Status
Available
Call number
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.
Pages
224
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |
Language
Awards
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor — Fiction — 1985)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 1988)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 1984)
IBBY Honour Book (Writing — 1986)
LIANZA Children and Young Adult Book Awards (Winner — Esther Glen Award — 1985)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1984)
CCBC Choices (1984)
Genres
Library's review
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
It's a good story, too, and a very fine coming-of-age tale. Fourteen year old Laura copes with 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.
The style is reminiscent
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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 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.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
Where has this been all my life?This is my first Margaret Mahy book, and I have a new must-read-everything-author. Laura has warning - a feeling that something dreadful is going to happen, and her warning have been right in the past. When her baby brother start dying with a doctor-baffling illness,
While Laura's transformation into a witch obviously pre-shadows her change into a woman, the other changes in this story as less easy to categorise. As little Jacko's illness grows, life around Laura becomes more fluid, with her mother starting a new relationship, her father arriving with a newly pregnant wife, and Sorry having terribly confused expectations for their relationship.
The writing is rich, nothing is over explained, and there is mystery everywhere - there is a real sense of depth. The atmosphere is extremely creepy, with Jocko's sickness clouding everything.
And the relationships are drawn very well - between the main characters and even the minor characters. Kate and Sorry's interactions, for all the sense of mystery and unease, have both a touch of wonder, and of unsure first teen prickliness.
I thought this was stunning. I'd give this to fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman, people who like YA urban fantasy, I'd try it for teen romance fans as well.
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only Laura knows that his life is being sucked away by an evil old man. The only place she can go for help is to Sorry Carlisle, the strange witch boy.While Laura's transformation into a witch obviously pre-shadows her change into a woman, the other changes in this story as less easy to categorise. As little Jacko's illness grows, life around Laura becomes more fluid, with her mother starting a new relationship, her father arriving with a newly pregnant wife, and Sorry having terribly confused expectations for their relationship.
The writing is rich, nothing is over explained, and there is mystery everywhere - there is a real sense of depth. The atmosphere is extremely creepy, with Jocko's sickness clouding everything.
And the relationships are drawn very well - between the main characters and even the minor characters. Kate and Sorry's interactions, for all the sense of mystery and unease, have both a touch of wonder, and of unsure first teen prickliness.
I thought this was stunning. I'd give this to fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman, people who like YA urban fantasy, I'd try it for teen romance fans as well.
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LibraryThing member 2chances
Laura's life is complicated. Her father, absorbed by his new wife, never visits; her mom is beginning to see other men. Her little brother Jacko is acting strangely since they encountered a very unpleasant old man in a shop. And there's a boy at school that she thinks is probably a witch.
When
When
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little Jacko becomes desperately ill, Laura enlists the help of Sorenson, the oddball boy at school, to find a way to heal him. I don't care much for Mahy's style - her characters talk in exclamation points (!!), and sometimes the writing seems sloppy rather than tight. But I did very much like the relationship between Laura and Sorenson, which is complicated, layered, and interesting. It's unusual to find a YA novel in which the younger, female character sets the boundaries of a burgeoning sexual relationship - and the older, male character moves from a sort of dominating attitude to one of respect. Sounds a bit prim? It isn't. This is a teenage novel that celebrates female strength and identity instead of dysfunction. Take that, Stephanie Meyer. Show Less
LibraryThing member seldombites
This was a favourite of mine as a young girl and I'm pleased to say it lost none of it's magic this time around. The characters are well formed and the plot predictable but pleasant. Dealing with issues that affect many teenagers - difference, romance, angst, a new parent figure - this is a novel
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many teenage girls would enjoy. Show Less
LibraryThing member BGarriock
The way this book was written meant I had to read it slowly to appreciate the language. Laura's concern for her little brother Jacko drives her to make a life changin decision, but all the time grounded in the normal stresses of teenage life.
LibraryThing member rivkat
Got this because of a favorable review on my reading list: Laura is a teenager in New Zealand living with her mother and little brother; when a mystical baddie threatens her brother’s life, she turns to a school prefect known to be a witch, Sorry Carlisle, and negotiates her growing attraction to
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him along with her struggle over her own supernatural abilities. To me, the book felt very much of its time (1984), with Laura as one of those preternaturally calm and wise teenagers who holds things together after her parents’ divorce; all the action is muted. All told, I would have preferred to read The Grounding of Group 6--though I admit that too might have lost something with age. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewalkinggirl
I love this book so much that when I could no longer find it at a public library, I hunted it down on the used market. (That probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's been one of my public library repeat reads since I was a kid; it was like an every three years ritual for me.)
Do I still love
Here's a quote from one of those scenes. I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it's a good representation of the heroine, Laura Chant, and her ally, Sorry (Sorenson Carlisle) as she makes an object of power under the supervision of the witch Winter (Sorry's mother):
"Stamp, your name is to be Laura. I'm sharing my name with you. I'm putting my power into you and you must do my work. Don't listen to anyone but me." She thought for what seemed like a long time, though it was really only a single second, and in that time, oddly enough, the picture of the old, whistling kettle at home came into her mind. "You are to be my command laid on my enemy. You'll make a hole in him through which he'll drip away until he runs dry. As he drips out darkness, we'll smile together, me outside, you inside. We'll " (she found her voice rising higher and growing a little hysterical) " ... we'll crush him between our smiles." She looked up at the reflected witches and said nervously, "Is that enough?"
"Quite enough," Winter said, and behind the fine lace of her age, Laura saw a reflection of Sorry's wariness.
"Terrific!" exclaimed Sorry. "Chant, can I be on your side? I'd hate to be your enemy.
Do I still love
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this book now? Yes. It's scary, sensual (in a non-graphic way), smart, magical, empowering and in many other ways fabulous. Plus, it's set in New Zealand, which as a kid growing up in one of the landlocked parts of the US, that seemed kind of magical in and of itself. Anyway, I still vividly recall certain scenes, and the wonder of reading those scenes is still there for me as an adult.Here's a quote from one of those scenes. I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it's a good representation of the heroine, Laura Chant, and her ally, Sorry (Sorenson Carlisle) as she makes an object of power under the supervision of the witch Winter (Sorry's mother):
"Stamp, your name is to be Laura. I'm sharing my name with you. I'm putting my power into you and you must do my work. Don't listen to anyone but me." She thought for what seemed like a long time, though it was really only a single second, and in that time, oddly enough, the picture of the old, whistling kettle at home came into her mind. "You are to be my command laid on my enemy. You'll make a hole in him through which he'll drip away until he runs dry. As he drips out darkness, we'll smile together, me outside, you inside. We'll " (she found her voice rising higher and growing a little hysterical) " ... we'll crush him between our smiles." She looked up at the reflected witches and said nervously, "Is that enough?"
"Quite enough," Winter said, and behind the fine lace of her age, Laura saw a reflection of Sorry's wariness.
"Terrific!" exclaimed Sorry. "Chant, can I be on your side? I'd hate to be your enemy.
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LibraryThing member atreic
This is a book that I managed to miss altogether as a child, which is surprising because it's moderately famous (it won the Carnegie medel) It's also very much not a children's book - if it was released today it would be firmly YA with its themes of coming of age and self discovery, and the way it
It's one of those books where there is a supernatural adventure (Laura's brother is caught by an evil creature, and she must become a witch to save him) which as well as being a good story in its own right is used as a foil to highlight other things in the charactors lives. Laura finds peace with her divorced mother's new relationship, with the uneasy relationship between her and her estranged father, with her love for Sorry, and with her own development into adulthood.
An interesting book. Some bits felt very dated; some bits I didn't like the politics of (it can be a bit 'There are Girls and Boys, and you develop your Womanly Powers as you Grow'). The magic is very 'show but don't explain at all'. But it's quick to read and engaging, and I love the way Sorry and Chant grow together over the course of the book.
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treats sex and love.It's one of those books where there is a supernatural adventure (Laura's brother is caught by an evil creature, and she must become a witch to save him) which as well as being a good story in its own right is used as a foil to highlight other things in the charactors lives. Laura finds peace with her divorced mother's new relationship, with the uneasy relationship between her and her estranged father, with her love for Sorry, and with her own development into adulthood.
An interesting book. Some bits felt very dated; some bits I didn't like the politics of (it can be a bit 'There are Girls and Boys, and you develop your Womanly Powers as you Grow'). The magic is very 'show but don't explain at all'. But it's quick to read and engaging, and I love the way Sorry and Chant grow together over the course of the book.
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LibraryThing member JenneB
Yep, still awesome. Surprisingly realistic, for a fantasy novel.
LibraryThing member debnance
Laura Chant is a teen growing up with her divorced mom and younger brother in New Zealand. Laura sees that something is happening to her brother but no one else seems to understand what is going on or what to do about it until Laura meets and gets to know a mysterious boy from school known as
A powerful book.
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Sorry.A powerful book.
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LibraryThing member stephxsu
This disappointed me. After coming highly recommended by a whole bunch of my favorite reviewers, I really expected to be swept off my feet completely. But what THE CHANGEOVER was for me turned out to be was an outdated set of supernatural romance tropes. The protagonist, Laura Chant, reminds me of
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a blundering Meg Murry, if you like that type—but I have always wanted to give Meg a shake for always being so teary and hand-wringing. The plot is a straightforward enough one, yet seems to drag on despite the entire book being only around 200 pages—perhaps a sign that things were not going right for reader-me. Show Less
LibraryThing member NineLarks
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member RachelMeehan
Just finished this book which I received as a gift. I enjoyed it although it was strange mix of almost coming of age / romance mixed in with some dark magic and domestic / family issues.
The main character Laura Chant is beautifully drawn as is Sorry Carlisle. I liked the way it switched from the
The main character Laura Chant is beautifully drawn as is Sorry Carlisle. I liked the way it switched from the
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supernatural to the domestic setting with issues about paternal responsibilities and family tensions were neatly intertwined with the changeover. Show Less
LibraryThing member devafagan
Very lovely prose! I didn't quite connect emotionally with the characters in the way I had hoped, but I enjoyed the story.
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
She's a New Zealand author, and this book was referenced on the front page of Born Into Light.
............................
While waiting for a chance to read this, I've enjoyed many others by Mahy. She's definitely talented, and imaginative/ creative. Readers who like witch or ghost stories,
Still, a couple of lines: Canadians are Americans without Disneyland." Seems pretty naive, even from the mouth of a young teen character, even in 1983, but it's still cute.
"Given half a chance, babies are certain that the world wouldn't function without them. They know they're marvellous.""
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While waiting for a chance to read this, I've enjoyed many others by Mahy. She's definitely talented, and imaginative/ creative. Readers who like witch or ghost stories,
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adventures in the paranormal, and/or teen romance, will probably love this. but somehow it didn't resonate with me. I never felt immersed, or even connected. Otoh, when I was Laura's age I bet I would have loved it.Still, a couple of lines: Canadians are Americans without Disneyland." Seems pretty naive, even from the mouth of a young teen character, even in 1983, but it's still cute.
"Given half a chance, babies are certain that the world wouldn't function without them. They know they're marvellous.""
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LibraryThing member T_K_Elliott
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
The magic in Changeover is a lot more subtle than it is in most urban 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.
Margaret Mahy's writing
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member Diana_Long_Thomas
Read for Sci-Fi Summer read-a-thon, and prior to the movie being released. I have had this book since I was a pre-teen and I have re-read it so often that I am on my second copy. It does have issues due to when it was written. Is it dated? Definitely, I'm not sure if anyone who is currently a young
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adult will know what a video game parlor is. When it was written there wouldn't have been many issues with an 18-year-old dating a 15-year-old, as an example, that was the age difference between me and my first boyfriend, now it's just creepy. However, if you can get past that it's a great book with paranormal overtones. It takes place in New Zealand, has witches, evil spirits, and teenage angst. I have always loved it and still keep it as a 5-star book even with the problems it does have. Show Less
LibraryThing member Elizabeth_Foster
'A clammy hand pressed Laura down to her knees beside Jacko's bed. It was the hand of terror, nothing less.'
This was such a well-written supernatural story, with image-laden prose and interesting characters. The Changeover covers quite dark territory, and there is a real urgency to Laura's quest to
This was such a well-written supernatural story, with image-laden prose and interesting characters. The Changeover covers quite dark territory, and there is a real urgency to Laura's quest to
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save her baby brother. I particularly enjoyed the romance between Laura and Sorry. This story was written quite some time ago but is just as gripping as ever. Show Less
LibraryThing member electrascaife
A teen girl takes her toddler brother to visit a new curio shop in town, and the creepy old man owner puts his curse mark on the boy, which enables him slowly to drain the life out of him. Laura enlists the help of the cute but strange neighborhood boy - also a prefect at her school - to help,
Weird, but not necessarily in a bad way. The love story aspect felt a little stodgy and forced, but an okay plot overall.
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which is good because he's a witch.Weird, but not necessarily in a bad way. The love story aspect felt a little stodgy and forced, but an okay plot overall.
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LibraryThing member Has_bookpusher
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy is a rich, multi-layered tale that I discovered as a teen, and quickly fell in love due to its relatability- in addition to being one hell of a good read! During each reread it has delivered a fresh meaning to me and it’s one of my all time favourite reads.
The
To Changeover Laura has to confront her personal as well as physical fears about puberty, prospective love and magical metaphorsis. She learns and realises that she is unable to stay in the confines of the past and her childhood. But she is resentful of the changes that growing up brings. There are also other obstacles from her own mother, who is moving on with her life post divorce with another man- even though at the same time there is something wrong with Jacko. However, these changes help Laura through her magical metaphorsis as it is the only way she is able to confront Carmody Braque, the demon who is killing her baby brother.
As a teen in the 1980s it was hard to come across books that had a leading female character I could relate to. One other book I think that came close to this was Alanna, from the Song of The Lioness Quartet (I will be blogging about this later). Her resentment, fears and ponderings of growing up were things I could understand and relate to. Here, is a supernatural tale of witches and demons in an ordinary setting. Laura may not be a kick ass warrior, but emotionally she is stubborn, resilient and loyal. She faces her fears to protect those she loves. Her relationship with Jacko and Sorenson fleshed her character out. It made her seem real. She is not perfect but she isn’t stupid or whiny.
One of the main strengths of this book was Sorenson. As a male witch he feels he is the odd one out in his triumvirate family of witches, who have rejected him for being a male witch- so he ends up being put in an abusive foster home. Due to this he calls himself Sorry, but despite his past and prickly relationship with his family, he does try to portray himself as the perfect, well behaved teen. Although Laura sees through this facade. Sorry is a true rebel at heart and because of his strange heritage, he doesn’t fit into the ideals or desires of what people want him to be. I think he was one of my first fictional crushes and his snarky anti-hero character was a joy to read about.
I think one of the scenes that stand out for me is when Laura and Sorry are at his library, and he shows her his collection of Harlequin/Mills and Boons books. His desire is to learn and understand what women really want in romance and love, yet he has a topless poster of a glamour model. I found this quite funny as I would have thought he would be the last person to read and collect romance books, especially dressed up in gothic clothing. Sorry then makes a pass at Laura, which has remained one of the most erotically charged moments I have read in a book.
Despite his anti-hero tendencies, Sorry wants a place to belong to and in addition to this, he has to face the feelings and angst of becoming an adult; and dealing with sexuality and love. Sorry isn’t an idealised romantic hero and at times he can be a complete arse, but I think his romance with Laura is intrinsically romantic. Its real and it’s messy. For me, he is one of the most captivating characters I have read about.
The Changeover is multidimensional and conveys many meanings, and my understanding of the tale as an adult is on a different level from when I read the book as a teen. It deals with the complicated factors of growing up, as well as being a dark and gritty read. It doesn’t shy away from messy issues and things aren’t tied up in a neat bow at the end. The writing is lush and rich, especially the description of the magical changeover that Laura goes through over the course of the tale. The imagery of rebirth and witchcraft elements was simply fascinating. Mahy juxtaposes the ordinary with the extraordinary, which make you believe that this could truly be real. This is a wonderful book that has remained with me throughout my teens and adult life, and it will always remain so. Only gripe I have is that I wish there is a sequel because I am definitely wanting and still wanting more from these characters.
The
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Changeover focuses on the tumultuous changes that Laura, the heroine, endures throughout puberty and later in the story, supernaturally. The story begins when Laura finds herself and Jacko, her baby brother, caught up in the clutches of a demon (Carmody Braque) who has managed to imprint himself onto Jacko and who is feeding off his life-force. Laura is the only one who realises this and finds herself asking for help from a boy called Sorenson Carlisle at her school, who she knows instinctively is a witch. Sorenson is bemused by Laura’s intuition, but decides to help her and Jacko by getting his grandmother and mother involved who are also witches. Although the witches, who offer help to save Laura’s brother, make Laura pay a cost that would change her life forever. Laura has to become a witch in order to strengthen their coven by magically Changingover.To Changeover Laura has to confront her personal as well as physical fears about puberty, prospective love and magical metaphorsis. She learns and realises that she is unable to stay in the confines of the past and her childhood. But she is resentful of the changes that growing up brings. There are also other obstacles from her own mother, who is moving on with her life post divorce with another man- even though at the same time there is something wrong with Jacko. However, these changes help Laura through her magical metaphorsis as it is the only way she is able to confront Carmody Braque, the demon who is killing her baby brother.
As a teen in the 1980s it was hard to come across books that had a leading female character I could relate to. One other book I think that came close to this was Alanna, from the Song of The Lioness Quartet (I will be blogging about this later). Her resentment, fears and ponderings of growing up were things I could understand and relate to. Here, is a supernatural tale of witches and demons in an ordinary setting. Laura may not be a kick ass warrior, but emotionally she is stubborn, resilient and loyal. She faces her fears to protect those she loves. Her relationship with Jacko and Sorenson fleshed her character out. It made her seem real. She is not perfect but she isn’t stupid or whiny.
One of the main strengths of this book was Sorenson. As a male witch he feels he is the odd one out in his triumvirate family of witches, who have rejected him for being a male witch- so he ends up being put in an abusive foster home. Due to this he calls himself Sorry, but despite his past and prickly relationship with his family, he does try to portray himself as the perfect, well behaved teen. Although Laura sees through this facade. Sorry is a true rebel at heart and because of his strange heritage, he doesn’t fit into the ideals or desires of what people want him to be. I think he was one of my first fictional crushes and his snarky anti-hero character was a joy to read about.
I think one of the scenes that stand out for me is when Laura and Sorry are at his library, and he shows her his collection of Harlequin/Mills and Boons books. His desire is to learn and understand what women really want in romance and love, yet he has a topless poster of a glamour model. I found this quite funny as I would have thought he would be the last person to read and collect romance books, especially dressed up in gothic clothing. Sorry then makes a pass at Laura, which has remained one of the most erotically charged moments I have read in a book.
Despite his anti-hero tendencies, Sorry wants a place to belong to and in addition to this, he has to face the feelings and angst of becoming an adult; and dealing with sexuality and love. Sorry isn’t an idealised romantic hero and at times he can be a complete arse, but I think his romance with Laura is intrinsically romantic. Its real and it’s messy. For me, he is one of the most captivating characters I have read about.
The Changeover is multidimensional and conveys many meanings, and my understanding of the tale as an adult is on a different level from when I read the book as a teen. It deals with the complicated factors of growing up, as well as being a dark and gritty read. It doesn’t shy away from messy issues and things aren’t tied up in a neat bow at the end. The writing is lush and rich, especially the description of the magical changeover that Laura goes through over the course of the tale. The imagery of rebirth and witchcraft elements was simply fascinating. Mahy juxtaposes the ordinary with the extraordinary, which make you believe that this could truly be real. This is a wonderful book that has remained with me throughout my teens and adult life, and it will always remain so. Only gripe I have is that I wish there is a sequel because I am definitely wanting and still wanting more from these characters.
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LibraryThing member AlienEeeter
This was one of my favorite books as a teenager, I re-read it this week, and I still love it. Dark, tender, smart, serious and funny.
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
For a children's book, this one was rather nice. I found the writing to be poetic at times, but at other times, it was a bit too descriptive for me. The story was not bad, but perhaps a bit flimsy. Yes, there are several themes: Laura's relationship with her mother and how she feels about the
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mother's new boyfriend, Laura's relationship with the witch-boy Sorry and his journey back to having feelings, and of course the freeing of Laura's brother Jacko of an evil demon. I guess the different story lines are well done, but particularly the main one is a bit simplistic. Overall, the book was ok, but I'm not going to look for anything else by this author. I suppose I've outgrown this type of book after all... Show Less
Publication
Puffin Books (1994), 224 pages
Subjects
Original language
English
Original publication date
1984
Physical description
224 p.; 7.25 inches
ISBN
0140365990 / 9780140365993