The Transformation of Things

by Jillian Cantor

What if the reality you thought you knew was nothing but a fantasy? Jennifer Levenworth has a great, big, pounding headache. It could be because her husband, a judge, is indicted on bribery charges, leaving her unsure about everything in her marriage. Or it could be caused by the media, who are relentlessly covering the story. Or because the friends Jennifer thought she knew and trusted have turned their backs on her in her greatest hour of need. And then the dreams begin… And while Jennifer sleeps, she swears she can see—and hear -- her friends' and family’s most private moments. Soon Jennifer realizes she is actually learning the truth about their lives, leading her to also question everything she thought she knew about herself. But when the dreams start to reveal a startling reality, can Jennifer find the strength to ultimately transform her life? “The Transformation of Things is an elegant and involving page-turner about perception, truth and what’s really true about each of our lives. Part mystery, part love story, part coming of age, it is a wonderful book. I could not stop reading!” — Barbara O'Neal, author of The Secret of Everything

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Adult, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Paperback

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Jillian Cantor is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of fifteen novels for teens and adults, which have been chosen for LibraryReads, Indie Next, Amazon Best of the Month, and have been translated into 15 languages. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Cantor currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Kieran Walsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I'm hoping this book ends my trilogy of terrible books for the year. Where do I begin reviewing this one?
Good: Book took one day to read
Bad: will never get said day back
Good: It was raining outside so good opportunity to read (anything).
Bad: Missed opportunity to paint dining room.
I'm not even going to bother 'walk' through this one. Jennifer Levenworth was annoying and a suburban brat who just got lucky with some paranormal ability to experience other peoples' emotions. Oh wait, it was all a dream anyways.....but she was still a suburban brat.
I do have a question though. How the heck could they afford that house if he was selling weed pesticide at his brother in law's yard business? Oh wait, some more questions? Where they heck did all those characters come from in the last third of the book? I got confused when her sister's mother in law's mother died and left them some inheritance (depicted through her daughter in law (not the sister, mind you) wearing a fur coat). How the heck could you decide by hugging everybody all your worries would go away? Oh wait another? Why couldn't you get pregnant at the beginning and the book would have read something like this:
Chapter 1 - I'm a thirty something chick in suburban Philly, with lots of money and a little short on brains but managed to bag a judge. Then I got a freak stroke at the hair dressers, had some funky dreams, got better and pregnant all in time for my dad's second marriage in Florida. I also get to cuss from time to time, but its very appropriate and acceptable to everybody and any issues with people are resolved through emotional hugging and tight squeezing of hands. Did I mention I married a judge? A wealthy one too, who could have been indicted for some shady stuff but I don't ask any questions because I'm sure its way over my head. Oh yes, I do freelance work - writing wedding announcements for a local paper.
The End

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going into a plot summary, because the book provides a pretty good one. Instead, I'm going to say why I stopped reading at page 70 and why it wasn't for me.

After months of being a completist, of reading books until the very last page in the hopes that they improved (and many times finding myself disappointed at the final page), I've instituted a new rule:

+ Read a book to 25% approx (ending preferably at the start of a new chapter).

+ Evaluate whether the book is worth continuing. Maybe I'm not stimulated, or the characters aren't appealing, or the plot is meh.

+ Write a review about why I didn't finish and a rating of what I read.

+ Make a recommendation on who would like this, if anyone.

In the portion I read (the first 9 chapters and the final chapter), there wasn't anything exactly bad about the book. (Minus the final chapter - words on that will be in the spoilers section at the very end.) In fact, for quite some time, I was actually kinda enjoying the story. Jennifer's point of view is quite nice, and the story even seemed to be pretty interesting.

But this book has showed me one thing: I am not a fan of contemporary stories. I don't know why - maybe it's because I have my own life and don't really want to read about the humdrum lives of others or maybe it is how repetitive they feel or how they try to force "life lessons" down your throat - but I just don't care for them. And honestly, I knew that this book probably would be that when I started reading (although I kinda was expecting a bit more mystery/fantasy - I need to stop getting my hopes up like that), but I still wanted to give this book a shot. The blurb DID sound interesting. But even when Jennifer starts having dreams, I just couldn't get very invested. I was surprised at how dumb she was, not making the connection between the calming herb and her dreams, or how the dreams were more than just a dream of a loved-one's life.

(Also, it wasn't until the last chapter that I realized this family was Jewish. Couldn't that have been a bit more prominent?)

The other thing I wasn't fond of was how working mothers were treated. Kat, Jennifer's friend, is a working mom; Jennifer tells us she only took 6 weeks maternity leave and then promptly went back to work because she wasn't the "mommy type" and then proceeds to say "It seemed like if I ever actually had a baby, I'd feel this innate requirement to watch her every second, to make sure nothing bad happened to her."

My problem with this is that, once again, women are judged if they aren't full-time mommies that dote on their precious angels every second of every day. I think stay-at-home moms are great; my mom was one such and a dear friend of mine is another. But just because this choice works for some women doesn't mean ALL women should have to give up their careers to be stay-at-home mommies. If I ever had kids, I doubt sincerely that I would do the stay-at-home mommy route. I would be that working mom. And I do not want to be judged because I chose to work outside the home and not have a baby constantly on my hip.

The last chapter on the other hand cemented why it was a good thing for me to stop before I got much farther. In true Lifetime TV fashion, Jennifer goes into a coma for a time but is "miraculously" awakened. The story ends with a wedding (!), the main couple getting blissfully back together (!), Jennifer happily pregnant (!), and Kat quitting her horrible full-time job to be a part-time worker, stay-at-home mommy - you konw, the ONLY way a woman can be a GOOD mom (WTF?!)

But just because I stopped reading doesn't mean this is bad. The writing is solid, the characters are pretty good. If you are a fan of contemporary stories with very, very light, light fantasy (almost negligible), then this is definitely your book. If you are a working mom, take caution when reading this as it might make you a bit mad.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

* One of the most unusual stories I have read this year -- in a good way that is
* Beautifully written story that has a nice flow to it
* Some light humour
* Great ending and nicely hopeful -- we know I like that in a book
* Lovely commentary on the stress of being a mother and some of the feelings that we have, that society frowns upon us talking about. Motherhood isn't for sissies people!!!!
* Interesting thoughts on the misconceptions we have of other people and the judgments we make about them without "really knowing" what their lives are like
* Made me cry a little and know I also must go home and hug my beautiful little heathens
* Nice character development
* Great first chapter, grabs your attention and makes you want to keep reading

The Not so Good Stuff

* I found Jennifer to be completely oblivious and stunted at times, although this is explained away with the ending, I still found myself just really irritated with her choices and her lack of motivation. Also many times I just wanted to smack her upside the head
* A little slow at times
* Her marriage and life seemed so empty and pathetic, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading. Luckily the author is extremely talented and kept me interested even though I wasn't really sure I liked the main character

Favorite Quotes/Passages


"I agreed, willing to do whatever Ethel told me, not because I necessarily believed it would work, but because I believed that she believed it would."


"..and vowed to love, honor, and cherish each other through sickness and in health. And indictment. Who would've thought to add that to the vows."


"Did we all have it, that something that made us broken beneath the surface?"


What I Learned

* The grass isn't always greener
* The everything isn't as it seems
* Damn, other moms feel like I do sometimes
* I seem to have a lack of sympathy for poor rich people

Who should/shouldn't read

* Those who like something a little different will enjoy
* Wouldn't recommend for those looking for a light beach read or who need tons of excitement in a story

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read the entire book in one sitting. All I will say is that I was taken in with the story and led on a journey to a destination I didn't expect. Great read!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Transformation Of Things” is a haunting account of ordinary lives and the things that make us see them in a new light. Some Chick Lit novels are obvious to read. Not this one. The way that Jillian Cantor left me hanging every chapter was astounding. Real relationships are never as clean cut and definite as when they are portrayed in novels. However, throughout this novel I could never decide on the outcome of the main character’s relationship. Despite this, the ending left me blind sighted even though it was set up from the beginning.

Jennifer Levenworth is an incredibly relatable heroine, as all good Chick Lit characters should be. Her husband is distant and never around. She fills her life with “meaningful things”, but has incredible loneliness and against. What sets Jen apart from the usual Chick Lit heroine are her perceptions. She is unhappy with the facade of her life and sets off to sort it out. But the answers are never clear or easy. Her process is natural and often reminded me of the way that I face similar difficulties in my life. The way she faced and resolved her problems was both satisfying and rewarding.

I particularly like how Jillian Cantor used dreams as a way to illustrate fantasy without making the book twinge on science fiction. Reality is only an illusion in life and in this plot.

My only complaint is that the last few chapters buttoned up the story too neatly. Since the messy, realistic way the characters handled themselves appealed to me, having everything explained off was a little too pretty. This is not to detract from how amazing the unanticipated ending is.

Conclusion:
A bit of fantasy, a bit of reality, and a bit of soul searching, “The Transformation Of Things” is definitely a page-turner. Jillian Cantor’s elegant writing and witty story weaving will leave you wondering what will happen next. This is definitely a Chick Lit novel not to be missed!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was he a man, dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was man? That's a key question in this book. Do we really choose our own destinies? I'd like to think we have something to do with it. It was hard at first to care about Jennifer and all she was going through. She seemed so distant from her husband, her family, her friends. But as the story picks up and things are not exactly what they seem, you root for her to figure out where she's going on her path in life. I enjoyed this story very much and will look for more books from this author.

[Carol Irvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars!! Review to come later....

[Tasos Anastasopoulos · Rating 2 out of 5]

That book was certainly nothing like I had expected it to be. Reading its plot I got fascinated by the main idea that was when we are really sure when are we dreaming and when we are facing reality. Could it be possible that what seems like reality is in fact our dreams and vice versa? For those of you who thought (like I did) that there would be a whole analysis how to make sure what actually takes place I am sorry to write but it was nothing but nothing like that.

The novel seems to belong in the “chick lit” category, a very simple story about a woman trying to save her marriage in a high society town… If it was bigger it would make a fine soap opera out of it. There is not at all a good profile of any of the characters, Will the husband that seems so distant paying no attention to his wife at all suddenly as the story goes on becomes very sweet without any explanation given about this whole change of his behavior. I almost got sick of reading about his pine smell over and over again, about how both him and his wife were constantly falling asleep wearing their clothes (even the shoes sometimes) and waking up hours later and starting their daily routines.

The only interesting part was a bit when those dreams were occurring and Jennifer (the heroin) was taking the place of one of her friends (or sister or even her husband) for some moments and was trying to make a sense out of it. Unfortunately enough those dreams didn’t last that much making me to lose my interest and though I was tempted to stop reading the book, the fact that it is quite a small one (and a bit of a motive to finish the 30 books read in a year challenge) pushed me to make it till the end.

When reaching the final chapter there is a revelation of everything and it is quite disappointing since I saw it coming all the way. A very poor effort this novel in my opinion, I am sure that it wasn’t so easy for Jillian Cantor to write something different from a young adult book like she used to in the past. She should somehow kept the whole “young adult” style in this novel as well so she could make it at least a bit interesting to read. I believe that the plot won’t be attractive even for chick lit readers and it’s hard to think of who will really like it.

Probably the only part that I enjoyed reading was the acknowledgments at the end, there were 1-2 dreams that were deleted from the book but at least getting to know how the author was writing the book how she thought to add or remove things was something that seemed much more real than the story itself.

Not such a big review this time since more comments would make me seem really mean and there’s no reason for that to happen. I didn’t hate the book but I found nothing really good about it so let’s move on to the next one, hopefully much better and a whole different kind to avoid something similar with that in any way hehe (finally I did become mean, I couldn’t hold myself after all)…

[Shonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jen Levenworth is at the hair salon when she sees the breaking news story. Her husband Will, the youngest judge in Deerfield County, has been indicted on bribery charges. Shocked and embarrassed, Jen flies out of her chair with damp hair and races home to find Will.

Will is home when she arrives and looks beaten and distraught. A look that is uncharacteristic for him as he is always put together and everything is its place when he’s around. Seeing Will this way frightens Jen and she begins to wonder about his innocence. And her marriage.

The Transformation of Things is a story about seeing things for what they are versus what we want them to be. Which we all now is very, very hard (and scary) to do. Early in their marriage, Jen and Will lived a great life in the city. Being newly married and having great careers allowed them to be young and carefree. After making Partner at his law firm, Will set his sights on becoming a judge. This decision uprooted them from city life to suburbia. Jen’s job at the magazine became a distant memory as she attempted to settle in as being country club housewife.

This transition did not come easily for Jen. No matter how close she was with her friends, she thought she was still kept at arm’s length in their immediate circle. This was evident when the news story about Will’s arrest broke and her friends started to pull away from Jen. Slowly Jen and Will are trying to pick up the pieces after being ostracized from the country club. As Will begins a new job, Jen also finds herself freelancing at her former magazine. Will’s change in behavior is at first uncomfortable for Jen, but soon she cautiously welcomes it as she ponders the future of her marriage.

And then the dreams begin. Jen has vivid dreams about those close to her: her sister Kelly, Will, Kat, a former co-worker and friend at the magazine, and Lisa, another country club member. Jen had preconceived notions about each, but after her dreams, she begins to question how well she truly knows them.

There’s an unexpected twist at the end that I really can’t say more about without ruining the book. I’m not sure how I feel about it to be quite honest. It took away from the book just a bit for me. Having said that, I still recommend The Transformation of Things to fans of women’s fiction.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! Jen's a woman who seemingly has it all - her husband's a judge, they lives in the suburbs, she spends time lunching and playing tennis with the wives of other noteworthy people in town - but then her husband gets indicted for accepting a bribe, and her life begins to fall apart. Supposed friends shy away from her, her husband's life is changed, and she suddenly starts having vivid dreams that give her glimpses into the lives of those around her; she dreams that she's her husband, her sister, her friends... and as time goes on, she realizes that these dreams are actually real, that she's actually slipping into their reality for a short time, allowing her a better understanding of their real, hidden lives, and making her reevaluate the choices that she's made in her own life.

The writing is excellent. I was drawn into the story from the very first page, and my interest never wavered. Jen is a likable protagonist, and it's easy to sympathize with and relate to her. Characters were well-rounded and had so many dimensions to them; I loved the way the entire book was from Jen's point of view, and yet her dreams allowed short peeks into the lives around her, making you wonder along with Jen what is really going on and what makes reality "real". So much of this book could inspire very thought-provoking questions, making this perfect for a book club discussion.

I really loved this book overall and the way in which it perfectly captured the reality of ordinary lives, as well as the power dreams have to transform the way we see things. Jen's journey from the beginning to the end of the story was told at a great pace, and I wasn't let down by the ending. Definitely an author I'll be reading more books by!

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jennifer Levenworth is at the hair salon when her life crumbles before her eyes. Jennifer’s husband Judge Will Levenworth has been charged with bribery. Jennifer rushes home to fine Will there. Will tells Jennifer that the charges are not true. He is innocent. Jennifer hopes Will is right because if found guilty, Will could be sentenced to up to twenty five years in prison.

Jennifer starts to crack under all the pressure of Will’s job on the line. Jennifer has a bad headache, only this headache is not your typical migraine. Jennifer has mind changing experiences.

To be honest, I got about half way through this book and finally gave up on it. I found Jennifer to be a bit whiny. She got on my nerves. Though, I did appreciate Jennifer’s husband, Will trying to turn a negative into a positive, instead of him just giving up and letting Jennifer take over. I did find Jennifer’s new “gift” kind of cool but also I would be a little freaked out by it if I was experiencing what Jennifer was. I don’t want to give away Jennifer’s “gift”. So if you want to know what it is than you will just have to check this book out for yourself. Though I would suggest borrowing it from the library versus buying a copy.

[Alisha Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Transformation of Things was weird. Like, really, really weird. My thoughts on it are all over the place. I loved the premise, it was unusual and I loved that the author took a chance in doing something strange. It totally went in a way I would've never suspected and caught me completely by surprise. All good. However, as much as I love strange, I just couldn't connect with anything going on in the book.

I just felt very detached while reading this. I don't know if this was the author's intent as the main character was fairly detached at times, but I would've loved to have more of a strong protagonist. She was just all over the place and regardless of the fact that this interesting was happening to her, she wasn't all that interesting. I just all the characters very flat.

So, again, I loved the bizzarre premise, but I didn't feel the book was all that interesting. It was a page-turner, I'll give it that, but when I closed the book, I felt all-around "meh" and just not at all moved or overly impacted.

[Cleverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

t's not often you read a book and thoroughly enjoy it even though it left you scratching your head. I love Jillian Cantor's writing style she can master YA and Adult alike. I still don't know how to explain The Transformation of Things to someone with out spoiling it. So I am going to try....The characters all played fabulous catching roles. Each one had a specific reason even if it isn't the reason Jennifer(the main character) thought it was. Life comes quick and Transformations come in all shapes and sizes. It's what you choose to do with those transformations which are important. Life altering things can happen in a blink of an eye and you walk away knowing so much more then could have ever dreamed. I can promise you will never read anther book like this. I don't think I have ever read a book so strangely good. I apologize for the short review but as I said it's hard to not give anything away on this book.

This book isn't going to be for everyone, you will need an open mind and an open heart.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I devoured this book over just a couple of days, wanting to see what would happen. And the characters were really likable. But I had many problems with this book. Overall, I don't think it was very well written. The twist at the end felt like a cheat, for one thing. Also, maybe this is just a pet peeve of mine, but this author constantly does that thing where you end a sentence, then put in a comma, then end the sentence a different way, as in "I didn't know what was going to happen to him, happen to us." Occasionally, this construct is appropriate, but this author does it way too much and it's something that just happens to feel to me like fingernails on a blackboard. (Or "It just happens to feel wrong to me, feel like fingernails on a blackboard.") Just pick a way to end the sentence and go with it.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

The following review might be due to me not giving the book enough of a chance, or that I'm more used to the action/fantasy/suspense genres, but... While I found the first 5-7 chapters interesting, once I got to chapter 11, I got bored of the story. Another issue I had with the book, is that there seemed to be a lot of paragraphs with multiple sentences(in a single paragraph) starting with... "And then..." I don't mind it when authors use those words, but to have one sentence after the next start with "And then..." to me it feels like empty space.

I realize that my reviews are lousy, and a matter of personal opinion, but if you've read this comment, along with the book, I'd love to see comments that inspire me to finish reading it. As for now, it'll sit collecting dust in my mind while I prepare to send it back to BooksFree.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her husband, a judge, is indicted for accepting a bribe, Jennifer Levenworth's life begins to unravel. As tries to adjust, she begins to realize that she is getting a glimpse into the private lives of the people around her through her dreams.

I was expecting a little story about a woman dealing with adversity and working through troubles in her life and marriage. It ended up being a little deeper than that. The last few chapters brough a bit of surprise that I didn't see coming and I think that helped to set the book apart. Gotta love a book that keeps you guessing when you don't realize there was even anything to guess.

It was a nice little easy read and I enjoyed the concept.

[Rhonda Rae Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novel...the story premise was superbly written. Psychological twists, emotions, friendships, perceptions, and real life family drama. This is one that I will be reading again and even had to read the last two chapters when it turned around because I was taken by total surprise and shocked yet happy.

What if? What is reality? What are dreams? What is our subscious really trying to tell us sometimes? I'm going to seriously start writing down my dreams. I want to learn more about myself, I want to be transformed also...(-:

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. I kind of felt like I was reading an episode of Desperate Housewives, what with the suburban drama and the perfect-exterior-yet-crumbling-inside marriages and people. It was quite predictable and didn't move me... I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. And the ending?? Oh man, I guess I should give it points for giving me a laugh. I probably would have given the book two stars if it weren't for the ending.

Yeah, this just really isn't my kind of book. Sorry, book club!

Also, f-bomb alert.

[Ml · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy, and finished it in two days. The Transformation of Things is the story of Jen Levenworth, wife of a recently disgraced judge who begins to have dreams about the secrets of her family and friends. She soon realizes that not everything is as she thought it to be, and begins to question her own choices and truths.

I highly recommend this book and will definitely be buying it as a gift for family and friends.

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The imagination of Jillian Cantor is outstanding!! This was a compelling novel that will catch you by surprise when you least expect it. There is an excellent underlying question: Is reality a dream or are dreams our reality?

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an advanced copy of this book in a contest from the author. What a great read! This one really made me think. I can't wait for it to come out so I can share it with my book club. Great discussion questions in the back.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one went really fast, but I enjoyed the story and the premise was neat (she dreams and lives in her loved ones lives). You kinda see the twist at the end coming, but I definitely recommend it :-)

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a fast read. The synopsis of the book made me want to read it, interesting, magical plot that made me felt hey this is a fantasy genre. Kind of til I reach til the very last few pages and noticed, I got tricked , in a good way to finishing the book.
Though I didn't really liked the relationship between the main and her Husband, Husband was distance , like living in his own world, I for a fact will not be able to tolerate such a relationship. And, the communication between the pair was few to almost non.
I kept reading in the hopes that things will get better between the pair and in search for the truth if the Husband did really commit the crime.
Would I recommend this to anyone? Maybe. It kept me til the last page.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Jillian Cantor's first attempt at writing a novel for adults. One can tell. However, one can see the talent beginning to erupt and one realizes there are many four- and five-star reviews in her future. I have truly enjoyed her work. She is original, a breath of fresh air, and a wordsmith. I look forward to reading more of this author's works.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I saw this for $3 at a library book sale, and I recognized the author (from her AMAZING book, Beautiful Little Fools). I decided to roll the dice with another book from her.

This was weird, but I did like it. I can see why so many people on here found it annoying or weird. It was a bit unusual, but it made me think and I mostly appreciated the story.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time with this novel, although I love Jillian Cantor's other books. I think the changes between wake and dreaming were too confusing and it was a bit too superficial in the 'girlie' parts, society women's prattle.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally really loved this book. I absolutely did not see that ending coming at all and it was a SHOCK!! I do think the dreams could of been written in a bit more detail. But all in all I think this was a great book❤

[Claudette Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was not what I thought and loved the twist at the end. The characters were well developed and relatable. She used the appropriate amount of detail so my mind did not wander. This was one of the best books I’ve read this year.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thought provoking story and keeps you reading.