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Swapped by a Kiss

Luisa Plaja (Goodreads Author)

3.68 · Rating details · 191 ratings · 26 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

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Paperback, 344 pages

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

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Average rating 3.68 ·

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· 191 ratings · 26 reviews

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May 08, 2010 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-review-read, box-08, books-i-own

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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May 19, 2010 Joanne rated it it was amazing

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 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 ...more

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Aug 30, 2010 Caro rated it really liked it

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 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! ...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Nicolle rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, young-adult, romance

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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Jul 24, 2011 Rebecca Smith rated it it was amazing

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! ...more

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Mar 05, 2016 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves, soundtracked-books, book-reviews

Having read the preceding book in the 'By a Kiss' series and absolutely adoring it, I jumped to purchase this when I found there was another book set in the same world, with the focus on one of the other characters in the original book.
*DISCLAIMER: You do not have to read 'prequel' Split by a Kiss to understand Swapped by a Kiss, though I highly recommend reading it*

Following the events of the previous book, Rachel is finally in a relationship (though somewhat on/off) with boyfriend and long-te ...more

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Jul 19, 2019 Benee❤️ rated it it was amazing

Very very nice book I read this book when I was younger so I still had a young mind then but I bet I’d still like it now

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Aug 03, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it liked it

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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Feb 03, 2011 Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, british-reading-challenge, books-read-in-2011

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
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! ...more

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Nov 16, 2009 Sophie rated it really liked it

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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Feb 06, 2012 Cliona rated it it was amazing

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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Apr 13, 2011 Nina rated it really liked it

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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May 22, 2010 Cass - Words on Paper rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2010, 2010-release

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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Nov 11, 2010 Jennifer Wardrip rated it really liked it

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 12, 2012 Rachel S rated it really liked it

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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Feb 01, 2010 Liz Rettig rated it it was amazing

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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Aug 25, 2014 Gabby rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-outlet-orders, favorites-4-5-stars

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was a very quick, fun and lighthearted read. I liked all the characters, except for Hailey. She was just annoying in my opinion. This book wasn't anything to take seriously and and it's something you can breeze by quickly. I liked the book, but there were some info parts about the characters that in my sense too long. I think the book dragged on longer than it should've. That's why I gave it a 3.5 rating, but it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to p ...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Jeanne rated it really liked it

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 ...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Stella rated it really liked it

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. ...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Colette rated it really liked it

Swapped By a Kiss is the sequel to Split By a Kiss. I enjoyed Swapped By a Kiss better than the previous book. The main character Rachel has attitude and a good sense of humor. Jo is a part of this story too, and though I wish she was featured a tad bit more, she adds to the excitement. The book is a modern Freaky Friday that both Teen Brits and Young Adult Americans would likely enjoy.

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Sep 12, 2016 Cat rated it it was amazing

I wanted to read something super light, funny and sweet and this was the first thing I thought of. It definitely lived up to my expectations from my inner 13 year old. I LOVED Split by a Kiss and it's one of those teen books I've never really forgotten about. I do think I prefer the first book to this one but it definitely still has all of the same charm. Quick, fun and lighthearted read! ...more

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Jul 22, 2013 Arianne rated it liked it

Decided to continue my recent audiobook trend with this one - didn't enjoy Rachel's perspective as much s Jo's, but a really solid and entertaining red nonetheless. Full review to follow.

(Actual rating: 3.5 stars.) ...more

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Mar 23, 2014 Erin Murphy rated it liked it

I honestly didn't have very high expectations for this book but I honestly couldn't put it down once I started reading it! ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Zia Lawrence added it

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

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About Luisa Plaja

Luisa Plaja

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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.