Release Date: August 26th 2014
Pages: 400
Source: review copy from publisher - Edelweiss
Age Range: Young Adult
ELLIE spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. JACK spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.
Then, BAM! They swap lives—and bodies!
Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on—and their feelings for each other grow—Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else..
This is such a fun read! Started it and finished in within a few hours because I just couldn't put it down. I was a bit surprised though Jack and Ellie didn't end up as a couple. The plot was absolutely hilarious. Both Ellie and Jack discover things that they wish they wouldn't have to discover. Like when Ellie realizes she has not to go to the ladies room anymore, and yes, she has an ''extra'' there down under now..yikes! And Jack hears from the girls around him everything he needs, but doesn't want to know about the period..oompf!
Ellie was a really lovely character. She was awkward, easy to relate to, and all around a likable little character. We have all been an Ellie at some point in our lives, whether it be at age two or twenty, and I really appreciated what the author did with her character to provide a voice for us all. Jack was not my favorite main male character, but all in all he was tolerable.
No book review would be complete without the mention of a few of its pitfalls. Here are the things that didn't quite work for me: the guy-talk was over the top.In most places Shull wrote Jack's voice excellently, but when it came to dialogue between Jack and his brothers or his friends, she relied too heavily on slang that rang unrealistic.
I didn't expect too like this book as much as I actually did, overall I thought it was a nice, very entertaining and hilarious story, which I definitely recommend for young teens.
