Monday, November 16, 2015

SWITCH by Ingrid Law, a companion to SAVVY




Switch by Ingrid Law (September 2015, Dial Books for Young Readers, for ages 8 to 12)


Synopsis (from Indiebound): Gypsy Beaumont has always been a whirly-twirly free spirit, so as her thirteenth birthday approaches, she hopes to get a magical ability that will let her fly, or dance up to the stars. Instead, she wakes up on her birthday with blurry vision . . . and starts seeing flashes of the future and past. But when Momma and Poppa announce that her very un-magical, downright mean Grandma Pat has Alzheimer's and is going to move in with them, Gypsy's savvy along with her family's suddenly becomes its opposite. Now it's savvy mayhem as Gypsy starts freezing time, and no one could have predicted what would happen on their trip to bring Grandma Pat home . . . not even Gypsy.

Why I recommend it: Fantastic voice, loads of imagination, and a really cool savvy. I'm a huge fan of Ingrid Law's first book, SAVVY, which won a Newbery Honor and was also the Number One Book Sense (now Indiebound) Children's Pick for Summer 2008. See my thoughts here, in the American Bookseller Association's archives. Another favorite, SCUMBLE (2010), is a companion to SAVVY which explores Cousin Ledge's unusual talent and how he learns to control it. Now, with SWITCH, another companion novel, we see the Beaumont family from the POV of Gypsy, younger sister to Mibs. 

Bonus: Companion novels, instead of sequels, are a fun way to follow the same unusually-talented family but get to know different characters. Gypsy was only three in SAVVY, and now she's thirteen. It's like watching her grow up. 

Favorite line: "The snowflakes hung like poetry over the city." (p. 239, after Gypsy freezes time)

I especially loved what happened when Gypsy stopped time, and wish I could do the same thing! What savvy do you wish you had? 



22 comments:

  1. The voice in Savvy was great too. This sounds like another great book, and companion books can be a good change from a series. I'll have to see if I can get it in audio version.

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    1. Yes! I think the voice in SAVVY drew me in most of all. And this would be a fantastic book for audio.

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  2. I enjoyed Savvy very much so can't wait to find this companion. Such an interesting cover, too. Thanks for your compelling review.

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  3. My daughter sent me a lovely, shimmery bookmark in the mail just because she knew I would want to read this. Isn't she sweet?

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    1. That really is sweet of her. And she's right! You should read this book.

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  4. I loved SAVVY! I read it about 4 times. Maybe that's a sign that I should read this one too? :-)

    ~Cindy

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    1. Wow! I think I only read SAVVY twice. You should read this one too, Cindy!

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  5. I was about to type 'I LOVED Savvy!' then I realized that's exactly what everyone else said! lol I'm happy to be the echo here, as Savvy really was that awesome. :D

    Thanks for the heads up on this one. I enjoyed Scumble, but not to the same extent as Savvy, and am happy to see this one shows promise of proving a new love.

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    1. Suzanne, I enjoyed Scumble too, but I know some people who didn't. However, the beauty of a companion novel is you could skip right to this book and not be confused. There are passing references to the first two books, but this is really a standalone.

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  6. I really liked the voice in Savvy too. I don't know why I haven't read this one. Thanks for the review!

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  7. I have this one on my nightstand! Thanks for highlighting it.

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  8. Ooo. I love your favorite line. That alone would make me want to read this. The writing must be lovely. I will definitely check this one out. Thanks for the post.

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    1. Hi Rosi. So glad I included that line. There were so many I could have chosen.

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  9. I've got to catch up on this series. I read Savvy quite a while ago, and I remember liking it. I love the name Gypsy Beaumont!

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    1. It's been a while since I read SAVVY too, Kim. Maybe it's time to re-read that one.

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  10. I love, love, love this cover! I have read Savvy and Scumble and definitely plan to read Switch. It sounds fascinating and I can't wait to learn more. Thanks for sharing. :)
    ~Jess

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    1. You're welcome, Jess. Great to hear you've read and loved the first two.

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