The Change by Kirsten Miller is a unique feminist revenge novel with a touch of fantasy elements. It follows three women in midlife who develop powers that enable them to find the bodies of several teenage girls. When the police write the girls off as runaways and addicts, the women take matters into their own hands to get revenge.

I selected this book when it was a "Read Now" option because it had been blowing up on bookstagram. It was getting rave reviews, so I was excited to dive in. Unfortunately, for me, this one just didn't live up to the hype. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.

First, I'll dive in to some of what I liked:
- I liked the diversity of characters in this book compared to other books. It seems like most books don't focus on female characters over 40, so it was great to see 3 main characters fitting that description in this.
- I liked the focus on feminist issues in the real world. The commentary on equality in the professional world was very interesting and provides a lot to discuss.
- The last half. I flew through the last half. The first half felt a little long but the last half had so much packed into it.
- The mix of genres. I like the work in of fantasy elements into the story.

Some of what didn't win me over:
- Hard for me to connect with any of the characters. I'm not sure why this was the case, but they just didn't feel that relatable to me. This book had very serious topics, but none of the MCs brought any levity except Harriet, who did it through being high and being quirky. They felt a little one-dimensional.
- While I liked the feminist narrative in this book, oftentimes it felt a bit heavy handed, especially in the first half. This gave off vibes of all men being bad, and not just bad, evil. The 2nd half got a bit better, but it just seemed to lack the nuance of men and women working together for equality.
- Felt a little longer than it needed to be

I enjoyed the read, but overall it just didn't work for me like it has seemed to for other people. The characters, the villains, and the conspiracy were all just a bit over the top. Still a fun read though!

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect as you come to know the three main characters, all strong mature woman that you don’t want to mess with. But I loved it and could not put this book down. Different than other suspense stories, there is an element of paranormal and superhero qualities. Nessa, a widow, is gifted with the sight to see dead people and the responsibility to help them to the other side. Jo has a temper for injustice that when ignited is quite explosive. Both are possessive mamas and fiercely protective. But it is Harriet who is thought to be a witch, stepped on by all the men in her life given to emotional abuse. Her decision to take control of her life with a vengeance that makes her formidable with her newfound knowledge of plants and poisons. These three women together set out to exact justice for some young girls found murdered in a small ideal coastal town. The title, The Change, is apt as the saying goes: “if you want to see the change, you have to be the change”. That is certainly true for these women as they finally see their purpose in life to right the wrongs of the world they were taught to accept to live in.
This story keeps you reading from the first page to the last. While you think you know where it is leading, there are twists and turns and surprises around the corner. The characters are well developed and the setting makes you feel like there is something sinister that needs cleansing. I enjoyed reading this a lot.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thechange #kristenmiller for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this one so much! The premise is three middle-aged women getting magical powers later in life and putting those to use to fight evil in a rich beach town. The best part is how fed up these women are with the patriarchy and how bad-ass they are. I loved the back stories of how these women got to the point they are at and how they stood up for the voiceless and all the delicious revenge. It's dark and empowering and I think i'll be recommending it for a long time!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc of this one!

#TheChange:⁣
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“It depends how you define poisonous. There’s a very fine line between what cures and what kills.” ⁣
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When I read this was magical, but mothers with drama, I was there. Y’all. This book is unlike any other. It’s so much more. It’s a bit dark, but hilarious. This is a hefty read (and listen) but a 5 🏃‍♀️ read.⁣
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These three amazing and badass women are basically drawn together and form an unlikely friendship. They all have their own magical capabilities that compliment each other. They find a body and refuse to believe it’s an overdose. They start to open their own investigation with their talents and what happens next is more sinister than they could have imagined. ⁣
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This almost read like a dozen short stories into one. Each chapter was a new story, especially the ones with the backstory of how each woman became who they are now. I’d put the audio off to go do something after a chapter, but could pick off with the new flashback without being confused. They all flowed so well together. The ending had me in shock! ⁣
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Let’s talk audio. It’s January Lavoy y’all. One of my favorite readers, I knew I’d be in a treat for this. So many times I was thankful she was the reader because of how much emotion she can exhibit and being the book to life. From the icy, yet hilarious, comments of Harriett to the fear in Nessa, it was amazing. ⁣
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This book is definitely more dark than I anticipated, and I loved it. We touch on some really heavy topics (TW: sexual assault) and there’s a few gruesome moments, but this book is just a wow. I can’t even describe it. I know others are saying it’s Witches of Eastwick and Big Little Lies, but it’s giving me Cackle - Rachel Harrison feels not the sinister actions with the hilarious banter to level it out. I loved this book so much. Thank you @harperaudio @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy. The Change is out tomorrow! It’s also a BOTM add-on that I HIGHLY recommend.⁣
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QOTD: I could only picture Harriett as Angela Bassett. Tell me an actor/actress that you’d want to play a book character.

I love a good feminist revenge book, this book was witty and fun! I devoured it over one weekend. The characters were well written and the plot really picked up about 1/3 to 1/2 way through. Thanks, NetGalley and William & Morrow for providing me with a copy in exchange for my review!

What started off as a fun, witty mystery turned into a slog in the final quarter of the book. It felt like no movement was happening and could have been trimmed down significantly.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 3, 2022

As 3 women enter their own mid-life crisis, they discover certain abilities that start us on this entertaining journey of paranormal feminist revenge in their Stepford-type town!

This book was a chunker, but still a quick read so don't be put off by the length!

Harriet, Jo and Nessa are living in a New York oceanfront community. All are going through "the change" and discover that with that, they have acquired some new powers. Nessa inherited a special gift from her grandmother which she knew would come with large responsiblity, but in her late forties she starts to see and hear the ghosts and knows she must help! Jo has spent her entire life hating her body and what it brings out in men, and she channels her hot flashes into a way to protect. And lastly, and my favorite character, Harriet, who has lost her husband and her career and is now referred to by the neighbors as "the witch" and she has no issue handling out punishments to those who do wrong. These three become unlikely friends and Nessa's calling leads them to find the dead body of a teenage girl off Danskammer beach. The police call it an OD by a sex worker and move along.

The women know there's more to this story, so they begin an investigation of their own. This will lead them to more bodies and the fact that there may be a serial killer among them who has been killing for years!

I loved going along for the ride with these three badass women who were determined to find justice, even if they had to do it themselves.

A book with revenge, strong women, humor and some bad language that was a fabulous read! And can we talk about that cover?!

Many thanks to Netgally and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

As women , we go through the Change. We never know what to expect and how different it can be for everyone. Harriet, Jo. and Nessa have powers that become fully developed. They learn to control it and use it to right the wrongs in the world.
Young girls have been disappearing in their little town. Runaways the police say. But then the bodies are found because the dead contact Nessa. Harriet is the town witch. Beware her garden or is it your friend? No is very helpful to women she opens a gym for women only. It helps her to lower her burning rage.
The book gives you their history and how they came to have these powers. I loved all the back stories went back and forth trying to guess who was involved. I took until the end to determine if I was correct. It is a book for the times. I kept thinking of Jeffrey Epstein.
I gave this five stars because I couldn't give it more. This review is my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley.
This would make a terrific miniseries!

The Change, such an innocuous word for menopause is used in some way as to mean giving men a pause in this exquisite tale of 3 older friends who’ve quite had it, both with the games of power that men have played in their lives and with the depredations they have inflicted on the girls in their community. As the women age, they have developed witchy powers, to see ghosts, to effect natural retribution, and to repair damage to those harmed. Hot flashes that can start fires, burn flesh, and melt metals work well in this alternative reality. There is mutuality of friendship, respect for each others’ gifts, and a hidebound duty each feels to find out what happened to 3 dead girls, at whose hands it happened, and to deliver a satisfactory punishment befitting the crimes they committed and their degree of culpability. Both a humorous romp and a thoughtful disquisition on the imbalances of power, by whom it is held and by whom it is wielded. Very enjoyable.

“Leonard laughed. ‘Well, I certainly hope that’s all there is to it. I’d hate to think there’s a serial killer on the prowl in the area.’
‘Isn’t that what Culling Pointe’s gate is for?’ Harriett asked. ‘To keep bad guys out?’
‘Yes, I suppose so.’ The thought seemed to lift Leonard’s mood again.”

That is hands-down my favorite little chunk of writing from this book, and I think it epitomizes Miller’s writing style- she manages to say a whole lot without saying a whole lot- it’s awesome to read a book with *opinions* that doesn’t explicitly spell everything out for the reader.

There are a lot of positives about THE CHANGE- great characters, strong writing, buckets of social commentary, satisfying revenge, magic, ghosts, badass plants, and some Grade A period chat. Miller also nails the creepy/smarmy dude characterization. There’s also a lot of really nice women-lifting-other-women-up dialogue such as:

“‘When someone calls you attractive, it means you draw people to you,’ Harriett said. ‘You think a tiny waist and wrinkle-free skin are the only things that can do that?’”

And:

“‘That anger’s like rocket fuel,’ she told Jo. ‘Either it pushes you forward or it burns you alive.’”

But of course I also have a few minor quibbles. Without spoiling anything, I’m not totally sold on the merits of the conclusion. I also have some questions about appropriation that I’ll let someone much smarter than me expound upon.

3.5 rounded up! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it really quickly. Magical realism is one of my favorite genres and this one did not disappoint at all. The 3 main characters are all complete badass women and honestly, I'm just trying to grow up to be as cool as Harriett. I definitely recommend this everyone!

I loved this book, I loved Nessa, Jo and Harriet, and I loved their attitudes. They took on the bad guys and turned things upside down for women all over their city. I want to be like them when I grow up.. Super powers abound, along with magic and witches. You will need to suspend disbelief when reading this book,but it’s not hard to do.. I wanted to believe that these events could really happen, so I believed. It wouldn’t surprise me if most women will feel the same way while reading this book. I actually may have become a little bit of a badass just from reading this novel. This book is sure to be talked about ALOT. Immeasurable thanks to Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The badassary of these three women is AMAZING! A witch befriends a women who speaks to the dead and another whose strength can't be matched by any man.

Toxic men, in this wealthy beach town, beware these women are coming for you!!! The Change is the ultimate telling of revenge by middle aged women experiencing a mid-life crisis in life, love and purpose. The Change by Kirsten Miller will keep you on the edge of your seat as these women uncover "who" is killing young girls in their seaside town.

Women, "The Change," will ignite your feminine power and encourage the free rein of the use of the F*** word. The synopsis states it best, Witches of Eastwick meets Big Little Lies.

Thank you William Morrow Books for the complimentary copy of this novel.

i wanted to love this. I think magic and women my age with a mystery would be perfect. The story is just way too cliched for me. :women of a certain age, wronged by men, finding each other and then solving mysteries oh and throw in our periods, menopause and the empty nest. Enough already.
Thanks to the publisher though for a chance to review this ARC. I can see i am in the minority with my opnion!

So a book that features three middle age bad ass super heroes! What is there not to love about that??? I truly enjoyed this book so much - I didn't want it to end. The challenges these women faced in trying to discover who was killing these young girls, is nothing compared to what they faced in the corporate world - and all so true!!!! Most women who worked in these environments will absolutely relate to all the BS these women had to endure just to be successful - or even to try and make it up the corporate ladder. As their super powers develop you get a real understanding of how each of them was prepared to take on what they have been gifted. I do wish the ending had been a little more robust - everyone got dealt with a tad too quickly and with little fan fare. But overall this is a wonderful, romp of a book and I hope the author is planning more adventures with these women. I received an ARC from the publisher William Morrow through NetGalley and I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own and not influenced by access to the ARC.

I enjoyed this read a great deal.. The characters have much to say regarding the women who find more joy, more hope, more confidence in the so-called "Third Act" of their lives. The Change imparts much in terms of this attitude that I hope will be adapted more widely. One of the things that Miller does well is in how she portrays Nessa. Nessa is Black but her Blackness is NOT the foremost thought on her mind whenever the pov shifts to her and that, quite honestly, is a lesson more white authors can use if they determine to write Black characters.

The Change by Kirsten Miller
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! This book I absolutely didn't want to put down at all. Well written, characters that come to life, I highly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion.

4.5 stars. I can see why this one is getting rave reviews. I loved this mystery that had a tone different from most mysteries with a heavy focus on the victims and victims' families. I loved the #girlpower, and the focus on female friendships and female aging. I thought the supernatural elements were well done. The setting definitely enhanced the storyline. I would love to discuss with someone!

The Change was a very layered crime mystery x SVU episode x witches x me too/corporate culture book. There were some really outstanding parts - I loved the character of Harriet and the storyline of the girls (i.e. the SVU part) was very compelling. I feel like all the layers caused certain elements of the book to be spread too thin - I liked both Jo and Nessa but felt they were both missing out on their full potential. The addition of Nessa's daughters was just distracting, as was giving Jo's husband a storyline of his own, and Franklin too. I would have rather read more about Nessa's aunt. Overall, I think the book would have benefitted from having a bit tighter of a storyline and snappier chapters. Though, once I got halfway through the book, a lot of the elements started to become cohesive and that helped pick up the pace. I think this was a solid good read, and I'll definitely look into the author's other books (I didn't realize she had such a backlist). I really appreciate the opportunity from netgalley and the publisher to read this in advance of the pub date on May 3!