This book had revenge, a little bit of magic, and some kick ass women. However, it seemed thrown together at times and not well planned. The mystery was there, but how they solved it felt…messy and not because they were amateurs. One person had powers that were well defined, one had powers that weren’t but it worked, and one felt lumped in with the rest. The writing was good and the pacing was good. It was just those story elements not quite working together that made the book feel sloppy to me.

Upgrade
Blake Crouch
Ballantine Books
Publish Date: July 12, 2022

This is the first book I have read from the Sci-fi thriller author, Blake Crouch. It did not disappoint.

The book opens with Agent Logan Ramsey and his partner Agent Nadine Nettmann of the GPA (Gene Protection Agency) on a night raid of a suspected gene altering lab in a darkened basement. (Gene altering is a federal crime.) As Logan steps into the suspected lab, shards of ice are ejected towards him, infecting him with foreign genetic information that can edit and rewrite his DNA. He becomes very ill and is hospitalized. But, he starts feeling stronger and more intelligent than before the ice attack. He is undergoing a human upgrade thanks to his brilliant mother’s plan to save the human race by increasing the brain power of unaware citizens through upgrade injections. She espouses that if humans are smarter, they will understand they are destroying the planet. Unfortunately, earlier experiments of hers had cost millions of lives. So, there’s that to consider.

But, she not only infected her son, she also infected her daughter, Kara. Mom wrote, “This gift is a genetic upgrade that ramps up our cognitive performance so that we might, collectively, let the engines of reason guide our behavior instead of the cushions of sentiment,”(p. 280 on EArc). “So, my children, know that you are the next step in human evolution…you hold the fate of our species in your hands” (Ibid., p. 284).

So begins the struggle between Kara and Logan about using the upgrade on the human race or destroying the material in the case of hard drives. She is for it. He is against it. Kara starts shooting at him and he gets shot but also gets away in Mom’s old pickup truck. The game is afoot.

The pace of the book is extremely fast and the science information was at times overwhelming to me, but I usually don’t read science fiction. The character development was spot on and the writing keet me turning the pages.

I think you’ll like this one. I give it 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to #NetGalley and #BallantineBooks for the eArc. The review is unbiased and my own.

Im so happy that someone posted about this book on one of the netgalley facebook groups im apart of!! This was one of my favorite books this year! and I will absolutely be buying a physical copy once its released..

This is a story about three women, each of them having their own gift, who come together to solve a horrible crime that has taken place on their home turf.. I loved all three of our main characters... But Harriet is my favorite.. in fact I want to be Harriet when I grow up.. She is the vengence that comes to all who deserve it.. Meeting out her own form of spectacular justice that is poetic.

Nessa is the first to figure out something is going on.. She can hear a dead girl calling to be found, Nessa then finds Jo and Harriet and they all go looking, not realizing that they are going to uncover a whole lot more that one dead young girl.... They dig into the underbelly of the town and all the secrets it holds, and uncover them for all the world to see..

I can't wait to see what Kirsten Miller writes next!

The Change by Kirsten Miller is an interesting amalgam of witchery, female revenge fantasy and true crime.
Three middle-aged women, all in the midst of menopause or “the change” as it is was once labeled, forge an alliance that is predicated on their common pasts of being wronged by men and their common goal of advancing woman power.
The writing is excellent, and there is a lot going on in this story, from the introductions of each woman and her back story, to their meeting and camaraderie, to their common purpose to solve a murder and expose wrong doing in an exclusive enclave run by thinly disguised Jeffrey Epstein/Ghislaine Maxwell characters.
While the plotting and skillful storytelling was strong, the book felt too long. The feminist revenge vibe at times felt forced. The use of expletives was more frequent than necessary, given the obvious talent of the writer in drawing interesting characters and their settings.
Nonetheless, I would look for more writings by Ms. Miller.

If you like strong, in your face, feminist tales, tinged with magic, this book is for you.

Thank you to William Morrow/Book Club Girl and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

I received an ARC of, The Change by Kirsten Miller. I could not finish this book. Not my style. I did not like what little I read.

Set in the Long Island town of Mattauk, The Change features three women who band together to overcome evil in the community and take down the patriarchy! Nessa, who is a retired nurse, has inherited the gift of hearing the voices of the dead and seeing their ghosts. (as the book says, “the gift comes when the curse leaves”) Harriet has just left a career in advertising and her marriage. She has retreated into her house while nature takes over her former prized garden and house. Jo also left her career behind and is constantly having hot flashes. She soon learns she can channel that heat into a force for good.

As the story progresses and our three heroines discover the body of a young girl in a garbage bag, they begin a journey to uncover what has been happening to the young girls in their community. The police are not supportive, if anything they are a hindrance, so these women are truly on their own. As they each realize the full power of their gifts, they help these young women and their families while punishing the predators.

As I read descriptions of this book I heard it compared to Witches of Eastwick and Big Little Lies. While it definitely gives off those vibes (and if you are into those stories you will certainly enjoy The Change) I feel like this book deserves to stand on its own merit. I really haven’t read anything like it and I mean that in the most positive way.

This book is just so superb! The three heroines, Harriette, Jo and Nessa, were written with so much depth and personality that I loved all three of them. Of the three, I related most to Jo and the struggles she has had with her changing body throughout her life. When she had the realization that her body was not her enemy I was literally pumping my fist in celebration for her. Also, it was so refreshing to read about women in their 40s who are badasses. Not just some paper-thin characters in a cozy mystery who are written like they are 70 years old instead of 40.

Do not let the length of the book (480 pages) intimidate you. The pacing and the pull of the mystery make it so the pages really fly by! The plot kept me engaged and I like how we went back and forth in time, seeing the past events of these women's lives and how these events shaped them into who they are today. I was drawn in by the mash-up of murder mystery and magical realism. I don't think I have ever seen that done before and Miller does it so well! All while addressing themes of feminism, gender inequality, sexual abuse, menstruation and menopause. This book was cathartic, empowering, heartbreaking and infuriating, but overall it was an astonishingly well-written tale that I wish every woman would read. 5/5 very well deserved stars!

If I HAD to make a criticism, and this is really nitpicking, I would say maybe the villains were written a bit heavy-handed. Some of them came across as moustache-twirling Scooby-Doo villains.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, abuse, and rape. Not graphic but they are a big part of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at William Morrow & Company for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication is set for May 3, 2022

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC!

Next, this was a fun read very heavy-handed with feminist themes (not necessarily in a bad way). Why does the media only care about missing rich white girls? Why is society so reluctant to punish powerful men for their cruelty? Classism, racism, and sexism join hands to traumatize and even murder girls in order to uphold the fragile egos of rich men, and this book demonstrates that well. However, the most compelling part was the friendship between Jo, Nessa, and Harriet-- Harriet is my absolute favorite!

This novel asks us to think critically about the way the world works and how the justice system is built to favor very specific groups of people. It has a lot of heart and ambition, and it's mostly successful. I know how the world treats women, or at least some women, because I have my own experiences and those.of people I love. I didn't learn anything new and didn't see the world in a new light.

But now I know I want to be Harriet when I'm older.

4/5

Holy Harriett, what did I just read???

I loved this story from the minute I downloaded it to the minute I finished the last page! Was it totally far fetched and unusually wild? Yes, yes it was and I'm here for it. This book found was all over Instagram's #bookstagram and I just had to read it.

When Jo's hot flashes were being described I thought "YES" this is exactly what has been happening in to my 50 year old body for the last two years. When she wanted to burn the house down, I totally got it.

I loved the friendship of Jo, Nessa and Harriet and the relationships they had with their daughters. We don't talk about this stuff nearly enough but we need to.

Gave me Jeffery Epstein vibes. So gross.

What can a group of women do when they embrace who they are from within and ignore what others say they are? The Change addresses that woman by woman and in a group of women friends. When one woman hears voices from beyond, her friends don't say she's crazy but help her embrace her gift. When Harriett loses her job and her husband, she lets her yard grow at will. Most of the neighbors and her ex-husband think she's either dead or a witch. Her friends encourage her to embrace what others see as odd. One by one this group of friends grab and embrace special gifts and use them to benefit other women, especially those women who are not heard and even not seen by society.

*NB: There are a considerable number of typos, misplaced words and the like throughout this manuscript- more than in any other ARC I’ve read. Hopefully it will have a thorough proofreading before final publication. This part is a separate addition for NG that wasn’t posted elsewhere.*

Thanks to the Author, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for this advance copy of “The Change”. I wasn’t sure by the wording on NG if the book was only available to be read start to finish for 48hrs so I didn’t know what would happen past that with my copy. It turns out that didn’t matter as I was so engrossed in the twists and turns of the story that I finished in closer to 36hrs. This book’s characters and secrets revealed themselves both slowly and just at the right time. Nessa, Jo & Harriet each have a calling to protect women in unique ways. When missing girls’ bodies are discovered in this New York summer beach community, our heroines are compelled to solve the mysteries and bring the killer(s) to justice. You might think you know who did it, but there are still revelations right up to the very end! This story is going to stay with me for a while— we might not be able to change the world, but maybe we can change “theirs” (WYKYK).

Amazing read! I don't think I have ever read a book like this before. The women in this book each bring something different but they each learn their strengths. It was inspiring to see these women realize their worth. I was sad when this book ended. I would love to see more of what these remarkable women are able to accomplish.

An enjoyable read about middle aged women coming into their own unique powers. Together, they adventure to take justice into their own hands. It’s the female revenge story you didn’t know you need. I couldn’t put it down.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. I have to mention that I looked into it because of @jordys.book.club and I’m so so grateful for the recommendation.

This book was SO FUN! So cinematic, so well=written, and just a feminist revenge fantasy dream. I will not stop recommending this book - I binged it in a weekend. Harriet, Jo, and Nessa will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you WM Books for my copy!!

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read "The Change" in exchange for an honest review. This book is great for fans of "Practical Magic" and "The Witches of Eastwick". I loved the blend of adult coming of age and suspense embodied by this novel.

Watching these three diverse women find their power as mature women was an honor, and the added magical components added fun to keep the story moving forward at a good clip. Of course the murder mystery didn't hurt in the pacing either!

Nessa, Jo, and Harriet are distinct characters from different walks of life, but they compliment one another nicely. Their desire to do right by the murdered girl is intense, but for Nessa and Jo their maternal instincts seem to really trigger their biggest transformations in some regards, while Harriet's motivations are both murkier and clearer at the same time.

I greatly enjoyed this book, and freely admit it kept me reading well into the evening! And I won't spoil it, but there is a plot twist I did not see coming that was both brilliant and despicable at the same time.

I am grateful to NetGalley to have opportunities to read books like this that I may not have on my own. I really liked this book. It is a bit different that what I usually read. I don't usually pick up fantast book but I am glad I did for this one. One of the things that I liked most about this book was Kirsten's attention to detail. she did a great job describing the characters, surrounding and detials of the book.

This book was not what I expected, but I really liked it. I think this book would make a great book club discussion book for any book club of any age. Soo much to discuss.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4685262969

ALL. THE. STARS. This was such a trip.

You can read the synopsis so what I am going to give you is bullet points:
- bad ass women
- bits of magic but, lots of girl power
- numerous little story lines all intertwined into one
- surprise and twist and turn on every corner
- you think you know where it is going but, you don’t
- I read this in 24 hours… completely captivated
- unique and a fresh spin on the thriller genre
- top 3 favorite books for 2022 so far!

If you’re even on the edge of thinking about reading this. Be like Nike and just do it.

he Change is being billed as a cross between The Witches of Eastwick and Big Little Lies. I haven’t read either of them, but I did enjoy this book. It is strange. And it has fantastical elements. I’m usually good with strange, but not so into fantasy. I think this one works because I loved the female characters — Nessa, a woman who literally sees dead people. Jo, a woman with super strength that she finds in middle age. Harriett, a former advertising executive who gets tired of playing the game and turns to nature after her divorce.

What is the change? Change in life? Change in perspective? Menopause? All of those things.

I loved the strong female characters that are in their 50s!! The writing was good and the story was unique. The only complaint I have was this needed a hard edit. It did not need to be 480 pages to tell this story!

I’ve read YA books co-written by Ms. Miller but I wasn’t prepared for this book. As a woman of a certain age—I recently turned 50–the way women, especially older women, are viewed by society has been forefront in my mind.

As intended, part of this book was infuriating but it was equally cathartic and empowering. The three lead characters were interesting and compelling in their own ways and the plot was solid. I think it’s slightly difficult to categorize a book like this but I think that’s just fine. Bottom line it’s a well written and enjoyable read I think readers will respond to.

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE.

If you were reading contemporary fiction from 2016-2018, then you know that a lot of dystopian or magical female revenge fantasy books came out. Even now, this genre is pretty popular, with books like The Violence coming out this year.

I haven’t read any as good as this one. Sold as Big Little Lies meets the Witches of Eastwick, this book has it all: a despicable crime in need of solving, compelling social commentary, a touch of magic, and a desire to burn the world down.

The characters, Harriett, Nessa, and Jo, are so well drawn. I particularly appreciated how well their powers suited their personalities and backgrounds. It felt very well researched and characterized.

Finally, the ultimate resolution REALLY fit the book, and I think made for a really satisfying ending. I can’t recommend this book enough!