Reviewed by Ciara McLellan
Opening sentence
A vividly portrayed classic, Ciara McLellan
Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover follows the journey of Laura Chant and her family. When her little brother Jacko gets stamped by the evil Carmody Braque and falls terribly ill, Laura must find her true magical potential to overcome and reverse this horrible incident.
Fourteen-year-old Laura Chant, who lives with her mum Kate and three-year-old brother Jacko in Gardendale, Christchurch, gets premonitions, and is what is known as a ‘sensitive.’ Laura’s had premonitions before, so when one morning before school, she gets another one, described by the author as ‘the vibration of a plucked string…’ and ‘that inexplicable tremble in her blood…’ she doesn’t pay too much attention, briefly mentioning it to her mother, who also brushes it aside. Later that day, however, something terrible happens to her brother, and her world is tipped upside down. While her little brother is fighting for his life, Laura must find alliances in unlikely places, and test her absolute limits in a race against time to stop her brother’s seemingly inevitable fate in time.
This book is recommended for readers over the age of fifteen, as it has more complex ideas and pre-adolescents may miss much of the underlying tension, and while the book’s plot and structure would hold them, it is a passionate read better suited to teenagers who can identify with the way Laura’s emotions change rapidly from one moment to the next. As a coming-of-age story, this is a must-read for people who are also a fan of the fantasy/thriller genre.
In the beginning of the book, the main character and protagonist Laura Chant is introduced through a shampoo bottle. At first, I questioned this, but it ended up fitting well with Laura’s personality. The first paragraph of the book reads: “Although the label on the hair shampoo said Paris and had a picture of a beautiful girl with the Eiffel Tower behind her bare shoulder, it was forced to tell the truth in tiny print under the picture. Made in New Zealand, it said, Wisdom Laboratories, Paraparaumu.” “Just for a moment, Laura had had a dream of washing her hair and coming out from under the shower to find she was not only marvellously beautiful but also transported to Paris. However, there was no point in washing her hair if she were only going to be moved as far as Paraparaumu.” These few sentences alone identify Mahy’s unique writing style, and shows why she is such a well-renowned author.
Laura is a character full of determination but still affected by teenage insecurities. She is jealous that her mother has been spending more time with her new boyfriend, and wants to protect her family from intruders. In order to free Jacko from the deathly grip of the evil spirit that is Carmody Braque, she must decide to complete the Changeover, and mature from a sensitive into a witch. This Changeover is a metaphor for Laura’s transition from child to adult, and Mahy manages it fabulously. She also describes the rest of Laura’s character in a realistic way, talking about hardships and responsibilities as an older sister of divorced parents looking after the younger sibling, which I believe is relatable for quite a few people.
This book is well-written and engaging, and the author did an incredible job unfurling the plot while keeping the storyline entertaining and gripping. Mahy has such a beautiful, poetic way of describing the settings, and it is like looking at a vivid painting, if not living the scenes myself. I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I highly recommend it.
Ciara lives in Stoke, Nelson.
Fourteen-year-old Laura Chant, who lives with her mum Kate and three-year-old brother Jacko in Gardendale, Christchurch, gets premonitions, and is what is known as a ‘sensitive.’ Laura’s had premonitions before, so when one morning before school, she gets another one, described by the author as ‘the vibration of a plucked string…’ and ‘that inexplicable tremble in her blood…’ she doesn’t pay too much attention, briefly mentioning it to her mother, who also brushes it aside. Later that day, however, something terrible happens to her brother, and her world is tipped upside down. While her little brother is fighting for his life, Laura must find alliances in unlikely places, and test her absolute limits in a race against time to stop her brother’s seemingly inevitable fate in time.
This book is recommended for readers over the age of fifteen, as it has more complex ideas and pre-adolescents may miss much of the underlying tension, and while the book’s plot and structure would hold them, it is a passionate read better suited to teenagers who can identify with the way Laura’s emotions change rapidly from one moment to the next. As a coming-of-age story, this is a must-read for people who are also a fan of the fantasy/thriller genre.
In the beginning of the book, the main character and protagonist Laura Chant is introduced through a shampoo bottle. At first, I questioned this, but it ended up fitting well with Laura’s personality. The first paragraph of the book reads: “Although the label on the hair shampoo said Paris and had a picture of a beautiful girl with the Eiffel Tower behind her bare shoulder, it was forced to tell the truth in tiny print under the picture. Made in New Zealand, it said, Wisdom Laboratories, Paraparaumu.” “Just for a moment, Laura had had a dream of washing her hair and coming out from under the shower to find she was not only marvellously beautiful but also transported to Paris. However, there was no point in washing her hair if she were only going to be moved as far as Paraparaumu.” These few sentences alone identify Mahy’s unique writing style, and shows why she is such a well-renowned author.
Laura is a character full of determination but still affected by teenage insecurities. She is jealous that her mother has been spending more time with her new boyfriend, and wants to protect her family from intruders. In order to free Jacko from the deathly grip of the evil spirit that is Carmody Braque, she must decide to complete the Changeover, and mature from a sensitive into a witch. This Changeover is a metaphor for Laura’s transition from child to adult, and Mahy manages it fabulously. She also describes the rest of Laura’s character in a realistic way, talking about hardships and responsibilities as an older sister of divorced parents looking after the younger sibling, which I believe is relatable for quite a few people.
This book is well-written and engaging, and the author did an incredible job unfurling the plot while keeping the storyline entertaining and gripping. Mahy has such a beautiful, poetic way of describing the settings, and it is like looking at a vivid painting, if not living the scenes myself. I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I highly recommend it.
Ciara lives in Stoke, Nelson.
| Author & Illustrator: | Margaret Mahy |
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