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BeSwitched (BeSwitched #1)

by Molly Snow (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 36 ratings · 19 reviews

Surla and Cathy have a HUGE secret!

After spending hundreds of years as a 'familiar' to an abusive witch, Surla runs away to find freedom. But there's one catch! The Black Cats' Curse states she will have to switch bodies with the first lonesome soul to cross her path.

Painfully shy Cathy Phillips can't muster the courage to ask hot water polo player, Craig Nelson, on a date...more

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Published September 14th 2011 by Smashwords (first published October 15th 2004)

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Apr 17, 2012 Kevin Lake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beswitched is a wonderful, highly entertaining read. It is a story of a witch's black cat (Surla) who runs away, crosses paths with a teen aged girl, Cathy, and switches bodies with her. From there, the excitement begins! Surla, used to being a mistreated and abused cat learns quickly that life as 16 year old girl comes with its own kind of torment; being picked on by snobby girls, dealing with crushing on boys and the insecurity of wondering if they notice you, and being tricked and fooled by j...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tour, kindle, review-on-blog

This book was cute. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did, I enjoyed the story. The story starts out with a bang, or a body switch to be more accurate. It was a little jumpy for me at the start, but once you really get into the story it gets better and better! BeSwitched is a a fun read, and the next book looks good too.

Cathy and Surla are pretty funny. I was shocked at how ok Cathy seemed to be with being turned into a cat. I know I wouldn't be ok with that! And Surla,...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Rosangela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BeSwitched is a so very fun, meaningful and joyful reading!

When Surla, a witch's black cat, runs away and switches body with Cathy, a 16-years-old girl, we can wait for everything to happen. Surla crosses Cathy's path and the magic is done, changing the life of both characters. We discover that Surla has run away from her witch because of severe punishments, mistreating and absence of love and affection; Cathy was, on her side, picked on by her supposed friends at school, a bunch of snobbish he...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, as the synopsis tells us, we have a bit of a Freaky Friday situation going on except it's between a cat and a human. Now the cat doesn't know acceptable human behavior, after all, she's been living with a mean witch for the past several hundred years and the human doesn't know acceptable cat behavior. What ensues is a learning experience for both of them. Cathy, the human is your typical shy girl who doesn't know that she's actually pretty. There is a mean girl, of course, Tiffany who bullie...more So, as the synopsis tells us, we have a bit of a Freaky Friday situation going on except it's between a cat and a human. Now the cat doesn't know acceptable human behavior, after all, she's been living with a mean witch for the past several hundred years and the human doesn't know acceptable cat behavior. What ensues is a learning experience for both of them. Cathy, the human is your typical shy girl who doesn't know that she's actually pretty. There is a mean girl, of course, Tiffany who bullies her with her posse of friends. Cathy just tries to avoid Tiffany. Easier said than done, especially when they walk home the same way.

But, when Surla possess Cathy's body, things change and Cathy starts wearing makeup and showing her full potential. Now I don't think you have to wear makeup to look pretty or tight clothes to look good, but Cathy is no longer hiding in plain boring clothes and wan looking skin. That's Cathy/Surla. But Cathy/Surla doesn't really know what acceptable behavior is so she gets into trouble, like not knowing what a phone number is and licking a boy when he wants to kiss her. Yeah, gross! But it's kind of funny, too! But this lack of knowledge gets her into real trouble.

The first half of the book seemed a little predictable to me until Cathy/Surla got into trouble and up until that point I would have said it was an MG book, but not that kind of trouble. Got your interest now, haven't I?? Well, let's just say I'd never have wanted to get caught like that! Neither would you!
From mid point on, the book takes some unusual twists and Cathy as in they cat is in danger of being discovered.

Mix Idis, the witch that owns Surla who can't do magic without her, with Cathy as a cat and Surla as a human and Surla's cousin together along with 13 witches and black magic and there is bound to be a lot of trouble. And guess what- there is character growth, even though Surla working as Cathy does most of the work, Cathy changes. And Surla's circumstances change for the better as well. And you actually do get to see a lot into the characters of Cathy and Surla (even if she is a cat).

This is a short, fun book to read and there is a follow up novel I'll review later in the week. I recommend it when you want something light and enjoyable that won't be keeping you up at night. I'd say the 13+ crowd is just right for this. And don't you just love the cover??(less)

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May 12, 2012 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book a really quick, fairly fast paced book to read, well, I read it all in one go!
The impression I got was that this was YA aimed, what I would say is that it is fairly "young" YA aimed.
The plot is quite funny and humorous, yet covers some quite serious subjects. For example bullying, the whole not being pushed by peer pressure to go further down the "having sex" route. Also being careful about whom you put your trust in. The issues are covered in a light hearted yet responsible wa...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

BeSwitched was a quick, sweet, and fun Middle-Grade read that I quite enjoyed.

The story starts out with a bit of a bang. Instead of the usual long and dreary introductions that we get, the author launches straight into Surla's escape from Idis' home and her BeSwitching with Cathy. I felt a little detached to the story at the start since it moved a tiny bit too fast for my linking, but it was otherwise a very interesting beginning and would keep most readers hooked.

There were lots of things I enj...more BeSwitched was a quick, sweet, and fun Middle-Grade read that I quite enjoyed.

The story starts out with a bit of a bang. Instead of the usual long and dreary introductions that we get, the author launches straight into Surla's escape from Idis' home and her BeSwitching with Cathy. I felt a little detached to the story at the start since it moved a tiny bit too fast for my linking, but it was otherwise a very interesting beginning and would keep most readers hooked.

There were lots of things I enjoyed about this book. I remember being considerably younger and whizzing through through a book each hour, because middle grade fiction is so easy and so fun to read. BeSwitched definitely had this quality--once I started reading, I didn't put the story down. It was something short and sweet that I could go through in one sitting and that's definitely something I loved.

There's a moral--a story that the author has to tell, and I think that's a rare quality in MG/YA books these days. From what I perceived, it tells us to be comfortable in our own skin, that self-esteem is an important quality, not to try and stick to the 'popular' crowd but to be ourselves, that we will make friends even if we are socially isolated. It's about the importance of friendship. And I really liked the message.

I fell in love with Surla instantly, as I do like cats (though I'm a bigger fan of dogs) and her voice was very believable. The characters in the story were all very likeable (apart from the villains, of course) but I thought that some of the secondary characters like Chrissy and Todd lacked some backstory. They seemed rather two-dimensional and flat, and I would've liked to see more reason behind their actions, although I guess there's only so much you can fit into a novella. There is a sequel to the story which I do hope to read, and I assume that the characters will be further developed there.

There were a few minor grammatical and spelling errors that I did find in the text, and I think this book would benefit from another re-read. Otherwise, the quality of writing was quite good. Molly Snow's writing is simple and clean. She doesn't describe things in graphic detail but instead narrates the story with Surla's quirky thoughts and draws us straight the mind of this girl-turned-into-cat, another element that I loved.

However, I do have a quibble with some parts of the story. Being turned into a human (if one were a cat) would be one of the most bizarre situations one could ever find themselves in, and yet somehow, Surla doesn't seem overly surprised when she gets switched into a human. She doesn't know what a 'number' is, for instance, but the speed at which she adapted to a human life and human school completely befuddled me. If I were a cat and I'd spent my life locked in a witch's house doing magic spells for her, I definitely wouldn't be able to blend in at a high school so quickly.

Overview: The book itself was a little predictable but I think that's the nature of middle-grade fiction. Otherwise, it was a short, enjoyable read that many preteens (and the preteens-at-heart like me) will lap up. The story could benefit from some more plot dimensions and a few of the characters could use some more personality, but the flaws weren't so huge that they completely undermined my enjoyment of the book and the bigger picture. Three and a half stars.(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA, Middle Grade

Magical things happen when a cat who's been around for centuries flees her witchy owner and crosses the path of a shy, unpopular 16-year old girl. Surla, the cat, and Cathy, the teenager, pull a Freaky Friday and become one another. Both Surla and Cathy rack their brains trying to figure out how to change back, as each tries to adapt to their new bodies. For Cathy, becoming a cat is sort of a godsend, since she no longer has to go to school and contend with the snobs in the popular crowd or watc...more Magical things happen when a cat who's been around for centuries flees her witchy owner and crosses the path of a shy, unpopular 16-year old girl. Surla, the cat, and Cathy, the teenager, pull a Freaky Friday and become one another. Both Surla and Cathy rack their brains trying to figure out how to change back, as each tries to adapt to their new bodies. For Cathy, becoming a cat is sort of a godsend, since she no longer has to go to school and contend with the snobs in the popular crowd or watch the guy of her dreams hanging around with them. For Surla, being human is a much bigger challenge. She must avoid Idis, who wants her cat back, learn how to be Cathy, and deal with situations that, while Cathy was experienced, Surla clearly was not; ie. mingling with humans as a human as opposed to the cat she usually is, navigating through school, dealing with homework, and, of course, Cathy's mom.

"Beswitched" is a very good Middle Grade/High School novel. It deals with many issues that teenagers face at some point; shyness, unpopularity, popularity, teasing, bullying, etc. It's also a heartwarming novel that unites 2 unlikely companions (Surla, a witch's familiar, and Cathy, a mundane human, unaware of the true existence of witches) and follows them as they become each other and deal with everyday life while trying to stay one step ahead of a pretty nasty witch in the neighborhood.

I found the plot to be entertaining even though it's clearly for the young adult audience. Cathy and Surla are likeable and believable as human turned cat and cat turned human. The pair of them get into some pretty silly situations and, at the hands of the popular crowd, the now human Surla, finds herself in one situation in particular that is quite serious. I also have Book 2, "Beswitched Witch" and can't wait to review that here.

I rated this 4 stars based on the fact that this is for YA and it is a great story for its intended target group of readers. Adults may not like it -- no sex, drama, or violence -- but I'm in my 30's and found it to be very cute.

(Review copy provided at by author in exchange for an honest review)(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Sašenka rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-book, magic

Táto kniha je kratučká, takže aj recenzia bude taká v skratke.
Prvé čo si musíte uvedomiť než začnete túto knihu čítať je fakt, že je určená mladšiemu publiku. Tak okolo 13 rokov. A je skôr pre dievčatá. Keď sa na to pripravíte a nebudete očakávať nič prevratné, môžete si túto knižku užiť.
Čo očakávať? Predvídateľnosť. Tú rozhodne. Samozrejme, že starším čitateľom bude dopredu jasné, ako to nakoniec dopadne. Prečo sa to vyplatí čítať? Lebo je to roztomilé a rozkošné a veľmi vtipne napísané. Spôsob...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Latoya rated it 4 of 5 stars

loved it, it was such a cute book. Cathy is like any teenage girl that doesn't feel like she fits in and is afraid to speak up for herself. She is more comfortable just fading into the background. Then she crosses paths with Surla, who is the complete opposite and takes the switch to Cathy's advantage. Surla, makes her not only stand out and but stand up against the three snooty girls that pick on her everyday. How can any teen not relate to that, seriously it's something all of us have experie...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Molly Snow added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-fiction, magic, cat, paranormal

Thank you to all who are checking out The BeSwitched Series. This is the first in the series and I've been getting great feedback.

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Jan 03, 2012 Erin (Jump Into Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

This was a very well written book. I absolutely loved the idea of the story and everything about it. The characters were very well written and the story pulled me in right away, it was hard for me to put it down anytime that I had to.

I automatically fell for Todd, he's brooding and handsome, smart and a jock. He's the best of both worlds.He just sounds like the kind of guy that I would have fell for in High School myself, and probably even now.

As for the story, I absolutely loved it. It had some...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Vicky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-tour, for-review, read-in-2012

I received a review copy of BeSwitched and its sequel, BeSwitched Witch from the author before the BeSwitched blog tour but I haven't managed to read it up until now. Being a black cat owner myself, I was quite excited about this book and it turned out to be a cute read.

If I had to make comparisons, I would say that BeSwitched was a bit like Freaky Friday and Sabrina the Teenage Witch rolled into one. To be honest, it took me quite a while to get into the story and I wasn't sure I was going to l...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Jenny (hades2) (Chocolate Chunky Munkie) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, review-books-arc

I was given a copy of this book to review from the author.

The story kicks off with Surla a downtrodden black witches cat. Surla’s life is made hell by the witch who owns her. Idis the witch is cruel, menacing and a downright rotter. She pushes Surla too far one day and the cat decides to run away. But there are consequences to this..... there is a rule to the black cats law, Surla has to switch bodies with a lonesome soul. This is where Cathy the shy teenager comes in. After being outcast and bu...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Brooke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BeSwitched is a cute story geared toward the early YA crowd (I'd say around 14). BeSwitched is the story of a lonely teenage girl named Cathy, whose life is turned upside down when she crosses paths with a black cat named Surla and is 'beswitched' with her. This is a quick and easy read.

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Jun 16, 2009 S.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a really cute story. I enjoyed it very much, it is an adventure 8-12 year olds can enjoy, even get a few good lessons from.

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Jan 24, 2012 Inspired Kathy marked it as to-read

Author Interview & Book Giveaway:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

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Oct 25, 2011 Kevin Lake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Molly Snow is now one of my favorite new YA authors. I loved this book and can't wait for the sequel!!!

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Jun 29, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Very short, but cute. Everything happens kind of fast and could be fleshed out more, but it was a fun, fast read.

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Aug 30, 2012 Jensine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: beswitched, rrc-monthly-8-2012, rrc-decades-challenge-2012, rrrc-lifetime-of-books

Pretty cute story, a light and easy read :)

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May 21, 2013 Brianna♥ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, kindle-app

May 21, 2013 Trisha marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-freebies

May 21, 2013 BookishDreamer marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 21, 2013 Pam Smith Faber marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 19, 2013 Reanna added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, kindle-freebies, own

May 19, 2013 Lori marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 18, 2013 Angie marked it as to-read-free · review of another edition

Shelves: freebies

Apr 30, 2013 Nicky marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 30, 2013 Ariel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Feb 18, 2013 Amy Mcnea rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 14, 2013 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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About Molly Snow

Molly Snow is a Top 10 Idaho Fiction Author, awarded by The Idaho Book Extravaganza. Her works include quirky teen romances BeSwitched and Fallen Angel. Also a speaker on writing, her school assemblies have been featured in The Contra Costa Times and The Brentwood Press. Snow is married to her high school crush, has a set of silly twin boys and a bobtail cat named Meow-Meow.

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BeSwitched (BeSwitched #1)

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