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Teen Freaks At Body Swaps

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By K. SUE COLLINS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 19, 2008

"Switch," by Carol Snow (Harper Teen, $17)

A teen's life is complicated enough without the burden of swapping bodies during every lightning storm. In "Switch," author Carol Snows uses this device to communicate the awkward body ideals plaguing young women.
Claire Martin might appear to be an average American teen living in a small seaside town, except she inadvertently trades bodies with other girls born under her moon sign. Her dead, cigarette-smoking grandmother, who enjoys her MySpace page a little too much, is the only one who shares Claire's secret. At first, Claire's switches last a brief amount of time, but the emotional weight takes its toll. In different bodies, Claire learns her so-called friends' true views about her. Soon, she finds herself stalled in the body of the seemingly flawless Larissa, a teen vacationer who captures the attention of Nate, her high school crush.

Frustrated at her trapped situation, Claire masquerades as Larissa, using the opportunity to make the beauty appear as unappealing as possible. Not knowing if she will ever regain her former body, Claire must make peace with her own insecurities and discover true empathy.

In this modernized "Freaky Friday" tale, Snow conveys Claire's adolescent angst in a wild scenario. Teenage fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reruns can relate to high school stereotypes deconstructed in "Switch."

K. Sue Collins of Tampa is a crime novelist.

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