A special thank you to Goodreads First Reads, Edelweiss, NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The cruelty of adolescence has inflicted itself on Low Morrison. It doesn't help that she has hippie polyamorous parents, a name that becomes a suggestive punchline, and that she's unusually tall.
At her high school, Low sees a magnetically beautiful woman posting a flier for pottery lessons. Intrigued, Low signs up for one of Freya Light's classes where she completely falls under her spell. Freya, a former social media influencer, basks in the attention that she craves and has been missing.
But then Freya crosses a line when she starts telling Low her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Freya and her husband, Max, moved to escape a scandal that not only ruined Max's professional hockey career, but hers as well. Low mistakes the oversharing as friendship and becomes even more enamoured with Freya, dangerously teetering on obsession.
Jamie Vincent and her husband, Brian, have moved to the island to start a family. Her friendship with Freya has Low feel threatened. One night, the couples get together to do magic mushroom and the evening ends in a partner swap. But what they don't know is that Low saw everything that happened in the glass house, and she's not afraid to use it to her advantage.
As events spiral out of control, Harding delivers a thrilling tale about how toxic relationships can be.
The Swap is a deep dive into obsession, desire, and jealousy. But be careful, this book has got some teeth and will sink them into its reader. Harding's writing is sharp, evocative, and riveting.
The narrative shifts among the main characters with the exception of Freya which only adds to her appeal and perceived perfection. But what hides behind the celestial exterior is a dangerous darkness. Robyn's character development is nothing short of flawless. Her cast are insidious and electric, both likeable and loathsome.
It is hard to resist the allure of a Robyn Harding book. In this novel, she expertly builds tension and resentment through venomous relationships. Prepare to be shocked and consumed—this is an absolute must-read that will be one of the best books of the summer.
Congratulations, Robyn on another remarkable work.
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ROBYN HARDING is the author of
The Party,
Her Pretty Face, and
The Arrangement. She has written and executive produced an independent film.
Harding lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and two children.
Q & A with Robyn Harding*
GWR: If you could tell your younger self something about writing and becoming an author, what would it be?RH: I’d tell myself that being an author is not a career with a smooth trajectory. It’s a rollercoaster of ups and downs and you have to be willing to adapt, change, and grow. I’d tell myself that some people won’t like my work and that’s okay. Just focus on the part you love—the writing.
GWR: Describe your writing space and what your process looks like? Are you a pantser or plotter?
RH: I have an office/spare room where I do my writing. One wall is painted a pale lemon colour because yellow is supposed to stimulate creativity. I work at an adjustable desk so I can alternately sit and stand.
I’m a combination of plotter and pantser; a “plantser” as Karma Brown calls it. Using screenplay structure, I lay out a rough framework and then I write toward the major plot points. But I don’t outline in great detail.
GWR: What character was most challenging to write?
RH: Low was the most challenging to write, but also the most fun. She’s so odd and dark and creepy—but I love her. I’m a huge fan of Zoe Heller’s novel “Notes on a Scandal.” Low is the teen version of Barbara Covett (played by Dame Judy Dench in the movie).
GWR: How did you choose which characters' perspectives to write from? Did you consciously leave out Freya's?
RH: I’m a big fan of writing (and reading) multiple points of view. I chose the POVs in
The Swap organically (I wasn’t originally going to include the men), but I purposely left out Freya’s perspective. I felt that she would be most fascinating viewed through the eyes of the other characters who alternately adore and despise her.
GWR: How did you select the names for your characters? (I thought Freya's Instagram handle was very clever!)RH: Thank you! Naming characters can be challenging. A couple of years ago I went to Iceland and that trip inspired the name Freya. Sometimes, I scroll through social media to see if a name pops out at me. I try to make the names age appropriate—I wouldn’t name a teenager Dorothy or call a boomer Brittany.
GWR: The themes of The Swap—toxic relationships, desire, the impact of social media—are all relatable, yet your take on them was exciting and fresh. How hard was it to come up with the themes and where did you draw inspiration from?
RH: I write about topics that fascinate me: complicated female friendships, envy, social media celebrity, sex, obsession... And I’ve recently heard about a lot of people having open relationships and practicing polyamory. It got me wondering: How would that really work? Or more appropriately (for a suspense novel): How would that not work?
GWR: The pottery making was interesting to read about, do you have any experience or other artistic talents besides writing?
RH: I took a pottery class last year and I loved it. Was I a natural? No. Were my pieces usable? Not really. But it was a ton of fun. I can draw a little but I’m left-handed, so that has made some arts and crafts (knitting, sewing, pottery) difficult for me. That’s my excuse, anyway.
GWR: What are you working on now?
RH: I’m just starting a new book about a family that is being harassed by a gang of faceless teens. The family members all profess their innocence and deny any knowledge of why they’re being assaulted, but each of them has a dark secret. And one of them has brought this attack upon their home.
