Switching + Giveaway News

Switching by Jody Kihara, September 7, 2012. 372 pages. Published by Star Magnolia Publishing. Source: author.

Every week or two, Terry wakes up in a different time. She’s been ‘switching’ - that’s her word for time traveling - for the past eight months, and she has no recollection of her life before then. She doesn't know who she is, why she’s time traveling, how to get home, or even when home is. Then Terry meets some fellow travelers and finds out she’s not alone… and that there might be a way to get home. But the others have their own agendas, and Terry needs to be careful where she places her trust. She finds herself falling for one traveler, but a terrible secret bars his way home. Another traveler is growing desperate, and he doesn't care who he uses in his attempt to get home… even if it puts them all in danger. Can Terry find a way home before he tries something dangerous? Or will he prevent her from getting home at all?

First Sentence:

I kept my eyes closed as I drifted awake, letting my other senses feel out my surrounding first.

I was really excited when Jody Kihara, the author of The Frankincense Trail, asked me to review her latest book Switching because her last book was a favorite of mine last year. 

One of the things I enjoyed most while reading Switching would have to be the 'why' when it came to how Terri and a couple other characters were switching. I found the reason, metal implants and electromagnetism,  to be one of the coolest explanations for how a character could bounce around from one decade to the next.  What made the time travelling theory in Switching even cooler was that the different metals used had different effects on the person travelling.

While the time travel theory was interesting, one of the best parts of this book is the author's writing. I really enjoyed how she was able to create such interesting characters. From the ones you love, like Terri and Woody, to the ones you love to hate and know are bad from their first introduction-I'm not naming names here. But what makes each of the characters so interesting to read about is their different motives for doing what they do and that they come across as someone that you could know in real life.

I liked Terry, the main character, because while she could not remember who she was or when she was from she was a fighter. Even though there were times when she would give into the depression of not knowing anything, I liked that in the end she would always get back on her feet and try to make the best out of her situation while always trying to remember and get back to where she belonged. I also liked her because while at times she may not have known the technical things she was still smart and thought on her feet.

The ending of Switching was bittersweet but I loved the way she ended the book. Now, while the ending my not have been the happy ever after that some like, I loved it because it worked extremely well for the story and while sad was perhaps one of my favorite endings to a book. Even though I have only read two books by Ms Kihara, I love the endings of her books because the way they end is more probable then most endings.

While I found this to be a highly enjoyable read, I do have one teensy thing that I did not like while reading. As I closed in on the last fifty pages in Switching I was worried that things would not be solved in a satisfactorily way. Even though my fear was unfounded in the end and all the unanswered questions were answered, there were times when I thought I'd be left with more questions then answers. So, minus that one thing I absolutely enjoyed reading Jody Kihara's latest book and how different it was from the last one.

Final Verdict: In Switching, Jody Kihara shows how versatile she is as a writer. Loved the story, characters, and her writing.  

Switching earns 4 out of 5 pineapples.

Want a chance to win a copy of Jody Kihara's Switching, well, you're in luck because she is hosting a giveaway on her FB page till the 16th of November. You can see how to enter by visiting Jody's Facebook page.