Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

CYCLER is one of those rare storiess that can transcend one genre of book. Touted as a science fiction story, it can easily pass for a contemporary teen novel, with a little bit of mystery and even horror (if the concept of the story creeps you out!) thrown in.

Jill McTeague is a normal high school girl. She's got good friends who are helping her to snag a date to the prom. Not any date, though. She's been asked by her science lab partner but brushed him off saying it was too early to plan for the prom. She'd rather go with Tommy Knutson. They have Calculus together and she catches him looking at her throughout class.

There's only one small glitch in her plans. As long as her cycle stays on course, she can attend the prom as Jill. But if there is even a slight miscalculation on her part, she may be Jack at the time.

Jack is the person she becomes for four days prior to her period each month. The cycling from female to male started three years ago. She and her mom have been to all the doctors and had all the tests done, but no one can explain it or give her any help. So the McTeague family has taken matters into their own hands. When Jill becomes Jack, he is forced to stay home from school (they've created an ongoing need for blood transfusions each month for Jill by way of explanation) and denied access to the outside world. Jack has no access to the Internet, or a cell phone. His only stimulation comes from the piles of books, DVDs and porn Jill or her mother procures for him (thanks to the sticky notes he leaves for Jill when he's visiting).

Things are going along smoothly for Jill and her crush, Tommy, has started noticing her, no thanks to the crazy J-bar incident at the local ski slope. Now Jill just has to get him to ask her to the prom. However, in the meantime, Jack has snuck out of the house on his latest visit to peek at a sleeping Ramie, Jill's best friend. Jack is obsessed with Ramie. Mrs. McTeague strips Jack of all privileges and locks him in his room.

As the prom gets closer and closer, the cycling becomes more complicated for Jill and Jack. Jill has a harder time forcing Jack's residual thoughts into oblivion, and being around her best friend draws conflicting emotions within her.

CYCLER is a unique story that has many surprising elements within its covers. There is a lot of graphic sex talk, so those easily offended should refrain from picking this one up. My only complaint about the novel was the repetitive use of the world "mal." It was used quite often throughout the story and seemed to hamper the flow, rather than assist it. However, that being said, the entire concept is fascinating and kept me spellbound throughout the entire novel. It's not until the prom arrives does everything finally come together with the appropriate conclusion.

CYCLER is Ms. McLaughlin's first published novel, and according to the bio at the end of the book, a sequel is in the works. I know I for one will be keeping my eyes open to see what happens with Ramie, Tommy, Jack, and Jill! ( )

Jill McTeague has a terrifying secret: once a month for four days, she changes—physically and mentally—into a boy named Jack. If anyone finds out she’d just die, and so Jill works hard at repressing her memories during Jack’s days, and continues to live her normal life with her outlandish but beautiful best friend, Ramie, coming up with ways to get her crush, the enigmatic Tommy Knutson, to ask her to the prom.

Unbeknownst to her, however, Jack has been developing desires of his own…for Ramie. Desperate to explore the confines of Jill’s room, he attempts to break out and get to know Ramie for himself, instead of just through Jill’s memories. Unfortunately, the results could be catastrophic.

CYCLER is without doubt one of the most unique, thought-provoking, hilarious, and crazy stories that I have read so far this year. It’s an unforgettable mishmash of awkward teen love combined with the deeper implications of gender politics and identity.

A quirky story like CYCLER wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for the incredibly real characters. Jill, Jack, and Ramie are delightfully well developed and memorable; their conversations crack me up, while some of their actions make me cringe with all-too-familiar empathy. With the sure-mouthed, quick-paced, and acidic wit preferred by authors such as Laura Ruby and Robin Benway, CYCLER’s characters will also stick with you for a long time.

The plot is a little shaky at some points, particularly when important romantic connections occur. In fact, a lot of reality must be suspended to appreciate this character-driven story. Jack and Ramie’s relationship developed too quickly, while Jill and Tommy’s also had a note of incredulity to it. All that is forgivable, however, in light of the characters.

If you’re looking for a smart and odd read that’s worth the reread, pick CYCLER up. Mature teens and open-minded adults will fall in love with this quirky “love triangle”/identity crisis story. ( )

Cycler was a book with a very unique plot. Cycler definately gets big points for originality, but I think it was almost a little too out there for me. The fact that a split personality evolved and a girl becomes a guy 4 days a month just didn't catch me. Cycler was better as the novel went on. The beginning, to me, dragged a bit. The end was faster paced, and held your attention, while setting the stage for book 2.

The characters were a little too one-dimensional for my liking. All the gender myths were present in both Jack and Jill. This may have been the point as the two personalities are male/female, but no guy or girl fits gender myths 100% percent. I loved Ramie's character, despite her letting random strangers through her window at night :).

I thought the cover design was really neat, having Jill on the front and Jack on the back. The sequel (Re)Cycler comes out August 25! ( )

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I expected lots of stereotypes, mind-numbing traditional gender roles, etc., but it delivered something a little deeper than that. Jill's mom is a psychopath who I "deeply" hate, Jill herself is not exactly likeable for most of the story, and some of the slang seems a little off, but the other characters are treasures. Jack has an amazingly strong teenage guy voice, vulnerable, stubborn, and totally unwilling to admit to either. Ranie is an amazing friend and person, open-minded in some wonderful ways.
The author didn't fall into the traps that seemed to be lurking. Jill's love interest is bi, which could have led to some nightmare scenario where he falls in love with Jack and Jill because, hey, he's bi, so he's cool with whatever gender she is, even if it involves two entirely different personalities, but the author doesn't go there. Jack and Jill each have their own love interest, and each is open-minded enough to accept Jack/Jill for exactly who she/he is.
Does this book reflect a trans experience? No, not really. But a lot of it resonated with me and I think it could also really resonate with a trans teen, probably one who was very comfortable in their own identity and could look back on a time when they weren't so comfortable without a lot of pain. I'm actually excited to read the sequel. ( )

"You know something's wrong when I start thinking that a Sweet Valley book would be better written than this. [...] YA books don't have to be this way.

First off, our main character, Jill, has absolutely no personality. What do we know about her? Well, she wants Tommy to ask her to the prom, and she transforms into a boy for four days each month. I have no idea if she reads books, plays games, or what TV shows she watches (there's a brief mention of Sex and the City, but it's really just window dressing for a plot point). [...]

[...]

I've been reading a lot of YA novels lately, and they're kind of all over the place, but I can say one thing about Cycler—the writing is crap. Besides the thinly drawn characters, I found the setting to be equally as thin, and the descriptions drive me mad. [...] I shouldn't have to puzzle over scenes long after it's ceased to be important because I hate feeling like I've missed something.

[...]

The plot is also thin; it's somewhat vague why Jack chooses to act out now and not before, and then things escalate from there. The mom's behavior is definite Guantanamo-level overkill, and as mentioned before, we don't know why she does any of it. It just happens and then in retaliation Jack ends up dragging us into a confrontation without real plot resolution. It's not like we need it apparently—Lauren McLaughlin's already planned a sequel to this stupid book, after all."

(Read the complete review.) ( )