Book Review - Switched by Sarah Ready
Hello all and welcome to our first book review! I’m so excited.
If you’re new here, last month I announced that I’d start doing book reviews and let you choose what I’d be reading! So make sure to stay tuned until the end to help me decide about next month.
Switched by Sarah Ready
But the book choice for February was — Switched by Sarah Ready!
For Serena Otaki, free-spirited Californian, life is simple. She loves smashing atoms at The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. She loves Star Trek, spicy tofu, and her cat, Captain Purrk. She loves her messy (slob-fest) apartment, her chaotic brand of organizing, and staying permanently, happily unattached. Loving a man isn’t in her future.
For Henry Joule, uptight Brit, life is simple. He loves making analog black holes, drinking piping hot tea, and organizing his pencil tray. He loves his family, red meat, and obsessively cleaning his spotless apartment. Love and marriage are in his future.
One perfect night Serena and Henry meet. Sparks fly, particles collide, the universe comes to a halt, and…
It was a mistake. They’re too different. It won’t work. Love isn’t in their future.
Until an electric storm causes an unexpected event at the particle collider and suddenly—they’ve switched. Serena is in Henry’s body. Henry is in Serena’s body. And both life and love are suddenly very, very complicated.
It sounds adorable, right? And it was! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it… eventually. Even as a lover of rom coms, I struggled to get into this book at first.
I’ll admit, I’m not a science person. A nerd? To the core. But anything truly science based? Completely over my head. So that was certainly part of my issue, and might be unique to me. To really get the feel of Serena’s and Henry’s love for science, there was a lot of focus on it in the beginning. Lots of drawings, relating things to scientific theories, and science jokes.
It felt too much to me. That and the humor felt like they were trying to be funny and science-y. So it didn’t come off as a natural feel of the character, to me. That combined with the voice that speaks directly to the reader with a lot of asides, and I had a really hard time getting into Serena’s shoes, diving into the story.
Not to mention, the conflict of the story is predicated on the fact that Serena does not “do love” and Henry does. But we don’t really see too much of why, so much as just see Serena panic and scramble at the fact that she does indeed feel love for Henry after their one night.
So it was hard to relate to. BUT! Once we get to the crux of the novel—the Switch? I had a TON of fun. What a wild ride.
There were so many great moments and one liners and Serena and Henry slowly explore their situation, trying to figure out how to fix it while in the midst of multiple family issues.
SPOILER ALERT!!
Now, if you’re going to read the story and don’t want spoilers, you’ll want to stop here and come back once you have so we can compare notes.
The author did a fabulous job of keying in on what I feel like any couple would have issues with when suddenly faced not only with being in a different body, but facing someone else in theirs. Including, but not limited to – dressing differently, talking differently, how you wouldn’t know how to act. There are so many great scenes and one-liners as they figure their way through.
I’ve included some of my favorite moments—feel free to pause to read:
There is the Manly Back Slap, where Serena tries to fit in by doing the bro back slap thing, just… so badly.
Serena trying to pretend to act like the very proper and British Henry.
Henry experiencing a period for the first time? I about DIED. It was so good.
“No fiddling, fondling, or exploring” Because you are now faced not only with a different life, but different parts! Serena’s inability to control his body because she has no idea how, and that takes time and practice—so I’m given to understand.
There was also a great part where a past girlfriend of Henry’s shows her true colors by glaring at “Serena” who is actually Henry. It felt like justice, given how many times there is a scene like that in a romance novel where the hero takes forever to realize.
I could go on and on.
One of the interesting things I didn’t expect was the argument of body versus spirit. Serena hates tea and all she wants is tea when she’s Henry. She’s a vegetarian craving meat. Henry taps his fingers subconsciously, which stayed even as Henry was Serena (it is Serena’s tic).
As we get further into the story, even memories stayed behind. They start to slowly recall past times, which of course, helps them grow closer and understand each other better.
For how much the beginning and the premise was based in science, I was surprised at how much the author brought in more of the mystical belief—Serena turns to a psychic for answers in her time of need, which seemed a bit out of place even on a recommendation from a friend, and the fact that the end switch had nothing to do with the science so much as acceptance and love.
I love the idea of the contrast, but it felt more of an afterthought—beginning and end in science and middle of spirit—than an explored theme.
But overall? I loved it. I had a ton of fun reading it, and would certainly check out other books of hers to see what her style is versus what was unique to that book. Not to mention, her other books have great premises just like this one!
Editor INput
But you’ll have to indulge my editor brain for a moment. If I had the chance, I would have loved to ask the author to consider:
1) Making the story fully dual point of view! Not only because it would mean double the hilarious scenes as we get to see the adjustment not only from Serena’s side, but also from Henry’s.
But also because, while we see Serena grow to realize that love doesn’t have to take over your life, that she doesn’t have to live her mom’s dream, we could have also had growth and more of a character arc for Henry. He stayed pretty consistent throughout the story, and he was such a great character, I know there was more to be explored!
2) Given that we didn’t have Henry’s point of view, I might have asked to see some of Henry and Serena at work together, figuring things out and dealing with life there. Seeing Serena with Henry’s family and dealing with the wedding shenanigans? Hilarious and a great way for her to see what wonderful guy he was. But so much of her concern about love was that it would get in the way of her work, so I think it could have been cool to explore that side of things while getting to know Henry (while still keeping the ex-girlfriend drama because it was AMAZING).
Seriously, if you only read this book for that one scene – do it.
And
3) Moving the beginning up and showing us a bit more of Serena’s norm before she meets Henry. I feel like the biggest reason why I had a hard time getting into the story was because I didn’t relate to why she freaked out so much about her instant connection with Henry. She didn’t even give it a chance. But! Had we seen a bit more of her life, gotten to see her mom and dad’s relationship (like we do later in the story), I think it would have been more understandable and set us up for a greater connection with the main character.
But even with all that, I’d still tell you to check out this book. The premise was fun, the story was hilarious, and it was a heartwarming read for a cold winter’s day.
But now on to the big question—what should I read for next month!
A Story Spun in Scarlet by R. Dugan
The Dreammasters by KD Pryor
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
The Rose Reaper by Jennifer Hunter
Check them out and let me know in the comments below what I should read and review for next month! And feel free to put multiple. If I have time, I’ll try to do more than one. I can’t wait!
Until next time, keep reading.