The Changeover
by Margaret Mahy
On This Page
Description
When her baby brother seems to become possessed by an evil spirit, fourteen-year-old Laura seeks the help of the strangely compelling older boy at school who she is convinced has supernatural powers.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Litrvixen Coming of age of a teenage girl with horror elements.
Member Reviews
When Laura's brother Jacko is marked by the revolting Carmody Braque and starts to quickly deteriorate as the life is drawn out of him, she turns to odd and infuriating Sorry Carlisle, Head Prefect at her school and, she happens to know, also a witch. But he can't help her, not directly. Nor can medical science, nor can her mother's new boyfriend. To trick the evil Braque she must become a witch herself.
What an incredible storyteller Mahy was. Combining a suspenseful supernatural thriller with a teenage romance, filling it with spiky forthright attitudes to sex and maturity and love and adulthood, The Changeover is a terrific novel full of wisdom and insight about human nature and relationships.
What an incredible storyteller Mahy was. Combining a suspenseful supernatural thriller with a teenage romance, filling it with spiky forthright attitudes to sex and maturity and love and adulthood, The Changeover is a terrific novel full of wisdom and insight about human nature and relationships.
4.5
Fourteen-year-old Laura Chant is “a sensitive”. She receives “warnings” from who knows where. Perhaps it has something to do with having had a great-grandfather who was a Polynesian warrior. A voice inside her speaks—“It’s going to happen”—or a face that isn’t quite hers, a face that knows something she does not, looks out at her from the bathroom mirror. Things stop flowing into each other and stand separate; there’s a kind of jarring disruption, and “the world gets all accidental.” The unfortunate thing about these messages is that Laura does not initially know what they pertain to and consequently has no way of preventing the dramatic and life-altering events that are to come. The communications seem to show more be aimed at preparing her to be strong about something—and strong she is, as well as responsible, assertive, and intelligent.
Laura had a warning on the day her father left them for his girlfriend a few years back, a wound that has not healed and has left the family straitened. She had another when the mysterious, studious, and stammering Sorensen “Sorry” Carlisle arrived at her secondary school. He’s three years older than Laura, has tricky quicksilver eyes, and is not quite “safe”; nevertheless, there’s some flicker of recognition between the two young people, a secret. And now, as the story opens, Laura receives a third warning. In this case, the event will involve her beloved three-year-old brother, Jacko, who sometimes seems as if he is Laura’s own baby, so intense is her protectiveness and love for him.
On the day that the third warning comes, Laura collects Jacko from the babysitter’s house after school, takes him to the library where he chooses books and is delighted to have his hand stamped by the librarian. It is when they stop at a tiny shop (displaying unusual knickknacks, ornaments, and curios) and Jacko holds out his opposite hand to be stamped by the unsettling proprietor, Carmody Braque, that the trouble begins. Braque has a face that has “shrunken back around his smile,” blotchy skin suggesting decaying fruit, and a stale, sweet peppermint smell that intensifies, becoming a dreadful odour of mildew, wet mattresses, and “rotting time”.
The stamp Jacko receives is one of a three-dimensional face, Carmody Braque’s, and it can’t be washed off. It sinks deep into Jacko, who sickens. Laura’s mother, Kate, takes her son to a medical clinic where the attending doctor agrees there is something wrong but is mystified as to what it could be. The little boy is soon experiencing convulsions; he grows increasingly weak and is hospitalized. Even the experts can’t get to the bottom of the problem. Interestingly, the specialist also admits to smelling the stale, sickening odour of peppermint occasionally exuded by his sick charge—a smell Laura has been aware of from the start. In fact, she is the only one to have some idea about what’s going on. She does not know how to stop it, however, and is convinced that none other than Sorry Carlisle, whom she is certain is a witch, can help.
The dark and compelling story that unfolds concerns Laura’s efforts to save her little brother by using powers that Sorry’s mother and grandmother introduce her to. Margaret Mahy’s intelligent and sophisticated 1984 novel, now being reissued by Candlewick, also addresses Laura’s challenges in growing up: accepting the vulnerabilities and shortcomings of her parents; adjusting to the changes in her body that now attract male—specifically unreliable and damaged Sorry’s—attention; and grappling with matters of love and sexuality.
Mahy was a prolific and acclaimed New Zealand writer of children’s literature who died in 2012. This is only the third of her many books I’ve read. Interestingly, all three have concerned “an invader of inner space”: hungry ghosts, the lonely, or the dead seeking the company or energy of sensitive, vital children. I understand that this novel is now being referred to by some as “romantasy”. I suppose that this isn’t a bad thing if it attracts new readers. At the same time, I think such categorization trivializes the dark riches and insights that lie within. Mahy was a wonderful writer. One sees the influences of Shakespeare, Blake, and even Buddhist thought in this darkly wise and compelling novel. I’m very glad to see that it’s getting a chance to be appreciated by new readers. Recommended. show less
Fourteen-year-old Laura Chant is “a sensitive”. She receives “warnings” from who knows where. Perhaps it has something to do with having had a great-grandfather who was a Polynesian warrior. A voice inside her speaks—“It’s going to happen”—or a face that isn’t quite hers, a face that knows something she does not, looks out at her from the bathroom mirror. Things stop flowing into each other and stand separate; there’s a kind of jarring disruption, and “the world gets all accidental.” The unfortunate thing about these messages is that Laura does not initially know what they pertain to and consequently has no way of preventing the dramatic and life-altering events that are to come. The communications seem to show more be aimed at preparing her to be strong about something—and strong she is, as well as responsible, assertive, and intelligent.
Laura had a warning on the day her father left them for his girlfriend a few years back, a wound that has not healed and has left the family straitened. She had another when the mysterious, studious, and stammering Sorensen “Sorry” Carlisle arrived at her secondary school. He’s three years older than Laura, has tricky quicksilver eyes, and is not quite “safe”; nevertheless, there’s some flicker of recognition between the two young people, a secret. And now, as the story opens, Laura receives a third warning. In this case, the event will involve her beloved three-year-old brother, Jacko, who sometimes seems as if he is Laura’s own baby, so intense is her protectiveness and love for him.
On the day that the third warning comes, Laura collects Jacko from the babysitter’s house after school, takes him to the library where he chooses books and is delighted to have his hand stamped by the librarian. It is when they stop at a tiny shop (displaying unusual knickknacks, ornaments, and curios) and Jacko holds out his opposite hand to be stamped by the unsettling proprietor, Carmody Braque, that the trouble begins. Braque has a face that has “shrunken back around his smile,” blotchy skin suggesting decaying fruit, and a stale, sweet peppermint smell that intensifies, becoming a dreadful odour of mildew, wet mattresses, and “rotting time”.
The stamp Jacko receives is one of a three-dimensional face, Carmody Braque’s, and it can’t be washed off. It sinks deep into Jacko, who sickens. Laura’s mother, Kate, takes her son to a medical clinic where the attending doctor agrees there is something wrong but is mystified as to what it could be. The little boy is soon experiencing convulsions; he grows increasingly weak and is hospitalized. Even the experts can’t get to the bottom of the problem. Interestingly, the specialist also admits to smelling the stale, sickening odour of peppermint occasionally exuded by his sick charge—a smell Laura has been aware of from the start. In fact, she is the only one to have some idea about what’s going on. She does not know how to stop it, however, and is convinced that none other than Sorry Carlisle, whom she is certain is a witch, can help.
The dark and compelling story that unfolds concerns Laura’s efforts to save her little brother by using powers that Sorry’s mother and grandmother introduce her to. Margaret Mahy’s intelligent and sophisticated 1984 novel, now being reissued by Candlewick, also addresses Laura’s challenges in growing up: accepting the vulnerabilities and shortcomings of her parents; adjusting to the changes in her body that now attract male—specifically unreliable and damaged Sorry’s—attention; and grappling with matters of love and sexuality.
Mahy was a prolific and acclaimed New Zealand writer of children’s literature who died in 2012. This is only the third of her many books I’ve read. Interestingly, all three have concerned “an invader of inner space”: hungry ghosts, the lonely, or the dead seeking the company or energy of sensitive, vital children. I understand that this novel is now being referred to by some as “romantasy”. I suppose that this isn’t a bad thing if it attracts new readers. At the same time, I think such categorization trivializes the dark riches and insights that lie within. Mahy was a wonderful writer. One sees the influences of Shakespeare, Blake, and even Buddhist thought in this darkly wise and compelling novel. I’m very glad to see that it’s getting a chance to be appreciated by new readers. Recommended. show less
A 5 star favorite read of the year!
In this 1984 YA novel, Laura Chant, a girl with latent supernatural powers, must rescue her little brother Jacko from the clutches of the evil Carmody Braque before it’s too late. To rescue him, she’ll need the help of enigmatic high school senior Sorrenson Carlile and his unusual family.
The dialogue and general feeling of the story is similar to Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle. I also thought of John Bellair’s writing, as well as A Wrinkle in Time while reading. Most surprising was the character Carmody Braque, who is extremely similar to the villain Mr. Gaunt from Stephen King’s Needful Things. Margaret Mahy wrote this book before Stephen King wrote Needful Things, though, so she show more gets full credit for a fantastic villainous character idea!
Mahy is so good at representing complicated feelings and experiences with physical landscapes. In her later novel, Dangerous Spaces, she does this in a world accessible while sleeping, and in The Changeover, she uses a magical landscape. She’s the perfect writer for intuitive readers who struggle to verbalize their intuition! I can’t ever predict her next line of dialogue when she writes, which gives her stories this twisty, unsettling feeling, but in a pleasant way. The direction her plots go often surprises me, too.
Unfortunately, we’ve got an uncomfortable age gap going on in the story (9th grade girl and 12th grade boy) but I would say that the romance isn’t the main point of the story. This is a coming of age novel about growing up (viewed through a magical lens) more than it is a romance. To me, The Changeover feels more metaphorical than prescriptive, so I was ultimately able to look past it and enjoy the book for what it is.
Intuitive readers who appreciate metaphor heavy stories, as well as readers who like Madeleine L’Engle and Howl’s Moving Castle, are likely to enjoy this one! I highly recommend it. show less
In this 1984 YA novel, Laura Chant, a girl with latent supernatural powers, must rescue her little brother Jacko from the clutches of the evil Carmody Braque before it’s too late. To rescue him, she’ll need the help of enigmatic high school senior Sorrenson Carlile and his unusual family.
The dialogue and general feeling of the story is similar to Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle. I also thought of John Bellair’s writing, as well as A Wrinkle in Time while reading. Most surprising was the character Carmody Braque, who is extremely similar to the villain Mr. Gaunt from Stephen King’s Needful Things. Margaret Mahy wrote this book before Stephen King wrote Needful Things, though, so she show more gets full credit for a fantastic villainous character idea!
Mahy is so good at representing complicated feelings and experiences with physical landscapes. In her later novel, Dangerous Spaces, she does this in a world accessible while sleeping, and in The Changeover, she uses a magical landscape. She’s the perfect writer for intuitive readers who struggle to verbalize their intuition! I can’t ever predict her next line of dialogue when she writes, which gives her stories this twisty, unsettling feeling, but in a pleasant way. The direction her plots go often surprises me, too.
Unfortunately, we’ve got an uncomfortable age gap going on in the story (9th grade girl and 12th grade boy) but I would say that the romance isn’t the main point of the story. This is a coming of age novel about growing up (viewed through a magical lens) more than it is a romance. To me, The Changeover feels more metaphorical than prescriptive, so I was ultimately able to look past it and enjoy the book for what it is.
Intuitive readers who appreciate metaphor heavy stories, as well as readers who like Madeleine L’Engle and Howl’s Moving Castle, are likely to enjoy this one! I highly recommend it. show less
This book is aimed at an older age group than previous Mahy books I've read as it explores teenage sexuality, family relationships including the fallout from parental divorce and the female protagonist's mother commencing on a relationship with a new boyfriend, and the emotional estrangement experienced by the male protagonist who was brought up by a foster family and beaten by his foster father when the latter lost his job and turned to drink.
All this almost overshadows the supernatural part of the plot whereby Laura Chant (no relation to Christopher Chant in Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series, although it transpires that she is a latent witch) and her little brother Jacko encounter an unpleasant old man who is the proprietor of a show more new shop selling trinkets in the shopping area near their house. Laura has woken up with a premonition of something awful happening, which her mother Kate dismisses, but despite this she is unable to prevent the old man putting a picture stamp of his own face on the back of her brother's hand. The stamp cannot be washed off and sinks into Jacko's flesh and soon he is deathly ill, as the old man, a type of vampire, drains off his life force to sustain his own failing and centuries old existence.
No one will believe Laura about the cause of her brother's illness so she is forced to turn to Sorensen, an older prefect from school whom her latent powers have previously caused her to identify as some kind of witch, and to his witch mother and grandmother. Sorensen is cynical, sarcastic and a bit of a user, mainly because his mother had him fostered because he wasn't a girl and she believed he had not inherited her powers, erroneously as it turned out. Given that Laura is only 14 and he is 17, I found his initial overtures, especially groping her when she goes to see him for help, a bit creepy. Laura is a strong character and she does defend her position, but it still made for uncomfortable reading, probably because of the developments which have occurred in society since the book was published in 1984.
I do realise that, if read at the right age, this book would probably be very absorbing as it has a female protagonist who is a strong defender of her brother and who eventually becomes a powerful witch, so the fact that I found the middle of the story to drag when Jacko is in hospital and nothing much is happening, is probably due to my not being the intended readership. Because of that and my reservations about the boy's conduct, especially at the beginning, I can only rate this 2 stars. show less
All this almost overshadows the supernatural part of the plot whereby Laura Chant (no relation to Christopher Chant in Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series, although it transpires that she is a latent witch) and her little brother Jacko encounter an unpleasant old man who is the proprietor of a show more new shop selling trinkets in the shopping area near their house. Laura has woken up with a premonition of something awful happening, which her mother Kate dismisses, but despite this she is unable to prevent the old man putting a picture stamp of his own face on the back of her brother's hand. The stamp cannot be washed off and sinks into Jacko's flesh and soon he is deathly ill, as the old man, a type of vampire, drains off his life force to sustain his own failing and centuries old existence.
No one will believe Laura about the cause of her brother's illness so she is forced to turn to Sorensen, an older prefect from school whom her latent powers have previously caused her to identify as some kind of witch, and to his witch mother and grandmother. Sorensen is cynical, sarcastic and a bit of a user, mainly because his mother had him fostered because he wasn't a girl and she believed he had not inherited her powers, erroneously as it turned out. Given that Laura is only 14 and he is 17, I found his initial overtures, especially groping her when she goes to see him for help, a bit creepy. Laura is a strong character and she does defend her position, but it still made for uncomfortable reading, probably because of the developments which have occurred in society since the book was published in 1984.
I do realise that, if read at the right age, this book would probably be very absorbing as it has a female protagonist who is a strong defender of her brother and who eventually becomes a powerful witch, so the fact that I found the middle of the story to drag when Jacko is in hospital and nothing much is happening, is probably due to my not being the intended readership. Because of that and my reservations about the boy's conduct, especially at the beginning, I can only rate this 2 stars. show less
This was a delightful read. The plain language of the book's description doesn't do justice to the evocative language describing even the humdrum details of Laura's ordinary life in the outskirts of a city in New Zealand, even before magic starts to creep in round the edges.
The style is reminiscent of Madeline L'Engle, maybe Lois Lowry or Edith Nesbitt. It has a quality that I associate with Mark Helprin's [b:Winter's Tale|12967|Winter's Tale|Mark Helprin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328874917s/12967.jpg|1965767], except toned down and blended in enough with more ordinary prose that it enhances, rather than dominates, the story being told.
It's a good story, too, and a very fine coming-of-age tale. Fourteen year old Laura copes with show more school, her three-year-old brother, her mother's job that doesn't pay very well so they're chronically short of money, and life after her parents' divorce. As the story unfolds, she comes to understand more about the complexities of life and love and sex and romance and happiness and sorrow in the grownup world on whose threshold she bides. show less
The style is reminiscent of Madeline L'Engle, maybe Lois Lowry or Edith Nesbitt. It has a quality that I associate with Mark Helprin's [b:Winter's Tale|12967|Winter's Tale|Mark Helprin|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328874917s/12967.jpg|1965767], except toned down and blended in enough with more ordinary prose that it enhances, rather than dominates, the story being told.
It's a good story, too, and a very fine coming-of-age tale. Fourteen year old Laura copes with show more school, her three-year-old brother, her mother's job that doesn't pay very well so they're chronically short of money, and life after her parents' divorce. As the story unfolds, she comes to understand more about the complexities of life and love and sex and romance and happiness and sorrow in the grownup world on whose threshold she bides. show less
I don't remember how old I was when I first read this book, but it was definitely before the current explosion of Young Adult Fantasy (and quite a long time ago). This is one of the books that I've read and re-read over the years, because it gets so many things exactly right.
Margaret Mahy's writing is quite lyrical and heavy on the imagery - this imparts a thoughtful, almost dreamlike feeling to the book. It's very different to the YA adult books of today, with their overt violence and sex. That's not to say that sex and violence are a bad thing - but sex and violence themselves do not make a book either bad or good. It's what you do with the story that counts.
The magic in Changeover is a lot more subtle than it is in most urban show more fantasy now. There are no flash-bangs, no werewolves or vampires, no blood and guts. There is, however, serious danger which Laura must somehow overcome.
The only way Laura can save her brother is by making a choice - and that choice will change her life irrevocably. She can either stay as she is, a girl who is just a little bit sensitive to the weird, or she can Change Over and become a witch like Sorry and his mother and grandmother. And if she does, there is no going back. The magic is not less powerful for being less showy than it is in most books now - it's a matter of the right touch at the right time. Being able to do magic is therefore less about being super-powerful and more about having a little bit extra, that might be useful or might not, and tends to work alongside or with nature rather than against it. In some ways, this subtlety gives Changeover a certain creepy-factor that is rare nowadays; when magic is flashy, you lose the extra weirdness that comes from a situation where things that seem to be ordinary are not... but only just not, and in a way that you would only notice if you were looking for it.
The main character, Laura, is fourteen years old - she has family, school, and homework. She has to look after her little brother, and she isn't sure how she feels about her mother having a new man in her life (even though the man in question seems quite a decent sort). She also has a sort of strange connection with the new boy at school - Sorry (Sorensen) Carlisle, seventh-form prefect, son of the local rich family, and secret witch. And she sometimes knows when something important is going to happen.
One thing I particularly liked is that Laura and Sorry are well-written teenagers - their position in their respective families is believable, as is their relationship with each other. There isn't the sense that you get in some young adult books that the young protagonists are operating without any kind of adult authority; even with the greater freedom that children have nowadays, a fourteen-year-old girl still has rules that she has to obey or face the consequences (getting grounded, no pocket money, etc..,) and - of course - the story has to bend around commitments like school.
This is a coming-of-age tale, about taking responsibility, growing-up, and moving away - even if you stay in the same place. It also touches on the isolation of having a secret that you can't share with your family, and means that you might end up closer to the people with whom you share the secret - and what that might mean. show less
Margaret Mahy's writing is quite lyrical and heavy on the imagery - this imparts a thoughtful, almost dreamlike feeling to the book. It's very different to the YA adult books of today, with their overt violence and sex. That's not to say that sex and violence are a bad thing - but sex and violence themselves do not make a book either bad or good. It's what you do with the story that counts.
The magic in Changeover is a lot more subtle than it is in most urban show more fantasy now. There are no flash-bangs, no werewolves or vampires, no blood and guts. There is, however, serious danger which Laura must somehow overcome.
The main character, Laura, is fourteen years old - she has family, school, and homework. She has to look after her little brother, and she isn't sure how she feels about her mother having a new man in her life (even though the man in question seems quite a decent sort). She also has a sort of strange connection with the new boy at school - Sorry (Sorensen) Carlisle, seventh-form prefect, son of the local rich family, and secret witch. And she sometimes knows when something important is going to happen.
One thing I particularly liked is that Laura and Sorry are well-written teenagers - their position in their respective families is believable, as is their relationship with each other. There isn't the sense that you get in some young adult books that the young protagonists are operating without any kind of adult authority; even with the greater freedom that children have nowadays, a fourteen-year-old girl still has rules that she has to obey or face the consequences (getting grounded, no pocket money, etc..,) and - of course - the story has to bend around commitments like school.
This is a coming-of-age tale, about taking responsibility, growing-up, and moving away - even if you stay in the same place. It also touches on the isolation of having a secret that you can't share with your family, and means that you might end up closer to the people with whom you share the secret - and what that might mean. show less
Sometimes Laura gets these feelings. And those feelings are always the prelude to something horrible and life-changing. Before, it was the day of her parent's divorce, or the appearance of a strange boy. But today, it was the premonition of her brother falling deathly ill from a strange man's touch. What's a girl to do but knock at the door of the strange boy, who she is sure is a witch?
I am rather surprised at how much I liked this book. It's sort of young adult and has the whole growing-up-and-exploring-puberty thing going on, but it's not... cheesy. It's not melodramatic or angsty or full of self-centered narcissism that only teenagers can pull off. Instead, all of the growing up feels very adult, despite (or maybe because) of Laura show more and Sorry's hesitancy and tentativeness, despite holding up bold fronts. And calling her mother "Kate" for the most of the book. And a lot of other little things that make this completely different from a John Green type of teens-growing-up story. I definitely prefer this type of book.
The dialogue is spot-on perfect because no one ever says exactly what is on their mind, just like in real life. But their speech is always colored by their hidden intentions. But it's written in such a way that we as readers can feel their hidden motives as well. Such as when Sorry boasts about himself, but then stutters and anxiously waits to hear Laura's response. Or when Laura holds onto him when Kate and Chris comes home. Stuff like that.
Oh, and the scene between Laura and Chris when he is uncertain if he is being stood up by Kate and Laura unwillingly helps him out - oh my gosh, that is probably one of the best scenes I've read in a while. Not because it was hot or sexy or because it was the climax of a story, but because it felt so real. It is the type of conversation that I could imagine a girl and her mom's newest boyfriend having. Tension of changing relationships and conflict and dialogue with hidden motives. Gorgeously written.
The whole "changeover" part of the story is more of a garnish, a flourish, for this book. The witch-y parts of this book are very nice and I liked them very much, but the relationships and character cast was truly the stars of this book. Plus, that magic stuff is more like a reason to have a plot and a way to give Laura and Sorry a special connection. But that's just me being a touch cynical about tropes. It's really quite good and useful in this story.
3.5 rounded up. I very much enjoyed it. Would probably recommend to someone who liked Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier. Someone who likes a little magic, something a little dark, and girls who know themselves. show less
I am rather surprised at how much I liked this book. It's sort of young adult and has the whole growing-up-and-exploring-puberty thing going on, but it's not... cheesy. It's not melodramatic or angsty or full of self-centered narcissism that only teenagers can pull off. Instead, all of the growing up feels very adult, despite (or maybe because) of Laura show more and Sorry's hesitancy and tentativeness, despite holding up bold fronts. And calling her mother "Kate" for the most of the book. And a lot of other little things that make this completely different from a John Green type of teens-growing-up story. I definitely prefer this type of book.
The dialogue is spot-on perfect because no one ever says exactly what is on their mind, just like in real life. But their speech is always colored by their hidden intentions. But it's written in such a way that we as readers can feel their hidden motives as well. Such as when Sorry boasts about himself, but then stutters and anxiously waits to hear Laura's response. Or when Laura holds onto him when Kate and Chris comes home. Stuff like that.
Oh, and the scene between Laura and Chris when he is uncertain if he is being stood up by Kate and Laura unwillingly helps him out - oh my gosh, that is probably one of the best scenes I've read in a while. Not because it was hot or sexy or because it was the climax of a story, but because it felt so real. It is the type of conversation that I could imagine a girl and her mom's newest boyfriend having. Tension of changing relationships and conflict and dialogue with hidden motives. Gorgeously written.
The whole "changeover" part of the story is more of a garnish, a flourish, for this book. The witch-y parts of this book are very nice and I liked them very much, but the relationships and character cast was truly the stars of this book. Plus, that magic stuff is more like a reason to have a plot and a way to give Laura and Sorry a special connection. But that's just me being a touch cynical about tropes. It's really quite good and useful in this story.
3.5 rounded up. I very much enjoyed it. Would probably recommend to someone who liked Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier. Someone who likes a little magic, something a little dark, and girls who know themselves. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Best Fantasy Novels
821 works; 357 members
Best Young Adult
399 works; 101 members
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up
774 works; 101 members
Favourite Books
1,817 works; 308 members
Scary Stories for the Season
160 works; 94 members
Books tagged favorites
390 works; 30 members
Carnegie Medal books I've read (shortlist and winners)
86 works; 17 members
Witchy Fiction
253 works; 126 members
Books We Couldn't Put Down
443 works; 197 members
Book Worlds We'd Like To Visit
322 works; 158 members
Our Favorite Comfort Reads
334 works; 200 members
Top 100 NZ Children's Books
100 works; 1 member
Carnegie Medal Winners In Order
85 works; 1 member
Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast
195 works; 1 member
Frequently sought stories - Name that Book group
149 works; 11 members
Books Read in 2013
1,630 works; 51 members
Read For Your Life
157 works; 1 member
Talk Discussions
Past Discussions
British YA novel from '80s - girl becomes a witch to save her little brother in Name that Book (February 2013)
Author Information
287+ Works 13,517 Members
Margaret Mahy was born on March 21, 1936 in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. She received a B.A. degree from the University of New Zealand. She worked as a nurse, an assistant librarian, and a children's librarian in England and New Zealand. Her first book, A Lion in the Meadow, was published in 1969. She became a full-time author in 1980. show more During her lifetime, she wrote more than 120 children's books including The Haunting, The Changeover, Memory, The Seven Chinese Brothers, The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate and A Summery Saturday Morning. She won the Esther Glen Award five times, the Carnegie Medal of the British Library Association three times, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Hans Christian Andersen Award, and in 1999, she won the New Zealand Post Children's Book Award in two categories, Picture Book and Supreme Award. She died after a brief illness on July 23, 2012 at the age of 76. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Work Relationships
Has the adaptation
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Changeover
- Original title
- The Changeover
- Original publication date
- 1984
- People/Characters
- Laura Chant; Sorensen (Sorry) Carlisle (Sorry); Miryam Carlisle; Winter Carlisle; Jacko Chant; Kate Chant (show all 8); Carmody Braque; Chris Holly
- Important places
- Christchurch, New Zealand; Janua Caeli
- Related movies
- The Changeover (2017 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- To Bridget and other midnight visitors -
Governor's Bay, 1983 - First words
- Although the label on the hair shampoo said Paris and had a picture of a beautiful girl with the Eiffel Tower behind her bare shoulder, it was forced to tell the truth in tiny print under the picture.
- Quotations
- His hands curved in the air, grassy hills grew under them, arched like the backs of green kittens as he stroked them into existence.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Kate and Chris danced, the potatoes over-cooked gently, Sorry carefully hung his pictures out to dry while his cat watched him, purring for no reason, Laura dreamed of many things, and Jacko, pleased and puzzled by other people's lives, fell asleep on her knee while the strands of wool along the edge of his Ruggie swayed backwards and forwards on the small tide of his even breath.
Classifications
- Genres
- Teen, Fiction and Literature, Fantasy, Young Adult
- DDC/MDS
- 823.914 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English fiction 1900- 1901-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ7 .M2773 .C — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 904
- Popularity
- 29,723
- Reviews
- 42
- Rating
- (4.14)
- Languages
- 9 — Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 47
- ASINs
- 5
