Review: The Switch

Overall Thoughts

What a treat! In a genre that, for me, is typically plagued by an over emphasis on developing the most salacious romance possible for shock value rather than actually developing characters that have depth, emotion, and complexity – The Switch came in like a breath of unexpected fresh air. Those expecting The Flatshare 2.0 (which don’t get me started on the absurd notion that authors must replicate their prior works for audience’s enjoyment) will likely be disappointed. To me, The Switch is so much richer as we have two characters trying to better their lives against the backdrop of very real grief – a conversation most people go to great lengths to avoid. But Beth O’Leary expertly navigates this – inserting the topic of grief within a warm, comforting novel that never predominates the entirety. These characters have such great emotional complexity, navigating real challenges and I was genuinely rooting for them and connecting with the obstacles they faced with familial relationships and anxieties.

79-year-old Eileen is the stand out character for me – with her dynamic personality, unashamed quest for love, no-nonsense attitude and compassionate spirit. Side characters in both Eileen’s charming village and Leena’s London apartment complex provide humorous anecdotes and light relief to the heavier story thread. Overall this is an excellent, full bodied and well rounded contemporary novel that leaps ahead of its familiar, pastel covered brethren on the bookshelves.

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The Midnight Library

Written by Matt Haig

Published by Viking Press

You can find it here: Bookshop.org