Review: Adventure with a capital A
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 9, 2014
One can easily hear echos of Rudyard Kipling while reading “Switch,” but its author, Karen Prince's voice is nonetheless very strong and clear. This is a modern day tale of jungle lore set in Zimbawbe complete with talking panthers and tigers, friendly crocodiles, hyenas that can shape-shift into young men, and the Lost Kingdoms of Karibu, where magic literally flows like water.Ms. Prince wisely grounds these fantastic story elements with a protagonist named Ethan, a blonde-headed teen who is as modern-day as the latest Ipad app. He is spending a month with his father and hateful stepmother, who promptly packs him off on a safari with his uncle and cousin. To say that Ethan is a bit picky about anything that might cause discomfort or disease is an understatement. The safari promises plenty of both. He packs his asthma inhaler and the adventure begins.This is adventure with a capitol A. Into their camp pops an old witch along with her 'familiar,' a talking leopard. To escape a bad situation she found herself in, the witch unwittingly made a 'switch' with Ethan's cousin Joe. Now it is up to the frail, persnickety Ethan, along with the other teens on the safari, to rescue Joe – something akin to Luke Skywalker rescuing Han Solo and Princess Leia from Jabba the Hut in a landscape teeming with treachery and menace at every turn. The only problem is that Ethan is not a Jedi Knight and has to acquire his magic one kiss at a time – no matter how revolting the kiss.This is a roller coaster adventure full of thrills and spills. Like the true master of her craft that she is, Ms. Prince gives the reader just enough time to catch their breath before plunging them into the next apparently unsurvivable peril. We root for Ethan and his friends every step of the way. And just when we think Ethan has prevailed and all will be okay, in swoops the flame-throwing dragon.Whether you're a young adult, or an old one like me, this is a whale of a good tale that will keep you up into the wee hours of the night flipping pages. Get it soon – no, right now - and start reading. You'll be glad you did.  Highly recommended.