The Swap, 2020
You wouldn't consider Ofka Morrison a typical teenager. You can blame it on her hippie parents, on how frighteningly tall she is, or on her homeland on a gloomy, isolated island off the shores of the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Ofka simply doesn't fit in anywhere – just like Freya, an unearthly beautiful influencer who used to be famous and now owns a small pottery workshop.
After Ofka enrolls in pottery classes, she quickly falls under Freya's spell. And Freya, buoyed by Ofka's adoration, confides in her her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Eventually, they find a sense of belonging in each other... that is, until Jamie walks through the workshop door. She desperately longs for a child, so she and her husband moved to the island in hopes that the fresh air would help her conceive. Freya quickly befriends Jamie, as do their husbands, leaving Ofka out in the cold once again.
And then one evening, after drinks following a shared dinner, Freya suggests they swap partners. It was supposed to be nothing more than harmless fun between adults who had agreed in advance that it would be nothing more than one wild night, which they would then leave behind. But it ultimately turns their lives upside down. That night also provides the perfect opportunity for Ofka to give free rein to her growing resentment.
Aah, a book full of toxic characters, where I didn't really like anyone. At first I had no idea whether I'd keep reading, but the book has such a gripping plot and is so readable that I ended up getting through it in a fairly short time.
Two couples who swap partners, a stalker girl, and trouble is brewing.
The story is told from the perspective of all the main characters, it's quite tangled but I wasn't bored.
The ending struck me as off and the behavior of practically everyone was getting on my nerves, but I had fun.
You know, it really reminded me of those thrillers they used to air on Barrandov on Saturday nights, or in the style of "crime next door" with very wacky settings where all the characters are crazy and weird. But you can't deny the readability, the book has good drive.
Whether to recommend it, well why not – for me it was relaxing, super readable, and I switched off nicely while reading.
Rating: 3*/5
58📚/2022
