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carlyroth10's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5) Took me a little while to actually get interested in the book, but worth reading till the end
earthlings's review against another edition
4.0
Change Places with Me is a short but compelling read. While the reader has no idea who Rose used to be or what she was like before the book began, the subtle comments made by the characters around her creates a great sense of unease and mystery for the reader. While the book begins like many by having the reader slowly get to know the main character, Change Places with Me troubles this by introducing us to a character who is new to every character, and asks the audience to question Rose and ask what kind of person she used to be.
Another thing I liked about the novel were the constant allusions and comparisons to Snow White, which at first made me think this was a retelling but it isn’t. If anything Metzger uses the Snow White fairy tale to get readers to compare the story and character with her story and Rose’s life and what expectations they have based on the two.
I’d love to write more, but this book relies on mystery so I have to be vague. Change Places with Me is a great short, thought-provoking, and ultimately sweet story about memory, coping, and questioning how we present ourselves to those around us.
Another thing I liked about the novel were the constant allusions and comparisons to Snow White, which at first made me think this was a retelling but it isn’t. If anything Metzger uses the Snow White fairy tale to get readers to compare the story and character with her story and Rose’s life and what expectations they have based on the two.
I’d love to write more, but this book relies on mystery so I have to be vague. Change Places with Me is a great short, thought-provoking, and ultimately sweet story about memory, coping, and questioning how we present ourselves to those around us.
imashamedofmyoldreviews's review against another edition
3.0
A lot of books deal with grief and mourning, but this one stood out for me. It aptly puts into a story how you can break down, give up completely and just get tired of existing.
This happens with all of us: You look around, thinking about how exhausting life is and you spot this one person who seems to have the perfect life. No tension, no problems and wish you were them. Like it was that easy and, frankly, in the moment it does feel as such.
This book will give you a deeper view into not only how the mourners feels, but if you look closely, you'll also see how the people around them are affected. It shows you how life will go on, as that is how it works.
If you want a something old but something new, this is you book.
This happens with all of us: You look around, thinking about how exhausting life is and you spot this one person who seems to have the perfect life. No tension, no problems and wish you were them. Like it was that easy and, frankly, in the moment it does feel as such.
This book will give you a deeper view into not only how the mourners feels, but if you look closely, you'll also see how the people around them are affected. It shows you how life will go on, as that is how it works.
If you want a something old but something new, this is you book.
sammy234's review against another edition
This was fantastic.
I'm leaving my rating blank , because I just cannot decide between four or five stars yet.
Regardless , it was phenomenal.
What does this novel have ?
- A thought provoking message on the process of grief
- the impact memories or the lack of them have on your life
- sparse , impacting prose
- a heroine I adored.
- interesting plot
- heartbreaking discoveries
It was just good all around. Really , it leaves you with a little ache in your chest and a big bucket of hope.
Above all , its relatable because most people have gone through grief in their life. To go through it as a child has to be even more devastating .
I really felt for Clara/ Rose / Cora , but I love how I know she's going to be okay.
I'm leaving my rating blank , because I just cannot decide between four or five stars yet.
Regardless , it was phenomenal.
What does this novel have ?
- A thought provoking message on the process of grief
- the impact memories or the lack of them have on your life
- sparse , impacting prose
- a heroine I adored.
- interesting plot
- heartbreaking discoveries
It was just good all around. Really , it leaves you with a little ache in your chest and a big bucket of hope.
Above all , its relatable because most people have gone through grief in their life. To go through it as a child has to be even more devastating .
I really felt for Clara/ Rose / Cora , but I love how I know she's going to be okay.
tereflg's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you for the tiny crisis. This book spoke of a problem I've always dealt with. The last three words resonated. I'm thankful R lent the book to me.
choso's review against another edition
4.0
Change Places with Me is a short but compelling read. While the reader has no idea who Rose used to be or what she was like before the book began, the subtle comments made by the characters around her creates a great sense of unease and mystery for the reader. While the book begins like many by having the reader slowly get to know the main character, Change Places with Me troubles this by introducing us to a character who is new to every character, and asks the audience to question Rose and ask what kind of person she used to be.
Another thing I liked about the novel were the constant allusions and comparisons to Snow White, which at first made me think this was a retelling but it isn’t. If anything Metzger uses the Snow White fairy tale to get readers to compare the story and character with her story and Rose’s life and what expectations they have based on the two.
I’d love to write more, but this book relies on mystery so I have to be vague. Change Places with Me is a great short, thought-provoking, and ultimately sweet story about memory, coping, and questioning how we present ourselves to those around us.
Another thing I liked about the novel were the constant allusions and comparisons to Snow White, which at first made me think this was a retelling but it isn’t. If anything Metzger uses the Snow White fairy tale to get readers to compare the story and character with her story and Rose’s life and what expectations they have based on the two.
I’d love to write more, but this book relies on mystery so I have to be vague. Change Places with Me is a great short, thought-provoking, and ultimately sweet story about memory, coping, and questioning how we present ourselves to those around us.
amkago2008's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't really sure what to expect going in to this story. Several people have designated it a sci-fi but I don't feel that is very accurate. There are some sci-fi elements but it was more of a coming of age, conquering grief story that was told in a very strange and creative way. I enjoyed the ending of the book more than the beginning but found it to be very predictable. As others have mentioned I am still deciding if I liked the book or if I liked the idea behind the book.
alienor's review against another edition
4.0
▶ Want to win a copy? Enter now the giveaway on Starcrossed Book Blog
REVIEW
Alluring and captivating, [b:Change Places with Me|27064372|Change Places with Me|Lois Metzger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465394962l/27064372._SY75_.jpg|47104914] wrapped me in an unsettling atmosphere from the very first page. Indeed the questions started piling up at once, breaking through Rose's apparent happiness, pulling at it, restlessly.
Am I annoying if I say that it's not the point? Yeah? Okay then, let's try this : [b:Change Places with Me|27064372|Change Places with Me|Lois Metzger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465394962l/27064372._SY75_.jpg|47104914] is an unputdownable scifi/thriller that kept me glued to the pages for hours without allowing me to stop. Given the fact that I have the attention span of a goldfish lately (did you see my DNF shelf? HOPELESS), it's undoubtedly saying something.
Moreover, [b:Change Places with Me|27064372|Change Places with Me|Lois Metzger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465394962l/27064372._SY75_.jpg|47104914] perfectly captures the inherent complexity of the role that memories play in the way we define ourselves, and in that aspect, makes for a thought-provoking read.
Ah, memories. These tricky allies. They help us building ourselves as much as they can pin us down. I'm not going to lie, the way we deal with memories is a sensitive subject for me.
The fact is, having lived through my fair share of grief, I've always refused to dwell on the negative. I cannot. Doing that, I realized recently that looking back, my mind separated my life into lives, if that makes sense : imagine a succession of before and after, before and after... Tricky, right?
For years I thought that it wasn't quite right, because as much as people love urging others to move on, dwelling on is somehow expected. One must not dare be happy too soon after a loss, because really, isn't it heartless? In my experience, it is not. This does not mean that I never burst into tears for no reasons other than a trigger song or situation, but I don't let the past define my whole self : parts of me will never forget, my personality is built upon it, but I refuse to live a life full of regrets. If I'm being completely honest, I can be quite horrible about that : as unfair as it may be, we tend to judge people by our own standards, and I know that one of my biggest flaw lies in my lack of patience for sad rambling going on and on and on. Perhaps that's why this novel fascinated me so much. Thought-provoking, see?
Anyway, now that we have demonstrated than I'm an asshole, let's go on, shall we?
As I'm having a hard time defining what this story is, let's take a look at what it's not :
✘ It is not our typical YA romance - actually, it's not a romance, period.
✘ It is not our typical YA scifi, either : no aliens, no ships in space, no time travel, no - well, are there other kinds of YA scifi really? (I'm kidding, I think??!) Yet the story takes place in the future and contains scientific advances we have yet to experience.
✘ It is not our typical coming of age story, but it definitely features some of the themes we often find in them : aren't they all about discovering who we are?
✘ It's not our typical YA thriller either, and THANKS GOODNESS. I'm not sure I'd survive another TSTL road-trip with no cops in sight and teenagers making stupid decisions. We keep turning the pages in hopes of finding out the truth, though, so that has to count for something.
Now, does a book need to follow a genre guideline to have an impact? I don't think so. Prior to Goodreads, I never really bothered with genres, actually [insert the sound of my Literature teacher screaming]. Look, I followed a course in my second year of Uni called something like, "Genres in Literature"
- Most. Boring. Course. Ever.
Since my childhood I've always been an avid reader, but all this organizing, compiling tropes stuff never failed to tire me. Above that, I genuinely think that sometimes, it hurts Literature as a whole. Honestly, it's all incredibly pretentious, and many readers around the world just do not care. I may be an hypocrite, because I use genre-related shelves here in Goodreads, but sometimes I miss the time when I didn't know of this neat organization and opened a book without having any idea of its genre (and of what it's about, for that matter). That's marketing for you : now you cannot help but notice it, except in the "French Literature" shelves in bookstores around here, which happily mix every kind of genres (of course I love that).
The strength of [b:Change Places with Me|27064372|Change Places with Me|Lois Metzger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465394962l/27064372._SY75_.jpg|47104914] definitely lies in its eerie atmosphere : if we know that something's off from the start, we can't pinpoint what it is, and the quest of answers - both for Rose's questions and ours - proves to be at the heart of the story. If I guessed many facts early on - especially because it shares similarities with a novel I read last year
Spoiler
More Happy than not
If you know me, you know that I'm forever complaining about my complete inability to enjoy a book when I don't care about the characters, but this novel makes a liar out of me : far be it from me to suggest that Rose isn't an interesting and complex character, because she is. However, I didn't connect with her on a strong level. Yet I was completely okay with it as it was never detrimental to the story, but quite the opposite.
▶ Talk about a good surprise, really.
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thekazholiday's review against another edition
2.0
In the spirit of continuing my trend of debut authors is Lois Metzger’s Change Places With Me. The description of this novel reads, “Something still feels wrong to Rose. Because until very recently, she was an entirely different person—a person who’s still there inside her, just beneath the thinnest layer of skin.” This had me hooked from the beginning, and I eagerly purchased it expecting a deep exploration into mental illness, particularly Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Rose, previously Clara, is a fifteen-year-old girl who is still processing the loss of her father that happened years before the events of the novel. She locks herself up in what she refers to as a “glass coffin” a la Snow White. The story starts off with Rose waking up, and feeling suddenly different. She no longer resents her step mother, she likes animals, and is talking to people she never gave mind to before. The novel explores Rose’s change of heart as well as the events that brought her to this point.
I hate to say that I did not get what I bargained for when I initially bought this book. Instead, I got a novel that was written in the same vein as the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind––a favorite of mine, might I add. Had I known that this was a book about memory alteration, I may have had a different opinion as I read through this. However, this novel committed what I consider a fatal flaw: it lied to the reader.
From the beginning of this book, I was under the assumption that this was all set in reality as we know it. There was nothing to suggest otherwise––no flying cars, no strange fashion choices, no other staple sci-fi elements save for a new type of bus the city was implementing. Looking back, I can see that the mention of the bus was likely Metzger’s attempt at letting the audience know that they are not in the real world––an effort that ultimately failed. Not until halfway through the book did I realize that this book had sci-fi elements, and it was only when Rose realizes she may have had her memories altered. After that, there’s constant mention of strange ads that, if mentioned sooner, may have clued me in to what sort of story I was reading. In the end, it comes down to a failure in world building that could’ve been remedied had some mention of technology been dropped in sooner.
Another issue I struggled with while reading this was the main character, Rose. She’s supposed to be fifteen, yet she read much more like someone in the ten-to-twelve years range. Many of her actions were naive, such as insisting her uncool best friend eat with the popular girls and later fawning over a dog in a sweater. Furthermore, there were things about her that simply didn’t make sense, such as her eagerness to become a girl that she never even meets.
Flaws aside, I did devour this book when I had the time to read it. Because of Metzger’s simple word choices, her writing was easy to read and fairly enjoyable. There was never a need to pause, save for the occasional bathroom break. It’s for this reason that I believe Metzger may find her niche in middle-grade rather than young adult.
Although Change Places With Me was a book I enjoyed while reading it, the flaws were a bit too overwhelming for me to say I’d ever pick it up again. Metzger certainly has a career as a writer ahead of her, and with more careful development of her worlds and better rounded characters, I believe her future works will be something to look forward to. The first book is only that: a first.
Rose, previously Clara, is a fifteen-year-old girl who is still processing the loss of her father that happened years before the events of the novel. She locks herself up in what she refers to as a “glass coffin” a la Snow White. The story starts off with Rose waking up, and feeling suddenly different. She no longer resents her step mother, she likes animals, and is talking to people she never gave mind to before. The novel explores Rose’s change of heart as well as the events that brought her to this point.
I hate to say that I did not get what I bargained for when I initially bought this book. Instead, I got a novel that was written in the same vein as the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind––a favorite of mine, might I add. Had I known that this was a book about memory alteration, I may have had a different opinion as I read through this. However, this novel committed what I consider a fatal flaw: it lied to the reader.
From the beginning of this book, I was under the assumption that this was all set in reality as we know it. There was nothing to suggest otherwise––no flying cars, no strange fashion choices, no other staple sci-fi elements save for a new type of bus the city was implementing. Looking back, I can see that the mention of the bus was likely Metzger’s attempt at letting the audience know that they are not in the real world––an effort that ultimately failed. Not until halfway through the book did I realize that this book had sci-fi elements, and it was only when Rose realizes she may have had her memories altered. After that, there’s constant mention of strange ads that, if mentioned sooner, may have clued me in to what sort of story I was reading. In the end, it comes down to a failure in world building that could’ve been remedied had some mention of technology been dropped in sooner.
Another issue I struggled with while reading this was the main character, Rose. She’s supposed to be fifteen, yet she read much more like someone in the ten-to-twelve years range. Many of her actions were naive, such as insisting her uncool best friend eat with the popular girls and later fawning over a dog in a sweater. Furthermore, there were things about her that simply didn’t make sense, such as her eagerness to become a girl that she never even meets.
Flaws aside, I did devour this book when I had the time to read it. Because of Metzger’s simple word choices, her writing was easy to read and fairly enjoyable. There was never a need to pause, save for the occasional bathroom break. It’s for this reason that I believe Metzger may find her niche in middle-grade rather than young adult.
Although Change Places With Me was a book I enjoyed while reading it, the flaws were a bit too overwhelming for me to say I’d ever pick it up again. Metzger certainly has a career as a writer ahead of her, and with more careful development of her worlds and better rounded characters, I believe her future works will be something to look forward to. The first book is only that: a first.