This is one fierce feminist revenge fantasy!

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Change but found myself immediately immersed in this book. Fair warning, it will absolutely enrage you in parts, but it is worth it to see how the story plays out.

What I really loved about this book was author Kirsten Miller's attention to detail. Not only did she craft incredible leading ladies, but even her "minor" characters also had a backstory. The retelling of Adam and Eve was just a minor part in this book that really stuck out to me as especially profound and there are so many nuggets like that, bigger themes and lessons that make this book pretty special. It's a testament and sobering reminder of all the ways men can do women wrong (hence the feminist label) but I felt it provided depth to the story that I found incredibly engaging.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and was blown away by the narrator January LaVoy. How she was able to give these characters distinct voices and performances was incredible, Nessa was my personal favorite.

This is a perfect book club pick because you will want to talk about this one after you finish reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Harper Audio for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I saw The Change described as “Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick," I knew I had to read it, and was delighted by this genre of feminist revenge that I didn’t even know existed.

An unlikely group of middle aged women are brought together by the discovery of an abandoned body of a teenage girl off Danskammer beach in Mattauk, NY. The local police have written her off as a sex worker who had probably overdosed while on a job, but Jo, Nessa and Harriet don’t buy into that explanation, and begin to investigate, finding more bodies and a quickly deepening plot. As the investigation progresses, the women come more and more into their powers, which become useful as they end up against the ‘good old boys” club that seems to have total control over their world.

A delightful read that will have me looking for more books with middle aged women as heroines! A rare 5-star rated book for me!

The Change was definitely an interesting tale. 3 women brought together by special ability they each posses, trying to stop a string of killings of young women in Mattauk, NY. Jo, Nessa and Harriett are exceptional characters and they make the story come to life. Their interaction with each other is a delight and I really enjoyed this story.

“CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED MOTHERF***ERS! “

Watch out, Mattauck, NY!

Three women on this Long Island, oceanfront community are about to discover that with “THE CHANGE” of life they have gained some new powers.

And, once WE got past the descriptions of THEIR past menstrual cycles, it was a BLOODY good time! 🩸

Nessa knew that she had inherited a special gift from her grandmother which came with responsibilities, but she didn’t start seeing the ghosts or hearing their voices, until her late forties.

Jo Levison, spent 30 years at war with her body, but she has just learned how to channel her hot flashes, into something much more powerful. Turns out, she is good at protecting people.

And, on the cusp of fifty, Harriet Osborne, has just lost her advertising career and her husband, and she has never felt better-even if the neighbors have started referring to her as the witch who resides at 256 Woodland Drive. She seems really good at doling out punishment to those who are deserving of it. After all, she reasons, “who said that being a Witch would be a bad thing?”

This unlikely trio, become friends when guided by the voices that only Nessa can hear, they find the dead body of a teenage girl abandoned off Danskammer beach.

The Police have written her off as a sex worker who had probably O’D’ed on a job, but would a scared customer really take the time to put her in a black, plastic trash bag, and tie it with a bow?

The women don’t buy into that narrative, and Nessa is determined to give the girl a name, and bury her with her dignity, so the women begin to investigate. Their sleuthing will lead to more bodies, and the startling conclusion that a serial killer may have been getting away with murder for YEARS.

When I began the book, it reminded me of “The Help” in feel, even though the story is completely different!
Three unlikely friends, undeterred by any obstacles that come their way, determined to RIGHT a WRONG!

Described as a feminist revenge fantasy, it is told with GOOD humor, and BAD language, and it couldn’t be more fun!

I was hesitant to request it when I saw that it was 480 pages, but really, the pages did fly bye! So don’t let the length deter you from picking up a copy on May 3rd, 2022.

Thank You to William Morrow & Company for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the copy of The Change. This book was not for me. It started out really well, and I liked the separate storylines of each of the women. Then the more supernatural things were brought in and the book lost me even though ‘supernatural’ isn’t usually a deal breaker for me.I just wasn’t feeling it in this book, even though the writing was engaging. I will try again because this could just be a mood thing for me.

This was an unexpectedly delightful book--not necessarily the plot--but the interplay between the three main characters. I had never heard of revenge fiction, but it made me laugh. I liked the mystery and how the characters worked together. I liked how they would not back down and they didn't let others define who they were. It was wickedly delightful. Would definitely recommend.

This is important. Thousands of teenage girls every year are abused, raped and sometimes murdered. This book addresses this very serious concern. Yet, this story is on the edge of being a little bizarre written by an author with a very good imagination.

Three women become “fast friends” with a plan to bring justice to a system that is broken in a beach town of NY. Harriett heals and punishes with her plants. Jo uses her physical strength to protect them. And Nessa has a gift of hearing and seeing the dead. They were all in their mid-forties –- a time in their lives when they want to make a difference for young girls.

It was said that girls are told from a young age that pretty can open doors for their future. But when they are born into poverty, pretty doesn’t go very far and sometimes they are forced into undesirable positions. The three women understood this and felt like together, they had a calling to help. One of the mothers of a missing girl said, “the cops aren’t going to listen to a witch and a lady ninja and some woman who talks to dead people.” This would be a challenge.

I was excited to read this book with an original plot. Parts I enjoyed but the downside for me was that I felt like the second half was long. It reminded me of a TV series that has a predictable ending and keeps on going forever. I believe it would have been better if it had more edits. It also seemed like the author was writing with a punching bag for almost all the male characters. I could see how it related in part to Jeff Epstein’s victims which made it very difficult to digest.

My thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Change by Kirsten Miller tells the story of Jo, Nessa and Harriet who meet because of their supernatural abilities and use them for the greater good. I really loved these characters. They each had a different ability but worked together. Very pro woman which seems to be under act these days. There was a good gradual character development. I loved the dialogue between the characters. It was very true to life. I hope the author will write a sequel with these same characters. I will recommend this book. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

What a delightfully evil little book! "The Change" chronicles the adventures of 3 women who discover they possess magical powers after going through menopause. They band together to take down a network of evil men on their East coast island with humor and gusto. It's a brilliant twist on the current media obsession with female murder victims. Instead of being nameless victims whose stories are serialized on podcasts, these women talk back, and use the living to enact their revenge. A mischievous and fun read that reminded me that we have too few books with middle aged women as heroines.

A brilliant, unputdownable 5-star stunner that will have you cheering one minute, and then reeling over the atrocities of the world the next!

“No one had seen the woman who lived at 256 Woodland Drive since early November. Now it was late April and the house looked abandoned…The owner’s name was Harriett Osborne, and though she wasn’t new to the neighborhood, few people on Woodland Drive could claim to know her.”

That opening had me dying to know who Harriett was, and what was up with her.

Harriett is a former advertising director who was recently let go from her lucrative job. Her marriage is done, and nobody has seen her for months. Her garden looks out of control to the residents of Mattaulk in Long Island. That garden will end up being very useful.

Jo Levinson used to be an executive, but wasn’t able to hold on to the title that is usually awarded to men, and that is NOT because her talent was lacking. Now in the midst of menopause, she is a wife and parent, and she also runs a female-only fitness center and directs her red hot rage into a power nobody else has.

Nessa James is a widow with two daughters in college. A nurse and recent empty nester, her time at home is usually quiet…except for the voices that only she can hear. The voices are from those who are no longer living. See, Nessa has a gift. She can hear dead people, and it’s her responsibility to find their hidden bodies so they can be at peace and cross over.

What do these three very different women have in common? They are all middle-aged, they have all been screwed over by men, and they all have powers that will make them a force to be reckoned with.

Oh, and they are total BADASSES!!!!!

It soon becomes clear that there is a serial killer among their community when Nessa hears the voice of a teenage girl leading her to the beach. The police refuse to look too deep into it, shrugging the victim off as a drugged up prostitute.

Harrriett, Jo, and Nessa decide to come together with their powers…and nobody better stand in their way. Time to pay the piper!

This book is phenomenal, and it’s a complete standout for me this year! I have no doubt it will be on my top 10 list of favorite 2022 reads. There is no way I can adequately express how much I loved it, but I’ll at least try.

Author Kirsten Miller writes a genre-defying book that had me laughing/snorting one minute and absorbed with something much darker and sinister the next. The balance is extraordinarily successful and continues throughout. She writes the hell out of not only the main characters, but also side characters whose stories need to be told. You’ll know the backstories to everyone in this tale, from vengeful women to terrible men in power, victims’ families, those roped into the turmoil, a murderer, and second to most important - behind the three leading ladies - the victims.

We deserve to know about victims, and Miller is conscientious about not keeping the focus only on those who deliver harm.

As stated earlier, the women in this are total badasses, and you’ll be rooting and hollering as they take down evil forces in the world. Their stories are powerful, and their backgrounds are probably relatable to a number of women. Feminism doesn’t always work for me in fictional novels, but it excels here. And for those worrying that this is a man-bashing bonanza, don’t worry…There are a few good men who remain mostly unscathed. Nessa, Jo, and Harriett aren’t anti-male. They’re anti-bull$!t.

The book is on the longer side, but don’t let that deter you. I picked it back up every time I got a chance and didn’t want it to end. It was so gripping. If nobody has optioned this for a movie deal yet, they need to get on that STAT!

I hope The Change finds a large audience. I for one will be recommending it, and have already been telling people about it as I was in the midst of reading it.

I won’t specifically discuss the TWs, but this book is definitely rated-R.

Thank you to William Morrow for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 5/3/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

"The Change" by Kirsten Miller is set to be released by @harpercollinsca on May 3rd, 2022. Thanks to them for this advanced reading copy. Trust me friends, you are going to want to read this one. It's 480 pages, but a page turner and I felt like it was over too soon. It has elements of witchcraft, murder, the pacing of a thriller and the special elements of friendship and growing as women, into who you are supposed to be. Jo, Harriet and Nessa develop their strong relationships, and their own unique gifts as they go through the "change" in their late 40s. They learn to reclaim their power, and how to not take any more crap from men. I really enjoyed this read and I loved the three main characters. Witches, feminism and power? YES PLEASE! #witchy #amreading #harpercollins #bookstagram #thechange #advancedreading
trigger warnings of sexual assault and death

I'll be shouting from the rooftops about The Change for months to come, so you might as well order a copy now and join the party. The Change is the female revenge story I've been waiting for. I've read others, and they just missed the mark. The characters have so much personality development and depth, and I loved the tie-in of a connection with the earth that made them the heroines they are.

All I wanted to do was pick up The Change while I was reading it, yet life kept getting in the way. I'd sneak in pages at lunch, running errands, anytime I could. It's spell-binding and I sincerely hope it gets all the attention it deserves this summer.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, abuse, and rape. None are graphic but they are a central part of the story.

I am utterly obsessed with this book! As a 46-year old woman who has had to deal with forced menopause, this book was exactly what I needed in my life! I absolutely LOVED every character, but I think I identified with Jo the most--probably because of all these hot flashes! This book is the menopause feminist manifesto that I needed. And I'm still wondering when I'm going to get my menopause powers!! I cannot race about The Change enough, and I certainly can't wait to hand sell the hell out of it!!

This book is so good. The three heroines, Harriette, Jo and Nessa, were written with so much personality, depth and layers. I loved all three of them. The plot kept me engaged and I loved the mix of murder mystery and magical mysticism all while touching on topics like feminism, gender inequality, sexual abuse etc. This book was heartwarming, empowering, sad and infuriating, but overall it was an incredibly written story that I wish I could read for the first time again!

This was a very interesting concept of middle age women coming into their powers and using them to find missing girls. The issues I had with this book are that many places within the story I felt like there was too much male bashing and at times the story seemed to move too slowly. I liked how they were able to uncover the murders using their powers and that justice was ultimately served. Overall it was a middle of the road kind of book for me, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it.

I really dislike it when book marketers compare books to each other. This book stands on its own, and lives up to expectations and then exceeds them. It was indeed "a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers".

I devoured this book in one day, and honestly I'm not sure any review I could give would properly explain how truly spell-binding this story was. Jo, Nessa, and Harriet captured my attention from the first page and would not let me go. All three are presented as narrators in this novel, along with several other female narrators through out the book, their witticism and biting observations were so incredibly accurate, I could have highlighted the entire book.

I believe this novel will stay with me for a long time and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Nessa, Jo, and Harriet all have gifts. Gifts that didn’t fully develop until middle age, but are now very much present. When they find a dead teenage girl in a trash bag by the water, the three are determined to figure out who she is. the local police don’t seem too concerned, which only makes the three more determined to find out who she is. As they begin to put the pieces together, the ladies decide it’s time to take matters into their own hands.

This one started a little slow for me. Not crazy slow, but just took a bit to get into. Once I hit about 35% though…well lets just say I stayed up all night finishing this book. I think we needed Harriet, Nessa, and Jo to visit Epsteins little island several years ago! These ladies were such badasses and I loved seeing them take down the toxic men that were taking over their town. I really don’t want to say much more because you should just read this book! It’s got a hint of magic which was exactly the right amount!

The blurb that describes this book as Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick is 1000% accurate. Overall, I found this one enjoyable! The premise was simply fantastic and I loved the feminist energy. The Change follows three woman who are 45+ and they are each such strong characters despite being extremely different. The mystery was well developed, the writing was witty and engaging, and everything wrapped up nicely. I love how the big reveal made sense but wasn’t overly obvious. The book explores important, relevant themes that I don’t want to reveal because I feel they’ll spoil the story. If you are looking for a witchy read with mature characters, don’t skip this one!

I could not have loved this book more. It had everything it promised, and things I didn't even know I wanted. Feminist perspectives, female empowerment, serials killers, revenge, and such a satisfying ending. I could not put this book down once I started. I appreciated the back stories of the three main characters, and the comeuppance for the antagonists was perfect.

Miller is amazing at writing a strong female character. It follows three women with special abilities hunting down a murderer in their small and wealthy beach town. This book is a thriller, a women's literary fiction and a thriller all in one. Its about menopause, magic, mystery and revenge. I loved everything about this book and definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.