Customer Reviews

Freaky Friday

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Contrary to a previous review, I do not consider this a book for babies. I first read this book 20 years ago when I was in the 4th grade, and I enjoyed it. The concept of a daughter waking up in her mother's body is intriguing, and funny. I just reread this book last week, and I was on the floor laughing. Rodgers has written a book that works well with all ages, and I found it even funnier this time around. From the crush on Boris Harris, to the funniest parent-teacher conference ever, this book just moves on and on, and never ceases to be amusing. Even more interesting is the little mystery throughout the book of who is inhabiting Annabel's body that day. As a 4th grader, I loved the premise, as an adult, I love the wordplay, and the whole mixed up situation that allows Annabel to see thw world through an adults eyes. My only real gripe with the book at this point has nothing to do with Rodger;s writing, but rather the cover in paperback. We see Annabel looking in the mirror at a rather frumpish looking mother, which, if you read the book, is not at all how the mother really looks (a better idea is to picture Barbara Harris who plays Mom in the movie, and does seem to resemble the physical characteristics as Rodgers describes them.) If I were not such an advocate of book collecting and preservation, I'd advise you to rip off the cover, but my best advice to you here is to just ignore it. Otherwise, have a great time with this book.

Annabel Andrews, at age 13, does not like her mother. She doesn't particularly like her little brother Ben, her annoying upstairs neighbor Boris, or herself, either, but she KNOWS she doesn't like her mother. Imagine her shock one morning when she wakes up in her mother's body.

Through an endless day, she must keep house (with uncooperative appliances), do the shopping for two ungrateful kids, ride herd on younger brother Ben, and do all this without ruining her family, her apartment, and without attracting too much attention--especially when she has to attend the sort of parent-teacher conference that she would much rather not hear what is said about her. But at the end of the day, she has a new appreciation for herself, her mother, her brother--and even that annoying kid upstairs!

An absolute delight. None of the endless film adaptations that have used this concept have ever been able to capture the magic of this original.

Annabel thinks that her Mother has the best life ever. She doesn't have to do homework, clean her room, or anything that a teenage girl has to do. So one night, Annabel wishes that she were an adult, namely her Mother, that way she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and no one can tell her different. She never knew that her wish would actually come true. Now she and her Mother have switched places, and Annabel sees how hard it actually is to be an adult, and wishes that she could be a teenager again. The only problem, is that she doesn't know how to switch back.

While this is a fantastic book, everyone must remember that it was published in 1972, so yes, it is a bit outdated. But, quite fun and interesting, nonetheless. FREAKY FRIDAY is a welcome breath of fresh air, in a world filled with young adult books, which contain bad language, and grown-up situations. A must-have for everyone's collection, whether you are a fan of the movie, or not.

Erika Sorocco

Freaky Friday is a story about a girl, Annabel that got into a fight with her mom one day about how parents didn't have to do anything, but the kids had to go to school, do their homework, do their chores, etc. The next day, she wakes up to find that she switched bodies with her mother. They have a day or two at this and the whole story is about the way their days went. Annabel's day as her mother went pretty rough. She had to take care of Ape Face, her annoying little brother, and herself, or her mom in her body. She finds out that her mom's life is really hard so both her and her mom's life were actually both similarly hard.
This is one of my better books. I liked the story and the whole idea of switching bodies from the mom to the daughter. I also liked how the book was really kind of meant for girls. This book has some really funny parts in it too. Annabel's life is also pretty cool. She used to have braces but her mom went to the dentist and took it off for her and now the guy she had a crush on likes her back.(Or at least thinks she's pretty.)
My favorite part of this book was the end part of it. I really liked it because it's the part where Annabel makes up some scenarios of what she wished had happened or how she didn't want it to happen. This part was the funniest part. I liked how she had a very creative mind and made up all the scenarios. This part is the best part of the book.

I really enjoyed Freaky Friday because it was very comical and it made ordinary things that happen in everyday life seem interesting. At first glance, it looked quite boring, but while reading the summary, I decided that it would definetly give me a good laugh.In the story, thirteen year old Annabel Andrews has a fight with her mother one night, regarding her freedom to take care of herself. With Annabelle claiming that her mother's life is easier, her mother switches their bodies. Annabelle lives a day in the life of her mother and realizes that her mother really has a lot on her mind. During the day, Annabelle goes to a parent-teacher conference regarding herself and is told that she is probably the smartest child any of the teachers have ever encountered, but that she will never amount to anything if she doesn't start applying herself. Also, she grows fonder of her little brother she calls "Ape Face", and sees all the things that her mother risks just to make her happy.

Freaky Friday has been one of my favorite books since I discovered it in my grandmother's apartment when I was 8. I used to take it out and read it every time we visited until finally, she presented me with it as a gift. Annabel's cynical and yet human perspective on being stuck in her mother's body has been a support system for me throughout my own teenage years not to mention being consistently entertaining. The Disney movie with Jodie Foster is most likely the best movie adaptation as Mary Rodgers wrote the screenplay. It seems to capture her intent better than either of these newfangled ones wherein those who have written them appear not ever to have read the book. Still, if you enjoy any of those, I would highly recommend reading this book. It may be slightly dated, but the philosophy behind it is timeless.

For those who have already read it, more are A Billion For Boris and Summer Switch both of which are equally good though if you want more Annabel perspective A Billion For Boris is best while those of you who want to know what goes on in Ape Face's head had better read Summer Switch.

I am a student at Waldron Mercy Academy (AMD). Annabel is a teenager who is doing awful in school! She just got in a fight with her mother, which is quite bad. Her mom is really smart that she came up with an excellent idea to teach Annabel her lesson. The plan was for Annabel to switch lives with her mother. Annabel has to take care of her annoying little brother, Ben who she calls "Ape Face". He is a big problem. Another bad thing happened to Annabel. She doesn't even know how to work the washer. She got in a fight with the cleaning lady, so fired her. Annabel has to go to a meeting, and can't find Ape Face! She doesn't even know how to cook. Her life is a terrible disaster! Does Annabel switch back to herself? Does she continue to be her mother? Read the rest of Freaky Friday to find out!

Freaky Friday is about a 13 year old girl who turns into her mother. Its a really good book. I liked it because its funny. Its one of my favorite books and I think you should read it too!

This book was very funny. The woman who wrote it also wrote the script for the Disney movie version of it. They aren't exactly the same though. Still, I think each one is great in its own way. It's a very humurous book and good to have in any collection! Get it now!!!

I don't know about anyone else, but whenever I hear the words Freaky and Friday, I automatically think back to Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis circa 2003. But this is a different Freaky Friday, the original, the better of the two in my opinion (I know there was another movie version in the 70s, but I've not seen it in years, and don't remember much about it besides Jodie Foster). This is the story of Annabel and Ellen Andrews, and Annabel needing to learn her lesson.

I will tell you now, don't expect the same exact story as the movie that you've probably seen at some point in your life; expect the same premise, but a better story. Annabel is the stereotypical 13 year old girl she's loud, bossy and negative, hates her family and teachers, but loves her friends and annoying her brother. Annabel is a highly amusing narrator and she sees things like most kids do, i.e. better than adults give them credit for.

Annabel wakes up as her mother, gets dressed, fixes breakfast, sends Ben, aka Ape Face, and Annabel off to school, and then goes through her day in her mother's body. Dealing with all kinds of issues throughout the day, from the neighbor boy saying he loves her, losing both the kids, the police thinking she's crazy, and husband's unexpected clients as guests, she handles it well...at first. Not only does she have a wild ride, dealing with things her mother normally would have to deal with she also has a school meeting to attend...about herself. She finds things that she probably needed to hear, but things that hurt to hear, and that's where the lesson really starts to set in.

The majority of the story is told from Annabel's perspective, while she is in her mother's body and that actually helps the humor even more, take this little gem for instance: "Well in case you're interested, a mouthful of heart is something like a mouthful of captured frog, and a mind in turmoil simply means all the blood un your body rushes around in your head, leaving you icy cold from the neck down. As for "butterflies in the stomach," there is no such thing. They are June bugs." You'll have to read the book to find out the context there, but there are plenty more humorous moments between the 175 pages that make up this book.

This is a quick read, but one I definitely recommend. It's funny and somewhat realistic, not in the whole switching bodies with your mother aspect, but in the way this family interacts with one another. I know that despite the length and the material that make up this adorable story, even I learned something about myself and I think everyone could take something away from this book, kids and parents alike. The whole 1972 copyright may throw some people off, but don't let it; it's a story that is still relevant today and probably will continue to be for as long as there are 13 year old girls with mothers and little brothers especially.