This story had so many twists and turns. I wasn't quite sure what it was about at first, but fell in love with Jo, Harriet, and Nessa quickly. If you like thrillers and are open to a little magical realism, then check this book out ASAP!

I do my best to never DNF a NetGalley ARC out of respect. But unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to finish this one. I loved the premise and held on to about 55% before giving up. I can see I’m in the minority with my opinion with most everyone else seemingly raving about the book. So, I do suggest you give it a try for yourself. You may be with the minority and love it!

I would give it 2.5 stars and will round up to 3.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this book.

Told from mainly the three main women’s perspectives, as well as some short chapters from supporting characters point of view. Very interesting story, never read anything quite like it. Each of these women who are in their 40s are facing the change of life and discovering new things about them as well as some “unique gifts”. They use the gifts to uncover and solve local murders of missing girls. Definitely enjoyed, did feel it was a little long/lengthy at times but great story and strong character development!

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All Thoughts and opinions are my own. Three Woman untie to take down those responsible for heinous acts against young girls. This book had me wanting to know what’s next all the way to the end. It has great female friendships and female empowerment throughout the book. This was an unforgettable read and love it so much if you like mystery, murder, magic you need to read this book.

In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment. Nessa, who is now a widow and an empty-nester, has begun to see & hear the ghosts of the newly departed. Harriett Osborne, after the implosion of her lucrative career and her marriage, underwent a stunning and very welcome metamorphosis and works her magic with plants to exact revenge on the men who have wronged women everywhere. Jo Levison has channeled the free-floating rage and hot flashes that are so hot they can actually melt metal, into making a gym just for women..... women like her, who need a place to work out, and get rid of some of the rage that is building up inside of them. Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio of women discover a teenage girl whose body was abandoned beside a remote beach. The police have written the victim off as a drug-addicted sex worker, but the women refuse to buy into the official narrative. Their investigation into the girl’s murder leads to more bodies, and to the town’s most exclusive and isolated enclave, a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don’t apply. With their newfound powers, Jo, Nessa, and Harriett will take matters into their own hands…
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was empowering, especially for women of a certain age. It also shined a light on the way men tend to treat women, the raw deal women get in the workplace, the dangers of being a young & pretty teenage girl, the inequalities in all areas of life really for women. It really isn't something I can see a man enjoying, unless he is really self-aware. It is a very long book - almost 500 pages, but I was so engrossed that it didn't feel that long to me, honestly. I loved all of the characters, and I loved the idea of a group of vigilante middle-aged women seeking justice for all of the women out there that were being wronged by men. It was a fresh idea, and the story was well-written. If you are a woman, then I think you are going to want to pick up a copy of this one!

The Change by Kirsten Miller is a story about some women so full of rage that manifests itself in various ways until people are dead . . . not undeservedly. Nessa has a gift. She inherited it from her grandmother. She can see ghosts, ghosts of people who need her help. The first time it happened she is called to a beach close to her home. She takes her friends, Jo and Harriet with her. She is frightened. They find the body down a pathway, hidden by nettles. Then two more ghosts appeared. They pointed toward the ocean. Nessa had to find them. Harriet and Jo were there to help her. So were others.

This book was certainly not what it seemed to be from the opening passages. It hopped from one woman's story to the next, but often started back at the beginning so it was not at all linear, but certainly not difficult to follow. These were perverted men who preyed on innocent young women/girls. That wasn't enough. They killed them, too, or saw to their deaths. There was no controlling them or the women who were hunting them. These were not real women, they were super-women. Some had men in their lives, some did not. They recognized good men when they saw them. The whole thing was out of control but there was so much truth in it that it was beyond frightening. How do you fight it when the protectors are part of it? An unbelievably readable book that will make you think about what you already know.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Change by Harper Collins through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #harpercollins #kristenmiller #thechange

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This is a fantastic book filled with magical realism, female friendship and female empowerment.

A couple of warnings to start: this is a very long book, it is nearly 500 pages, yet for its length it doesn't feel that long because the story moves forward and doesn't get bogged down. That's a miracle in itself because it seems to be happening a lot with books lately. Another caveat is that men aren't portrayed in a very good light here. Most of the men in this book are pretty despicable, almost on the verge of being caricatures rather than real people However, there are some good men in the book, so that saved my rating. The book is violent and graphic at times, but honestly, isn't our world violent and graphic these days?

I loved the combination of so many genres here. There's the magical realism and women's fiction as mentioned, but there's also a mystery to be solved and a great deal of action along the way. This book cannot be pigeonholed into one particular genre, it has so much to appeal to a wide variety of readers. It pulls zero punches when calling out bad behavior, so consider yourself warned--these women aren't going to take it from you or anyone else who comes across their paths.

At its core, it's the story of three women with special gifts. Harriet, who can pretty much do anything involving plants and nature, Nessa, who can hear the dead calling to her, and Jo, who can channel her rage through her body. These are just simplistic descriptions of these powerful women, but how they come together to use their gifts and powers for justice and good is a wonder to behold.

As a rule, I rarely like books with a supernatural element, but I adore magical realism. So if this turns you off in a book, I encourage you to give this a chance because you might be pleasantly surprised. I loved my time with these women and the other friends they connect with along the way. This is such a fantastic book and I will be recommending it everywhere.

Revenge feminist thriller with superpowers? Sign me up. This was really fun. I had no clue what I was in for when I picked this book up. At first I wasnt sure but Im glad i stuck with it. Whoever said this was like Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick wasn't wrong. I hope to get a sequel from Nessa, Jo and Harriett

4/5

FAVORITE BOOK OF 2022!!! I absolutely LOVED The Change - and like some of the very best books I've ever read, it's hard to put into words exactly why. Order it right now. Pick it up without knowing anything else other than that it's an adventure you won't want to miss. Make it your book club book. Convince your best friends to read it with you. Read it and share quotes with each other and discuss it.

If you need a little more - the tag line on the book is "It's not over. It's time." There is marketing copy that reads "A gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crises bring unexpected new powers - putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town." COME ON! Doesn't that draw you right in?

You want to know more? Okay - three women discover a dead body on the beach in the town where they live. They are determined to learn more about who she was and who killed her - and make sure the right person/people are punished. But even more than that - it's such a fiercely feminist story about how women truly come into their wisdom and power as they age. Right as our patriarchal society starts to write women off, they are really just coming into their strength. I love these three women so much - Harriet, Jo and Nessa are all characters that will live in my mind for a long time.

Thank you to William Morrow for the free review copy. As soon as I finished I also preordered a finished copy - this is a book I know I'll want to reread in the future.

"That anger's life rocket fuel." she told Jo. "Either is pushes you forward or it burns you alive."

The Change is the twisty, feminist revenge story of my dreams. Character development? Check. Engaging writing? Check. A feels-like-you're-really-there setting? Check. Oh, and supernatural elements?! CHECK! Seriously, I inhaled this book within 48 hours. I took every opportunity that I could to be immersed in this story once more. It was such a great story with so many powerful (and timely...) themes and messages, and I think many readers will be able to see themselves amongst one or more of the characters. I'll be thinking about them for a long time. I'm not religious but consider me now a devoted, active member of the Church of Harriet. She was marvelous to read about and spend time with.

This isn't a perfect comparison, but if you enjoyed some of the elements of The Lost Apothecary, I think you'd also enjoy this one! I've also seen it being compared to The Witches of Eastwick.

Please be aware that there is some darker and possibly trigger content in this book. None are graphic but they are a central part of the story. Feel free to look up content warnings before you dive in.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Company for the advanced reader copy!

wow, I am definitely not much a fantasy reader but this book was so well done! Three women who gain powers late in life try to take care of all of the awful men in their town. This was definitely the feminist anti patriarchy book that we all didn't know we needed. The world building was incredibly well done, and so easy to follow as a non fantasy reader. I can tell this is going to be a top book of 2022!

I saw this all over bookstagram and dropped everything to start it. And then dropped everything to spend the whole afternoon reading it. I felt instantly connected to the three main characters and the whimsical while dark nature of the story. Highly recommend!

Three words to describe this 5-star stunner:

Feminist. Revenge. Badassery.

“Nessa was the light in the darkness. Harriett was the punishment that fit the crime. She (Jo) was the rage that would burn it all to the ground.”

Okay, I’ve mentioned before how much I loooove when book titles do the work of conveying more than one particular idea or meaning, right?! It makes my literary-loving heart so happy.

The Change is a story that shares the lives, loves, and incredible friendship and bond between three different women, all in their third part of life, which “can be one of incredible power.” Part one, as the author explains, is education, then creation second, and the third is when we put our “experience to use to protect those who are weaker.”

Please read this. It was so so great.

I feel like I will carry a little of Jo, Nessa, and Harriet with me through my own third part of life.

I simply cannot say enough good things about this fantastic novel!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher, William Morrow, for access to this title for an honest review.

“Eve’s the hero of this story.”

Years ago, I worked at a library. I became close with one patron, whose name I can no longer remember. But I remember her stories. And I remember exactly where I stood when she said, “Women draw strength from other women.”

What an appropriate time to read this book, with the leak of SCOTUS planning to overturn Roe V Wade. I woke up the morning after, read the articles, worried over the health and rights of millions of women in this country. Then I let myself fall back into The Change. Because The Change was the place I felt like women could take their power back.

When I feel most defeated as a woman, I remember what that patron from the library said. And this book is all about women drawing strength from other women. It was empowering. It was beautiful, ethereal, hypnotic, mystical, and impactful. I didn’t want to finish it. I didn’t want to leave Harriet, Nessa and Jo. I want to harness their power, own my womanhood, and burn it all down to start anew.

Read this book, especially now. We matter. We are here. We are empowered. We will demand. We will use our voice.

I hate being harsh, but this book rubbed me the wrong way. It was blatant propaganda and I guess if you're a feminist who literally hates all men & thinks they are evil, you may enjoy it? I totally get that it is somewhat supposed to be an exaggerated metaphor, and tongue in cheek, but give me a break. It was so predictable and just felt very angry and bitter and just was not for me.

Serial murders and the super rich in New York state

Three women going through midlife changes discover that these changes bring powerful, positive changes to their lives that allow them to impact lives around them. Nessa can find and see the dead. Jo can channel her hot flashes into powerful energy. Harriett can control nature.

When Nessa finds the body of a young girl on a beach near an exclusive enclave near her Long Island oceanfront community, she also realizes there's other bodies near and a serial killer on the loose.

Nessa, Jo and Harriet work on finding who has been killing young girls and use their new skills to seek retribution for the dead and disenfranchised.

I enjoyed this story of three strong older women using not only their normal smarts but their paranormal powers too. I liked the characters, the storyline, and the location.

I highly recommend this book to those readers who enjoy stories that are about older protagonists and/or about paranormal powers.

I received this book from William Morrow Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I loved everything about this book and could not put it down.

The Change is an epic story about three women who are brought together by their gifts. Together, they use their respective gifts to bring justice to the group, of mostly men responsible for the tragic end of young girls.

When I read the summary of this book, I knew I had to read it. I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved Nessa, Harriett, and Jo. Their desire to not only right the wrongs of the girls but also everything women who had also been victimized but loved to tell about it. There were many twists and turns as the secrets living in the dark came rushing into the light. The characters were all incredibly realistic and did not lack the depth needed to weave such an incredible tale. The author managed to build the story’s world as a picturesque beach town with a hidden and sinister underbelly that just so happens to center around the town's elite.

I struggle to truly put words to this fantastic work of fiction. However, I look forward to reading more and am excited to see what’s next for this author.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Kirsten Miller.

4.5 stars. This book came highly recommended by various bookstagrammers and even though I wasn’t sure about it, I gave it a go. Holy moly, I could barely put this one down.

Three women come into “powers” later in life and join together to find a serial killer in their small town.

The women were astounding. Think Witches of Eastwick but much better characters. I couldn’t get enough of them. This story revels in women power and really explores the way women are treated in a man’s world. They each kick ass and I loved it.

*Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance copy!*

What a wild, empowering ride! This is a perfect women’s revenge story mixed with mystery and a little bit of magic. The best part though has to be the main characters and how strong, badass, and confident they are as middle aged women. This book feels very timely and the pub date couldn’t come at a better time. Any woman who needs a reminder of how badass they are and how to fight the patriarchy needs to read this book.

Such a fun book! An allegory of women's power as they age, wrapped in a murder mystery. Nessa can hear and see dead girls. Jo's overheated menopausal body literally has heat power; and Harriet is a witch. The three team up to solve the mystery of a dead girl they find on the beach - and find so much more.

"In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment...

After Nessa James's husband dies and her twin daughters leave for college, she's left all alone in a trim white house not far from the ocean. In the quiet of her late forties, the former nurse begins to hear voices. It doesn't take long for Nessa to realize that the voices calling out to her belong to the dead--a gift she's inherited from her grandmother, which comes with special responsibilities.

On the cusp of 50, suave advertising director Harriett Osborne has just witnessed the implosion of her lucrative career and her marriage. She hasn't left her house in months, and from the outside, it appears as if she and her garden have both gone to seed. But Harriet's life is far from over--in fact, she's undergone a stunning and very welcome metamorphosis.

Ambitious former executive Jo Levison has spent thirty long years at war with her body. The free-floating rage and hot flashes that arrive with the beginning of menopause feel like the very last straw--until she realizes she has the ability to channel them, and finally comes into her power.

Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio of women discover a teenage girl whose body was abandoned beside a remote beach. The police have written the victim off as a drug-addicted sex worker, but the women refuse to buy into the official narrative. Their investigation into the girl's murder leads to more bodies, and to the town's most exclusive and isolated enclave, a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don't apply. With their newfound powers, Jo, Nessa, and Harriet will take matters into their own hands..."

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.