The Swap

Title: The Swap
Author: Megan Shull
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 382
Rating: 4 Stars
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Ellie had her life figured out until middle school started, and suddenly her best friend dumped her for the new girl.

Jack's life has been tough ever since his mother died, and his father's heart hardened into ice.

When the two run into each other under unfortunate circumstances, they end up switching bodies- and lives- taking on one another. But will this switch help the two
improve their lives, or will they ruin each other?

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This book, no doubt, is quite funny. Watching two middle schoolers switch bodies is bound to be. However, I still found that I had a few problems with this book.

For starters, I don't think it was all that realistic. I don't really think that the way Jack and his friends act throughout the book accurately represents the way eighth grade boys act. And Ellie's "best friend" Sassy? Well, nobody would actually look up to Sassy if she's mean like that, that's just not the way it works. (I actually find this a lot in books or media, where the popular girl is portrayed as mean and bratty when that's just not how it is in real life- or at least that wouldn't be the reason people respect her.)

I also disliked the way the book demoralized women. Throwing around jokes like, "don't be such a girl", or "if I were a girl, I'd be crying right now, but I'm not" is so insensitive and flat out offensive. That's so incredibly annoying to read. I get that that's a bit of a stereotype currently- that girls are weak- but The Swap is written by a woman, and I personally think she'd turned those types of comments down to a minimum. Instead, it's a prevalent guideline by which Jack and his friends live their lives.

All that aside, I did find the book enjoyable. It was funny and lighthearted, but still had a deeper meaning about what it means to be a friend- and a family. Plus, I really liked all the characters. Each one was developed very nicely, and they all had very distinct personalities.

I found the end a little predictable, but I still feel like the story wrapped up nicely. The overall plot line was sweet and touching. Watching these two attempt to navigate each other's lives not only teaches you sympathy, but it proves that nobody's as simple as they seem on the outside. Everybody's fighting their own battle, and you shouldn't act like you know everyone's story. Four stars to The Swap for a lovely life lesson.