The Changeover facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Changeover

First edition
Author	Margaret Mahy
Cover artist	Bruce Hogarth (depicted)
Country	New Zealand
Language	English
Genre	Young adult fantasy, supernatural fiction
Publisher	J. M. Dent & Sons
Publication date	1 May 1984
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	214 pp (first edition)
ISBN	0-460-06153-4
OCLC	12449148
LC Class	PZ7.M2773 Ch 1984

The Changeover: a Supernatural Romance is an exciting fantasy novel for young adults. It was written by Margaret Mahy and came out in 1984. The story takes place in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the author grew up.

Margaret Mahy and The Changeover won the important Carnegie Medal. This award is given each year for the best children's book by a British author. Mahy had already won this award in 1982 for her book The Haunting. This made her one of only a few writers to win the medal twice.

The book was also published in the U.S. soon after its release in the U.K.

About the Story's Setting

The Changeover is set in a new suburb of Christchurch called Gardendale. Margaret Mahy created this name for the book. In real life, the suburb is called Bishopdale.

The story has a fairy-tale feel. It's about a brave sister who risks everything to save her brother. He has been affected by a strange, magical problem. The book is also a coming-of-age story. This means it shows how a character grows up and changes. It also tells an unusual love story between two main characters. One is a quiet boy who is a witch, and the other is a strong girl who can sense supernatural things.

Main Events in the Story

Laura Chant is a 14-year-old girl who sometimes gets "warnings." These are feelings that something important is about to happen. One day, she has a warning but has to go to school anyway.

On her way home, Laura and her younger brother, Jacko, meet a scary man named Carmody Braque. He playfully stamps Jacko's hand. The stamp looks like Braque's face.

Jacko's Illness and Laura's Search for Help

Jacko starts to get very sick. Laura believes he has been taken over by something evil. She decides to find help from Sorensen "Sorry" Carlisle. Laura knows he is a witch, even though others see him as a quiet, well-behaved school prefect. Sorry also likes to photograph birds.

Laura learns that Carmody Braque is a very old being. He stays alive by taking the life force from other people. Sorry's grandmother, Winter, is a witch from a long line of witches. She tells Laura that she must "changeover" from her normal life. This means Laura needs to become a witch herself, or a "woman of the moon."

Laura's Dangerous Changeover

If Laura becomes a witch, she can trick Braque. She could then gain power over him. Laura is warned that the changeover can be very dangerous. But she is determined to save Jacko, who is now very close to dying.

Laura goes through the changeover as a spirit journey. It feels like she is traveling through a dark forest. This forest is also Gardendale, the suburb where she lives. The Carlisle witches help her through this difficult journey. They have their own reasons for helping. Laura comes out of this dangerous passage with new powers. She now has the power of nature and imagination awakened inside her.

Confronting Carmody Braque

Laura takes Sorensen with her to hide her new power. She faces Carmody Braque. Laura succeeds in gaining power over him. She breaks his hold on Jacko. At first, Laura wants to make the evil Braque suffer. But she rejects this dark thought. Instead, she ends his unnatural life.

Main Characters

• Laura Chant: A 14-year-old schoolgirl who lives in Gardendale. She can sense supernatural things.
• Jacko Chant: Laura's 3-year-old younger brother.
• Kate Chant: Laura's mother. She manages a bookshop in the Gardendale Mall.
• Stephen Chant: Laura and Jacko's father. He lives in the north.
• Julia Chant: Stephen's new wife. She is expecting their first child.
• Mrs Fangboner: Jacko's babysitter.
• Chris Holly: Kate's new boyfriend. He is a Canadian librarian working at the Christchurch Central Library.
• Sorensen Carlisle (Sorry): An 18-year-old prefect at Laura's school. He is a male witch.
• Miryam Carlisle: Sorensen's mother and a witch.
• Winter Carlisle: Miryam's mother and a witch.
• Carmody Braque: A scary, old being who pretends to be an antique dealer. He takes life force from others.

Film Version

A movie based on The Changeover was released in September 2017. It stars actors like Timothy Spall, Melanie Lynskey, Lucy Lawless, and Kate Harcourt. The film was shot in Christchurch in 2016.

One film critic, Matt Zoller Seitz, gave the movie a perfect score. He said it was "creepy, moving, and ultimately inspirational." He also mentioned that its "disturbing images stick in the mind." He called it a "perfect genre film."