The Change by Kirsten Miller is one of the most compelling books I've read all year. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and the justice dealt to those who deserved it.

If you have a weak stomach or don't like to talk about menstruation, then this book might not be for you. The author goes into great detail about what it's like for women - Jo in particular - to have a heavy flow and what all that entails. Jo's period seems to be more intense due to the particular talents she possesses, but I do feel like the author was accurate in representing what women have to go through while on their periods.

Harriet was by far my favorite character. I really liked her transformation and the freedom it provided her. She was finally able to be herself without restrictions and being responsible for doling out punishments suited her personality and newly discovered gifts. She always seemed to know what was going to happen before the others did, and I'm not sure if she was able to glimpse it somehow, or if she was just that intuitive. Of the three, she seemed most at home in her new body. She embraced her abilities and newfound connection to the world around her - a true badass.

Nessa was a really sweet and gentle character, and my heart broke for her throughout the book. She's still dealing with the loss of her husband, and seeing dead girls pop up on a beach wasn't easy, especially once they realize the depth and magnitude of the situation. Someone has been taking and hurting girls, but specifically girls that no one will look for. Girls that no one will miss. It was heartbreaking to read about, and I'm glad they received justice at the end.

I know the author was trying to make a point with this book, but not all men are terrible. It felt like every male in this book was flawed in some big way. Other than the detective, it was hard to like anyone other than the women in this book. Jo's husband was okay, but he wasn't the best, you know? He seemed jealous of his wife's accomplishments, lazy and uninterested in helping out around the house, etc. I wanted to see men who weren't scum peppered in throughout the book, but it mostly focuses on women and their bad experiences with the opposite sex. Not knocking it... just an observation and an opinion.

I was also slightly annoyed by some of the character's choices in this book. One of Nessa's daughters decided to go for a run by herself even though girls have disappeared, and people have clearly threated the lives of Nessa, Joe, Harriet and their families. Jo also gets a business opportunity seemingly out of nowhere, and I didn't like how easily everything fell into place. She should have had more questions, or at the very least been hesitant about the offer. Additionally, the ending was a tad too obvious for my liking, and I wish it had been a little more unpredictable.

I think The Change brings attention to a lot of "taboo" topics and realistically shows how women are perceived in the world. It's still very much a "man's world" that women are having to claw their way through just to be seen and heard. Even now, with everyone discussing abortion rights and what women are allowed to do with their bodies, women are fighting just to have a choice. Miller doesn't paint a pretty picture; she shares the harsh truths that people would rather avoid, and for that alone I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. It might be fictional, but its frankness was refreshing and really makes this book one worth reading. (★★★★☆)

Quotes I liked:

"'The Commandments only apply to humans,' said the older woman. 'Nobody goes to hell for killing a monster.'"

"'But the truth is, Ms. Rocca--and I suspect deep down, you know this--every recipe is a spell. And all cooks are witches.'"

"'Anyone who needs a reward to be good isn't good. They just like rewards. Good people do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.'"

"'Nothing ages a person like poverty and misery,' Harriet said. 'Despite what all the ads claim, it's not skin cream that helps some women keep their glow. The only true youth serum has two ingredients--luck and money.'"

"'Seriously, Max. I grew up watching stuff that taught me that women who enjoyed sex were whores. That we should try to be who men wanted us to be--not who we really were. It fucked me up. It fucked up a lot of women I know. Is that what you want for your kid?'"

"The problem was the companies that sold shitty sanitary pads. Otherwise reasonable adults who believed tampons stole a girl's virginity. Doctors who didn't bother to solve common problems. Birth control that could kill you. Boys who were told that they couldn't control themselves. A society that couldn't handle the fact that roughly half of all humans will menstruate."

I also really liked the author's version of the Garden of Eden. It's better than the original, honestly. 😉

"'God may have dictated the Bible, but it was put down on paper by men. And over the years, men have changed things that don't make them look good. In the original story, Eve was the hero, and this snake was her friend.'"

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Change, by Kirsten Miller, is about three women who find their strength and gain special powers while undergoing menopause. They unite and use their powers to defend other women and to solve a rash of murders that are occurring in their area.

Overall I thought that this was an unique story and I really enjoyed reading it.

The Change by Kirsten Miller. Pub Date: May 3rd, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. When Big Little Lies is mixed with feminism, mid life crises, mystery and magical powers, you get this novel. Centered around a group of three women who as they age, they develop "gifts" of a magical nature, this book is a wild ride with a touch of intrigue due to the mystery that needs to be solved and how the women use their powers to help in the process. They are powerful and firm in their strive for justice. The women definitely hold the forefront of this novel and men are not viewed in the most promising and loving light, but I think the author really wanted to create a story full of womanhood, female friendship and dominance. I found this novel to be a tad too long, but commend the author for finding a way to weave magical realism into a drama filled book. This was definitely a unique story and a breath of fresh air in the current book market. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #williammorrow #thechange

Obsessed with any title that has strong feminist characters.

I will say I did not expect the "supernatural" aspect of this book, and I was a little over the descriptions of the women's cycles, but other than that, it was a great read.

I loved watching the journeys of the three women, and how they came together to solve the mystery.

Don't let the thickness of this book scare you off, it's worth the read.

Unique and uplifting - a bit of magic- and quite the story! Hidden strengths revealed, and the power of friendship and women who find inner strength, and more, Interwoven with each other, with history, with each other, and together solving a long-time mystery and murders - of course using their new "powers" for good! Can't decide which one I'd like to be!

This book took on misogyny, violence against women, race, class, and ageism but managed to do it in a way that felt exhilarating and fun. Jo, Harriet, and Nessa are all in their late forties from a variety of backgrounds. They find themselves brought together by the potential that a serial killer is active in their sleepy island town. When they discover the body of a unnamed girl, they set off to figure out who the girl is and what happened to her. Interspersed with the main plot, we get chapters that give us more insight into the backgrounds of the three women as well as some of the young girls who’s deaths these women are attempting to avenge. A perfect blend of a thriller with a much deeper message about what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace, a girl from a family of low economic standing, and the dangers all women still face simply by being women. This book felt like an anthem to girl power and I didn’t want it to end.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! I couldn’t put it down! This is the story of three women finding their own super powers and using them to bring light to the murders of young women in their beach town. It’s so much more than that description but if that’s not enough to get you interested, I don’t know what will.

When women get to a certain age, they tend to become invisible. This book is for those women, and to let them know they don't need to accept that invisibility. I really loved this book, and it's one I've been waiting to see written for some time. Granted, some of the women make some morally questionable choices, but it's about middle aged women standing up to the crap that affects so many of us. There were times reading this that were almost too hard to read, because I could so relate to a lot of this.

I've seen it written that this is a feminist revenge fantasy, and I think that diminishes the story. Also most of the men in this novel are a bit over the top evil, but still, this is a terrific novel that I thoroughly enjoyed, about women showing they don't have to be put out to pasture just because they hit middle age.

I took one star because I found the ending a little rushed and also I hate twists, and this had a twist. I think that can be a bit lazy at times. But these are relatively minor quibbles for how good I thought this book was otherwise.

The title refers to menopause and also to the freedoms we give ourselves when we age. A feminist fairy tale, a revenge satire, a change of pace. However you categorize this novel, the result is the same. Three totally fabulous and powerful women team up to find a killer of young women. Really shout out loud sequences followed by emotional testimony of being a woman, in all shapes, sizes and ages.

Wow! Quite a revenge story. Three lovely women discover powers that they have discovered later in life. The use their unique gifts to punish those deserving it the have gotten away with it for far to long. Magical and unpredictable and what a shock at the ending. I enjoyed my magical escape into this book very much.

The Change by Kirsten Miller is a powerful and empowering book. I was captivated throughout the entirety of the hefty novel. I had no problem connecting with each story, and I felt very attached. I never felt confused, considering that there were many interwoven subplots and mini-plots throughout the book. Kirsten Miller is a master wordsmith to maintain such a smooth and consistent story. I cannot emphasize enough how impactful all of the women are in this book. They each had a unique voice and a beautiful arc, and they all moved concurrently to build a tremendous momentum leading to an epic ending. ALL THE STARS!!!

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the ARC.

Anyways, let’s talk about The Change. I requested a copy of this book from @williammorrowbooks after seeing @fantasyfrenemies rave about it. For those who aren’t aware, The Change is marketed as a modern, feminist retelling of The Witches of Eastwick, which I loved as a high school student.

I honestly don’t know how to feel about this one. The writing, pacing, and plot of this novel were all EXCELLENT. But I personally had trouble connecting with this particular book. I don’t know exactly why that is, because I typically love a magical feminist revenge story. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that this book was just too close to your typical domestic thriller for me. That being said, I don’t want to discourage others from picking up this one. It’s a great book, and I think that fans of the Practical Magic series will really enjoy it!

I enjoyed so much about this book. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and this book brought me back to life. I found myself looking forward to seeing what would happen next in the murder mysteries of Mattauk, where three women found they were more powerful than they knew and joined forces to put an end to the violence against women. Aside from the murder mystery in an affluent area, which was a strong whodunit plot, there were strong female leads all around and so many women illustrated ways to be strong and survive in a male dominated world. I loved that each woman represented a different personality type but not in a stereotypical way, and each had “had it” with some kind of male standard. There was a sprinkle of romantic interest but this didn’t interfere with or take over the main storyline. I loved that even the supporting women characters came together with Harriet, Jo and Nessa in the end. I’m always happy when there’s some real biology or in this case botany involved in creating the drama. I looked up many of the plants Harriet allowed to thrive in her garden and they were all real and had the danger and salve properties described. It strengthens my opinion of an author and book when that type of research has clearly been done during the creative process and it’s not total fiction. Most of all, I loved that this book created female heroes who were at a stage in life when so many women think their lives are winding down. Instead this showed how much more there is to celebrate (of course we’re not becoming witches, but..). There are still friendships to be forged, ways to harness your unique strengths that you might not even have explored yet. This was such a fun book!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me the opportunity to read this!

This title was recommended to me by an online book club and I could not put it down! Intrigued by the idea of the neighbor who fell into disgrace with the neighborhood, what I got from this book was more than I could have bargained for.

Harriet, Nessa, and Jo become just the friends each other needs. Each one brings their own powerful voice and strength to the table- and that's needed on the adventure that's about to overtake them. The metamorphosis of the women, combined with their girl power energy leads them on a trip no one saw coming and brings an ending that no one thought possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

In The Change, three strong women with magical powers discover that someone has been murdering young, poor girls throughout the town. They set out to figure out who is committing these murders and why.

The Change was just ok for me. Reading it was like a roller coaster; some of it was fast and I couldn’t wait to figure out what came next, other parts dragged. This book is a bit long and probably could have been shorter. Strong messages of issues women face on society but it became a bit “us vs. them”. Overall it was ok but did not understand the hype.

3.5 stars-This story grabbed my attention at the beginning, learning about each character and their powers- Harriett, Nessa, and Jo. Harriett is a former marketing executive, now known as the witch in her community. She’s able to grow anything in her garden, but especially poisonous plants. Nessa, a widower with twin college girls, has inherited the family trait - the ability to see ghosts, specifically dead women. She believes it’s her job to let the families of these dead girls know what happened to them, so the dead girls can rest in peace. Jo runs the local woman’s gym and runs hot, in fact her hands can heat up and start fires. These 3 ladies find a dead girl’s body in a trash bag in some scrub by the beach highway. Then, Nessa sees more dead bodies, so they know more girls were killed. Is it a serial killer or is there some sort of conspiracy with the super-rich community right next door? The ladies work to uncover what happened to all these girls. This is where the story started to bog down and lost it’s pace. However, the ending sped things up again. Although I thought it was predictable and not surprising to find out who was behind everything. Overall a decent read, but about 100 pages too long. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for my review.

At an age when women start being ignored in our society, the women of The Change develop powerful magic that allows them to take on the patriarchy the way they’ve wanted to their entire lives.

This book was an immense amount of fun. A strong voice, a compelling story, immensely likable characters and a perfect pace combine for a satisfying thriller about the power women can wield. Minus a half star because I did clock the ending fairly early, but I still enjoyed every second of the ride.

Very unpopular opinion alert because I’ve seen countless 5-star reviews for this book. I do not ever DNF (did not finish) but there were a few times while reading this that I considered it. At almost 500 pages, I felt it was about 200 pages too long and found myself bored throughout. It was well written which probably makes my star rating a little confusing but this book just was not for me.

This book was a fantastic look into feminist fantasy with a twist of mystery - think Big Little Lies but the characters are given a special gift to help them solve crime. The characters were rich, creative and lovable and the story itself was 500+ pages but fast and entertaining. There are many truths spoken in between the lines of the story and a bigger message in the fantastical prose. My on hold back from 5 stars was that some of the scenarios in the story were solved and explained “too easily.” But I will recommend this book over and over nonetheless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three women come to realize their supernatural powers and then come together to help other women against toxic men of the their town. They come together to solve a murder but end up finding more dead bodies which in turn pushes them to dangerous situations. It started off as a fun read and I loved the attitude of Harriet especially. She shines all the way and her sassy remarks are both entertaining and empowering at the same time. The only issue was it was a bit long and the pace drops midway. If not for the lags, it would have been even better.