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Summary: A novel that is ageless . . .
Review: Having read "The Changeover" countless time over the years since I first read it in highschool, I am amazed at how this novel still has the power to captivate me. With artistry that rivals the day's most highly read fiction authors, Margaret Mahy is truely a master of prose who can create vivid characters that are dynamic yet realistic. Furthermore, her style is marked by a refreshingly candid flair.Despite this novel's young adult label, Margaret Mahy's work surpases all others in the area and is certainly worthy of the attention of more advanced lovers of fiction.
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Summary: Amazing book
Review: I first read this book years ago and cannot forget it. The authors portrayal of the supernatural weaving it's way into everyday life is wonderful and seems so realistic. Her characters are amazing too. There is nothing superficial about these people or this book. I will be reading this book over and over, likely for the rest of my life.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I think the thing I enjoyed most about the book, was the way Mahy managed to write a YA novel without being trapped in the condescending mold that most other YA authors are (with the exception of a few). Sorry and Chant's relationship was an uneasy, complex, yet inevitable thing and their journey together was full of interesting, and sometimes disturbing, magic. As far as villains go, Carmody Broque is one individual that gave me the willies for days after I finished the book. Kudos to Mahy for that. This book was amazing and I'd sell my first born for a sequel.
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Summary: Brilliantly and sensitively written
Review: It has been said that the true test of an author's success is the number of times his/her reader rereads the book written. If that is the case, then Margaret Mahy is a most successful writer. To be able to continue to lure readers, both new and old, to read and reread a book, starting from the first reading at 10, then again when the shelves are cleared and the book rediscovered at 14, and then again at 18, and so on...and for the reader to still be enchanted by the same characters doing the same thing, saying the same lines over and over again...The Changeover really does 'change you over' into Mahy's private world, where nothing matters except for Laura Chant,her quest to save her darling brother Jacko, and of course, not forgetting the peek-a-boo relationship she has with Sorry Carlisle, which makes the relationship all the more sensual, in a non-sexual way. Read it...and read it again.
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Summary: Yeah, it's the prefects you need to watch out for!
Review: Margaret Mahy's book is an unusual take on the juvenile magic-user theme. It takes place in New Zealand, in a single-parent home. Laura Chant lives with her divorced mother, and her toddler brother. Nothing is entirely reliable in Laura's world, certainly not her slightly flaky mother, their extremely flaky car, and especially the surrounding landscape, being transformed from forest and farm into a new subdivision. Chant, perfectly named, can sense things that others can't. She can sense that her brother's rapid descent into illness is supernatural, and that it is linked to the boy's unfortunate contact with the also perfectly named Carmody Braque. She also can sense that the mysterious prefect at her school, an older boy named Sorensen Carlisle, is a "witch" and that he may hold the only key to healing her brother. Sorry, as he's called, is one of those magnificent characters, the enigmatic boy who shows all the signs of being a proto-romance hero. But here, he's young, sly, and not above using his advantage over Laura. Mahy writes Laura as a strong character, and watching her handle Sorry is a lot of fun. This novel is full of brooding atmosphere but with a great contemporary setting. Mahy's protagonist carries her weight, but everyone else is equally nuanced and fascinating. The book calls itself a romance, but I've never read an adult romance filled with such menacing ambiguity.
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Summary: Incredible, enough said.
Review: This book is a must for all teenage readers, because it deal with very real issues, romance, divorce, and magic. Written with poise, intelligence and an insatiable humor Mrs. Mahy weaves a gripping story of love and sacrifice. On the lighter side, this book has a definite funny steak in it, and a heart-quickening budding romance. I reccomend this book to people everywhere that love to read or hate to read. You've done it again, Margaret! My hats' off to you!
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Summary: sequel please!
Review: this is one of those books you can wrap yourself into and just LIVE in. if there was one book i could pick to have a sequel, it would be this one. i am 23 and still read it. luckily i bought it from goodwill in 7th grade for 15 cents and not 35 bucks, although id spend 100 if it meant being reunited with one of my fave books of all time!
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Summary: Divorce, adolescence, and witchcraft....
Review: This is the best young adult book I have ever read. Laura and Sorry are unforgettable. Their shared scenes crackle with electricity (remember the munching thunderclouds?) and never has a male witch been so...appealing. Laura Chant is a sensitive, a girl with supernatural inclinations, with certain glimpses into the future. One day she looks into the mirror and sees herself changed. She is aware that her world is going to change, but doesn't know what to do about it. Then her beloved brother Jacko starts to sicken from what she knows is not a natural cause. She's recognized the school prefect Sorenson Carlisle as a witch, and goes to him for help. He tells her that in order to save Jacko she can be changed over, that is become a witch, but the transformation is irrevocable. She will forever be separate from most others. Mahy is an incredible writer. She makes the strange seem like home, and also makes the familiar worth another look. Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Divorce, adolescence, and witchcraft....
Review: This is the best young adult book I have ever read. Laura and Sorry are unforgettable. Their shared scenes crackle with electricity (remember the munching thunderclouds?) and never has a male witch been so...appealing. Laura Chant is a sensitive, a girl with supernatural inclinations, with certain glimpses into the future. One day she looks into the mirror and sees herself changed. She is aware that her world is going to change, but doesn't know what to do about it. Then her beloved brother Jacko starts to sicken from what she knows is not a natural cause. She's recognized the school prefect Sorenson Carlisle as a witch, and goes to him for help. He tells her that in order to save Jacko she can be changed over, that is become a witch, but the transformation is irrevocable. She will forever be separate from most others. Mahy is an incredible writer. She makes the strange seem like home, and also makes the familiar worth another look. Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Suspensful, Entertaining - A Must Read
Review: This is truly a brilliant book. It was on my reading list for a Uni class, and I wasn't altogether sure that I would like it - but I did. Loved it in fact. It had everything a book should have - a great story, very believable and in depth characters, suspense, a touch of romance, and a lot of thought and feeling. There are very few writers who can talk to a teen (or anyone else for that matter) the way Mahy does. She talks to everyone on their own level - she is never condescending as writers for young adults can tend to be. She recognises her audience as people, not 'kids'. The supernatural theme in this book is fabulous, I found it really engaging and exciting. Yet, if not for this factor, I felt I could have been the main character in my earlier years - the same thoughts and feelings coming through that I still identify with today. Mahy is able to do all this, and much more, whilst still keeping it all realistic. Buy this book - you won't regret it.
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