Changeling

Changeling #1

by Delia Sherman

Neef is a changeling, a human baby stolen by fairies and replaced with one of their own. She lives in "New York Between," a Manhattan alongside our own, home to creatures of folklore. Protected by her fairy godmother until she breaks a Fairy Law, now she must face the challenge of the Green Lady of Central Park or be sacrificed! Neef is determined, but time is running out.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Fairies, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 17, 2006

About the author

Delia Sherman (born 1951) is a fantasy writer and editor. Her novel The Porcelain Dove won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.

She was born in Tokyo and brought up in New York City. She earned a PhD in Renaissance studies at Brown University and taught at Boston and North-eastern universities. She is the author of the novels Through a Brazen Mirror, The Porcelain Dove (a Mythopoeic Award winner), and Changeling.
Sherman co-founded the Interstitial Arts Foundation, dedicated to promoting art that crosses genre borders.
She lives in New York City with her wife and sometime collaborator, Ellen Kushner.

Reviews

[Janni]

While I never really warmed up to Neef, the protagonist, I thought her changeling counterpart totally, utterly rocked. I loved Changeling from the start, and she made perfect sense to me as what a fairy changeling raised in our world might be like, too.

Also, the time spent in the Metropolitan Museum of Art was worth the price of admission (so to speak) by itself.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read. It is structured in your basic 'magical middle grade quest' arc that fans of Rick Riordan will be familiar with, but Changeling and Neef are both characters and I love how they play off each other. I particularly liked how Changeling exhibited several kind of autistic behaviors [even though it's never discussed explicitly in the text] because a lot of the reasons that people historically would accuse someone of being a changeling would be because they were acting 'weird' and expressing behaviors now associated with autism although they obviously didn't have a name for it back then but I thought that was a nice little touch. I also liked how the author updated a lot of the 'classic' fairy tales to fit into modern New York life, like Jack and the Beanstalk became Jack and the Extension ladder, and having fairies hold domain over things like Broadway and Wall Street instead of more traditional fairy knowes. Definitely going to be checking out the next book!

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good, so the parts of it which were frustrating were really more frustrating than they would have been in a mediocre book, sadly. Fantastic world-building and a smart, self-aware protagonist -- yay! But that protagonist couldn't manage a believable interaction with any of the other people in the book -- boo! Neef had pretty much no empathy for anyone, no sense that she should be concerned in anything but a mechanical how-does-this-affect-me way with other people's feelings. There could have been a great story in there about what emotions really meant for humans raised by fairies and fairies raised by humans, but the opportunity was lost. The author's short story Catnyp, about the same protagonist when she's a bit older, was much more appealing.

[Karlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantasy set in NYC is delightful. It's both scary and funny.

[Becca Rosenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts slow, but you have got to keep reading, cause it's amazing near the end. The character development and reference to real world myths are guaranteed to satisfy the writers out there, and the beautiful descriptions of characters, wonderful protagonist flaws, and exciting twists will definitely stop you from putting the book down. Personally, I believe this book is slightly better suited for a writer, since it starts a little slow, really has to be read all at once or you forget about it, and has just the perfect blends of character strengths, flaws, dynamics, and development that I loved. The story follows a changeling girl, Neef (not her real name), who lives in an interesting New York that lives between worlds, filled with all the mythical creatures from all your favorite storybooks. Neef is driven by her need for adventure and her desperation for her own kind, being the only changeling as far as she knows in Central Park, her home. Little does she know how much of both she'll get. Join me on this beautiful blend of modern and traditional fantasy that Changeling embodies in full.

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some fairy books can cross over from young reader to older reader and the fanatasy world can be interesting for both groups. This books is really only for younger readers. I would not read it again. The character is interesting enough to finish the book but not to worry for or about, you don't get attached to Neef or the Changeling. The plot is simple problem and answer. But the unique animal characters and over all fantasy aspect should satisfy a new reader.

[Nilsson]

A well handled quest. I'm glad to hear it went so smoothly. A lot of people get sick or even die on quests. It was comforting to know she had a fairy godmother looking out for her.

[Chris Presta-Valachovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, this book is in the same world as Delia Sherman's "CATNYP" from the Datlow/Windling "The Faery Reel" anthology & "Grand Central Park" from Datlow/Windling's "Green Man". CATNYP introduces us to the protagnonist Neef & her friend Fleet; "Grand Central Park" gives us the Central Park Genius Loci (the seriously Big Bad here) & the fairy Bugle (mentioned in passing in Changeling). I liked both those stories; I loved the idea of New York Between.

Unfortunately...

Like others have stated here, I just couldn't warm up to Neef. Neef is a changeling, a human child stolen by Faery to live in New York Between, the modern day version of the Sidhe Realms, and the Faery left a substitute in the human world in Neef's place. When this story opens, we're thrown right into the Faery Realm & Neef's world right from the start -- she lives with her fairy godmother, a white rat named Astris, and Neef's being a typical human young teen: bored, wanting adventure, and tired of all the obvious secrets the adults aren't telling her.

We're never given a reason for the secrets, by the way. When Neef finally finds out that the Ruling Fairy of Central Park has laid a geas on Neef (Neef is not allowed to ever dance at the Summer Solstice, and she finds out about the geas by unwittingly breaking it), it's not only the first time Neef has ever heard about this, but no explanation is ever given for why that rule was so important.

Worse, the Central Park Genius (the ruler of the Park area of New York Between) promptly puts Neef under the equivalent of a death sentence for breaking said geas...which Neef never knew about to begin with because all the Faery folks around her won't/can't tell her, and we're STILL never given a reason why it's so important.

I mean, I get it, okay, Faery rules are arbitrary and nonsensical -- but that usually means they're just nonsensical to us humans. The Faery should have a reason for their rules beyond "just because": do they hate rudeness? Is politeness mandatory in Faery politicking? Are mortal dangerous to the Solstice? Is it needed because of certain magics? Nope, the Park Genius just laid that geas on Neef when Neef was just a baby, the day she was stolen into Faery, and geased everyone else to never tell why. No reason. Just because.

The whole "just because it's Faery" reasoning gets damn thin before the first chapter ends. By the time the Park Genius banishes Neef from Central Park for breaking a rule she didn't know about & that no one could even tell her about...couldn't Sherman think of any better explanation than "just because"?

At that point, I was wondering why Neef even bothered to want to try to lift the banishment, let alone remain in Faery. Sherman unwittingly has shown us that Faery is an abusive home, with Neef being blamed for the Faery's abuse because of "her actions" -- Neef doesn't come right out and apologize for making the Faeries abuse her & kick her out of her only home & try to kill her, but dammit, I was fully expecting her to.

And since Sherman has Neef putting up with all this & wanting to go home despite everything, with Neef's Faery abusers giving her a big welcome at the end, it's obvious that Sherman had no clue of the abusive subtext in her writing -- this despite writing for several of the Datlow/Windling anthologies that explicitly posit faery tales as survival stories for abused kids.

What's worse? At one point, Neef meets her Changeling, the Fairy made to look like Neef & left in Neef's place in the human world. Neef makes it plain that she considers Changeling to be a useless load. She only helps Changeling escape a nest of monsters because Changeling knows/shares Neef's True Name; Neef refuses to help any of the other trapped children who are literally **reaching out & begging for help**, and Neef makes it very plain that she simply does not care about them nor feel any sympathy. Not once does Neef show any sympathy for Changeling, either, despite Changling having been stolen from her home & loving parents. Neef considers Changling as a useless annoyance...until Changeling turns out to be able to provide something Neef needs in her quest.

By the way, Sherman describes Changeling's quirks and habits in detail, and makes it plain throughout the story that all the other Faeries think Changeling is useless, unfit, & the lowest of the low, implying that's why they stole Neef & left Changeling in the human world. It's very obvious that Changeling is meant to be autistic.

So. Implying that the "true" Neef isn't autistic? That autistic folks are not only inhuman changelings, but imperfect copies, unwanted in faery & considered useless...until they have something someone wants? Sherman, did you even think about what you were writing?

Again, why does Neef want to stay with these unfriendly, arbitrary, sociopathic, abusive Faeries?? The longer the story went on, the more unfair crap that kept getting piled on top of Neef for no reason beyond "it's just the way the Faery are" (yeah, and family members justify their abusers' crap with "it's just the way they are" in order to make the victims shut up)...jesus christ on his fuckin' pogo stick, I was waiting for Neef to flip off the entire Faery Court & return to our world with Changeling.

Look, a "just because" works in a short story. There's not much space to explain a lot. But in a novel, it doesn't work. In the short story CATNYP, the Faery Snowbell takes exception to Neef questioning Faery "love"; ok, fine, Snow's a prickly, proud faery who felt challenged by Neef. We get that. Then we're told "the stacks are dangerous", and we're also told and shown why! So it makes sense when the NYPL Genius tells Neef "stay out of the stacks". The other rules he gives her make similar sense: food can damage the books, disturbances interrupt other folks' use of the library.

But in "Changeling", none of the rules make sense. Neef's blind acceptance of the shit Faery puts on her makes no sense. Neef being told to "take responsibility" for something no one could tell her about, something she was actively put to sleep against her will over whenever the situation came up...and then Neef is blamed when Faery wants to kill her over the rules she wasn't allowed to be told??

Yeah, the abuse was all her fault. She was asking for it. Neef needs to apologize to the folks who want to kill her. How dare she not accept responsibility for everyone treating her like shit!

Y'know, Sherman, my parents pulled shit like this, too. I got in trouble over weird arbitrary rules that I didn't know existed until the parents were screaming in my face. I got in trouble & punished over things that should've been the adults' reponsibility to take care of, not a young child's.

That's called ABUSE, Sherman. It doesn't matter whether it's Faery or Human.

[GraceAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changeling is funny and fresh and fine, another in the short list of fabulous books set in New York City published in the past year. It is takes place in New York Between, and Sherman balances the Between of Faerie with a terrific young heroine named Neef, ringing changes on every single New York and Faerie trope you can imagine, and a few you can't.

[Mónica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Altamente entretenido, me mantuvo enganchada a la historia de principio a fin, lo que más me gustó fue la cantidad de mitología que manejaron. Lo único que no me gustó fue el final, que me dejó con ganas de más.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've met Neef before - in CATNYP - and enjoy the alternative perspective of New York Between. This was a great romp through the city, and I enjoyed her quest.

[Bridget P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absoulutley loved this book. It was fantasy so there were mermaids,demons and the main character boy was she a handful. so if your done with your book pick this one up i garuntee you will love it.

[Melutopia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Fun little twist on fairy tales and magic lands.

[Brando Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, playful, and jam packed full of fae mythology—Changeling by Delia Sherman is a middle grade book this adult is not ashamed to admit his bookshelf will always have a place for.

If you hadn’t already guessed, this was a reread for me. Changeling is actually the book that made me fall in love with reading. If you can remember the scholastic book fair days, Changeling was a random book I begged my Mom for because the cover art looked cool. I’ve read this book three times throughout my life, but this was the first time reading this book as an adult. This brought back all the nostalgia I could have hoped for and I can see why I loved it so much.

I’ve recently just read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies and Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (which have now become one of my new favorite book series) and I was surprised to see how many similarities there were. Changeling to me feels like the mischievous middle-grade baby of the Emily Wilde series and Night at the Museum.

In Changeling, we follow Neef, the human counterpart of a fae changeling swap, as she traverses the fae world she was stolen away to, New York-Between—a replica of the New York we know, but with a magical twist. I love traveling in this world with Neef, learning more about Fae from different cultures and mythologies. The amount of fae we are introduced to in such a short amount of time and from such a wide range of cultures without finding it confusing is an amazing feat.

I feel like there are so many fantasy books that don’t explain themselves well enough to understand how it works, so the concept isn’t given the breathing room for the reader to really take in a proper lung-full. The fae Geniuses and the domains they rule, the hierarchy of the species, and the uniqueness of each area was detailed very well. I knew where I was the entire time and I hardly ever found myself questioning the magic.

One of the coolest concepts that Sherman has created in this world are the fae creatures that come from beloved tales, books, or stories. These characters became so well known and are so loved by humans that they poof into the reality of New-York between—they literally are manifested into being from their popularity. A few examples are Stuart Little and Eloise from the book series. How cool is that?

There is a darkness to it that I love (one of the reasons I see a similarity to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies), at least a darkness that is hinted towards. Neef doesn’t beat around the bush, much like a New Yorker, whether an in-betweener or not.

There were too many grammatical mistakes to overlook. A few mistakes can be easy to look past as a reader, but there were so many mistakes here that made me pause and think too often. I was swept out of this world too often.

Sherman established Neef as a fairy changeling who was stolen from the human world and therefore doesn’t have an extensive understanding of that world. But, it felt like Sherman picked and chose too often what knowledge Neef has of the human world and what she doesn’t for convenience sake, whether it be a joke or to push the plot forward. This stripped the believability of Neef and the beautiful world has been built.

Changeling isn’t the most complicated read, but this isn’t a bad thing. If you can look past the periodic grammatical oversights and the inconsistencies of Neef’s human knowledge, this truly is a fae fantasy book worth reading. I love Sherman's world and I look forward to the next time I need my next hit of fantastical nostalgia.

3.5/5 stars, worth rounding up to 4 for Goodreads.

Would I Recommend this Book: Yes
Would I Read Other Works by the Author (Sequels or otherwise): Yes
Would I Ever Reread this Book: Yes

[Reah N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would’ve enjoyed this story more if I was in middle school. As it is, all the right elements were in the story. It just felt a bit shallow, and as an adult I had a hard time getting over this fact.

Neef was exiled from the only home she knew. Which, just to be clear, wasn’t really her home since she’d been kidnapped as a child. Either way, she broke a few rules, and the Genius responsible for that area withdrew her protection. As in, allowed the Hunt to hunt (and presumably eat?) her. So, despite the danger, Neef headed back home to her fairy godmother. Luckily, she was able to escape, and through some lucky turn of events was given a way to get back home. All she had to do was go on a magical quest for three impossible-to-retrieve items, and everything would be good again.
It was New York, but combined with mythological creatures, impossible fairy rules, and Neef, a human in a world of fairies, which was a great twist.
Anyhow, Neef was given three impossible tasks which would allow her to return to her familiar life.
These were impossible tasks, supposedly, but she got them so easily.
Two days later, it was all behind her. She found an impossible riddle for the mermaid queen that got her a magical mirror. She fixed bugs on a computer (think, real, live, swarming ones) and was awarded the Broadway tickets she needed. And, she went on an impossible quest to get the dragon’s scales. This last one didn’t work out quite as expected, but she was okay because of a technicality in the quest. And, I was left wondering what I missed. Was every other person who hadn’t succeeded in getting these items stupid? Was Neef just lucky? How did it work out so easily?

The story was cute, with many references to the real world, and all the right elements that should've made it a success. And, better yet, Neef was a strong character who wasn’t afraid to take risks, did what was right, and didn’t once rely on a handsome hero to get her out of her mess.

But - the world felt forced at times, and one-dimensional at others, and I never connected to Neef or the fairy she was switched for, Changeling, and her ASD behaviors. It was all just too easy.

Similar recommendations:


Content:
Scary moments including kids locked in cages, nearly being eaten by monsters, Neef hunted by the Hunt, creatures offering her wish in return for her body parts. The story only happens because Neef was stolen from her parents, which is treated as perfectly normal.
Neef lives among and is friendly with mythological creatures, including goddesses such as Bastet, an Egyptian cat goddess.
The mermaid queen has tattoos. Neef’s quest involves going to Broadway and meeting aspiring actors and hearing about various movies.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're one of the maybe 3 people who actually read my reviews, I'm sure you've realized by now that I am a sucker for any book/series that involves Faeries and the fair Folk. As a result, I have read various books by various authors about the Fae, and they have ranged from absolutely amazing and unforgettable (looking at you, Holly Black!) to boring, annoying, and agonizing to read (Sarah J. Maas, please stand up). Changeling falls somewhere in the middle. It's not bad, exactly, just... meh.

Neef is a mortal child, stolen from her crib as a baby by the Folk and replaced with one of their own. Raised by her fairy godmother Astris in the Fairies' "in-between" world of New York's Central Park, she finds herself thrust back into the humans' version of New York after she breaks a fairy law and must complete several tasks in order to clear her name.

To be honest, the characters were the single most disappointing aspect of this book. They are just devastatingly dull. How is it possible that Neef is a literal mortal who was ripped from her parents and raised by fairies, surrounded by their customs, following their rules, and yet she is not in the least bit interesting?? That's actually kind of impressive, to fail so utterly at making such a character not at all relatable or engaging. Luckily, Neef wasn't travelling alone. She was accompanied by the fairy that was left in her place all those years ago, simply known as "Changeling". Changeling was, hands down, the best character in the book. She was way more interesting than Neef, very relatable, and just felt so real and believable. I also liked how, while she was completely out of her element in many instances, she was still able to contribute and help Neef on her journey. The rest of the characters were pretty meh, which was a real shame, but it can't be helped.

The worldbuilding was where the book was really able to shine. Despite the lack of an engaging protagonist, I found myself immensely enjoying their journey and the things they saw. The book does a pretty good job of giving you an idea of what these places they're visiting look like, and what the Fairies look like as well. I also liked that, while these Fairies are much more tame than some other depictions have shown, they still indicate that they are not to be trifled with, such as the Fairy that tells Neef he'll sell her a ticket to a Broadway show in exchange for one of her hands. Very dark! I love it!

I won't lie, this book was a definite disappointment, mainly because Holly black herself rated it 5 stars so I was really excited to check it out. And again, it's not bad; I did enjoy reading it for the most part. But Neef was just so... blah. 3 stars.

[Helen Robare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to LOVE this book but instead, I just liked it. :( From the time I turned 5 and began reading the Wizard of Oz series (Yes, I taught myself to read at the age of 3 using my brother's comic books and my reading level has always been exceedingly high!), I have loved mystical fantasy. This book had it all or so I thought.

The beginning of the book was good but then I began to realize that the fairy kingdom was as arrogant as the humans in the real world. The story got a little confusing when Neef discovered her "double" who came from the human world and that it was never truly explained whether Neef was the stolen child or if Changeling was the stolen child.

Now I will admit that I would probably have LOVED this book if I had read it in my youth. However, at the age of 64 and having seen a bit more of life than I would have liked, I found the book to be not quite so enchanting. (I did just retead the entire Wizard of Oz Series and was enthralled, so it isn't the fact that my love of fantasy has deserted me). I just didn't feel a kinship with any of the characters. In fact, Neef and Changeling were rather boring. The fact that they were pretty much the only 2 characters that got any action could have been part of the problem for me.

A child would enjoy reading this book or having it read to her/him, I'm sure. But even if you're bored like I was, I would tell you not to read this book and instead give it to someone of the age it was written for.

[Mariana Mas Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fun! Just pure magical, funny, whimsical, middle grade fun. 8 year old me would have been obsessed. ✨ If you’re a New Yorker you’ll probably laugh even more than I did, I’m sure I missed a lot of jokes and references.

Even so, New York is such a pop culture staple that I knew enough to appreciate the humor and creative incorporation of the city. My favorite parts were the ones in the Met and in Broadway. I also loved the cohabitation of traditional mythical creatures (such as brownies and selkies), and fictional characters (such as Shakespeare fairies or Eloise at the Plaza).

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

smiles all around... this book was amazingly fun... kind of exactly what children's literature should be... plenty of amazing characters, lots of mythological beasties, and loads of funny dialogue... kinda perfect that the important characters were girls, and not all about their appearance and "where are the cute boys??"... just a joy to read...

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly don't think I could rate this book fairly. Some middle grade fantasy books can be enjoyed by young readers and adult readers. This story is clearly for children. I probably would have enjoyed this book if I was a child. Some of the conflicts in the story didn't make sense to me. I just came to the conclusion that I'm just too old for the story .

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The in-between is the fairyland where the folk lives along with the Hunt in Central Park ... if the Hunt should catch you will most properly regret it big time. A quest is what the changeling soon realizes has some dire circumstances in store for her and her doppelganger Jennifer. I enjoyed the story and many of the charming characters.

[Shoshana G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like my jam, but I didn't much care for it. Neef was neither interesting or likable and the conception of New York between and the fairy world wasn't really interesting or special either.

[Marko Jevtić · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great, not terrible.

Even though I liked many details in the book, overall, I just didn't feel like the characters are interesting. The NYC citizens might find it a better reading since many characters and places are written in a way that might be too alien to a non-New Yorker.

[Jeanette Neff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for the young adult. Silly and simple. The girl who eventually is called Changeling seems autistic to me, and I really related to that.

[Deandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beyond my years, even as a child.

[RaeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - a cute, breezy middle grade story that was worth the few hours it took to read it.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun kids' book. The main character is very confident throughout the book and there's a lot of fun folklore involved.

[Cat Yampell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish
Couldn’t.
Stilted writing.

[Cameron Paschall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world creation was fantastical. It had a good built imagery as well. The book was cute.