Take an administrative snafu, a bad break-up, and what shall heretofore be known as “The Hot-Tub Incident”, and you’ve got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to tweedy Oxford may be a chance to ditch her recent fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious control-freak Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U. C. Santa Barbara. Soon desperation has the girls texting each other tips – on fitting in, finding love and figuring out who they really are. With an anthropologist’s eye for cultural detail and a true ear for teen-speak, exciting new novelist Abigail McDonald crafts a very funny, fast-paced, poignant look at survival, sisterhood, and the surprising ways we discover our true selves.
Life Swap
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Product Description
Book Description
Who better than a twenty-four-year-old author to satirize the college experience? An uptight Brit and a hard-partying American swap lives in the smartest comedy of the season.
About the Author
Abby McDonald is a recent graduate of Oxford University. This is her first novel. She currently lives in Montreal, Canada.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jenny, Wondrous Reads
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Life Swap (published as Sophomore Switch in the US) is a brillantly written look at two very different girls and their eye-opening experiences abroad. Abby McDonald writes in a style that flows easily, and uses instant messaging and e-mails to assist the first person dual narrative.
Tasha, the party-hard American girl, and Emily, a stuffy Brit, couldn't be more opposite if they tried. One is laid back and easygoing, while the other is too organised for her own good. By literally switching lives for three months, they discover hidden sides to their personalities, and learn to go with the flow. I loved how both girls succeeded in their new roles, and how they met new people and studied new subjects. They learnt about themselves, and found that life can easily veer off the planned path of perfect jobs and expected educational opportunities.
Tasha and Emily are older than the average YA characters, and this made Life Swap a very enjoyable read. It's good to see things from an older perspective, and to deal with more mature problems and issues that may not always be present in younger fiction. Although the romantic relationships aren't the main focus of the story, they're all very realistic and believable. It's amazing what a confidence boost and a fresh crowd can do for someone, and this is especially noticeable in Emily's perfectly depicted attraction to film class partner Ryan.
Abby McDonald is an excellent addition to the YA world, and has successfully introduced a generation of teens to feminism and culture. I loved Life Swap, and I can't wait for further books by this author, which I hope will include a sequel featuring the next chapter in Tasha and Emily's highly addictive lives.
Tasha, the party-hard American girl, and Emily, a stuffy Brit, couldn't be more opposite if they tried. One is laid back and easygoing, while the other is too organised for her own good. By literally switching lives for three months, they discover hidden sides to their personalities, and learn to go with the flow. I loved how both girls succeeded in their new roles, and how they met new people and studied new subjects. They learnt about themselves, and found that life can easily veer off the planned path of perfect jobs and expected educational opportunities.
Tasha and Emily are older than the average YA characters, and this made Life Swap a very enjoyable read. It's good to see things from an older perspective, and to deal with more mature problems and issues that may not always be present in younger fiction. Although the romantic relationships aren't the main focus of the story, they're all very realistic and believable. It's amazing what a confidence boost and a fresh crowd can do for someone, and this is especially noticeable in Emily's perfectly depicted attraction to film class partner Ryan.
Abby McDonald is an excellent addition to the YA world, and has successfully introduced a generation of teens to feminism and culture. I loved Life Swap, and I can't wait for further books by this author, which I hope will include a sequel featuring the next chapter in Tasha and Emily's highly addictive lives.
Format:Paperback
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book the moment I heard about it, and I devoured it as soon as my copy arrived - luckily, the book didn't disappoint and I really enjoyed it!
As you can tell from the blurb, it's a story about two girls who are running away from either a scandal or a break up and are trying to rediscover themselves so they decide to take part in an exchange that requires them to change swap their lives for a few months. The girls couldn't be more different so in the process of switching lives with each other they also learn a lot about themselves.
The story itself is simple and maybe a bit predictable, but still great fun to read. Everything is so vividly described that I could just picture all the action and I think the story would make a great film, which I'd definitely watch! As for the book, I found it well written (especially since the author is so young and this is her debut) and very easy to read. The voices of the two main characters were nicely distinguished and I could easily tell which one of them was telling the story without checking at the beginning of the chapter. However, I did find the characters slightly stereotypical, but luckily that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story, I still got sucked right in and nearly finished it in one sitting.
One thing though: back at home, Tasha was involved in this "scandal" when she was caught in a hot tub topless and making out with another girl's boyfriend and the story made it into all the tabloids etc. Anyway, I couldn't really comprehend why the characters in the second half of the book were making such a big deal out of it?! Sure, it's not something to be proud of, but surely it's not bad enough to break up friendships? Personally, I thought the UK characters very really overreacting, especially in this day and age when nudity is hardly a big deal. Yes, she was caught drunk and topless and making out with a taken guy, but she's a teenager and it happened months ago - I understand the parents were majorly upset and it affected her US friendships, but I couldn't really see why such a silly thing would undermine the whole project she was working on? I thought Will's reaction was particularly out of character and I admit I was sort of disappointed with him when he seemed like such a nice guy.
On the whole, this is a quick and simple read, but very enjoyable - pure escapism!
As you can tell from the blurb, it's a story about two girls who are running away from either a scandal or a break up and are trying to rediscover themselves so they decide to take part in an exchange that requires them to change swap their lives for a few months. The girls couldn't be more different so in the process of switching lives with each other they also learn a lot about themselves.
The story itself is simple and maybe a bit predictable, but still great fun to read. Everything is so vividly described that I could just picture all the action and I think the story would make a great film, which I'd definitely watch! As for the book, I found it well written (especially since the author is so young and this is her debut) and very easy to read. The voices of the two main characters were nicely distinguished and I could easily tell which one of them was telling the story without checking at the beginning of the chapter. However, I did find the characters slightly stereotypical, but luckily that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story, I still got sucked right in and nearly finished it in one sitting.
One thing though: back at home, Tasha was involved in this "scandal" when she was caught in a hot tub topless and making out with another girl's boyfriend and the story made it into all the tabloids etc. Anyway, I couldn't really comprehend why the characters in the second half of the book were making such a big deal out of it?! Sure, it's not something to be proud of, but surely it's not bad enough to break up friendships? Personally, I thought the UK characters very really overreacting, especially in this day and age when nudity is hardly a big deal. Yes, she was caught drunk and topless and making out with a taken guy, but she's a teenager and it happened months ago - I understand the parents were majorly upset and it affected her US friendships, but I couldn't really see why such a silly thing would undermine the whole project she was working on? I thought Will's reaction was particularly out of character and I admit I was sort of disappointed with him when he seemed like such a nice guy.
On the whole, this is a quick and simple read, but very enjoyable - pure escapism!
By gherkingirl
Format:Paperback
I was given this book by a friend and I wasn't sure if I'd be a bit old for it being in my 30s, but no fear...as soon as I got started it reminded me that new starts and developing self confidence speak to women of all ages. I particularly enjoyed the use of texts and IM to move the story on as it made it utterly believable and modern.
I really couldn't put this down. Emily and Tasha are such well written multi faceted characters that it's impossible not to be immediately interested in what happens to both of them. They are ably supported by a cast of brilliantly awful and very funny supporting characters that make the book laugh out loud funny in places.
I was so impressed I've already ordered her new novel The Liberation of Alice Love and would heartily recommend this one. I wish there had been such a funny feminist leaning author around in my late teens and early twenties! Definitely buy this one for any female freshers you know!
I really couldn't put this down. Emily and Tasha are such well written multi faceted characters that it's impossible not to be immediately interested in what happens to both of them. They are ably supported by a cast of brilliantly awful and very funny supporting characters that make the book laugh out loud funny in places.
I was so impressed I've already ordered her new novel The Liberation of Alice Love and would heartily recommend this one. I wish there had been such a funny feminist leaning author around in my late teens and early twenties! Definitely buy this one for any female freshers you know!
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