Publishing Date: September 15, 2018
Publisher: Dundurn
Pages: 248
Young Adult Contemporary
The Premise from the Publisher: "A fatal collision - who's to blame? Two bodies, two souls switch in search of justice. When fifteen-year-old Hallie gets knocked flying by a Hurricane SUV, her life ends without her ever having kissed a boy. At an otherworldly carnival, she meets and argues with the eighty-two-year-old driver, Susan. Both return to life, only with one catch - they've swapped bodies. Now Hallie has wrinkled skin and achy joints while Susan deals with a forehead zit and a crush on a guy who's a player. Hallie faces a life in a long-term care residence. Susan gets picked up for shoplifting. As they struggle with technology, medications, and each other's fashion foibles, they start to understand and maybe even like each other. But can they work together to prove that a defect in the Hurricane caused the deadly crash? Or will their time run out?" (Dundurn).
My overall thoughts and review: From the beginning of the book, I liked Susan's character. She was instantly likable and she really felt young at heart which I appreciated. I wasn't completely over the moon with Hallie to begin with because she felt a bit annoying and superficial since her concerns were solely getting a boyfriend and texting. Also her first concern after the near death experience wasn't about how she had so much to do, but she would've died not having kissed a boy. She felt incredibly vapid and self involved but I'm happy to say that through the concept of the #BodySwap, things change for Hallie. She was much more likable towards the second half of the book and I liked seeing her grow as a character. It takes place in Burlington and I liked seeing how they both came to help one another out. Susan wanted to help Hallie get a boyfriend and Hallie wanted to make sure that Susan was able to keep her freedom and not end up in a retirement home. There's a mystery/investigative aspect of the book involving what really led to the accident that happened in terms of the defect on the car. There's also an unexpected twist in regards to Hallie's quest for a boyfriend. The book is on the shorter side but it deals with body image and ageism, and overall, I really enjoyed it. It also has a Christmas/winter setting which was nice too. I really liked the idea of Freaky Friday but with a complete stranger, and it just goes to show how putting yourself in another person's shoes (quite literally) can alter your perspective on many things.
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)
Available for purchase at:
Dundurn, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon, and Book Depository
Excerpt from the Author - Carpe Diem
Be sure to drop by the other stops on the tour for more content about #BodySwap!
Disclaimer: An advanced e-reader's copy of the book was provided by Dundurn for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.
I'm super intrigued by this book now and will be adding it to my TBR! Thanks for sharing :D
ReplyDeleteI agree. I liked Hallie much better once she got a little empathy. I also loved the secondary character. LisaDay
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