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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Toxic friendship, deceit, obsession, partner swapping, this book has it all. Although at times I found it predictable it was still a fun read.
One of my patrons told me she couldn't get enough of Robyn Harding, so when the description of this title called to me on Edelweiss, I downloaded it right away. I was ensnared by this story, which focuses on the community of a small island off the coast of Seattle. Low is a teenager with polyamorous parents, and she's never felt like she truly fits in. When she starts taking pottery lessons with Freya Light, the famous wife of a notorious hockey player, she quickly becomes obsessed with her teacher. Meanwhile, shopkeeper Jamie Vincent is also drawn to Freya, and they form a friendship. The swap of the title happens when Jamie wakes up after a drug-induced trip and finds herself in bed with Freya's husband. And Low, who can't stay away from her teacher, was skulking around outside and saw the whole thing. The manipulative Freya is the only character who doesn't get a point-of-view chapter, and so the story revolves around these people who both love and hate her. Freya makes a habit of pitting Jamie and Low against each other as each of them vie for her attention. The stakes get higher as the story goes on, leading to an explosive ending. I loved the setting, the character development, and the interplay of the characters with each other, and the plot was pitch-perfect. I have now checked out all of Harding's other books from my library's digital collection.
Read it in one sitting, held my attention but is a bit predictable. 3.2 stars. The characters can be very unlikeable and lack a sense of depth...but I kept turning the pages to see how it all ended. All in all, easy quick read that was okay.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Swap is my second book by Robyn Harding and it definitely won't be my last.
While I wasn't that impressed by the plot overall, I was extremely and sort of weirdly fascinated the way the characters seemed to find more and more ways to screw up with their and other people's life, and I couldn't stop reading.
I literally finished it in two hours and had to take a moment to gather my thoughts once I was done with it.
Harding's writing is good, gripping, but not impressive, especially considering the multiple POVs all sound sort of the same.
A good 99% of the characters in this book were all deliciously unlikable and, even though some scenarios were too absurd to be believable (
While I wasn't that impressed by the plot overall, I was extremely and sort of weirdly fascinated the way the characters seemed to find more and more ways to screw up with their and other people's life, and I couldn't stop reading.
I literally finished it in two hours and had to take a moment to gather my thoughts once I was done with it.
Harding's writing is good, gripping, but not impressive, especially considering the multiple POVs all sound sort of the same.
A good 99% of the characters in this book were all deliciously unlikable and, even though some scenarios were too absurd to be believable (
Spoiler
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence
I enjoyed the alternate viewpoints and generally like books using them however I felt Harding tried too hard to end every chapter with a dramatic sentence or on a suspenseful note.
I think some characters lacked further development and were one dimensional, particularly Freya.
I did like that it was fast paced and I read the book in a day. For me, the ending was a hit and miss (it was realistic in that obsession often ends that way) but I enjoyed the book overall.
I think some characters lacked further development and were one dimensional, particularly Freya.
I did like that it was fast paced and I read the book in a day. For me, the ending was a hit and miss (it was realistic in that obsession often ends that way) but I enjoyed the book overall.
3.5 Stars
I honestly don't even know where to start with The Swap... This book was a lot to take in.
We have Low, the lonely high school senior who becomes enamored with the beautiful newcomer and former Instagram influencer, Freya Light. Freya and her husband are new in town, hiding out from the disaster that was Max's pro hockey career, which lead the to ruin of Freya's 'career'. The two form this odd friendship, if it can even be labeled as such, and Low's crush quickly turns into obsession.
Freya soon learns that Low is a creep in the highest form, and tosses her to the side for a friendship with the newest couple in town--Jamie and Brian. Much like Freya and Max, the couple have moved here for a fresh start. Jamie and Freya form a fast friendship (which Low becomes insanely jealous about and tries to sabotage), and the two spend all of their free time together.
During one of their hangouts, Freya gets the grand idea that they should get high on mushrooms and partner swap. What could go wrong? Everything apparently. Seriously, everything goes to shit after this. Marriages are strained, friendships are tried, there's lots of arguing and spousal abuse, a surprise pregnancy, and even a murder.
This book is nothing at all like I expected it would be, and honestly I'm not even sure if I think it's a good book or not.
I honestly don't even know where to start with The Swap... This book was a lot to take in.
We have Low, the lonely high school senior who becomes enamored with the beautiful newcomer and former Instagram influencer, Freya Light. Freya and her husband are new in town, hiding out from the disaster that was Max's pro hockey career, which lead the to ruin of Freya's 'career'. The two form this odd friendship, if it can even be labeled as such, and Low's crush quickly turns into obsession.
Freya soon learns that Low is a creep in the highest form, and tosses her to the side for a friendship with the newest couple in town--Jamie and Brian. Much like Freya and Max, the couple have moved here for a fresh start. Jamie and Freya form a fast friendship (which Low becomes insanely jealous about and tries to sabotage), and the two spend all of their free time together.
During one of their hangouts, Freya gets the grand idea that they should get high on mushrooms and partner swap. What could go wrong? Everything apparently. Seriously, everything goes to shit after this. Marriages are strained, friendships are tried, there's lots of arguing and spousal abuse, a surprise pregnancy, and even a murder.
This book is nothing at all like I expected it would be, and honestly I'm not even sure if I think it's a good book or not.
Wow! I feel so many things about this book.
This was my first read from Robyn Harding and I am very eager to read more from her. I am having a hard time processing the precipice of feelings I have for this read. How wonderful that Harding could have me so engaged in a story about a group of people, of which I despise every one of them.
We have five main characters here in this little island world. Low, a lonely teen finding comfort in the wrong kind of people. We have Jamie and her husband Brian, who move to the island to start over after one too many blows in the inability to conceive department. We have Max, an shamed and shunned ex hockey player with a violent past. And then we have his wife, Freya, the core of the group; the one that everyone revolves around like her own sick little gallery. As I said, I didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed to me like the worst versions of themselves. There were moments interspersed when I either understood their motives or their actions pertaining to a certain event, but as a whole, these people were the worst, with Freya being the ABSOLUTE worst.
But, with not connecting to any of these individuals, I thoroughly enjoyed the story! This was all based in lies and manipulations. Each person was either doing something untoward to another for the sake of their own happiness, or blindly ignoring certain things others were doing in order to hold onto something for themselves, whether or not it was a toxicity to themselves. So frustrating, but something I couldn't put down!
This was my first read from Robyn Harding and I am very eager to read more from her. I am having a hard time processing the precipice of feelings I have for this read. How wonderful that Harding could have me so engaged in a story about a group of people, of which I despise every one of them.
We have five main characters here in this little island world. Low, a lonely teen finding comfort in the wrong kind of people. We have Jamie and her husband Brian, who move to the island to start over after one too many blows in the inability to conceive department. We have Max, an shamed and shunned ex hockey player with a violent past. And then we have his wife, Freya, the core of the group; the one that everyone revolves around like her own sick little gallery. As I said, I didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed to me like the worst versions of themselves. There were moments interspersed when I either understood their motives or their actions pertaining to a certain event, but as a whole, these people were the worst, with Freya being the ABSOLUTE worst.
But, with not connecting to any of these individuals, I thoroughly enjoyed the story! This was all based in lies and manipulations. Each person was either doing something untoward to another for the sake of their own happiness, or blindly ignoring certain things others were doing in order to hold onto something for themselves, whether or not it was a toxicity to themselves. So frustrating, but something I couldn't put down!