Switch [Hardcover]

Kevin McColley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

When Ken Corbin tries to tell people that a homeless man who is living in a vacant lot has been made the victim of a malicious switch, nobody believes the introverted, epileptic teen, who uncovers a web of lies and betrayal.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up. Conflicts abound for Ken, a 17-year-old whose grand mal epileptic seizures are controlled by Dilantin?when he takes it. His half-brother, Leo, home from the Navy, belittles him, laying a guilt trip on him about all the money their hard-working single mom spends for his medical treatment. Ken is attracted to Mariah, but she's already seeing Sam, a former car thief/mechanic who aspires to country-music stardom. Ken is convinced that Ricky, a bum who shows up in their small, southeastern Minnesota town, has been switched, that he's not the same man he'd met the day before, but no one believes him. Ken discovers several mysterious clues, including a cassette tape of his conversation with Ricky. By the time Ken divines that the switch (kidnapping) is rooted in Leo and Ricky's hash-smuggling enterprise undertaken when they were both in the Navy, Ken's only desire is for personal revenge. This cynical conclusion is as unsatisfying for readers as it is for the protagonist, leaving no character edified. Even Mom, whose suffering both boys profess to want to alleviate, loses her dream of Leo's college career as he reenlists in the Navy, presumably to smuggle more drugs. Mystery fans in a dark mood may appreciate the stylishly written and convincing descriptions of Ken's seizures as well as his fantasylike escape into drawing, but they are about all that enlighten this otherwise bleak tale of sibling hate, sex, lies, and audiotape.?Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689811225
• ISBN-13: 978-0689811227
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,718,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why Make This Switch?, November 12, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Switch (Hardcover)

Seventeen year old Ken Corbin lives in a small town in Minnesota with his mother, Leo (his half brother), and Max (his dog). Ken and Leo never get along and Leo seems to always get his way. One day a homeless man named Ricky moves into an abandoned lot. Ken and Ricky instantly befriend each other because they have the same feelings toward the kind of person that Leo is, and since Ken and Leo were always fighting, it helped Ken to talk about it. One day Ken realizes that Ricky had mysteriously changed. He doesn't look any different and he remembers what they talked about the day before, but it just wasn't Ricky. Ken knows that something is up and wants to get to the bottom of it. Ken investigates and doesn't believe what he learns. He learns many things he never knew about the people he felt closest to, and he realizes that secrets are very powerful things. Who would kidnap a homeless bum and switch it for another? This book has a lot of mystery and suspense. It really makes you think about whom you can and cannot trust, even when they are the closest people to you.

-Allison's BMS Literary Corner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent mystery, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Switch (Mass Market Paperback)

Scary and mysterious. A little bit weird, and catchy to read. The book had all the elements, and author is an excellent mystery writer. I would reccomend the book to anyone

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the time, January 14, 2004

By 

Laurie A. Stevens (Midland, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Switch (Mass Market Paperback)

A dark and twisted tale. There is no character development and the plot is totally unrealistic. This was one of the most disappointing books that I have read for young adults in a long time. If students are looking for a great read, try Gail Giles's Shattering Glass. It is much more worth the time.