that her mom would tell her who (or where) her father was, or that her grandmother's ghost wouldn't smoke cigarettes on her bed, or that she could stop trading bodies every time she got too close to electricity. In fact, "switching" has been one of the least stressful parts of her life, much easier to deal with than her backstabbing former best friend and much, much simpler than her feelings for cute lifeguard Nate. When a chance spark of static electricity makes her trade bodies with Nate's new crush, though, things get more complicated. All of a sudden, Claire can't switch back. Worse, she's not sure she wants to. The idea of trading places with the prettiest girl in school is not new, and Switch delivers the same outside-versus-inside lessons as many books in this genre. What makes Snow's story unique is its magical introduction to "switching" and the crotchety fairy grandmother who teaches Claire about her ability. While it dabbles in real teen issues, such as eating disorders, pregnancy, and divided homes, Switch bears closest resemblance to an episode of TV's popular Heroes series and will be enjoyed by teens drawn to light fantasy/science fiction. Reviewer: Cara Chancellor

About the Author, Carol Snow

Carol Snow is the author of two books for adults, Been There, Done That and Getting Warmer, and two books for teens, Switch and Snap. Originally from New Jersey, Carol now lives in California with her husband and children.

Reviews

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Editorials

Sarah Mlynowski

"An electrifying page-turner-—you’ll love this book.

KLIATT - Cara Chancellor

If Claire Martin could change one thing about herself, she'd wish for narrower shoulders … or that her mom would tell her who (or where) her father was, or that her grandmother's ghost wouldn't smoke cigarettes on her bed, or that she could stop trading bodies every time she got too close to electricity. In fact, "switching" has been one of the least stressful parts of her life, much easier to deal with than her backstabbing former best friend and much, much simpler than her feelings for cute lifeguard Nate. When a chance spark of static electricity makes her trade bodies with Nate's new crush, though, things get more complicated. All of a sudden, Claire can't switch back. Worse, she's not sure she wants to. The idea of trading places with the prettiest girl in school is not new, and Switch delivers the same outside-versus-inside lessons as many books in this genre. What makes Snow's story unique is its magical introduction to "switching" and the crotchety fairy grandmother who teaches Claire about her ability. While it dabbles in real teen issues, such as eating disorders, pregnancy, and divided homes, Switch bears closest resemblance to an episode of TV's popular Heroes series and will be enjoyed by teens drawn to light fantasy/science fiction. Reviewer: Cara Chancellor

Children's Literature - Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco

Claire Martin lives in a sleepy beach community and loves her mother, friends, and grandmother, even though her grandmother is a ghost who sits, endlessly smoking, around the premises of Claire's house. Claire is also a competitive high school swimmer and a no-nonsense friend. To complicate matters further, however, whenever there is electricity in the air, there is a chance that Claire will switch bodies with the nearest available girl close to her age. It is all an accident, but when Claire switches with Larissa, a beautiful girl being pursued by Claire's crush, it is hard to want to go back. The book is an interesting read and will catch the eye of young teens interested in science-fiction and fantasy. The characters are solid and the writing is engaging. Some of the plotlines, however, lack dimension, and the conclusion leaves so many loose ends, it is hard to come away completely satisfied. Still, Claire is an easy-to-like, ordinary-girl narrator, and her story will interest readers of fantasy and realistic teen fiction. Reviewer: Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco

Kirkus Reviews

It usually happens to 15-year-old Claire when there's a thunderstorm, and only with someone born under the same moon. Switching bodies, that is. The bulky swimmer can't explain why on a clear night she finds herself in the knockout body of Larissa, the snobbish vacationer she recently encountered in her sleepy seaside town. Or why she can't return to her own body after sleeping, the usual remedy. With an overworked single mother who won't reveal her father's identity, the teen has only one confidante: her deceased grandmother, Evelyn, a fellow switcher who died prematurely in a mental institution. When gorgeous Nate, Claire's longtime crush, decides to date Larissa and Evelyn takes over Claire's body to relive her lost youth, will Claire ever want-or be able-to go back? As she discovers truths about Larissa's family, Evelyn's past and her relationship with Nate, she learns acceptance-especially of herself. Claire's quick-paced narration comes laced with bolts of sarcasm; the realistic problems blend successfully into a suspenseful, mystical story that will attract fans of both chick-lit and the supernatural. (Fantasy. YA)