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The Changing Man
A teenage girl is pulled into investigating the truth behind her new boarding school’s decades-old legend in The Changing Man, this debut Young Adult speculative thriller by Tomi Oyemakinde
Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE.
If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it.
But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben?
As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one—or all—of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?
Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE.
If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it.
But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben?
As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one—or all—of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2023
50 people are currently reading
5042 people want to read
About the author
Tomi Oyemakinde
2 books75 followersTomi Oyemakinde grew up in London, before being uprooted at the age of 6 to head across the North Sea to the Netherlands. He is committed to crafting stories centered on Black protagonists thriving across genres, audiences & worlds. When Tomi is not busy writing, he can be found daydreaming about his future dog (namely a Rottweiler named Pan) and geeking out over all things anime. The Changing Man is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
October 1, 2023
I was very intrigued by the description for this one. The ending was a wild ride, but I wanted more spooky or at least more action throughout the story. The first third of the book is just private high school drama and I was struggling to get myself to pick this one up. As it got going it got better, but I still thought it could have moved faster. Ife’s new school has a rumor of the changing man who kidnaps people and when they return they are nothing like who they used to be. Ife thinks it’s a stupid rumor until her only friend at her new school starts to act differently. Ife finds two other students who are equally motivated to find out what is going on, but what they find is way more bizarre than they could have imagined. The monster (once we got that far) was intriguing and not at all what I was expecting so I liked that quite a bit. Ife was an interesting character and I did find myself rooting for her. Overall it was a pretty good book and I would definitely read more by this author.
August 30, 2023
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Thank you MacMillan for this book in exchange for an honest review
The Changing Man is a debut novel by Tomi Oyemakinde and I have to give credit where credit is due. The general style was intriguing, with great descriptions around the setting and the plot twists were entertaining, but it was overshadowed by the characters dialogue and actions. For characters that are meant to be aged around 17 -18 years old, their actions were extremely childish that you can’t help but imagine this book being based around 12-year-olds; it was unrealistic, or they have lived EXTREMELY sheltered lives.
This was pitched as an eerie and creepy tale and to be honest – it really wasn’t? Maybe I’m immune to eerie elements in books? Overall I was excited to read this one, but it just didn’t hit the mark.
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Thank you MacMillan for this book in exchange for an honest review
The Changing Man is a debut novel by Tomi Oyemakinde and I have to give credit where credit is due. The general style was intriguing, with great descriptions around the setting and the plot twists were entertaining, but it was overshadowed by the characters dialogue and actions. For characters that are meant to be aged around 17 -18 years old, their actions were extremely childish that you can’t help but imagine this book being based around 12-year-olds; it was unrealistic, or they have lived EXTREMELY sheltered lives.
This was pitched as an eerie and creepy tale and to be honest – it really wasn’t? Maybe I’m immune to eerie elements in books? Overall I was excited to read this one, but it just didn’t hit the mark.
October 7, 2023
This was such an interesting young adult horror book. I love the creepy cover of The Changing Man and how the cover immediately made me want to pick this book up. This book has a unique concept that I really appreciated, but unfortunately it took me a while to get into the story of this one. The prologue had me intrigued rather quickly, but after that the story was pretty slow. That being said, the pace did pick up a bit after the halfway mark and held my attention a bit better. I did find this book to be very well written and the author’s writing style was very easy to read. I loved that this book had likable and diverse characters.
Read This If You Like
📖 YA Paranormal Thrillers/Horror
📖 High School Drama
📖 Diverse Characters
📖 Slow Burn Thrillers/Horror
📖 Creepy Vibes
Overall this was a pretty good debut novel with an intriguing concept. I think a lot of people will like this one.
Read This If You Like
📖 YA Paranormal Thrillers/Horror
📖 High School Drama
📖 Diverse Characters
📖 Slow Burn Thrillers/Horror
📖 Creepy Vibes
Overall this was a pretty good debut novel with an intriguing concept. I think a lot of people will like this one.
dnf
September 14, 2023DNF @ 56%.
I'm over half way through this book, and I still don't really have any idea what is happening besides the typical high school drama. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but the pacing and the execution is just all over the place.
Also, the audiobook narrator was incredibly annoying when she did impersonations of some of the characters because she would do a high pitch nasal sound, which was really grating.
I'm over half way through this book, and I still don't really have any idea what is happening besides the typical high school drama. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but the pacing and the execution is just all over the place.
Also, the audiobook narrator was incredibly annoying when she did impersonations of some of the characters because she would do a high pitch nasal sound, which was really grating.
October 23, 2023
If you haven't read The Changing Man, by Tomi Oyemakinde, it's one you need to pick up, a read you don't want to miss. The book opens with the disappearance of a teenage boy, Leon, as he goes to meet a girl he has never met. With a text, Leila asks him to meet her at an abandoned cottage and leaves his friend behind, along with his little brother, Ben, who needs help with homework- Leon is never heard from again.
People say Leon ran away, others say he was taken by the Changing Man- an urban myth story that seems to have been "around forever." But Ife doesn't know what to believe- all that she knows is that she wants to meet Zanna, a girl she has been texting with but has yet to meet. However, that can only be done when she gets a ride from her good friend, Malika. An urban state achiever, Ife now goes to a private school called Nithercott and is surrounded by other children very different from her. And these kids let the urban state achievers enrolled with them know it.
The Changing Man has been an urban myth forever- for all those from the town and school of Nithercott- and they seem comfortable around the scary story. In 1983 several students were being followed by someone strange and the police got involved. The students began to withdraw, and then act strange, many losing it in the end- "shouting random nonsense, or screamed, or simply froze." And that's when the students think the rumors may have begun.
The author also lets readers know that there is a difference between a myth and a legend- something I wasn't aware of- the specifics. While myths are supernatural in some way, legends are real- something in the real world causing real-world actions.
Things start to get weird when Malika turns away from Ife and starts hanging out with a girl both never liked before. And that she will no longer talk to Ife and looks like a zombie, her personality changed, seemingly gone-
When the Changing Man myth- or legend- (however it gets defined, if it does, by the end) begins to intersect with Nithercott; when Ife sees that the director of the school, Dr. Butterworth, wears a flower symbol on his lapel that appears on other suspicious adults in positions of power, a bigger mystery begins to unfold- one where the Changing Man, in the end, could be a scapegoat for something bigger that is going on. The clues begin when the kids find a hidden room in the library that is said to exist that no one knows about (and is in none of the building plans)- where the Changing Man is supposed to live.
Teaming up with Ben, the brother of Leon (the missing boy), along with some other students she has become friends with, are interested in the mystery of the Changing Man, what is going on at Nithercott- and as they learn more, things begin to get more dangerous.
Tomi Oyemakinde gives readers a horror/ thriller/ mystery- that takes you in from the beginning and won't let you go until you find out what exactly is going on at the Nithercott school, to the children, within the town and what the Changing Man really has to do with it all- if anything. Nithercott has taken in urban achieving students for some nefarious purpose- it seems- but what, and why? And, will Ben ever find Leon- or what happened to his older brother?
Happy Reading!
People say Leon ran away, others say he was taken by the Changing Man- an urban myth story that seems to have been "around forever." But Ife doesn't know what to believe- all that she knows is that she wants to meet Zanna, a girl she has been texting with but has yet to meet. However, that can only be done when she gets a ride from her good friend, Malika. An urban state achiever, Ife now goes to a private school called Nithercott and is surrounded by other children very different from her. And these kids let the urban state achievers enrolled with them know it.
The Changing Man has been an urban myth forever- for all those from the town and school of Nithercott- and they seem comfortable around the scary story. In 1983 several students were being followed by someone strange and the police got involved. The students began to withdraw, and then act strange, many losing it in the end- "shouting random nonsense, or screamed, or simply froze." And that's when the students think the rumors may have begun.
The author also lets readers know that there is a difference between a myth and a legend- something I wasn't aware of- the specifics. While myths are supernatural in some way, legends are real- something in the real world causing real-world actions.
Things start to get weird when Malika turns away from Ife and starts hanging out with a girl both never liked before. And that she will no longer talk to Ife and looks like a zombie, her personality changed, seemingly gone-
When the Changing Man myth- or legend- (however it gets defined, if it does, by the end) begins to intersect with Nithercott; when Ife sees that the director of the school, Dr. Butterworth, wears a flower symbol on his lapel that appears on other suspicious adults in positions of power, a bigger mystery begins to unfold- one where the Changing Man, in the end, could be a scapegoat for something bigger that is going on. The clues begin when the kids find a hidden room in the library that is said to exist that no one knows about (and is in none of the building plans)- where the Changing Man is supposed to live.
Teaming up with Ben, the brother of Leon (the missing boy), along with some other students she has become friends with, are interested in the mystery of the Changing Man, what is going on at Nithercott- and as they learn more, things begin to get more dangerous.
Tomi Oyemakinde gives readers a horror/ thriller/ mystery- that takes you in from the beginning and won't let you go until you find out what exactly is going on at the Nithercott school, to the children, within the town and what the Changing Man really has to do with it all- if anything. Nithercott has taken in urban achieving students for some nefarious purpose- it seems- but what, and why? And, will Ben ever find Leon- or what happened to his older brother?
Happy Reading!
November 16, 2023
The Changing Man was an interesting story about Ife and her difficulty fitting in at her new school. When she finally makes a friend, Malika, it seems like Malika changes overnight and becomes one of the popular girls. After meeting Ben and hearing how his brother mysteriously disappeared, they decide to join up, along with Ifes sort of friend, Bee to find out what strange things are happening at their boarding school. The story seemed a little too long and could have been wrapped up sooner. When the reader finally finds out what the Changing Man is and what their plan is, the story finally picks up and the confrontation with the Changing Man is very satisfying. I also loved how there is a post credits scene which basically tells the readers there will probably be more in future of Ife and her friends. All in all this was an enjoyable, entertaining book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2023
The first half of the book was pretty boring, just normal private school drama with a bunch of snobby kids and very grumpy teachers. The ending was the only "spooky" part, and even then, I was extremely confused as to what was going on. I kind of had a loose grasp on everything by the end of the book, but I still would have liked to have been given a clearer presentation leading up to what all happened. The characters were meh. The plot was okay. The overall story felt lacking. But, for being a debut, it wasn't too horrible. I was just hoping for more horror aspects.
September 18, 2023
2.6 ☆
„Others whisper and blame the changing man - a stupid urban myth that’s apparently been around forever“
This book was fine? I guess? I didn’t got that attached to the characters and the storyline was okay and overall it just felt like something has been missing (well literally) but I don’t know I wouldn’t necessary say that this book is extremely bad or anything it’s just mid.
Also what was the obsession with toes and eyebrows in this?
„Others whisper and blame the changing man - a stupid urban myth that’s apparently been around forever“
This book was fine? I guess? I didn’t got that attached to the characters and the storyline was okay and overall it just felt like something has been missing (well literally) but I don’t know I wouldn’t necessary say that this book is extremely bad or anything it’s just mid.
Also what was the obsession with toes and eyebrows in this?
October 19, 2023
For me the cover caught my eye first. I love a classic horror type vibe and I still feel this one speaks to a young adult thriller/horror. If you've seen The Faculty or Body Snatchers, you'd enjoy the premise for this one.
The writing style is fitting the young adult high school scene. There's the drama, social structures and nuances of the teachers that lets you know something is off in slow doses. The urban legend of the Changing Man was a nice touch that starts to build the intrigue.
The characters grow on you as they begin to flesh out. I really liked Ife as a main character. She has what I'd consider a relationship with her parents that isn't as strained as most in books like this. She's standoffish purposefully and I liked the reasoning behind it. I would've liked a little more from the supporting characters in background and less on the every day happenings. It tended to take away from the building mystery.
When the action hits, it hits hard and fast. I like the transitions in genre for this one. Like I mentioned, very classic The Faculty meets Body Snatchers. I also had the ability to listen to the audiobook all thanks to @macmillan.audio 🖤 It's narrated by Diana Yekinni with unique voices and accents. I adored listening to her narrate and effortlessly keep the character personas in order.
While it's slower paced than I'm used to for most horrors I did enjoy reading this one. It's a fun addition for Spooktober tbrs. PS: The mushroom design on the hardcover is perfection! True rating 3.5/5.
The writing style is fitting the young adult high school scene. There's the drama, social structures and nuances of the teachers that lets you know something is off in slow doses. The urban legend of the Changing Man was a nice touch that starts to build the intrigue.
The characters grow on you as they begin to flesh out. I really liked Ife as a main character. She has what I'd consider a relationship with her parents that isn't as strained as most in books like this. She's standoffish purposefully and I liked the reasoning behind it. I would've liked a little more from the supporting characters in background and less on the every day happenings. It tended to take away from the building mystery.
When the action hits, it hits hard and fast. I like the transitions in genre for this one. Like I mentioned, very classic The Faculty meets Body Snatchers. I also had the ability to listen to the audiobook all thanks to @macmillan.audio 🖤 It's narrated by Diana Yekinni with unique voices and accents. I adored listening to her narrate and effortlessly keep the character personas in order.
While it's slower paced than I'm used to for most horrors I did enjoy reading this one. It's a fun addition for Spooktober tbrs. PS: The mushroom design on the hardcover is perfection! True rating 3.5/5.
October 31, 2023
Rooting for everyone black. Find out why over at The Litt Librarian.
I tackled this book via audio, with Afolabi Alli and Fola Evans-Akingbola narrating the scenes. I won't beat around the bush; this book is very much YA and was dragging. It took a while for me to get into the story truly, but by 80%, I called it quits. I felt like I got the gist of the story and didn't feel the need to continue.
I'm not sure if it was the narration that did it or the writing, because honestly, the premise of the story had potential. The Changing Man is a cool melting pot mixture of the lore of Slenderman, Get Out, Body Snatchers, and doppelganger activities. Plus, I'm pretty sure the author got some inspiration from the real-life case on the subject, but who knows? The delivery just wasn't hitting for me.
I tackled this book via audio, with Afolabi Alli and Fola Evans-Akingbola narrating the scenes. I won't beat around the bush; this book is very much YA and was dragging. It took a while for me to get into the story truly, but by 80%, I called it quits. I felt like I got the gist of the story and didn't feel the need to continue.
I'm not sure if it was the narration that did it or the writing, because honestly, the premise of the story had potential. The Changing Man is a cool melting pot mixture of the lore of Slenderman, Get Out, Body Snatchers, and doppelganger activities. Plus, I'm pretty sure the author got some inspiration from the real-life case on the subject, but who knows? The delivery just wasn't hitting for me.
July 3, 2023
final rating: 3.5
this book gave me an x-files x stranger things vibe.
it kept me reading and i didn't feel bored. i don't think it was mega spooky, but it did feel like a mystery was unravelling. and i enjoyed the character dynamics. i also really enjoyed the author's writing style.
i loved the rep and how a lot of the main characters were black + brown. i've also never seen yoruba in a young adult book before, so that was really cool to see!
i wish the pacing was a little faster - it was good to begin with, but felt like it took a while to pick up again. but even when it was a little slow, it was interesting enough to keep my attention. i honestly feel like this could possibly become a series where the mc continues solving other mysteries! but as far as i'm aware, at the moment, it is a stand alone.
all in all, it was a good read + i'm excited to see more from the author in the future.
this book gave me an x-files x stranger things vibe.
it kept me reading and i didn't feel bored. i don't think it was mega spooky, but it did feel like a mystery was unravelling. and i enjoyed the character dynamics. i also really enjoyed the author's writing style.
i loved the rep and how a lot of the main characters were black + brown. i've also never seen yoruba in a young adult book before, so that was really cool to see!
i wish the pacing was a little faster - it was good to begin with, but felt like it took a while to pick up again. but even when it was a little slow, it was interesting enough to keep my attention. i honestly feel like this could possibly become a series where the mc continues solving other mysteries! but as far as i'm aware, at the moment, it is a stand alone.
all in all, it was a good read + i'm excited to see more from the author in the future.
dnf
September 17, 2023DNF at 104 pages.
Honestly I’m just bored out of my mind. 🥱
Where’s the creepy YA thriller? I feel like I’m reading about a crybaby middle schooler.
Honestly I’m just bored out of my mind. 🥱
Where’s the creepy YA thriller? I feel like I’m reading about a crybaby middle schooler.
April 29, 2025
3.5 rounded up to 4
I read this book with my student book club in school and for a debut YA horror/thriller it wasn’t too bad. I really liked the characters and the mystery around ‘the changing man’ legend and trying to figure out who or what he may have been. The pacing was what dropped the book down in my estimations. It felt like the build up dragged on for too long and then the reveal/climax and ending just whooshed by far too quick! Overall a solid YA book with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing!
I read this book with my student book club in school and for a debut YA horror/thriller it wasn’t too bad. I really liked the characters and the mystery around ‘the changing man’ legend and trying to figure out who or what he may have been. The pacing was what dropped the book down in my estimations. It felt like the build up dragged on for too long and then the reveal/climax and ending just whooshed by far too quick! Overall a solid YA book with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing!
October 24, 2023
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
3.3
I do like that this book’s vibe is “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” meets dark academia, something I’ve never seen done before. It’s a unique concept, and held up with cinematic style action for those who enjoy vivid action sequences.
However, while the tension works while everything is still shrouded in mystery, once the threat becomes obvious it’s so out there with no subtlety and a zero to sixty move in terms of plot, that it’s hard to take seriously. It made it feel flat and unnuanced, where it had the potential of real depth before.
The characters also all read as much younger than they were meant to be, and didn’t feel three dimensional. Horror’s always better when you care about the characters, and I didn’t care about any of them.
3.3
I do like that this book’s vibe is “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” meets dark academia, something I’ve never seen done before. It’s a unique concept, and held up with cinematic style action for those who enjoy vivid action sequences.
However, while the tension works while everything is still shrouded in mystery, once the threat becomes obvious it’s so out there with no subtlety and a zero to sixty move in terms of plot, that it’s hard to take seriously. It made it feel flat and unnuanced, where it had the potential of real depth before.
The characters also all read as much younger than they were meant to be, and didn’t feel three dimensional. Horror’s always better when you care about the characters, and I didn’t care about any of them.
November 22, 2025
The premise in a mysterious school setting really appealed, but it didn’t really hook me in. I normally like YA, but i think maybe I’m a little too old for this type of YA. This one is definitely a slow burner as Ife slowly uncovers the mystery at her new boarding school as people start disappearing.
It didn’t really keep me hooked as Ife struggles adjusting to life in her new school whilst balancing her attempts to appease her parents. But I think that was down to the pacing and maybe that it’s more for younger age YA. This aside, Yekinni is great at bringing Ife’s story to life.
It didn’t really keep me hooked as Ife struggles adjusting to life in her new school whilst balancing her attempts to appease her parents. But I think that was down to the pacing and maybe that it’s more for younger age YA. This aside, Yekinni is great at bringing Ife’s story to life.
June 20, 2023
if you are the author please scroll, you're not the target audience for this (I don't really write negative reviews & I feel bad since this is the first review but I have to post this at some point so here we go)
this was so painful to read.
I'll break down this review into two parts;
1. What I didn't like about this book (which is going to be most of the review)
characters
okay, this is probably my main issue which annoyed me throughout the story! the characters are meant to be 16-17 (the mc is 17 years old) but they were all acting so childish! I'm 18 years old myself but I felt like I was reading about 14-15 year olds, not only because of the dialogues but as well as the personalities of many characters.. i think the writing was a bit lower ya/upper middle grade which also annoyed me because although there are many 17 years old which you could say are a bit more immature or whatever I still found it unrealistic..
pace & plot
Nothing was really happening for the first 200 pages and I got so bored.. there wasn't as much 'spookiness' or mystery as I hoped for and I found myself not caring about what was happening since there was barely anything going on.. also I was looking forward to reading about the changing man as an entity but they were so boring.. like you don't really learn much about them until the very end but the beginning made me lose interest which is probably why I didn't enjoy the reveals later on..
also who gives one of their main characters the surname Small? That was literally the first red flag ngl..
2. What I liked about the book
twists
those plot twists and hidden details about the plot were honestly so great.. of course I can't say anything because of spoilers but if you read it you will understand.. the whole twist had so much potential and it was a great premise but unfortunately, I didn't really care about it because it only happened in the last 100 pages and I was already way too bored up to that point..
the ending
not being sarcastic here, yes I'm glad the book finally ended but I did like how it had a warm/cute ending but that still doesn't change much about my thoughts throughout the book..
it's honestly such a shame because I was really excited and the end had such a great storyline, hence the two stars but overall it was a disappointment..
i was given an arc of this book by a friend, all opinions my own.
this was so painful to read.
I'll break down this review into two parts;
1. What I didn't like about this book (which is going to be most of the review)
characters
okay, this is probably my main issue which annoyed me throughout the story! the characters are meant to be 16-17 (the mc is 17 years old) but they were all acting so childish! I'm 18 years old myself but I felt like I was reading about 14-15 year olds, not only because of the dialogues but as well as the personalities of many characters.. i think the writing was a bit lower ya/upper middle grade which also annoyed me because although there are many 17 years old which you could say are a bit more immature or whatever I still found it unrealistic..
pace & plot
Nothing was really happening for the first 200 pages and I got so bored.. there wasn't as much 'spookiness' or mystery as I hoped for and I found myself not caring about what was happening since there was barely anything going on.. also I was looking forward to reading about the changing man as an entity but they were so boring.. like you don't really learn much about them until the very end but the beginning made me lose interest which is probably why I didn't enjoy the reveals later on..
also who gives one of their main characters the surname Small? That was literally the first red flag ngl..
2. What I liked about the book
twists
those plot twists and hidden details about the plot were honestly so great.. of course I can't say anything because of spoilers but if you read it you will understand.. the whole twist had so much potential and it was a great premise but unfortunately, I didn't really care about it because it only happened in the last 100 pages and I was already way too bored up to that point..
the ending
not being sarcastic here, yes I'm glad the book finally ended but I did like how it had a warm/cute ending but that still doesn't change much about my thoughts throughout the book..
it's honestly such a shame because I was really excited and the end had such a great storyline, hence the two stars but overall it was a disappointment..
i was given an arc of this book by a friend, all opinions my own.
November 21, 2023
For once, I should have trusted the reviews on this one. I went in thinking it would be a creepy horror about a Slender Man kind of entity taking and changing kids. I Won’t spoil anything but that wasn’t what this book was. I wouldn’t even call it horror tbh. So if you wanted what I thought I was getting from this book then just give it a pass 🥲
October 28, 2023
…so the premise of this book was intriguing which was why I was interested in reading this one…however it was just kind of a let down for me.
The story is set in a private school setting which always as the kids whose parents buy them a spot or “the underprivileged” that got there by other means, and we all always know how that plays out.
The kids in their late teens but how they acted were more like middle schoolers to me.
I just had a hard time with the book in general. It was spooky, or scary as o was let to believe and the ending felt quite rush.
This book is not for me, but then I am not a fan of middle grade books. Which I do feel that a middle grade child would very much enjoy reading this one themselves.
I don’t like giving bad reviews but I really struggled with just getting through this book and actually finishing it, put it down way to many times to count.
The story is set in a private school setting which always as the kids whose parents buy them a spot or “the underprivileged” that got there by other means, and we all always know how that plays out.
The kids in their late teens but how they acted were more like middle schoolers to me.
I just had a hard time with the book in general. It was spooky, or scary as o was let to believe and the ending felt quite rush.
This book is not for me, but then I am not a fan of middle grade books. Which I do feel that a middle grade child would very much enjoy reading this one themselves.
I don’t like giving bad reviews but I really struggled with just getting through this book and actually finishing it, put it down way to many times to count.
November 9, 2025
There was a lot about this I didn't love that much but it was just so weird, camp and out there that I still enjoyed it quite a lot. It's also very british and I really liked the boarding school setting. I don't even want to write so much for this one because I think it needs to take you by surprise to work.
Fair warning though, even though this looks like a classic YA horror novel it's really not and I get why many people were disappointed about this. It's horror alright but it's mostly a boarding school mystery with a Fantasy twist and I think if you like that sort of thing, you'll like this.
Fair warning though, even though this looks like a classic YA horror novel it's really not and I get why many people were disappointed about this. It's horror alright but it's mostly a boarding school mystery with a Fantasy twist and I think if you like that sort of thing, you'll like this.
September 30, 2023
I can only imagine how hard it must be to write a book so I feel slightly bad when I can’t find many positives about a book. I had high hopes for this one but it just fell short. Not creepy enough to be horror and not suspenseful enough to be a thriller. It moved incredibly slowly and I almost gave up on it several times. It was primarily a drama between teen characters who were whiny and two dimensional. And they came across as more tween than teen in their behavior. It was hard to connect with any of them. And the ending seemed forced. It just wasn’t what I had hoped for.
June 11, 2025
DNF @ page 153
I am sad and hate to say it but I have to DNF this one.
The cover together with the blurb on the back sounded so good, so interesting, but that was all there is to it. (From what I can say obv.)
I'm almost halfway through the book and seemingly nothing has happened except school drama, which makes it very boring and tedious to read. The dialogue and wording is super weird and awkward to read at times and I found the FMC to be extremely annoying for the most part, especially the way she treats and thinks about Bijal every now and then!
I am sad and hate to say it but I have to DNF this one.
The cover together with the blurb on the back sounded so good, so interesting, but that was all there is to it. (From what I can say obv.)
I'm almost halfway through the book and seemingly nothing has happened except school drama, which makes it very boring and tedious to read. The dialogue and wording is super weird and awkward to read at times and I found the FMC to be extremely annoying for the most part, especially the way she treats and thinks about Bijal every now and then!
May 6, 2024
Was brilliant all throughout - until the ending.
Felt like a proper suspense, creepy, realism story… then there were alien creatures?
Honestly it just felt like the story took an admittedly unexpected turn but it was as if there wasn’t enough time/words left to write a proper ending.
Disappointing.
Felt like a proper suspense, creepy, realism story… then there were alien creatures?
Honestly it just felt like the story took an admittedly unexpected turn but it was as if there wasn’t enough time/words left to write a proper ending.
Disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2023
This was painfully boring and irksome. The most horrifying part about this book was the awkwardly written dialogue.
March 13, 2024
I wrote a decent portion of this review before I finished the book, but now that I have finished it, all of the points I had still stand. However, I'm going to update this review to include things that came up with the conclusion of the book, and it will contain spoilers, which will be marked below.
I tend to be more lenient when it comes to debut novels. It's your first work—no one expects it to be perfect. And I'm more lenient when it comes to YA as well. I know it's intended for an audience younger than me, so I try to read it while being mindful of what I enjoyed as a teenager.
And despite these leniencies, this book is still...not great.
The plot itself is genuinely intriguing. I picked it up as an ARC from my job a very long time ago, and the premise sounded promising. But the characters and writing otherwise struggle immensely. Even if I didn't know this was written by a man, I can kind of tell with the way the "popular girls" are demonized. Not by them being shown to be nasty or patronizing towards people who are of a lower class than them (though every student seems to be that way, because rich kids, I guess)—but through the color pink.
One character is described as wearing pink with pink nails and a pink scrunchie and all her friends have pink scrunchies and isn't that just so telling of what a bad person she is? Wrong. Pink and femininity aren't inherently bad, but way to make your protagonist #NotLikeOtherGirls. This lazy reliance on stereotypes based on appearance and equating teenage girls to "Barbies" (in a derogatory way) all because of the color pink is frustrating, and tells me the author doesn't know how to write genuine mean teenage girls. It might be uncomfortable to make your characters outright mean, especially if you want to redeem them later, but seriously, let them gossip about her clothing or make rumors about her family or SOMETHING that teen girls would actually do to make them deserving of scorn. To me, it just feels shallow. And honestly in my experience, teenage girls can be kind of obnoxious but are usually nicer than you'd think.
As for how the characters speak—out of any of Ife's friends, I cannot tell them apart by speech pattern, which is a serious problem. I don't know if kids these days are really saying "laters" and whatnot unironically, but it was jarring to hear it from someone like Ben rather than Bijal, who's been shown to speak that way. Being able to tell who's speaking based on how they speak is a huge thing to keep in mind when writing. Characters need to be distinct from each other so you can get an idea of who's talking even without it being specified. (I'll acknowledge this can be difficult, but speaking quirks like "laters" and "awesomesauce" should really be limited to certain characters, not shared across anyone friendly to Ife.)
And about Bijal and Ife... I know Ife is supposed to be the protagonist, but she's honestly kind of an ass. I do feel bad for the way she's treated by the school staff because it does seem to be an overreaction. But that doesn't excuse her actions in other contexts. She treats Bijal *incredibly* poorly, getting annoyed when the girl is obviously seeking companionship—something Ife herself was desperate for in Malika! I understand that people who act a bit *too* desperate for attention can be annoying, but Bijal deserves to be treated with sympathy. The reason she acts like that is because of her life before Ife knew her. Whether this is based on someone the author knows or just some sort of randomly thrown in thing, to me it unfortunately comes across that Bijal has some issues (and being in a new country without anyone of her race to talk to is something Ife should be sympathetic towards!) that should be regarded with kindness, not judgement. A small gripe as well but randomly switching to calling Bijal "Bee" in narration is rather jarring, and I think it would be better served as either kept only in dialogue, or committing to it wholeheartedly. Eventually, the book does commit to calling her Bee for the rest of the book, but the on and off again nature to begin with was jarring.
Ife also disregards Bijal's boundaries and feelings repeatedly, and I cannot stress enough how much Bijal comes across as someone who has a history of abuse and/or neglect. Ife seems to act affronted when Bijal rightfully calls her out for not wanting to spend time with her, and again it feels as though I'm supposed to take Ife's side on this. But I can't. The treatment of Bijal is abysmal and I honestly believe she deserves better. While Ife and Bijal do grow genuinely closer, it's still frustrating to me that Ife gives a half assed apology and there's no deeper connection between the two addressing these issues.
The inclusion of Yoruba is nice—I enjoy seeing other languages, especially underrepresented ones like African languages—but it underlines an issue that's been recurrent throughout the book. There's no translation for the language, and there's been no translation for Ife and Zanna's made-up language, which leaves the reader struggling a little. Considering it seems Ife herself doesn't understand Yoruba, its inclusion becomes more frustrating than adding something to the story. It could have just as well been written that her parents switched to Yoruba without the inclusion of the actual conversation itself. The line at the end of the exchange, that she understands a single phrase in particular, would have given enough for readers to feel satisfied.
I used Google lens to translate the passage, and it's not done well. It's obvious that Google translate struggles with Yoruba—as it struggles with basically *any* language. So I want to specify that it's not the inclusion of the language itself that's the problem—it's the lack of understanding or communication to the reader about what's going on. It interrupts the experience and prevents them from continuing to be in the moment. Using phrases or words here and there can work well. Context clues can provide the reader with enough information to understand what the word means, if not giving an explanation outright. I may have studied 5 languages in my lifetime, but I do feel making as much of the book accessible to as many readers as possible is something important to keep in mind. I can gloss over pop culture references or UKisms I don't quite understand, even though they're a bit annoying to say the least (which isn't an issue with only this book, it's a trend I've noticed with YA lately that I don't understand). But having a whole passage in a language that's different from the main language the book is published in with no translation or explanation is something I feel is best left in fanfiction.
The inclusion of religion is—quite frankly—rather odd to me. Even as someone who was raised Catholic, Ife throwing out Bible verses but not specifying *what* that Bible verse actually is for anyone who doesn't know it off the top of their head feels like a misstep. It's again this issue of requiring outside research for the reader to understand what's going on, which is something I think the book struggles with a lot. Ife seems to be a good religious girl, but its inclusion is so sporadic and almost unnecessary that I wonder about why it's in the book at all. Ife is never given strong characterization as being religious, and God doesn't even come up that often except a few times where she's stressed out. I understand not wanting to overdo the religious aspect, but it honestly felt so underutilized and out of place that removing it entirely wouldn't really affect my perception of Ife as a character.
Another thing that I feel is severely underutilized is Ife's younger brother. He was genuinely only mentioned like one time before his name came up again out of nowhere and I genuinely thought it was a strange typo before I remembered who he was. While he did actually appear later in the book, and Ife seems to have a good relationship with him and her parents, *again* their inclusion feels so underutilized that many parts could be cut, including her brother's existence and it literally wouldn't change the story at all.
This is a small gripe, and perhaps it's because where I'm from the drinking age is much higher, but is it really normal for British teens to smoke and drink so much? It feels incredibly weird to me, and makes me feel like these children are older than they act. Like isn't Ben 16? Why is he smoking so much? Is this normal in the UK?? I'll admit this might just be an issue on my end of not understanding, but it's something else that could have been excluded from the story and nothing would have changed. The drinking and partying is excusable because teenagers are the way they are, but even that felt kind of heavy-handed.
SPOILERS BELOW —
I don't know what's with this book and requiring me to do outside research. They threw out the term "therimorph" for the monsters, and I wholly expected *someone* in the book to explain to me what a therimorph is, or even a discussion on what they are.
Instead, I got...none of that. I googled therimorph myself (something I expected Ife to do!) and had to rely on a definition from DeviantArt? It's not a well-known word and its meaning should be included within the book itself. Considering this seems to be a recurring issue, it's something I hope the author improves upon with time.
The characterization was also frankly bizarre to me. Mr. Ingham was honestly a rather delightful character and his sudden betrayal felt...kind of lackluster, in my opinion. Considering how much he seemed to care about Ife, him suddenly being in on the whole thing was half expected but also felt yet again like an opportunity for a character to be something more than what they are. The weird turning of Mr. Morley from antagonist to useless adult to friend also felt rather rushed and I can't help but feel like he needed to be established better as someone to care about and not just an ass who made Ife feel like shit for me to care when he died. The betrayal of other characters...? Yeah. Fair enough. Some of it I did see coming, which isn't an issue. I did like the scattering of hints like the owl or the cat—it's something strong in this book that I can appreciate.
Alice is also a weird one because she suddenly comes up again in the last chapter after the B plot of Ife's old friend group issues gets pushed aside for a majority of the book. The plot itself would have been fine, but it's not focused on enough for me to feel it had a satisfying conclusion. It can be difficult to balance two plots, so I don't fault the author for this. However, it's something I feel could have been tightened in the editing process.
The post ending scene (unsure if this was included in the full release as again this was an ARC) felt hastily tacked on as an excuse for a potential sequel. But Ife made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with the ministry only a few pages ago. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at it. It was a nice attempt, but I really could have done without it.
— END OF SPOILERS
Overall, I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I did enjoy it at times, and the plot itself was genuinely intriguing. The author shows a lot of potential, but this book fell flat in too many ways for me to feel satisfied after reading it.
If you enjoyed this book, I'm in no way telling you that you're wrong, and a lot of this is what I *hope* to be constructive criticism. Even if the author doesn't see this review, if you're looking for writing advice after reading this book, maybe take this critique into account. This author has potential, that's for sure. But for now, I have to say that The Changing Man really left me disappointed.
I tend to be more lenient when it comes to debut novels. It's your first work—no one expects it to be perfect. And I'm more lenient when it comes to YA as well. I know it's intended for an audience younger than me, so I try to read it while being mindful of what I enjoyed as a teenager.
And despite these leniencies, this book is still...not great.
The plot itself is genuinely intriguing. I picked it up as an ARC from my job a very long time ago, and the premise sounded promising. But the characters and writing otherwise struggle immensely. Even if I didn't know this was written by a man, I can kind of tell with the way the "popular girls" are demonized. Not by them being shown to be nasty or patronizing towards people who are of a lower class than them (though every student seems to be that way, because rich kids, I guess)—but through the color pink.
One character is described as wearing pink with pink nails and a pink scrunchie and all her friends have pink scrunchies and isn't that just so telling of what a bad person she is? Wrong. Pink and femininity aren't inherently bad, but way to make your protagonist #NotLikeOtherGirls. This lazy reliance on stereotypes based on appearance and equating teenage girls to "Barbies" (in a derogatory way) all because of the color pink is frustrating, and tells me the author doesn't know how to write genuine mean teenage girls. It might be uncomfortable to make your characters outright mean, especially if you want to redeem them later, but seriously, let them gossip about her clothing or make rumors about her family or SOMETHING that teen girls would actually do to make them deserving of scorn. To me, it just feels shallow. And honestly in my experience, teenage girls can be kind of obnoxious but are usually nicer than you'd think.
As for how the characters speak—out of any of Ife's friends, I cannot tell them apart by speech pattern, which is a serious problem. I don't know if kids these days are really saying "laters" and whatnot unironically, but it was jarring to hear it from someone like Ben rather than Bijal, who's been shown to speak that way. Being able to tell who's speaking based on how they speak is a huge thing to keep in mind when writing. Characters need to be distinct from each other so you can get an idea of who's talking even without it being specified. (I'll acknowledge this can be difficult, but speaking quirks like "laters" and "awesomesauce" should really be limited to certain characters, not shared across anyone friendly to Ife.)
And about Bijal and Ife... I know Ife is supposed to be the protagonist, but she's honestly kind of an ass. I do feel bad for the way she's treated by the school staff because it does seem to be an overreaction. But that doesn't excuse her actions in other contexts. She treats Bijal *incredibly* poorly, getting annoyed when the girl is obviously seeking companionship—something Ife herself was desperate for in Malika! I understand that people who act a bit *too* desperate for attention can be annoying, but Bijal deserves to be treated with sympathy. The reason she acts like that is because of her life before Ife knew her. Whether this is based on someone the author knows or just some sort of randomly thrown in thing, to me it unfortunately comes across that Bijal has some issues (and being in a new country without anyone of her race to talk to is something Ife should be sympathetic towards!) that should be regarded with kindness, not judgement. A small gripe as well but randomly switching to calling Bijal "Bee" in narration is rather jarring, and I think it would be better served as either kept only in dialogue, or committing to it wholeheartedly. Eventually, the book does commit to calling her Bee for the rest of the book, but the on and off again nature to begin with was jarring.
Ife also disregards Bijal's boundaries and feelings repeatedly, and I cannot stress enough how much Bijal comes across as someone who has a history of abuse and/or neglect. Ife seems to act affronted when Bijal rightfully calls her out for not wanting to spend time with her, and again it feels as though I'm supposed to take Ife's side on this. But I can't. The treatment of Bijal is abysmal and I honestly believe she deserves better. While Ife and Bijal do grow genuinely closer, it's still frustrating to me that Ife gives a half assed apology and there's no deeper connection between the two addressing these issues.
The inclusion of Yoruba is nice—I enjoy seeing other languages, especially underrepresented ones like African languages—but it underlines an issue that's been recurrent throughout the book. There's no translation for the language, and there's been no translation for Ife and Zanna's made-up language, which leaves the reader struggling a little. Considering it seems Ife herself doesn't understand Yoruba, its inclusion becomes more frustrating than adding something to the story. It could have just as well been written that her parents switched to Yoruba without the inclusion of the actual conversation itself. The line at the end of the exchange, that she understands a single phrase in particular, would have given enough for readers to feel satisfied.
I used Google lens to translate the passage, and it's not done well. It's obvious that Google translate struggles with Yoruba—as it struggles with basically *any* language. So I want to specify that it's not the inclusion of the language itself that's the problem—it's the lack of understanding or communication to the reader about what's going on. It interrupts the experience and prevents them from continuing to be in the moment. Using phrases or words here and there can work well. Context clues can provide the reader with enough information to understand what the word means, if not giving an explanation outright. I may have studied 5 languages in my lifetime, but I do feel making as much of the book accessible to as many readers as possible is something important to keep in mind. I can gloss over pop culture references or UKisms I don't quite understand, even though they're a bit annoying to say the least (which isn't an issue with only this book, it's a trend I've noticed with YA lately that I don't understand). But having a whole passage in a language that's different from the main language the book is published in with no translation or explanation is something I feel is best left in fanfiction.
The inclusion of religion is—quite frankly—rather odd to me. Even as someone who was raised Catholic, Ife throwing out Bible verses but not specifying *what* that Bible verse actually is for anyone who doesn't know it off the top of their head feels like a misstep. It's again this issue of requiring outside research for the reader to understand what's going on, which is something I think the book struggles with a lot. Ife seems to be a good religious girl, but its inclusion is so sporadic and almost unnecessary that I wonder about why it's in the book at all. Ife is never given strong characterization as being religious, and God doesn't even come up that often except a few times where she's stressed out. I understand not wanting to overdo the religious aspect, but it honestly felt so underutilized and out of place that removing it entirely wouldn't really affect my perception of Ife as a character.
Another thing that I feel is severely underutilized is Ife's younger brother. He was genuinely only mentioned like one time before his name came up again out of nowhere and I genuinely thought it was a strange typo before I remembered who he was. While he did actually appear later in the book, and Ife seems to have a good relationship with him and her parents, *again* their inclusion feels so underutilized that many parts could be cut, including her brother's existence and it literally wouldn't change the story at all.
This is a small gripe, and perhaps it's because where I'm from the drinking age is much higher, but is it really normal for British teens to smoke and drink so much? It feels incredibly weird to me, and makes me feel like these children are older than they act. Like isn't Ben 16? Why is he smoking so much? Is this normal in the UK?? I'll admit this might just be an issue on my end of not understanding, but it's something else that could have been excluded from the story and nothing would have changed. The drinking and partying is excusable because teenagers are the way they are, but even that felt kind of heavy-handed.
SPOILERS BELOW —
I don't know what's with this book and requiring me to do outside research. They threw out the term "therimorph" for the monsters, and I wholly expected *someone* in the book to explain to me what a therimorph is, or even a discussion on what they are.
Instead, I got...none of that. I googled therimorph myself (something I expected Ife to do!) and had to rely on a definition from DeviantArt? It's not a well-known word and its meaning should be included within the book itself. Considering this seems to be a recurring issue, it's something I hope the author improves upon with time.
The characterization was also frankly bizarre to me. Mr. Ingham was honestly a rather delightful character and his sudden betrayal felt...kind of lackluster, in my opinion. Considering how much he seemed to care about Ife, him suddenly being in on the whole thing was half expected but also felt yet again like an opportunity for a character to be something more than what they are. The weird turning of Mr. Morley from antagonist to useless adult to friend also felt rather rushed and I can't help but feel like he needed to be established better as someone to care about and not just an ass who made Ife feel like shit for me to care when he died. The betrayal of other characters...? Yeah. Fair enough. Some of it I did see coming, which isn't an issue. I did like the scattering of hints like the owl or the cat—it's something strong in this book that I can appreciate.
Alice is also a weird one because she suddenly comes up again in the last chapter after the B plot of Ife's old friend group issues gets pushed aside for a majority of the book. The plot itself would have been fine, but it's not focused on enough for me to feel it had a satisfying conclusion. It can be difficult to balance two plots, so I don't fault the author for this. However, it's something I feel could have been tightened in the editing process.
The post ending scene (unsure if this was included in the full release as again this was an ARC) felt hastily tacked on as an excuse for a potential sequel. But Ife made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with the ministry only a few pages ago. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at it. It was a nice attempt, but I really could have done without it.
— END OF SPOILERS
Overall, I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I did enjoy it at times, and the plot itself was genuinely intriguing. The author shows a lot of potential, but this book fell flat in too many ways for me to feel satisfied after reading it.
If you enjoyed this book, I'm in no way telling you that you're wrong, and a lot of this is what I *hope* to be constructive criticism. Even if the author doesn't see this review, if you're looking for writing advice after reading this book, maybe take this critique into account. This author has potential, that's for sure. But for now, I have to say that The Changing Man really left me disappointed.
February 15, 2024
This book offers a very interesting premise. Now I will preface that saying that I didn’t realise this book was YA when I picked it up so I fully understand that I am not its target demographic.
However, the characters are bland—Ife is the most infuriating, passive and boring character I have come across in a long time and her character arc is so all over the place that it sort of gives you whiplash. She’s mean to Bee for literally no good reason and then suddenly they’re bonded for life? Zanna adds so little to the story that you could probably write her out and it won’t make a damn bit of difference.
There is no satisfying conclusion to the story and the plot is as meandering as it is cookie cutter. Mr Ingram being the villain?? Hello, where were the clues???
This book also suffers with the unfortunate problem of everything being too easy for the characters. There is a clear trail for them to follow and everything is very convenient, which detracts from any real suspense because the stakes never feel very high or real at any moment.
I understand that this is a debut novel and usually I’d be more lenient but this book is littered with mistakes and poor phrasing choices that ultimately make this is a boring and confusing read.
However, the characters are bland—Ife is the most infuriating, passive and boring character I have come across in a long time and her character arc is so all over the place that it sort of gives you whiplash. She’s mean to Bee for literally no good reason and then suddenly they’re bonded for life? Zanna adds so little to the story that you could probably write her out and it won’t make a damn bit of difference.
There is no satisfying conclusion to the story and the plot is as meandering as it is cookie cutter. Mr Ingram being the villain?? Hello, where were the clues???
This book also suffers with the unfortunate problem of everything being too easy for the characters. There is a clear trail for them to follow and everything is very convenient, which detracts from any real suspense because the stakes never feel very high or real at any moment.
I understand that this is a debut novel and usually I’d be more lenient but this book is littered with mistakes and poor phrasing choices that ultimately make this is a boring and confusing read.
December 30, 2023
3.75⭐️
I don't get why so many people in the reviews disliked this so much. It was by no means the best book I've ever read but I think this was solid (especially since I think this is a debut novel?).
It gets a little ridicuolous once they find out what's really happening but I didn't expect a realistic setting after reading the blurb about students being "uncannily changed". I expected some kind of paranormal thing happening. And that's what I got.
There were minor issues with things the editor missed (she took off her shoes twice in the span of, like, two pages in the same scene once and sometimes it looked like there were two blank spaces between words instead of one but -as I said- it was very minor).
The plot was fine tbh, it made enough sense, no glaring plotholes and the descriptions of characters and settings was good.
I feel like the beginning was a little slow, though that could be explained by our mc, Ife, noticing what's going on gradually and not all at once. Maybe I'm overthinking this and the author hadn't found their pacing yet. Who knows.
It was an enjoyable book. I don't know what else there is to say.
I don't get why so many people in the reviews disliked this so much. It was by no means the best book I've ever read but I think this was solid (especially since I think this is a debut novel?).
It gets a little ridicuolous once they find out what's really happening but I didn't expect a realistic setting after reading the blurb about students being "uncannily changed". I expected some kind of paranormal thing happening. And that's what I got.
There were minor issues with things the editor missed (she took off her shoes twice in the span of, like, two pages in the same scene once and sometimes it looked like there were two blank spaces between words instead of one but -as I said- it was very minor).
The plot was fine tbh, it made enough sense, no glaring plotholes and the descriptions of characters and settings was good.
I feel like the beginning was a little slow, though that could be explained by our mc, Ife, noticing what's going on gradually and not all at once. Maybe I'm overthinking this and the author hadn't found their pacing yet. Who knows.
It was an enjoyable book. I don't know what else there is to say.
September 20, 2023
We meet Ife Adebola as she starts attending Nithercott School as part of The Urban Achievers program. She is attending on an art scholarship. Missing her friends and old school she pays little attention to the rumors that Leon Small the older brother of her classmate Ben Small was taken by the changing man. Until her new friend Mailika doesn’t show up to their planned outing. She returns a day later but she seems changed. Now Ife begins to wonder if the changing man is more than an urban legend. Teaming up with her fellow Urban Achievers Bijal and Ben she begins to investigate the school’s history. She soon discovers that the school has a history of disappearing and reappearing students. Deciding that neither she nor her classmates will be the next to disappear she sets out to discover the truth about the changing man once and for all. A great dark thriller with elements of horror this book will keep you turning pages until the exciting conclusion. I received this advanced readers copy as a bookish first raffle win.
October 4, 2023
I was excited to read The Changing Man, just from the name and cover alone. The writing style, however, was not for me. The beginning read very choppy and was so slowly paced — even with big events happening — that I struggled to stay interested. Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more than I did.
November 1, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed this horror YA with a ghoul.
It lost a star because some of the physical areas weren't super well explained, so I had to recalibrate the layout in my mind as action was happening, which took away from the immersion a little.
It also missed a bit of the hook that pulls me into devouring a book in mere days, I found this book quite easy to pick up and put down, which may be based around its length, but also possibly unrelated life factors that the book is in no fault for.
Would read more book from this author.
It lost a star because some of the physical areas weren't super well explained, so I had to recalibrate the layout in my mind as action was happening, which took away from the immersion a little.
It also missed a bit of the hook that pulls me into devouring a book in mere days, I found this book quite easy to pick up and put down, which may be based around its length, but also possibly unrelated life factors that the book is in no fault for.
Would read more book from this author.
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February 4, 2024
Meh. War ganz gut, aber kam mir zeitig wie eine mittelmäßige Abhandlung von Stranger Things vor.
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