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Loading... Sophomore Switchby Abby McDonald
 sfinxeye | Sep 9, 2009 | 
At the back of this book there is a statement by the author that her intention for the book is “to explore what feminism can mean to a new generation of teenagers.” I think she did a brilliant job in exploring that theme without becoming preachy. Through the two main characters McDonald manages to show a broad view of the spectrum that is female college students, and I liked how each character progressed differently. However, I had a difficult time connecting to either girl. Both girls were fairly flat for most of the first half of the book, and even as they were fleshed out more and more throughout the second half, there was still somewhat of a disconnect with me. Despite the fact that I didn’t relate well to the characters, it was written in a way that I still wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. Tasha’s storyline was slightly reminiscent of Legally Blonde (which Tasha herself makes mention of when her peers look down on her), but it was different enough that I didn’t predict where the story would go next. I think Emily’s story was more predictable in certain aspects, but I enjoyed watching her figure out her way in a world totally unlike her own. The girls’ stories are told in alternating chapters. There are a lot of books told from two perspectives that don’t work and others that work wonderfully well; this book is right in the middle of that. On one hand I didn’t like it because at the end of a chapter I’d want to know what happened next with Tasha but would have to read what Emily was doing first, or vice versa. But on the other hand it was a fast read because I wanted to know what happened next with Tasha so I’d keep reading and get sucked back into Emily’s story and not want to go back to Tasha’s. The fact that the two stories were completely disparate made it jarring to move back and forth between them, but there wouldn’t really be any other way to tell both stories. In the end I was pleased with both girls’ experiences. The fact that Tasha left a lot unresolved at Oxford, and that Emily was left at the end with a choice to make that could alter her plans for the future in ways she never imagined is refreshing in that it is realistic. Too often stories end with the girl conquering her demons and getting everything she wants, but in this story both girls are still facing a shaky future, but they’ve learned enough about themselves to struggle through it wisely. (  ) guatemami | Feb 4, 2010 | To be perfectly honest; in the end I am in love with this story. Sophomore Switch was very light hearted and an extremely easy read. Abby McDonald throws you into a world where one carefree college student is switched for one uptight strict college student. They are exchanged life for life; which means housing for housing, classes for classes, and world for world. Leaving two very different girls to sink or swim in one anothers shoes. Which inevitably they do a little of both. Emily and Natasha awesome characters; that I immediately fell in love with and had to see through.As if that was not enough I was even more eager once Ryan and Will were added to the storyline. I was literally cheering when Emily and Ryan hook up. (Don't do this in public people will believe you are crazy) This was a perfect match from the start that I was anticpating long before it was introduced in the story. Unfortunately, the use of 'Totes' did become a little excessive, but this is understandably the way the younger generation will use slang so it was easily overlooked. In the end, as far as 'Happily Everafters' go I wished Tasha ending had been a little happier, but I understand the authors reasoning and that for the character it probably the best ending. McDonald started easy, and ended strong leaving me as an instant fan. (  )1  BookWhisperer | Oct 17, 2009 | Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com Tasha and Emily couldn't be more different, but each wants to escape their social nightmares. Tasha needs to hide out from the tabloid drama and Emily needs to nurse her broken heart. They swap lives: Natasha heads to Oxford and Emily heads to UC Santa Barbara. The only problem - they've each already signed up for classes. So Natasha's stuck taking feminist courses and Emily's stuck learning about film. Neither of them fit in, until they lean on each other for a bit of advice. Both girls start to dress more appropriately, Natasha with preppy clothes and Emily with fewer layers. Slowly, things start to turn around for both girls. Natasha embraces her classes and becomes determined to change people's mind about her. She joins in the rally to save the women's health center. Emily learns how to relax and let go of her control freakiness. Is the newfound happiness about to come crashing down when their responsibilities resurface? SOPHOMORE SWITCH is a great novel on several levels. It's a great tale of two girls switching lives and broadening their horizons and examining the question of feminism. The story especially delves deeply into the topic of what makes a feminist - can a girl have fun and still desire equality for women? (  ) GeniusJen | Oct 13, 2009 | Sophomore Switch Abby McDonald (c) 2009 Have you ever had a problem so big you wished you could just run away from everything, to another city, country, or even continent? How much distance would you need to put between you and it to make it better? Would an ocean be enough? Who? Natasha Collins: Natasha is a typical southern California girl with tanned skin, perfect hair, and an ability to party. Tasha, as her friends call her, is spontaneous and fun, always willing to skip a lecture in order to get some more beach time, make out with a random boy on a dare, and is completely comfortable in the skimpy clothes that are part of the southern California "uniform." A sophomore at the University of California - Santa Barbara, she suddenly joins the study abroad program and switches places (schools, classes, and living quarters) with Emily at the last minute. Emily Lewis: The exact opposite of Natasha, Emily is a control freak. She schedules every minute of her day, has lists of things to do, and doesn't seem to care about anything that will not get her to where she is going in life: the perfect job at the perfect law office in England. She refused to be one of those girls who spends an hour on her make-up and hair, and is more comfortable studying at the library than anywhere else. Her application for to study abroad is lost, and the only person left to switch with is Natasha. What? Natasha and Emily switch places, but since it is so late (classes have already started in California and are about to commence in England) they have to do an exact switch. Natasha will take Emily's politics classes, and Emily will be taking film classes. Where? University of California - Santa Barbara and Oxford University in England. When? Current Why? Both girls are trying to escape something. Natasha is running away from the scandalous video on the internet of her and a boy in a hot tub. Emily is running as far as she can from her ex boyfriend, who thinks she is incapable of intimacy. Favorite Parts: This book reminded me of the confusion I felt in college, the need for others' approval, and dealing with not knowing yourself. I loved Emily's take on the exchange, that her and Natasha are exploring different sides of themselves. Before the book begins, Natasha has already messed up, and she spends the rest of the book dealing with those consequences. I love books that demonstrate serious consequences for serious actions. However, Natasha is young, and she figures it out. I love the way both characters respond to classmates and professors underestimating them based on how they look. In their own way, each girl is an example of feminism at its best, without being femi-nazis. The love interests in the book are secondary, which works really well here. They are most important in the way they relate to the girls' pasts. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that only one is a happy ending, and I have a great appreciation for that. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, and books that imitate that are always a fun read for me. A few of my favorite quotes from the book: "I just don't see why a same-sex preference has to go hand in hand with complete fashion backwardness. I mean, look at Portia de Rossi: a hot wife and an Elle subscription. It can be done!" -Natasha "That's one thing I miss about living alone: the absence of naked breasts at every turn." -Emily "I feel like an antropologist buried deep within an alien culture as I try to decipher the significance of each squeal and comment." -Emily "Like, I'm a total make-out slut, and sometimes I feel bad 'cause that's all I want from them. But then I remember they only want one thing too, so, you know, their problem." -Carla "I've often been the one urging friends to face challenges head-on, rather than let them grow out of all proportion. And here I am dreading every work because this time it all seems to matter so much more." -Emily "I'm on the edge of something, I can tell, but even the thought of moving in any one direction is enough to paralyze me." -Emily Least Favorite Parts: I honestly can't remember any. I think I may have found one typo, but that is hardly intrinsic to the story. Recommend? Highly. To whom? Girls in high school or older. I don't think there is an age limit on this, as anyone could read it and look back, remembering how those years felt. There is a minor amount of swearing and indirect sex involved. sfinxeye | Sep 9, 2009 |  This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. )1 ThePaxtonian | Jul 18, 2009 | This was such a cute book and the perfect change I needed after reading Bad Girls Don’t Die. At first it sounds like your typical story that two exchange students are sent to places totally unsuitable for them and they end up finding themselves and fitting in better than they thought. What makes this rise above and become such a fun book are Emily and Tasha. Both girls are wonderful characters who the reader will come to love. Tasha, while starting off as the typical bubbly but somewhat superficial Californian, finds that she can show others that she’s smart without being labeled boring and she is stronger than she thought and can rise above the scandal of the hot tub incident. I especially loved her character because of her actions in the end of the book which was totally unexpected. Emily’s transformation is a little more predictable but I still loved seeing her relationship with Ryan grow and realize she doesn’t always have to stick to the path in life everyone expects of her. If you are looking for a quick, fun read this is definitely a book to pick up. (  ) dasuzuki | May 30, 2009 | ok...so if ABC Family is looking for a good high school MOW to make.....this is it. it is a fast read and a good opportunity to take some of the girls on their current shows and give them a movie to make during the hiatus..... ( ) szferris | May 4, 2009 | Interesting premise of two girls switching colleges for a semester to escape problems at home, but the extreme stereotypes used put this one in the realm of the unbelievable for me. (  )1 libq | Apr 30, 2009 | I found this to be a very fun and enjoyable book but also at the same time it brings issues that girls everywhere deal with, trying to be the real you but also a better version of yourself. I really liked that the story took two girls that were polar opposites and sort of brought them into a less severe version of themselves, to a middle ground. I also liked how the book shows that even if you aren't exactly like someone you can still have many things in common. I think it's very easy to strike someone off your list just because they have different interests than you, and what we really should be doing is learning from each others differences. Now for me it was much easier to relate to Emily, the uber-organized, straight laced, Oxford student. I liked seeing her come out of her shell A LOT and then stepping back a bit and taking the bits and pieces that worked for her, that's definitely something I need to do as well. I also really respected Tasha's stand against stereotypes and getting people to take her serious and not base their opinions of her on one incident (The Hot Tub Incident). And I love that the two characters end up getting to know each other, via email and phone calls, I guess that's something I didn't consider (no idea why) but it's a great part of the book! I think this book does a great job of exploring what it means to be a young person, trying to find yourself. The book was also funny with some great popular culture references. And really, who doesn't want to read a book where one of the characters goes to Borders often! There is also some romance, which is very sweet and it a great addition to the book. One thing I was rather confused about for awhile was the word "totes" and I finally looked it up and found it to mean, totally. Which made a lot more sense, I had never heard that word used for anything other than a tote bag! LOL! All in all, this was a very enjoyable and engaging book! ( )1 mint910 | Mar 8, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.I found it a little jarring that the girls get in touch over instant messaging when there had previously been no mention of either girl using the program to contact family or friends. I also felt that some of the language used was too sarcastic to be coming from the girls. The book is written in the first person, so I assumed each description came from the narrator. It seemed quite out of character for Emily to be making fun of her schedule (as the sarcastic tone of the language implied) before she decides to make an effort to relax more. ARC review ( )1 nicole | Mar 3, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. )1 ladynole35 | Feb 26, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. ) Scrabblenut | Feb 20, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Well, that's really want we have here, with the most modern twist: the California girl, Natasha, has to leave because she was secretly taped in a hot tub with a reality TV star, and life becomes too hard to bear when everyone knows her role in the affair. The British girl, Emily, seems to want to get out for break-up related reasons, at least for a while. The plot is very straightforward and what you'd expect from the premise, and the romantic leads on each side are easy enough to see coming, although at least this isn't as formulaic in the end. At least McDonald recognizes this; she's got a bit about how narrative structure exists for a reason. All in all, this probably sounds fairly negative thus far, but actually, the book's a pretty fun and fast read. Each of the viewpoint characters does have a different voice, and McDonald has a good ear for dialogue and for who these characters are. The secondary cast, particularly the Cali romantic lead and the militant feminist on the Oxford side, are pretty well-done, as well. Even if it is formulaic, it's a good production of the formula. If you want a fast read, and you don't mind if your book isn't breaking new ground, you could definitely do worse than this. I enjoyed it, and it isn't even really my sort of thing. Just know what you're getting. ( ) Capfox | Feb 11, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Emily's change has more potential to be lasting, but it's correspondingly a smaller change. She finds a different calling, and one gets the impression that even in the different calling she'll be just as driven. The sad thing is, the book presents many opportunities for effecting real change, but neither character follows up on them. Emily ducks the difficult conversation with her father throughout the book, and it closes with that conversation still to come. Natasha leaves England having neither proved herself to her main teacher nor yet decided on what the next school term or year will bring. Worse, the book closes with the focus on Emily's decision, as if cheerfully handwaving away Natasha's future as settled with the airy declaration of having it all. All in all, it's a quick read, and decently enjoyable, provided you're not looking for anything meaningful. It's very much on par with the Enid Blyton school stories of my childhood, in fact, and I'll be the first to accede that those will always have their place. ( ) Cairsten | Feb 9, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. )1 sparrow52 | Feb 3, 2009 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.The concept may not be original (for example Swapping Lives by Jane Green) but the execution and characters feel fresh. Tasha (California party girl caught up in a YouTube-age scandal) and Emily (hardcore Oxford student with her life and career plans laid out in front of her) trade places as part of a student exchange. Their duck-out-of-water experiences during the exchange may seem like stereotypes, but the author uses them to explore their feelings. During this cultural exchange, the girls seem to learn more about themselves than they do about their temporary homes. And even though I'm from a different generation, I felt myself cheering them on. This is a great book if you're looking for light-hearted entertainment. ( ) jh_sanders | Jan 30, 2009 | |
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Abby McDonald
(c) 2009
Have you ever had a problem so big you wished you could just run away from everything, to another city, country, or even continent? How much distance would you need to put between you and it to make it better? Would an ocean be enough?
Who?
Natasha Collins: Natasha is a typical southern California girl with tanned skin, perfect hair, and an ability to party. Tasha, as her friends call her, is spontaneous and fun, always willing to skip a lecture in order to get some more beach time, make out with a random boy on a dare, and is completely comfortable in the skimpy clothes that are part of the southern California "uniform." A sophomore at the University of California - Santa Barbara, she suddenly joins the study abroad program and switches places (schools, classes, and living quarters) with Emily at the last minute.
Emily Lewis: The exact opposite of Natasha, Emily is a control freak. She schedules every minute of her day, has lists of things to do, and doesn't seem to care about anything that will not get her to where she is going in life: the perfect job at the perfect law office in England. She refused to be one of those girls who spends an hour on her make-up and hair, and is more comfortable studying at the library than anywhere else. Her application for to study abroad is lost, and the only person left to switch with is Natasha.
What?
Natasha and Emily switch places, but since it is so late (classes have already started in California and are about to commence in England) they have to do an exact switch. Natasha will take Emily's politics classes, and Emily will be taking film classes.
Where?
University of California - Santa Barbara and Oxford University in England.
When?
Current
Why?
Both girls are trying to escape something. Natasha is running away from the scandalous video on the internet of her and a boy in a hot tub. Emily is running as far as she can from her ex boyfriend, who thinks she is incapable of intimacy.
Favorite Parts:
This book reminded me of the confusion I felt in college, the need for others' approval, and dealing with not knowing yourself. I loved Emily's take on the exchange, that her and Natasha are exploring different sides of themselves. Before the book begins, Natasha has already messed up, and she spends the rest of the book dealing with those consequences. I love books that demonstrate serious consequences for serious actions. However, Natasha is young, and she figures it out. I love the way both characters respond to classmates and professors underestimating them based on how they look. In their own way, each girl is an example of feminism at its best, without being femi-nazis. The love interests in the book are secondary, which works really well here. They are most important in the way they relate to the girls' pasts. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that only one is a happy ending, and I have a great appreciation for that. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, and books that imitate that are always a fun read for me.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"I just don't see why a same-sex preference has to go hand in hand with complete fashion backwardness. I mean, look at Portia de Rossi: a hot wife and an Elle subscription. It can be done!" -Natasha
"That's one thing I miss about living alone: the absence of naked breasts at every turn." -Emily
"I feel like an antropologist buried deep within an alien culture as I try to decipher the significance of each squeal and comment." -Emily
"Like, I'm a total make-out slut, and sometimes I feel bad 'cause that's all I want from them. But then I remember they only want one thing too, so, you know, their problem." -Carla
"I've often been the one urging friends to face challenges head-on, rather than let them grow out of all proportion. And here I am dreading every work because this time it all seems to matter so much more." -Emily
"I'm on the edge of something, I can tell, but even the thought of moving in any one direction is enough to paralyze me." -Emily
Least Favorite Parts:
I honestly can't remember any. I think I may have found one typo, but that is hardly intrinsic to the story.
Recommend?
Highly.
To whom?
Girls in high school or older. I don't think there is an age limit on this, as anyone could read it and look back, remembering how those years felt. There is a minor amount of swearing and indirect sex involved.