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Switchers
It started on the last day of school, in a...version of 1996 most of us don't remember. Kurt and his friends Andy, Birdie, and Dylan are starting summer break by an abandoned farmhouse behind a 7-Eleven. A run in with some bullies ends the night in terror for everyone involved.
The next morning, Kurt wakes up to complete chaos in what is the beginning of a journey of both distance and time no one could have imagined. Kurt and his friends time travel, switching bodies with their adult selves in the process, learning about each other, figuring out who they can trust, and hoping they find a way home before they get stuck in a future with little hope of survival.
Permanently.
The next morning, Kurt wakes up to complete chaos in what is the beginning of a journey of both distance and time no one could have imagined. Kurt and his friends time travel, switching bodies with their adult selves in the process, learning about each other, figuring out who they can trust, and hoping they find a way home before they get stuck in a future with little hope of survival.
Permanently.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2022
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Tallon
2 books18 followersChristopher Tallon is an Iraq veteran, former middle school teacher, and author of the supernatural thrillers SWITCHERS and SLEEPWALKER ANGEL. He lives near Grand Rapids, MI, with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 5, 2022
I'm a member of Gen X, so I will always have a soft spot for ordinary, small-town kids thrown into extraordinary - and often terrifying - circumstances, as those were the movies and books I grew up with. Like Stranger Things, Switchers is clearly inspired by those same iconic creations by Spielberg and King (though set in the '90s vs. the '80s), yet becomes something both nostalgic and wholly original.
Kurt and his friends are looking forward to a great summer, but a spooky event at an abandoned farmhouse one night opens the door to problems - and a world - they never imagined possible. Now, not only are their lives on the line, but also the fate of humanity. Will they have time to fix this catastrophe, even though the odds are stacked against them? Gotta read and find out!
Switchers is an amazing debut, an adventurous blend of sci-fi/horror/dystopia that hooks you in almost immediately and doesn't let go. I found myself easily rooting for the kids, especially Kurt. As the their journey unfolded, the twists and turns kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this book for fans of pretty much any genre because there really is something for everyone. I can't wait to see what Chris will do next!
Kurt and his friends are looking forward to a great summer, but a spooky event at an abandoned farmhouse one night opens the door to problems - and a world - they never imagined possible. Now, not only are their lives on the line, but also the fate of humanity. Will they have time to fix this catastrophe, even though the odds are stacked against them? Gotta read and find out!
Switchers is an amazing debut, an adventurous blend of sci-fi/horror/dystopia that hooks you in almost immediately and doesn't let go. I found myself easily rooting for the kids, especially Kurt. As the their journey unfolded, the twists and turns kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this book for fans of pretty much any genre because there really is something for everyone. I can't wait to see what Chris will do next!
April 4, 2022
This was a really fun read! School is out for summer and the four main characters do what small-town kids in the mid-90s do, ride their bikes and hang out by a huge hole. The action begins almost immediately and it doesn't stop until the very end. Basically, time travelers, or "switchers," have returned to destroy their town because the future is no good, and in order to get things back to the way things were, the kids have to use this future technology to go back and forth in time, but not always to the same time and place, which takes a while to figure out and also to know who to trust. Tallon does a great job of capturing that kids-of-the-90s vibe and really makes you feel like you're seeing the world through the eyes of the main character, Kurt. It's both dystopian/sci-fi/action and a coming-of-age friendship adventure with a budding teen romance sprinkled in for good measure. Not that you'll want to put it down because you won't but it's made up of about a thousand really short chapters (one is literally a paragraph long) so it makes it easy to pick up and get a little hit of adrenaline while you wait for your popcorn to pop. You should read it.
April 3, 2022
I received an ARC, so my review is based on this.
This book had me interested from the start. I'm not normally into stories that are centered around kids, but the kids in this story feel like they could have fit right in with my childhood friends.
I won't spoil the story, but it's definitely one of the more interesting takes on time travel that I've read in awhile. It is told from the first person point of view of Kurt, and reading it made me feel like I was him. There was certain points where I thought the author was going to delve into familiar tropes, only for it to go into a fresh direction.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes time travel stories. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
This book had me interested from the start. I'm not normally into stories that are centered around kids, but the kids in this story feel like they could have fit right in with my childhood friends.
I won't spoil the story, but it's definitely one of the more interesting takes on time travel that I've read in awhile. It is told from the first person point of view of Kurt, and reading it made me feel like I was him. There was certain points where I thought the author was going to delve into familiar tropes, only for it to go into a fresh direction.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes time travel stories. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
June 12, 2022
Kurt, Andy, Birdie and Dylan find themselves victim to a time heist where their older selves are trying to escape a horrific near future when a fungus has threatened all of humanity.
The unexpected twists and turns in this novel made it a breathless read to the end. It’s a fun exploration of coming of age in a world that may want to wipe humanity out.
This book will challenge your outlook on how we treat our planet, what it means to be at the top of the "food chain", how we can be better friends, family members, and stewards of the planet, and most importantly, cause us to ask who we will be in five, ten, or twenty years.
The unexpected twists and turns in this novel made it a breathless read to the end. It’s a fun exploration of coming of age in a world that may want to wipe humanity out.
This book will challenge your outlook on how we treat our planet, what it means to be at the top of the "food chain", how we can be better friends, family members, and stewards of the planet, and most importantly, cause us to ask who we will be in five, ten, or twenty years.
January 20, 2023
This book was an adventure through time! A group of 90’s preteens are faced with the battle to save humanity. The author excels at introducing the sci-fi elements through character conversation, making it easy to grasp and follow. He creates characters that are both complex and relatable. The descriptions on the page form vivid pictures in the readers’ minds. The pace of the book keeps one going with short chapters that compel the reader to know more.
I definitely recommend this read to lovers of nostalgic works, feel-good friendships, and high stakes circumstances. Similar to the Goonies and the Tomorrow War.
I definitely recommend this read to lovers of nostalgic works, feel-good friendships, and high stakes circumstances. Similar to the Goonies and the Tomorrow War.
July 3, 2022
An Amazing Debut!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. SWITCHERS is a sci-fi/horror/coming-of-age tale that pulled me in immediately. It's a fast-paced novel, filled with twists and turns, and short chapters that make the pages fly. I'm looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommended!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. SWITCHERS is a sci-fi/horror/coming-of-age tale that pulled me in immediately. It's a fast-paced novel, filled with twists and turns, and short chapters that make the pages fly. I'm looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommended!
August 24, 2023
Inmediately Hooked
This book sucked me in from the beginning. The promise of mystery was exciting and the characters were interesting. When the “switching” started happening I was excited to see where it would go. I’ll admit, I had difficulty following the switching, and it seemed like Kurt (the main character) was always just out of the action and had to have everything explained to him. I’m not sure the ending made sense, although it is emotionally satisfying. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the story and had fun reading it.
This book sucked me in from the beginning. The promise of mystery was exciting and the characters were interesting. When the “switching” started happening I was excited to see where it would go. I’ll admit, I had difficulty following the switching, and it seemed like Kurt (the main character) was always just out of the action and had to have everything explained to him. I’m not sure the ending made sense, although it is emotionally satisfying. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the story and had fun reading it.
February 10, 2023
Switchers, is a book that take us down a dark tunnel with our friends In tow.
The characters will suck you with the adventure book. The book will give whiplash with all its back and fourth between timelines.
Chaos has unfolded following a dare from a group of teenagers friends that seem to get bullied by the local hothead. After that faithful night the world seems twist it’s self into a bunch that they can only figure out how to get out of.
Leading us into a world of a deadly pathogen, seeking the world to consume. The few crusaders, trying survive by jumping timelines to figure out where it all went wrong.
This story reminds me of “12 Monkeys” by Elizabeth Hand
The characters will suck you with the adventure book. The book will give whiplash with all its back and fourth between timelines.
Chaos has unfolded following a dare from a group of teenagers friends that seem to get bullied by the local hothead. After that faithful night the world seems twist it’s self into a bunch that they can only figure out how to get out of.
Leading us into a world of a deadly pathogen, seeking the world to consume. The few crusaders, trying survive by jumping timelines to figure out where it all went wrong.
This story reminds me of “12 Monkeys” by Elizabeth Hand
June 22, 2024
A fun and fast read that ticks a lot of boxes for me - futuristic, apocalyptic, eerily unsettling at times, a friendship tale with friends tiptoeing into adulthood and thrust into circumstances far beyond their immediate understanding, and all with a strong twinge of nostalgia. I’m so glad I had the great fortune of meeting the author and picking up a copy when I did!
June 12, 2023
When I first received this book, I knew I’d be in for a fun ride, but I had no clue just how wild it would be!
A group of teens have a run-in with a couple of bullies which lead them to a creepy abandoned farmhouse. After two of the boys enter said house, shiz gets weird.
Time travel and a bleak future send these kids on an epic journey beyond imagination. I mean, come on… how weird would it be to jump into your adult body and vice versa? *shudders*
These kids/adults are rebelling against some really dark people in power to save not only themselves, but humanity as a whole. Is this small group of Michiganders capable of such a feat?
I am eager to have my hubby and teens read this so we can talk about all the nitty gritty details.
Thank you, Christopher, for this epic adventure. I was charmed by the 90s nostalgia set in my home state. Bravo! You’ve won me over.
A group of teens have a run-in with a couple of bullies which lead them to a creepy abandoned farmhouse. After two of the boys enter said house, shiz gets weird.
Time travel and a bleak future send these kids on an epic journey beyond imagination. I mean, come on… how weird would it be to jump into your adult body and vice versa? *shudders*
These kids/adults are rebelling against some really dark people in power to save not only themselves, but humanity as a whole. Is this small group of Michiganders capable of such a feat?
I am eager to have my hubby and teens read this so we can talk about all the nitty gritty details.
Thank you, Christopher, for this epic adventure. I was charmed by the 90s nostalgia set in my home state. Bravo! You’ve won me over.
May 7, 2025
I really enjoyed this story. It felt like a mixture of Stranger Things and The Last of Us. It kept me guessing in a good way and I couldn't put it down.
March 22, 2023
Great first novel by a talented up-and-coming author. Tallon's laid back writing style has such a strong voice, and you can almost feel that he himself is written into the teenage characters. A great read that's provocative, scary, funny, and nostalgic
March 24, 2026
I picked up this book from a friendly local author because the plot sounded interesting. And I was right! It flowed very easily and it was nice having short chapters in case I needed a break...I didn't want to put it down though! Hoping to see more from this guy in the future!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews