No one could miss this book when it arrived on the bookshelf with its simple but effective bright orange and black cover. It promised to be a unique and refreshing read, just what Willow needed after a run in with a certain member of the community. Revenge would have been high on her agenda if there was no consequences so when the book followed her into the store, she suspected her anger would be released into the story.
Scroll down if it hit the spot.
Book Review: The Change by Kirsten Miller
Title: The Change
Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: HQ
Genre: Feminist fiction, fantasy
Release Date: 18th August 2022
Narrator for the audio version: January LaVoy
Blurb
Nessa: The Seeker
Jo: The Protector
Harriett: The Punisher
With newfound powers the time has come to take matters into their own hands…
After Nessa is widowed and her daughters leave for college, she’s left alone in her house near the ocean. In the quiet hours, she hears voices belonging to the dead – who will only speak to her.
On the cusp of fifty Harriett’s marriage and career imploded, and she hasn’t left her house in months. But her life is far from over – in fact, she’s undergone a stunning metamorphosis.
Jo spent thirty years at war with her body. The rage that arrived with menopause felt like the last straw – until she discovers she’s able to channel it.
Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio discover the abandoned body of a teenage girl. The police have written off the victim. But the women have not. Their own investigations lead them to more bodies and a world of wealth where the rules don’t apply – and the realisation that laws are designed to protect villains, not the vulnerable.
So it’s up to these three women to avenge the innocent, and punish the guilty…
The time has come to embrace The Change.
* * *
‘Part crime thriller, part extended howl of pure rage, The Change takes a scalpel to the cancer of misogyny that infects every cell of western culture, with biting wit and a burning, righteous anger that never lets up. Powerful and original’ Tammy Cohen
‘A brilliant book. Thrilling, fast paced and original. I couldn’t stop reading’ Sarah Morgan
‘A revenge fantasy and feminist fist-pump – and a balm for trying times’ Grazia
Thoughts from the Emporium
Wow, fantastic and superb were the initial reactions by the witches and Rosa when they finished reading The Change. They’re concerned this review won’t do this novel justice. The three women and Kirsten Miller’s narrative are as powerful as the bold cover depicts.
Willow started reading this after a tiresome day involving clashes with several male customers and a run in with a certain estate agent. The first few chapter made her grin and nod in agreement. She was hooked. The three protagonists are all strong women whose personalities leap from the page and their backstories and story arcs are empowering, and equally immersive. When faced with multiple POVs, everyone agreed there is usually one character they preferred, but not in this case. They all have depth and charisma in different ways – Harriet with her purposeful jungle of a garden that Willow wishes to recreate, Jo with her ability to tap into her hot flushes and make people take note, and Nessa with her empathetic ghost hunting. This multi-layered thriller was impossible to put down.
Initially, Amber screwed her teenage nose up at the idea of reading about the menopause, but relented under the insistence of the others and the lure of the paranormal aspects of the novel. Within pages, she was also hooked. Even at 18, she recognised many of the situations the women found themselves in and especially related to Jo’s fight against her own body. Kirsten Miller has captured all the elements of being a woman at different stages of their lives and the keen, witty observations bring all the readers into the story ready to cheer Harriet, Nessa and Jo in their revenge against misogyny in all its forms.
Willow and Mrs Marley listened to the audio version. The narration by January LaVoy takes this already fantastic read to another level. She tackles each character and personality perfectly, breathing extra wit, power and tension into the thriller. With the amount of swearing, Willow had to convince prim Mrs Marley to continue listening but she soon connected with the women and snapped at Willow when she tried to switch it off at bedtime. Mrs Marley wished they had enlightening books like this in her day, when the change and men’s behaviour was something to whispered about or ignored, leaving her and friends suffering in silence and alone.
Thanks to its unique premise, soul, emotion and thrilling mystery The Change is by far one of the best books this year. It has triggered refreshingly deep conversations about the menopause, female solidarity and misogyny amongst the Emporium’s customers and would be ideal for a book club. The emporium is recommending this to everyone but especially those ordering Willow’s menopausal tea.
Author Biography
Kirsten Miller grew up in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. At seventeen, she hit the road and moved to New York City, where she lives to this day. Kirsten’s first adult novel, The Change, is a feel good feminist revenge fantasy–with witches. The Change is a Good Morning America Book Club pick for May 2022. Kirsten also the author of over a dozen middle grade and YA novels, including the acclaimed Kiki Strike books, which tell the tale of the delinquent girl geniuses who keep Manhattan safe, and How to Lead a Life of Crime. She is not the Kirsten Miller who wrote All That Is Left (which appears on the list of the books she’s written), but she assumes that Kirsten is lovely and talented.
A huge thank you to HQ providing an advanced copy on the Enchanted Emporium bookshelf for honest and unbiased opinions.
The Enchanted Emporium Bookshelf 
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