My Take - The Switch by Beth O’Leary

I have been meaning to read The Switch by Beth O’Leary since the day it was published, which is roughly two months ago. Bookstagram totally had me this time with its aesthetic pictures of this book and its gushing reviews. I was very intrigued as I read the blurb that I decided then and there that I have to read it.
I rarely read contemporary novels so I was pleasantly surprised to find a language replete with terms and concepts that I could easily relate to. The novel is replete with neologisms such as mansplaining, manspreading, Netflix, etc. Also, the writing is very smooth and it is pretty much a fast paced novel. The novel presents two point of views, one of Eileen Cotton, the grandmother and the other of Leena Cotton, the granddaughter, who eventually swap their lives.The novel almost met with my expectations, except a few points. The major turn-off, for me, was its extreme predictability. It explores a unique and interesting concept, that of swapping lives but it is replete with the clichés of contemporary romance, YA novels and movies.
But what salvaged the novel was its focus on the elderly. In most of the novels that I have read (I am an avid reader) the elderly people are rarely given a voice to tell their own story. More often than not, they function as merely supporting, often disposable characters within the plot. But in this novel they are given their own voices and they occupy the centre stage. The author does an excellent job in portraying the elderly as the heroes of their own lives. They need not to be a minor, disposable character in someone else’s story because their own story is grand, incomparable and worthy of being told.
      The author does well in presenting the perspective of both the protagonists. They are not muddled up but rather given distinctive voices which makes them convincing and credible. However, I loved Eileen Cotton better. Perhaps, she was less self-centred than her granddaughter and that’s what made her more lovable. I found Leena Cotton in more than one occasion to be irritating. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. This book can be compared to muffin, because like muffin it is warm, delicious and has feel-good vibes. I will recommend it to anyone looking for a warm, enjoyable, lovable easy-breezy read.
My rating – 3.5 ⭐

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