The Change by Kirsten Miller follows mainly three female characters in their forties that gain superpowers that they use to take down men throughout the town that have wronged women. The women find out more about themselves as they learn their powers and rage against the patriarchy. When a young girl is found dead near the beach in their town, the women make it their duty to find out who she is and what happened to her.

I was surprised to see that this was a Book of the Month add-on for the month of May! I had already read it so felt like I was in the know on this one.

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. I found it to be insightful and fun and the mystery at the center of the story kept me engaged. It was great to be following women who were older and who had been through some difficult life situations. It was a refreshing perspective!

I loved that this novel does not hold back. It gets into the gritty details of what life can be like for women in a variety of settings including at home and at the workplace. At times, it is absolutely infuriating because it is so close to home.

I absolutely loved the feminist perspective in this book most of the time, but at others it had an undertone that made me uncomfortable. For example, what really got me was several times it was mentioned how women disliked being looked over by men at work or elsewhere and receiving comments about their looks or body. Totally get it. 100% agree. Yet on more than one occasion, the women do this to men in the book. I'm pretty sure the only descriptor we get of Franklin is that he's "smoking hot." At one point, the women are at a funeral and it is said that all the women can't stop staring at him -- which is just disrespectful and inappropriate. If it were all men staring at one woman, it'd be creepy and gross. The standards should really flow both ways in my opinion. I almost hope I was missing the point here and it was a satire on how men write women in some books (with little to no descriptors except for how good they look). But, I also don't feel like you can have it both ways -- a staunch, realistic portrait of the way women are treated in the world AND a satire on how women are sometimes perceived in fiction. Maybe I missed the point here -- in fact, I hope I did!

I do think it could've been a bit shorter. But, I didn't feel like I was disengaged either. Many of the other stories or perspectives that at first seemed out of place and unnecessary ended up clicking together, and everything came together nicely in the end.

In all, I would definitely recommend, but readers should know they're getting into a gritty novel that deals with many tough topics, not a light and fluffy drama.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an early copy of this in exchange for my honest review!

Billed as Big Little Lies meets Witches of Eastwick and I knew I needed to get my hands on this novel. As a women in her late forties, I could not put this engrossing novel down. Three bad ass women at the time of their lives when most people have written them off, come together with their unique strengths and abilities to protect young women in their communities and right the wrongs that have been done. Full out revenge, eff the patriarchy amazing read. I could not put this book down. This is one of the best books I have read this year. Strong women, fierce friendships and willingness to do what needs to be done. This was such a great book. Cannot recommend enough!

This book was the perfect read to get me out of a reading rut. The writing was impeccable. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Three women come together in attempts to basically burn it ALL down. And, honestly, some of that might need to happen in real life at this point. While this is a work of fiction, the scenarios were very realistic, and quite rage-inducing.

I really loved this story as a fantasy, but also as an inspiring tale of how much power we can have if we work together towards a common goal.

Just adored this. At the core, we have a story of three women (three pov's, all enjoyable to read) seeing a young girl's murder being glossed over by their town and authority, and take justice into their own hands (with new supernatural powers!). Bringing to mind the rise in popularity of true crime, and specifically the case centered in Robert Kolker's Lost Girls, I thought it's very natural that these women wanted answers and raged against the system that sets us up for failure to begin with. I had a fun ride with these women. There are bits that are obviously very dark, but I think readers will expect horror elements going into it. We don't read mysteries for the good vibes, and there is a cathartic aspect to their journey regardless.

I picked this book up after seeing multiple people talking about it on social media. At first glance, I wasn’t sure this book was for me. But this book was for me, for all women. This story captivated me with the tale of three women Harriet, Jo and Nessa all with their respective strengths fighting for the justice of young girls who had been taken advantage of and killed. While I predicted the ending as I got to know all of the outside players more and more, I was pleasantly surprised with the ending and justice served.

I was gifted an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Change by Kirsten Miller was at times funny, frightening, and a rollicking amalgam of deceit, love, family, friendship, and vengeance.  I loved it and I think this book would be appreciated by readers of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Piccoult.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert when it comes to scripture, but as far as I know, Jesus never had a problem with the word ‘fuck.’”

"The only true youth serum has two ingredients— luck and money.”

"As strong as you are, we’re stronger together. You may be the concrete, but I’m the rebar.”

"...every recipe is a spell. And all cooks are witches.”

4.5 stars rounded down to 4 because it still needs a bit of editing, but I think this book is a "triumph".

Burn it down!
I'm not sure what to say about this book that hasn't
already been said. Three women in their forties realize
they have special abilities and they use those abilities
to take down some disgusting, horrible men.
The only negative I have is at times this book was a
little hard for me to get through. I think it needs to be a
limittle bit shorter.

This book has been making the rounds on bookstagram, and I totally get it. It's a 480-page revenge story like no other. Three women in their late forties team up and use their unique and fantastical talents to bring justice against men who've had it too good for too long. The book gets violent and kind of dark, but it was certainly a page-turner and I couldn't stop until the mystery was revealed.

“The Change” begins with an introduction to one of three points of view, Nessa’s, detailed therein. Nessa has a surprise of her own: she begins to hear voices from beyond the grave. Nessa inherited this gift from her grandmother, and it comes with certain responsibilities that Nessa owes to each of the dead she meets.

The second point of view comes from Harriett, who has walked away from her career and her marriage. She hasn’t left her property in months, and it appears from the outside that her garden and landscaping has run wild. However, Harriett has undergone a change of her own resulting in a gift tied to her beloved wild garden.

Finally, we meet Jo. Jo has also walked away from her career to pursue a passion project: a gym for women only in which they are allowed to let their frustration and fury out. Jo has also begun to experience menopausal hot flashes. Things aren’t always what they seem, however. Jo discovers that she has the ability to channel the heat and power of those hot flashes, resulting in her own apparent version of a super power.

These women are brought together and, following the pull of Nessa’s gift, they discover a body of a teenage girl that was abandoned in the scrub on a remote beach. The police write off the girl as a sex worker who has overdosed on drugs. Nevertheless, the trio of women are convinced the girl was murdered and that she’s not the only one. The trio persists with their own investigation that leads to the discovery of more bodies that seem to point to the town’s uber-rich community. The trio decide to take the investigation into their own hands with the help of their new powers.

This book immediately pulled me in. I didn’t want to put it down. The book was engaging and well-written. The book and its storyline were truly ingenious. Although I’m not at the same age and point in my life, I felt as though I could relate to the trio of women and the hurdles they faced. While the highlight of women and their struggles as females were heavily present in the book, it was written in such a way that it doesn’t feel overbearing. The development of their powers and how they were to use them were brilliant. I was cheering them on the whole way. The mystery slowly unfolds as the book proceeds, twisting and revealing some surprises. I did figure out some of the intended surprises, but the book was so good I didn’t even mind.

Overall, this book was an inventive mystery that empowered its female characters. The book is relatable and engrossing. I will definitely be buying a hard copy of this book when it comes out and have no qualms about reading it again. I highly recommend this book for fans of mysteries, fiction, fantasy, and stories that celebrate women. Pick up a copy of this book and enjoy the twisty ride!

If you want to read about 3 middle age women coming into supernatural powers and taking on all the toxic men in their town, read this. It’s a perfect f yeah, you go girl, f ‘em up kind of read and it’s a ton of fun!

I really adored this feminist / murder mystery / revenge fantasy. I loved Harriet, Nessa, and Jo so much and loved watching them come into their powers to get justice for missing girls and wreck the elite scum of Mattauk. One of the most unique books I've read in a long time!

I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but I’ve really been reading a lot of the more “mature” women’s paranormal fiction lately, so I thought I’d try this. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this, but the more I read, the more enthralled I became until I had finished the book in one day without putting it down. This is more than just a group of women solving a mystery; it’s about how women are expected to still be in the background, how they are the ones always blamed for wrongs, and how they are still kept down by themselves and by others because of the expectations of the “weaker” sex. Not only that, that women are supposedly not supposed to enjoy life after menopause. This takes those ideas and throws them on the head in a very creative way. This book is very well-written, has amazing characters you both want to admire and keep at arm’s-length, and is really hard to describe other than to say it’s truly worth a read. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Menopausal witches? Yes please! I loved how this book spoke to my middle aged heart. We need so many more books like this of women of this age being strong and taking care of business!

Pub date: 5/3/22
Genre: magical realism, suspense, crime fiction
In one sentence: Three women with magical gifts unite to bring justice to murdered women - how far will they go for revenge?

It's not often I read a book that gives me that "five star feeling" from the very first page, but The Change did just that. I loved getting to know these women - Harriett, Nessa, and Jo - and seeing how they chose to fight society's expectations. Miller did a great job weaving in multiple perspectives from the other women in town, and she sprinkled plenty of twists throughout the narrative.

If the concept of witches who help bring peace to female murder victims (and justice to the perpetrators of violence) sounds at all interesting to you, you need to read this book. It is one of my favorites of the year (even though it's only April), and it will stick with me.

Thank you to William Morrow for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An absolute masterpiece by Kirsten Miller. It's just too good. The blurb that calls this The Witches of Eastwick meets Big Little Lies is spot-on. The way the story is told is perfection.
It's the female empowerment.
The magical realism.
The over-40 badassery.
The healthy female friendships.
The mystery.
The murder.
The back-stabbing.
The backstories.
for me.

This is creepy and unputdownable--I've heard it likened to a cross between The Witches of Eastwick meets Big Little Lie, and I could not agree more. The women are fascinating...and bizarre, and you want to know more. It's a feminist story and I was here for it. I think this will be THE book for the summer. I expect to see this in beach bags everywhere!

An exciting and very inventive novel about the power of female friendships and what it means to be a woman in a world run by men. Loved it.

Karma's just sharpening her nails and finishing her drink. She says she'll be with you shortly.........

The Change by Kirsten Miller lays out its storyline like the spreading span of a deck of cards. All 52 are out there and one of those deadly cards are meant for you. And we can only imagine how this story will play out.......especially when you have three ultra-determined women of a certain age.

Mattauk, New York boasts of a fine community with beach access and lawns trimmed to perfection. You'll meet its individuals with some citizens who care more than others. But something dreadful will have the residents eyeing one another and searching for answers. Today will be the day.

Miller presents a change of pace with her three main female characters. They still have a long fuse left on the dynamite of their lives even though society says they're over the hill. Let's sort through the fineness that makes them who they are.

Nessa James is a nurse whose police officer husband died over ten years ago. She's dedicated her life to her two daughters who have now left for college. Nessa feels her best days are behind her. But life will provide a corridor for her to use her special gift.......a gift passed down through generations of seeing and feeling the presence of the dead.......especially those taken too soon.

Jo Levinson now suffers from the onset of dreaded menopause. The heated energy wafting from her body in the wee hours could light up Time Square. She lives with her out of work husband Art and her eleven year old daughter, Lucy, a little spit fire. Jo has been burned and scorched by the corporate world in which she was a former hotel manager. The male footprint stamped out her own. Jo walked away and started her fitness center strictly for females.

Harriett Osborne had an amazing career in advertising until she, too, got ambushed by the powers that be and by her own husband. Harriett flipped the switch on her own super powers and became a wizard with botany. The neighbors cross to the other side of the street when her shadow falls on the sidewalk. They whisper that she's a full-time, card carrying witch with crazy powers. You'll soon find out.

While walking with Jo and Harriett on the beach, Nessa finds a large disguarded black bag in the brush. Being a nurse, Nessa knows that particular smell. Indeed, it's the body of a young girl. They call the police. And now they will become a three-sided agent of positive energy to find who murdered that girl. Nessa "sees" that it is far more than just one. And each of those dynamic older women will set the wheels in motion beyond what you could ever imagine. They will become the new version of the Power Rangers kicking ass and taking names.

The Change is a wonderfully written novel that heralds the oncoming of women who still maintain their strength, their inner verve, and their massive lightning bolt of intelligence tested at any given moment. One woman is a raindrop, but pooled together, they create a reckoning thunderstorm. And Miller captures it so well in The Change. You'll be rooting for them throughout and begging for a sequel soon. Bravo!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to William Morrow and to Kirsten Miller for the opportunity.

Older women rule in The Change by Kirsten Miller. The story combines female power with witchcraft and mystery to produce a plot line having lots of twists and turns. Some of the descriptions are intense and things get bogged down a bit. Nice to see older women the hero of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Kirsten Miller for the opportunity to read and comment on this book.

Interesting premise. Loved the concept of female empowerment, just didn't’ completely love the execution. The story focuses on 3 main women who have “magical” powers. Once these ladies reach a certain age, they are able to use their powers. They choose to use them against the men who have wronged women. There aren’t enough books with female lead characters in their 40s and beyond, so this was a plus for me. Woven through the plot are other women who have been victims of men and a mystery element that involves murdered women. Felt like too much going on for me. Lots of POV with some only popping up once to convey made it hard for me to care and connect. Focusing on just the 3 main women would have been a much better reading experience for me.
The magical elements wasn’t as strong as expected with this being hyped as a modern Witches of Eastwick.
I really enjoyed Jo and her sassy daughter Lucy.

While I believe we still have a lot of work to do for equality and a safer society for women, this very much focused on the bad male/female interactions with little room for the good ones.. This depressed me more than expected instead of making me feel empowered.

Graphic descriptions of menstruation were a bit unexpected. Should not be shameful to discuss, just didn’t realize I would be reading about it.
This was a fresh take and look at the struggles women face in a male dominated society. I applaud the author for shining a light on these situations.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow & Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.