11/13/2023
Seventeen-year-old pianist Megan Allen, who lives in an Atlanta suburb, idolizes her charismatic new best friend LC—until she wakes up in a different body and realizes that LC has stolen hers. Forced to live as a stranger named Jade, she scrambles to find a way to make LC switch them back, only to learn that there may be a sinister conspiracy at play. Now, Megan must integrate herself into Jade’s life and track down LC to uncover her motivations, tasks that prove more complicated than expected. Worse still, LC’s enemies relentlessly pursue Megan, and she’s losing all sense of who she used to be. Jade’s backstory as well as some character interactions feel under- developed. In comparison, LC’s complex characterization and Megan’s gradual empathy for her plight are rewarding and thoughtfully rendered. Davenport (the Blood Gift Duology, for adults) utlizes powerful social commentary surrounding agency and living as a Black teen in contemporary society coupled with Megan’s burgeoning self-confidence and rapid pacing to keep the pages turning toward an open-ended yet gratifying conclusion. Megan, LC, and Jade are Black. Ages 14–up. Agent: Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary. (Feb.) ■
"The examination of relevant teen themes of race, selfhood, and relationships plays out against the backdrop of an imaginatively developed landscape. In her YA debut, adult science fiction author Davenport deftly handles the body-switching plotline, keeping readers aware of who’s who while delivering all too believable scares in a story that’s a great choice for fans of Jordan Peele and Tiffany D. Jackson. Complex, entertaining, and thought provoking." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"LC’s complex characterization and Megan’s gradual empathy for her plight are rewarding and thoughtfully rendered. Davenport (the Blood Gift Duology, for adults) utilizes powerful social commentary surrounding agency and living as a Black teen in contemporary society coupled with Megan’s burgeoning self-confidence and rapid pacing to keep the pages turning toward an open-ended yet gratifying conclusion." — Publishers Weekly
"This fast-paced sci-fi thriller will delight readers looking for a tightly plotted novel with a strong voice and a unique take on memory, identity, and what makes us who we are." — Booklist
"With a bold premise and masterfully revealed plot, this thrilling novel is classic sci-fi with a twist. This isn’t the carefree high jinks of Freaky Friday, this spookiness is straight out of The Matrix. Subtle lessons of accepting yourself are enhanced by the action in the book." — School Library Journal
02/01/2024
Gr 7 Up—With a bold premise and masterfully revealed plot, this thrilling novel is anything but boring. It sucks readers in, as protagonist Megan gets body-swapped, waking up in a new teen's body and finding that mysterious new friend LC has taken hers. There is just enough of LC's perspective in chapter interstitials to know there's more to these events, something sinister. This information keeps readers the scantiest step ahead of Megan's knowledge as she tries to find LC to get switched back, driving the story relentlessly forward. Both girls are Black; events are centered around Atlanta. It's classic sci-fi with a twist. This isn't the carefree high jinks of Freaky Friday—as Megan acknowledges, this spookiness is straight out of The Matrix, just with teen girls and their problems. Subtle lessons of accepting yourself are enhanced by the action in the book. Beyond that, this is a straightforward, gripping tale. Despite the sci-fi setting, there's no breaking narrative conventions or switching around with writing styles. Readers will come to see where the story takes them and won't be disappointed. VERDICT Davenport's YA debut fills a specific niche, with high interest plot machinations done in accessible prose.—Cat McCarrey
★ 2023-11-04
An out-of-body story that tackles societal ills with a science fiction bent.
Seventeen-year-old Megan Allen is celebrating her “three-month friendiversary” with LC. The two Black girls clicked instantly when they happened to meet in a suburban Atlanta coffee shop, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Megan hasn’t had a friend like LC since she was a kid, so she’s thrilled. That all changes when, the morning after the party they went to, she wakes up alone, lying on the ground in the backyard of a boy she knows—in someone else’s body. As Megan adapts to her new, much taller frame, she races against time to find LC. But first, she has to figure out whose body she’s inhabiting now and assume her identity until she can get her own life (and body) back. Davenport’s genre-bending adventure zips along, with Megan adjusting to and fighting against her new reality. The examination of relevant teen themes of race, selfhood, and relationships plays out against the backdrop of an imaginatively developed landscape; Megan must believe in herself more than ever before if she’s going to save herself. In her YA debut, adult science fiction author Davenport deftly handles the body-switching plotline, keeping readers aware of who’s who while delivering all too believable scares in a story that’s a great choice for fans of Jordan Peele and Tiffany D. Jackson.
Complex, entertaining, and thought provoking. (Science fiction/thriller. 14-18)
