Member Reviews
You had me at supernatural powers but when you throw in three fantastic female characters later in life finding out they have magical powers & decide to go after the toxic men they’ve encountered and you have a winning combination.
THIS BOOK! Wow I loved it! What a fabulous concept with even more fabulous and FIERCE characters! This book is in its Reputation Era, and I'm so here for it! I loved the revenge-y, vigilante business, and I loved the idea that these women come into their "powers" through aging and menopause. I just loved it. I thought it was magnificent.
So good! I thought I had the end figured out but nope! A bit heavy on details at times and, at others, too into the weeds with background, but overall super enjoyable.
I’m still thinking about these characters months later…
The mature characters are refreshing. A thriller with a little magical realism.
If you like a juicy revenge story, this book is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy. My options are my own.
Jaw-dropping... empowering... an ode to women of a certain age! Grabs you from the first page and never lets go. Better than HRT!
I can get behind a revenge story. However, this was a drag. First, it picks on men very heavily - most of the men characters were evil, and women are just angry and holding their anger inside till they get their spotlight, and enact revenge. The whole story was just too long and too complicated to keep me interested. Too many characters, and plots and subplots. It tried to be more clever than it needed. At the end of the day, if we do revenge - get to it quicker?
Also, what WAS that ending? Why oh why did we choose to do that in particular? To be "twisted"? Or just to be close to a particular Real Life Island?
I'm not a fan, though the characters and the plot weren't that over the top crazy, like another feminist story with women having powers that was just ridiculous. So 2.5 rounded up. Not for me.
This isn't your typical run of the mill thriller. It's got some thrillier twists and turns. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Content warning: murder, physical abuse, sexual assault, statutory rape
This story kept me engaged, and I was able to read it quickly. A motley crew of women with special abilities are drawn together to destroy men who are hiding gross abuse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
In The Change, three women in Mattauk come together in unexpected ways, harnessing their gifts to try protecting their town. Nessa is a widow who can hear and see girls. Since she was ousted from her high level corporate job, Harriett has built a reputation for being a witch, in large part due to her unwieldy garden. Jo owns a women’s gym and can literally feel heat surging through her when she’s mad about something and lately, there’s plenty to be mad about in Mattauk.
When Nessa, Jo and Harriett find a young woman’s body near the beach, they’re enraged by the casual, dismissive narrative police provide about the girl. The three woman are determined to discover what really happened and decide to investigate themselves, with or without official assistance.
I enjoyed this story that had plenty of unfortunately realistic, rage-inducing moments. I felt for the women as individuals, professionals, moms, and spouses. The Change is a great reminder of the power of women working together and not being deterred by men.
I started this and it was a little too "woo-woo" for me - I think this would be great for more mature women at this phase in their lives but I wasn't really able to connect or appreciate much of where they were coming from.
Oh man... how to rate this book!
Nessa James is a recent widow and empty nester. Coming from a long line of gifted women, she starts to hear voices. The gift she was given was to hear the cries of those who are dead, but not found.
Harriett Osborne is an oddity. After divorcing her husband, she becomes a completely different person. When once a hard-charging working woman, she now tends an unruly garden full of beautiful, healing, but sometimes deadly plants.
Jo Levison owns and runs a women's-only gym. She is going through her own life changes, but those are found more in her body as she reaches menopause and discovers a power found deep within.
These three women create an unlikely bond and once they find their first dead body, are on a crusade to find out what happened and avenge that death, as well as all the other voices that are calling out to Nessa.
Again, how to rate this book? At times it was full girl-power and hilarious. At other times it was extremely anti-patriarch/man and that was uncomfortable for me. Then there was the vigilante justice that didn't fully sit well with me. So while it was overall a fun ride, I don't think I can recommend because of the heavy/language/violence in it.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a very interesting tale of 3 totally different women who come together to solve the murders of several young girls in Mattauk.
Harriet Orborne is recently divorced and recently lost her job all at the same time. She hasn't left her house in some time and her once very manicured garden is running amok. People in the neighborhood are appalled by her garden, but Harriet does not care, as she has learned much about what her garden is capable of.
Jo Levinson owns a women's gym and is learning that aging is for the birds, but she has the power to overcome it, and help others as well.
Nessa James, a former nurse who lost her husband, begins to hear voices. She soon realizes that the voices she hears are coming from young women who have been murdered. This "gift" runs in her family, and although Nessa is aware of that fact, she is not sure what to do with it.
These women soon discover that it wall take all of them to solve the murders and prevent any more from happening.
This is a great story, with elements of the supernatural. I highly recommend checking this one out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was such a fun book. The world and character building were so believable despite the characters essentially being witches. Even though the three main characters have certain powers they are all very different from one another and I loved how they built relationships with each other. It felt a little long to me overall but I truly enjoyed this one! I also thought I had it all figured out but was not prepared for the final twist.
I absolutely loved this book! It combined strong female lead characters with a mystery to solve, some action-packed scenes, and an element of magical realism. The social commentary is expertly timed and main characters Jo, Nessa, and Harriet are relatable (for the most part). The book is rather long, but don't let that intimidate you!
This book! I loved everything about it! The characters were amazing, the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and I LOVED the feminine power vibes. 10/10!
After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish
This book is magical, and strong, and beautifully written. It's a book about strong women and finding yourself and accepting all the flaws along the way. While also seeking vengeance. I adored it.
I loved this book! A true surprise. A quick read about 3 women with interesting skill sets after menopause. One of my favorites from this year
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read The Change months ago with my bookclub and we still talk about how great it was to this day!
This book is about powerful women empowering women - it is laugh out loud funny, endearing, relatable, and so SO well-written. It’s female friendships, girl power, in tune with the dead, and mid-life crisis wrapped into one hysterical book.
Would highly recommend!