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Swapped by a Kiss

by Luisa Plaja (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 85 ratings · 19 reviews

When Rachel's on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival in England, she jumps on a plane to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round-perfect Jo.

Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body!...more

Paperback, 344 pages

Published April 29th 2010 by Random House Children's Books (first published April 2nd 2010)

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May 17, 2010 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review-read

I was so excited to read this book. I loved Spilt by a Kiss and could not wait to revisit the characters - and I can tell you that I loved it! Not only is it completely hilarious but it is also incredibly romantic and Luisa has the marvelous ability to completely floor you. There was one thing in particular that I did not see coming!

Many of the characters return from Spilt by a Kiss and it was great to see Jo again - I loved hearing her side of events through her 'diary' entries. We also have Da...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

As much as I loved the character of Jo, I found it harder to get into Rachel's head. Rachel is the tough cookie, she snaps before she says "hi" and she is, all in all, someone who makes it incredibly hard to love her.
Never one to admit defeat in the face of adversity (yes, I just said that about a book), I have persisted in my quest to like Rachel, not only for her badass feminist attitude, but also for her real slightly hidden personality. The book is told from the alternate point of view of R...more As much as I loved the character of Jo, I found it harder to get into Rachel's head. Rachel is the tough cookie, she snaps before she says "hi" and she is, all in all, someone who makes it incredibly hard to love her.
Never one to admit defeat in the face of adversity (yes, I just said that about a book), I have persisted in my quest to like Rachel, not only for her badass feminist attitude, but also for her real slightly hidden personality. The book is told from the alternate point of view of Rachel-in-Jo's-Body and of Jo-in-Rachel's-body (mostly as a journal). I loved the idea that both girls are highly unsatisfied in their lives and wish to be one another thinking the other has the perfect life. This is such a girl classic (not to like oneself that is) that I believe it comes as the trademark of all women alongside intelligence and an incredible sense of humour. Who's partial?
In this book, you get to go beyond the wall Rachel built around herself and learn more about her, her demons and her past. I already enjoyed reading about her in the first book, and now I understand better why she is the way she is. Rachel and David's relationship appears rocky but they are so made for each other that it is insanely cute to read about them.

The setting of the book is a Festival in the UK (as opposed to a high school in the US for Split by a Kiss) and I loved the cultural difference between Europe and USA and how Tori and Rachel have several culture shock-related events which made me laugh out loud. It was the same, though the other way around (British Jo in America) in the first book, and it is sooo hilarious!!
I find Tori's excitement so contagious, every time I read about her I just *squeeee* for no reason. She is most entirely awesome, and though she appears as an airhead, she is a great friend to Jo and then Rachel. Tori and Hailey fight for Jo's BFF status is hilarious!
I loved discovering the relationship Rachel has with her mother, and how it evolves through the story. I found that the book was a lot about identity, and especially how our parents influence who we are. It makes one think about one's own life and identity. (I mean, let's be honest, my parents, who have a bookshop, are entirely to blame for my book addiction!)

This book is a sweet and fun read, you will laugh out loud when the characters end up in the funniest situations and will fall for all the characters, even the ones only present for a couple of pages. I cannot wait to read Luisa's other book Extreme Kissing!(less)

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May 19, 2010 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

I wish I wasn't myself anymore.
I wish I was her.
I wish I was Jo.

Rachel hates her life. Wen her on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival, she decides to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round perfect Jo.
Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body! Can she keep this swap a secret? Can she unravel what's really...more I wish I wasn't myself anymore.
I wish I was her.
I wish I was Jo.

Rachel hates her life. Wen her on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival, she decides to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round perfect Jo.
Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body! Can she keep this swap a secret? Can she unravel what's really going on? Can she get to grips with Jo's out-of-control curly hair?
And if she discovers that being in someone else's shoes isn't all it's cracked up to be, can she ever be herself again? From the back of the book.

As most of you will know, I am a huge Luisa Plaja fan. I loved Split by a Kiss, the first in this duology, so when I was offered the chance to review Swapped by a Kiss, I jumped at the chance! And just as I expected, I loved it!

Swapped starts a few months after Split ends. Jo is with Albie, Tori is friends with Jo now instead of the popular gang, and most importantly Rachel is with David. Ish. With her fiery personality and raging jealousy, arguments are common between the two of them. One such fight happens before David goes to England for a festival, but when Rachel decides to surprise him by turning up at the festival, he finds him kissing Jo.

Jo splitting in two in the first book was just awesome. Following her down two different paths at the same time was awesome, but watching Rachel in Jo's body, trying to be British and nice was just genius! I didn't really relate all that much to Rachel, as she's hugely into graphic novels, comics and superheroes - not really my bag. But I sympathised with her and her situation. Not only are the guys in Rachel-Rachel's and Rachel-Jo's life "dastards", but there are more serious issues running through the book; identity and self-image.

Before the swap took place, it was heart breaking to read Rachel's thoughts about herself, and about Jo. What it says above in the blurb, "Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round perfect Jo," is exactly what Rachel thinks of her, where as she describes herself as "oversized". She believes she's a nightmare, and if she was Jo, she wouldn't have to deal with the crap going on in her life, and everyone would like her better - especially David. It's just awful having to read about Rachel's low self-esteem and her other issues, and not being able to give her a hug. It's really sad!

However, this is not to say Swapped is hard, emotional reading. Swapped is quite a light, humourous read, and pretty fun. The scrapes Rachel gets herself into in Jo's body are just hilarious. Attempting to use British words, and make up fake swear words - because that's what British people do - is cause for much laughter. Jo's diary entries of conversations she has with Rachel's mum, while pretending to be angry, unkind, and American are also hilarious.

All in all, a great quick, light, fun read that touches on some serious subjects. This would make such a good beach read! I loved it, and I so hope there is going to be another story about these characters. Maybe involving one of the boys this time!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog(less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Cliona rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read Split by a Kiss, one of Luisa's other books, which I loved, so I was really excited to read this book. And I was right, because I think this is Luisa's best book yet!( Well, considering I haven't read Extreme Kissing but still....)

Tori wasn't my favourite character in this book, because I thought seemed even more vain than in the last one. She just got on my nerves sometimes. But her ditziness was hilarious at times! This time around, my favourite character was definitely Rachel. In th...more

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May 15, 2010 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Swapped By A Kiss is the third book by Luisa Plaja but the second book in the 'Kiss' series-the first one being Split By A Kiss. This book was fun, original and refreshing, with an awesome setting of a festival. Luisa has written an enjoyable sequel that fans of Freaky Friday will love!

When I found out that there was a sequel to one of my most-loved books of 2009, I jumped at the chance of reading it. Swapped By A Kiss was a fantastic book that moved away from the protagonist of the last book: J...more Swapped By A Kiss is the third book by Luisa Plaja but the second book in the 'Kiss' series-the first one being Split By A Kiss. This book was fun, original and refreshing, with an awesome setting of a festival. Luisa has written an enjoyable sequel that fans of Freaky Friday will love!

When I found out that there was a sequel to one of my most-loved books of 2009, I jumped at the chance of reading it. Swapped By A Kiss was a fantastic book that moved away from the protagonist of the last book: Jo and focused on her fiery, feisty friend Rachel. I expect nothing less than amazing when I read Luisa's books and that's what I get every time! I really liked how this time, the setting was England and how the American characters reacted to it as if it was a parallel universe. Swapped was full of laughs and embarrasingly relatable moments-I loved it!

My opinion of the characters changed as well. In the last book, I didn't really know very much about Rachel and consequently didn't seem to like her. In this novel, the spotlight is focused on her and how she reacts when she see's her best friend kissing her boyfriend. We get to see a softer, more emotional side of Rachel whilst also learning about her back story which involved a few twists and turns in itself! There is a always an element of surprise lurking somewhere near the end of the books which I always can't wait to discover.

I also really liked Tori more in Swapped. She ditched her position as one of Chelsea Cook's minions and we also saw a different side of her. I really liked the alternating chapters between Jo and Rachel. Jo's chapters were more uncommon and written as diary entries (which were hilarious) whilst Rachel's took up most of the book.

All in all, I adored it and I'm currently craving more in the way of the 'Kiss' books-I can't wait to see how the story develops between all of the characters. If I'm being brutally honest, Split is still my favourite but then again, only by the tiniest percentage. Thank you for this amazingness Luisa! (less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, love-month, signed-books, ya, british-reading-challenge, books-read-in-2011, sent-for-review

AWW! I loved this book. I think Luisa Plaja tells a great story with some truly fantastic characters that end up in the funniest circumstances. A body-swap novel? How much more fun can you get? But as much as I was laughing at the misunderstandings and the terrible attempts of an American passing as someone from England, I was also really touched by Rachel's insecurities about her size and her relationship with David. And appealing to my inner-nerd are Rachel's forays into writing her own graphi...more
AWW! I loved this book. I think Luisa Plaja tells a great story with some truly fantastic characters that end up in the funniest circumstances. A body-swap novel? How much more fun can you get? But as much as I was laughing at the misunderstandings and the terrible attempts of an American passing as someone from England, I was also really touched by Rachel's insecurities about her size and her relationship with David. And appealing to my inner-nerd are Rachel's forays into writing her own graphic novel and Jo's obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Swapped by A Kiss by Luisa Plaja is the follow-on from her truly amazing Split By A Kiss. While Split By A Kiss sees one character split into two after a very important kiss, in Swapped By A Kiss, we see two of the main characters (Jo and Rachel) from Split swap bodies after another fateful kiss (not with each other!). When cynical, sarcastic, Goth-inspired Rachel flies to England to surprise her on-again/off-again boyfriend David, she does not expect to meet with a surprise of her own. The sight of David kissing perfect Jo at a music festival causes Rachel to run away and wish that her life were different. That she was different. It causes Rachel to wish that she were Jo.

And with that, is the start of this hugely funny and touching novel. Seen mostly from Rachel's perspective, but with the added bonus of (hilarious!) journal entries from Jo, Rachel (in Jo's body) must juggle friendships and a new wardrobe and get to the bottom of her relationship with David. Rachel is intent on getting revenge, but first she needs to know what happened. All isn't as it appears to me, it seems, and there a lot of questions to be asked.

What I loved most about the book is how similar the thoughts of both Jo and Rachel are. They each believe that the other would have it easier or better. Each believes that the other's relationship is so much simpler and straight-forward. It's an easy thing to do, isn't it? To imagine another's person life as ideal. And what these two come to realise is that nobody's perfect and we all have our hang-ups. And we are able to see clearly how Rachel's body-size and how the actions and behaviours of those around her have caused her to say the things she does and behave in a certain way. Ways that seem to be pushing David, her best friend and boyfriend away. There are so many moments in Swapped By A Kiss that my heart ached for Rachel.

And despite David (and Albie) not having very much presence in Swapped By A Kiss, this a very romantic book. It's painfully obvious to readers how much Rachel is hurting and jealous about David and Jo's kiss, as well as how beat-up David is when Jo-in-Rachel's-body won't allow David to visit her. I really and truly loved these characters, so very real and vulnerable.

Thank you so much to Luisa Plaja for sending me this book. It's incredible and comes very highly recommended from me!(less)

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Jun 04, 2010 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

I won this novel for the first reads program.

I'm very satisfied with the read. I liked the characters- they were all different and interesting in their own ways, the writing was nice and consistent through and through. The concept of story was derived from Freaky Friday, but under a whole new cast with different problems. While I didn't read the first book "Split by a Kiss", of which "Swapped by a Kiss" is a sequel, I became quickly attuned to what was what and who was who, and a clear picture...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Nicolle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult, romance, 2010s, autographed

What can I say?! The book any teenage girl would love, a modern twist on freaky friday.
My favourite character had to be Rachel, she is so funny and quirky and I could guess she wasn't as hard faced as she seemed.
At the beggining when Jo was kissing David I could not believe it. Jo from the previous book 'Split by a Kiss' would never cheat on Albie with david who is dating Rachel! As the story unfolded I was gripped and could not guess where Albie was. The format of the book was origional with...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review, uk-bookish-love

DO NOT read this review if you've not read the first.

As I sat watching fantastical depressing anime I knew I had to cheer myself up, and what better way then reviewing a joyful book in the making?

In split by a kiss we get to know Josie, what I realised through this book was how much I missed and had become fond of Josie. I also got an insight as to how others might see and perceive Josie from afar. Rachel envies Josie, now I never saw that coming at all!

One of the things that I was eager to k...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Swapped by a Kiss is the companion novel (or the sequel) from Split by a Kiss. I enjoyed the first book and therefore knew that this one was going to be fun to read. And I was so right.

Rachel is a young girl that’s always angry, a bit arrogant and bad-tempered. And with all these not so wonderful character qualities, underneath it all she’s caring. At first I had a hard time liking her, but I knew from the first book that it was all a front. A front to not let the people she love too close.

The...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: uk-author, for-review, signed

Swapped by a Kiss is the third - and my favourite - novel by Luisa Plaja. I loved it; it was so much fun!

As the sequel (of sorts) to Split by a Kiss, we move away from Jo and focus on Rachel, one of the friends Jo made in Boston. I really liked Rachel then, and after reading her story, I love her even more. She’s sparky and angry completely kick-ass. There are lots of issues and mysteries surrounding her and her family though which make for some very surprising plot twists. I was taken by surpri...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Kami rated it 2 of 5 stars

This wasn't really my kind of book, but I can see others really liking it.

Plot: For me, there just wasn't enough going on to keep it really interesting. I took a long time to read the book because it was slow. I can see a lot of teenage girls liking this book though. Switching bodies with someone is something I've thought about, and I liked how the author showed that it wasn't all fun and games. Everyone's life is complicated.

Characters: I wish they had shown more of Jo in Rachel's body. The boo...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finally got it back from my teens so I could read it myself! Another great read from Luisa. It was cool meeting the characters from Split by a Kiss again. I didn't like the setting as much (muddy field in England vs. US high school), but the story was good. I loved Freaky Friday as a kid, and enjoy all variations on that theme. I'm still in awe of how she gets so into the heads of teenagers. Brilliant. Well done Luisa x

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Feb 11, 2011 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com

Rachel is in love. So is her friend, Jo. Unfortunately, they're in love with the same boy, Rachel's boyfriend, David.

So when Rachel catches Jo and David kissing at a music festival, adding fuel to their already disintegrating relationship, she finds herself wishing to be anywhere else. Instead, she finds herself trapped inside the body of none other than Jo herself!

Will she and Jo find a way to switch back, or will they be stuck forever?

Luisa Plaja's...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Stella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fun, contemporary teen fiction with an enjoyable, well-paced plot. Handles teen issues with boys, family & friends with good sense and empathy. I especially related to the best friends triangle story. It appears there are some things we never grow out of. I look forward to reading Luisa Plaja's other books.

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Feb 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sweet, comical and sprinkled with Plaja magic, Swapped by a Kiss is a fun and girly read. Great storyline, think Freaky Friday but in black and white.

I love the characters in Swapped by a Kiss. My favourite characters are probably Jo and David. Jo because of how she manages to keep up the image of Rachel and David because he never really gives up on Rachel even though she can be a bit grumpy and snappy around him.

At some parts of this book I got a little bit confused when it came to Jo in Rache...more

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May 05, 2010 Liz Rettig rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ever envied someone you thought was prettier and more popular than you? Ever wished you could be that person and live her perfectly happy, trouble-free life? In Swapped by a Kiss Luisa Plaja deftly weaves a wonderfully funny body swap story in which Rachel - a rebellious, tough-acting Goth(ish) girl - gets her wish and swaps bodies, clothes and life with her friend “too cute” Jo. But soon she finds Jo’s perfect life turns out to be not so perfect after all and now she has to deal with Jo’s probl...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Rebecca Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much. I must admit when I was reading the first few chapters I was so tempted to just put it down and forget about it but I am so glad I didn't!

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Mar 15, 2013 Zia Lawrence added it

great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jun 17, 2013 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 13, 2013 Lee Qi marked it as to-read

Shelves: teenage-romance

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About Luisa Plaja

Author of teen comedy romance novels including Split by a Kiss, Extreme Kissing, Swapped by a Kiss and Kiss Date Love Hate, published by Random House. Latest novel is Diary of a Mall Girl, published by Curious Fox.

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