This was a great thriller with a strong emphasis on women and the connection women share. This book begins with a background on a few eccentric but essential characters. As we get to know them each better, we love them even more. Throughout the story tidbits about each character (and a few additional people) are weaved through the pages. This was done exceptionally well considering it could have been confusing or distracting. There is no major aha! moment or huge breakthrough, a lot of it you could see coming. But the point of this story was not the whodunnit, it was the stories and friendships of the women. Each a strong, intelligent, gifted, kind, eccentric, loving woman. Really enjoyable read, very strong even if you took away the actual solving of the mystery.

When I first heard the about this book I wasn't sure it was for me........I could not put it down! I have recommended this book to all of my friends!

Loved this feminist thriller! It was funny, charming, serious when it needed to be. It captured the way women over 50 are largely ignored by society and not taken seriously. The author wove in so many ways that women are overlooked as they get older but made it witty and intelligent, making me want to keep reading.

Let's get one thing straight up front: The Change is not a subtle book. Blending feminist manifesto, fantasy, revenge thriller, magical realism, and murder mystery, it focuses on three women who develop mystical supernatural abilities while going through menopause, and use those abilities to target powerful men who are raping and murdering young girls in their affluent Long Island enclave of Mattauk. Think The Witches of Eastwick with a vigilante feminist bent...and definitely no man pulling the strings.

I can certainly see why this book is getting rave reviews. Its themes of female friendship and empowerment, societal oppression and discrimination of women, and the ongoing epidemic of male violence against women are timely and important. Kirsten Miller draws on an extensive canon of witchy fiction to scream "DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY!" in fresh and exciting ways. When The Change is good, it's really good: bitingly funny, emotionally stirring, unapologetically in-your-face. The characters are well-developed and interesting, women that I could identify with and grew to truly care about over the course of the book.

I struggled with the book's length, though. It's long -- nearly 500 pages -- and it feels like it. It could've used a tighter edit to make the plot more cohesive and give the twists more of an impact. The reveals were well-done, but many of them relied on events that happened way earlier in the book that I'd kind of forgotten about. I also tend to struggle with man-bashing books; there are lots of bad dudes in this book, with only a couple of good guys to balance the scales. Miller's making a point, I get that, but it felt a bit extreme especially when the feminism here is of the fairly basic and obvious variety.

My main takeaway from The Change is that I want to be Harriet when I grow up.

A genre bender of magical realism, women’s ficiton, with a mystery to be solved. This book highlights powerful women in Nessa, Jo, and Harriet. They have magical powers and aren’t afraid to use them.

This book was long, but I truly blew through it and couldn’t believe it was over so soon! I had to get my own physical copy as well so I can read it again!

The Change - Kirsten MIller
I feel like it's the year of magical realism and I am not here for it. Either that or I need to start reading the synopsis of books before I start reading them and not go into the so blindly. The Change got rave reviews but for me, it was just okay. I'm not really into magic and witches and spells. Nor am I into man-hating either. I heard this called a "feminist revenge fantasy" book which I am not into either. This was not a book for me.

I love this book! Nessa, Jo and Harriet are my new heroes. They take up the fight for women against the entitlement of powerful men in new ways. All three, unlikely heroes, fight to bring justice to murdered young women, used and discarded by the elite of the town. Of course, the slight magical assistance helps, but the lesson is the same, with magic or without. And the men are dealt with in such a satisfying way!
That’s not to say all of the men in the book are so evil. There are good men, who try to help the three.in their search for justice, and they win us over, flaws and all. Again, I love this book. It’s my new favorite.

I LOVED this book..let me say it again..I LOVED THIS BOOK. Such strong female main characters. They have me wanting more books about them!!

I tried to like this book. I tried to read it on three different occasions. I even waited for it to be published and borrowed the audiobook from my library app. I just cannot do it.

This book is a DNF for me.

The premise was very interesting, but something about this book in general didn't capture me like I hoped it would. I cannot give an overall rating for the entire book, but I can rate the 20-ish percent that I was able to get through.

2.5 stars

I got this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book from this author.I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting to read , but I'm not sure this was it.The book is also insanely long.The "twist" felt obvious.

Loved it and wish the author would turn it into a series. Would be great to see Harriet, Nessa, and Jo grow from strength to strength.

The Change had everything you could possibly be looking for! It was suspenseful, witty, funny, empowering and unique. It is difficult to fairly give it justice without reading it but three women come together in a mysterious way and force you to learn how.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this audiobook.

I loved this book! The main characters were strong females who didn’t take anything from anyone! It kept me reading and I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Company and Kristen Miller for the ARC to review. I love witches so I was intrigued by the book. It was also a GMA pick. I thought the book was just okay. It had strong characters, I loved each of them. The story was good. But it lacked something. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Loved every bit of this. All three women are complete badasses. I loved hearing their stories, rooting for them, and cheering on their power. It was heartwarming to have these different women find a way to work together for the better of the community and create a special bond in the process. I was cheering for them the whole way through and could not put down the book.

3.5 Rounded Up.

I received a reviewer copy of The Change by Kirsten Miller from the publisher William Morrow from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: In the Long Island town of Mattauk, there is unrest a foot and dangerous men are hurting women. Jo, Harriett, and Nessa all have magic powers to help protect the women. Their powers bring them close to one another and they become involved in finding out what is really going on in Mattauk.

What I Loved: I loved the fierce feminism in this book. I loved the idea of women fighting for other women. I loved the female friendship in the book. I thought the mystery was well crafted and I didn't see the end coming which is what I truly enjoy.

What I didn’t like so much: I thought some of the gore and violence was a bit too much and excessive. I guess if you like horror or more thriller books it won't be that way. But it just doesn't vibe with me. I found some of the menstruation stuff excess, but I also get why it was included. I also thought the book was a bit too long, however I liked the mystery so I guess it was good, but some details or storylines seemed extra.

Who Should Read It: People who love books that girl power. People who love complex murder conspiracies

Summary: A feminist book that unravels a conspiracy that is killing girls.

This is a story about survival through adaptation.

This book totally caught me off guard- I’m not sure what I thought it was about, but I was not expecting vengeful suburban magical women. What a great surprise! I don’t have a lot more to say, because it’s difficult to discuss without spoilers… but I definitely recommend this one for anyone in the mood for magical realism with a side of retribution.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @williammorrowbooks for the copy!

I found this book immensely enjoyable. I'm a sucker for a book about powerful women defying stereotypes and getting angry. Throw in a murder mystery, and I'm hooked.

I ended up really loving (by loving I mean I couldn’t put down) this mystery with three older women (who have gone through the change) and have mystical powers. One senses that there is a ghost in an area, and they arrive there to find a body. Surprisingly, even with a drawing of the child, no one can identify her. The women discover there are other children and when the police don’t offer much assistance, they take the case into their own hands.

This reminded me of a darker Murder She Wrote or a Charlie’s Angels, in which the women were calling their own shots, or maybe a nature-Ocean’s Eleven.

There are parts that are difficult to read though. There are times where I hated the way most of the men were portrayed. But then I thought, does it bother me this much when it’s women being portrayed similarly? And isn’t that the point of this novel, that sometimes men create their own world and women sometimes are invited to have a seat at the table. Unfortunately I still think this can be true today.

In our discussion with @lbtheloverofbooks, Kirsten Miller said “We need to change the narrative about being this age. It is one of the best times of our lives. Do younger women a huge favor and give them something to look forward to.” Laura Beth posted in our group that Kirsten Miller was doing a giveaway and I was lucky enough to get one. Miller was such a generous and fun guest.