Member Reviews

I was sent an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed reading this book. Loved the interesting storyline and the strength of the ladies in the story. Just loved the style of writing. I couldn’t wait to get back to the book. Definitely recommended if you like an interesting thriller.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! It was eye-opening, hard hitting and completely unputdownable. I recommend a lot of books, most of which I recommend for their ease of reading and for a good time. But I will be telling anyone who will listen that this is an absolute must read purely based on its gripping story and hard hitting reality.

Was this review helpful?

What a refreshing book this is!

I loved that the main characters are older than your average "heroines" and are creating their own space in the world rather than just trying to fit in. They know their worth and fight for those who can't defend themselves. It doesn't hurt that there is a little bit of magic going on either!

Highly recommended as a book to put a fire in your belly!

Thanks to the author, HQ@HarperCollins and Net Galley for the eARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read this book in advance. I really liked the three female leads. Makes it refreshing and it was a great read from start to finish

Was this review helpful?

This is one of the most original books I have ever read. The mix of crime and the mystical is a winning formula. Following three friends, each with very particular ‘superpowers’, this is a book of vengeance, friendship and the hidden powers of women. I absolutely loved reading this book and am very sad to have finished it. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

This was pure Escapism. Great female leads combined with magic and a mystery to solve. The perfect fictional read to escape the modern world. I loved the character development and the female lens. It spoke to so many societal issues that need to be in our daily discourse.

I've seen Jordy's Bookclub refer to it as Witches of Eastwick meets Big Little Lies and that's it in a nutshell.

Would love to meet these characters again and that always means a book has been a hit in our library.

Was this review helpful?

Very good. I liked the combination of characters, joining together to solve a series of murders. The setting and honesty of the writing is clear and there were a lot of twists and turns. It is unusual, but I liked it for that. Definitely recommended.

Was this review helpful?

A super adventure/magical/mystery with echos of the story of the powerful Hollywood mogul who was taken down by the me too movement. The women are older but instead of wilting under the symptoms of growing invisibility and physical discomforts of menopause, they embrace their changes and unlock gifts set to even the balance between predatory men and the women they hunt. A call out to the sisterhood, we can only hope, in this time of HRT shortages, there are some real Harriets out there!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this empowering take on female power. Supernatural but easy to read with brillant characters. Fully recommend

Was this review helpful?

This was a great idea for a book and I really looked forward to reading it in the evenings.
I’ve heard this described as a modern Witches of Eastwick, and whilst maybe not as revolutionary as the Updike novel, here the ladies in question don’t need a man to realise their powers, rather just the menopause!
It was quite fun and really powered along in places, I loved the women exploring their powers and thought all the little spin-off back stories that provided motive and realism for everyone’s actions a great idea. Harriet’s evolution was particularly enjoyable.
The serial killer story was a good foil for them as it gave them a reason to exercise their new abilities, but it did become a little messy and complicated.
Other than that an immersive, pacy read that’s fun for women of a certain age.

Was this review helpful?

If someone had said there’s a book I should read about three women going through the menopause I might have given them a strange look. Definitely not my usual reading material. However, I had the good fortune to see an interview with Kirsten Miller in which she discussed the book. So, ok, three women going though the menopause but all three have “special powers”. Now, this is more interesting. I requested a draft copy of the book and was so glad I did. I was hooked from page one and the relationships between the three main characters, Harriett, Jo and Nessa was so well written and with so much humour that it was impossible not to love all three of them. The main theme of the book is about child abuse and paedophiles (definitely areas I usually (cowardly) shy away from) and this is treated with a great deal of understanding and sympathy. But, as I said, there is so much humour in the book and the dialogue really sparkles. All the time you are reading, you are really rooting for Harriett, Jo and Nessa and there were many times when I gave vent to a loud cheer (Go ladies!!). A sign of how well The Change is written is in the fact that when the “special powers” of the three women are introduced, I found myself completely believing it all without a moments hesitation!
This was the first book I had read by Kirsten Miller and I will definitely be keeping an eye open for more from her.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this. I very much enjoyed 'The Power' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' so was up for a bit of ladypower but did wonder if I could cope with more beating up the menfolk,. Not to worry as 'The Change' is menopausal Avengers in Midsomer Murders, with a side serving of laughs amidst the murders.

The lead characters each have a super power - some more relatable than others, but all being a tool for justice and humour. There are murders up front, dismissive men, evil rich people and a very pleasing twist at the end. It is a real blast and I do hope this trio make another appearance in a sequel.

Terrific!

Was this review helpful?

This was probably the most unexpected read of the spring for me! A mix of fantasy and drama, with middle age issues thrown in, had me on tenterhooks. A wonderful and timely novel!

Was this review helpful?

Razor sharp, keenly observed and hilariously witty, this is the Witches of Eastwick we deserve (rather than the appalling book we got originally from John Updike). Three women in their mid life develop strange powers and come up against the powerful and corrupt of their home town in this fast and funny revenge fantasy. This was brilliant.

Was this review helpful?

It's not often I get to read a novel about women of my own age and to some degree similar life experiences. That alone was lovely to read and that is only the start. This is a crime thriller that every woman (and probably) man should read.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book that made me really think about feminism. It is a fast moving story that centres around three women who take revenge on men. One of the women sees ghosts of dead (murdered) girls. Another woman has a great knowledge of herbs which she uses for good but also for revenge. The third woman has remarkable physical strength. When reading the book you have to, in part, suspend belief but the characters are well depicted and I wanted to read to the end to see what happened. It did remind me a little of “Revenge of the Stepford Wives”. On a more serious note, it does make you think about violence against women especially against the poor in society and also about the Police and our own Laws. Thought provoking.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 brilliant stars.

I can’t work out why I loved this book so much - the premise didn’t sound like my kind of book, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it as I started reading it.

But it totally hooked me in - I loved the diverse characters, especially Harriet, who needs a book in her own right.

It is a long book but the chapters are short and snappy and the book overall didn’t feel long when I was reading it.

I did kind of guess a couple of the bad guys early on but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

If you fancy trying something different then I really recommend this.

Also, how do I get in touch with Harriet? :-)

Was this review helpful?

If you mix The Witches of Eastwick with The Female Eunuch, then throw in a serial killer or two, you might well end up with this book. It's not your usual crime novel and that's no bad thing. It's certainly a unique take on the genre.

Though not without faults - rather long, and needing a good suspension of disbelief - The Change is a refreshing account of the lives of three women at or approaching menopause. It's also an interesting delve into violent crime and its effect on women - both the victims and their mothers.

The men are mostly awful, though there are a couple of good guys, and the three female protagonists are blessed with strange powers: Nessa sees dead girls, Jo can melt metal with her bare hands, and Harriett seems to have a telepathic understanding of what's going to happen in future - though she rarely reveals this to the others until it has happened. Harriett also wanders about her garden in the nude, grows herbs - both the poisonous and the innocuous kind, and makes potions that cure hangovers instantly.

It's an odd book, but I was gripped by it. There's fun to be had from reading it though it has a serious side too. Novels featuring murders rarely bother to give a voice to the victims but this one does.

It's something new and it's to be applauded for that.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book, with its celebration of the power of women running through every page. In many ways a fantasy of how anyone could make the misogynists pay for their crimes, but at the heart of it is a true feminism.
Brilliant reworking of the old Maid, Mother, Crone trope.
It’s also a cracking mystery, on a par with John Connolly and similar writers.

Was this review helpful?

OH WHAT A BOOK!

There is a misconstrued conception which I visibly see myself, that menopausal women become invisible. Almost like they are surplus to requirements in society. This book grabs that view and kicks it into oblivion. These feisty women don’t take any prisoners.

In this book menopausal women come into their own. The three main characters find latent powers within themselves to solve a string of murders and destroy every man involved. It is a punchy feminist thriller and I loved every word of it. It has been described as Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick which suits the book, but there is so much more to it.

I was sad to see the book finish because the three main characters were exceptional, especially Harriet - what an incredible woman! I want to be like her when I grow up. She is the original Poison Ivy. I really hope there is a sequel to this book as I know there must be more crimes to solve.

I really enjoyed finding out about the past lives of the characters and seeing how they became so determined. Many would say they were bitter, but I believe they were empowered.

This is a book I will be shouting about from the rooftops for a very long time. It is a must read.

Was this review helpful?