Review : Sophomore Switch
Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald
Pages : 297
Genre : YA
My Rating : 
What it’s about :
Natasha is an American college girl who enjoys boys and partys a little too much. After what’s to be known as the “Hot Tub Incident” that now plasters the tabloids, she leaves for England where she’s hoping to start a new phase of her life.=
Emily, a studious British girl, has her life all planned out and a hard time not being in control. After breaking up with her boyfriend, who thinks her cold and predictable, she decides to act on impulse and go straight to California.
As they each settle into their new life, they realize it’s not that easy to be part of their respective new crowd. As they try to change and make new friends, the girls will learn even more about themselves and figure out what they really want out of life.
With Sophomore Switch, McDonald managed to write a heartwarming and intelligent story. Alternating point of views between Natasha and Emily, we get to live both girls adventure as they try to fit in their new lives. I thought that each girl’s adventure was portrayed in a realistic way, with a good balance between the good and the bad without falling into college drama.
I found the book to be really well written with a good pace. I liked both girls, and I thought their personalities were different enough from each other. I was glad to see them contact each other through the story, therefore establishing a contact between the two very distinct parts of the book. Writing from two distinct point of views in a same book is not an easy task, and while I don’t think the two voices were very different, it was done well enough that I never wondered who’s chapter I was reading. I would say that the two narrations were similar in a way that it could have been two different books from a same author, but with different characters. Which it kind of was, in a way.
It’s surprising how little I have to say, because I really liked this book. It felt like taking a coffee with two friends and hearing about their adventure overseas. I thought some points of the ending were a little rushed, but overall, I really loved how it concluded : some things were the same, some changed, but it wasn’t a perfect fairytale ending, which made the book even more realistic.
I also appreciated how McDonald approached the classic question of identity (who am I? who do I want to be?) from a feminist point of view – and criticizing it. I loved the message, because it put things in perspective really well : a woman’s role is not black or white, and you can wear a miniskirt while still being smart and standing for yourself.
Wow. Wanting to have coffee with the characters is definitely the mark of a good book.
This sounds like a fun book that would make a great movie.
This sounds interesting. Kind of like that film, ‘The Holiday’ (with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz). It sounds like it would be fun – interesting to see the differences in the two cultures.
I like the premise of this one and wanted to read it for a while. You write the best reviews!! Seriously!!! 🙂
I really like the premise of this book and it’s good to know that the book is good as well.
Sounds awesome! And since it takes place in two of my favorite locales — England and California! — I don’t see how I can pass it up! 🙂 Interesting that it makes a standpoint on women’s roles, too… definitely going to look for this one!
Sounds like a really interest read. I especially like that it makes a statement about women’s roles and explores identity issues associated with those roles. Adding to my pile.