| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know this novel is about college students and features a fair amount of drinking and casual sex, as well as some profanity. However, on a scale with the Gossip Girl series, for example, it ranks lower because neither of the main characters have sex and they both learn to respect themselves.
Two college students -- British Emily and American Tasha -- trade classes and rooms in an exchange program. Tasha is fleeing "Tubgate," a scandal that landed her half-naked on YouTube, while Emily hopes the California sun will help her forget a painful breakup. After a disastrous start for both, they exchange tips for fitting in to their different cultures. But just as Tasha joins a women's health protest and Emily loosens up a bit, reality crashes back in.
Readers who pick up SOPHOMORE SWITCH for its California vibe -- and Tasha's titillating misstep -- will get caught up in the characters before they realize McDonald did a bait-and-switch on them: This isn't total fluff, after all. While it's no feminist manifesto, Tasha's empowerment seems authentic as she takes control of her own sexuality.
Teens will enjoy the culture clash as Tasha tries to wear Uggs and mini-skirts at Oxford and straight-A Emily learns to surf and inline skate at the beach. It may also get them thinking about respect and desire, and about letting "dumb preconceptions rule" one's life.
Families can talk about Tasha's transformation from Tasha to Natasha. Why did she feel like she was treated with more respect when she dressed in longer skirts? Does she find a balance between her own desire and being judged a "slut"? Is Natasha a feminist? Do readers agree with the author's take on what feminists believe?
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| Author: | Abby McDonald |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher: | Candlewick Press |
| Publication date: | March 10, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 304 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 14 |
| Read alone: | 14 |