559:
411:
assume the form of animals long-since extinct or of supernatural creatures. However, unless the
Switcher is aware of their power's potential as such, these fantastical dimensions of the gift remain untapped. At sunrise on their fifteenth birthday, all Switchers lose their power, and are forever bound to the form in which they exist at that moment. No explanation is ever given for this phenomenon.
77:
187:
36:
390:, he appears as a shabbily dressed teenager living on the streets. He assumes the form of a phoenix at the end of this book- albeit out of necessity; he had been hit by a missile while in the form of a dragon and a phoenix was the only form he could think of to save his life-, but Tess finds a way to transform him back into a human at the end of
400:
A widowed woman living alone in a semi-rural part of Dublin. Lizzie was once a
Switcher herself, but evidently chose to remain human by the time she lost the gift on her fifteenth birthday. She owns many cats, uses atrocious grammar, and is rather eccentric in her views. She acts as Tess's confidante
492:
Tess' fifteenth birthday looms ahead, the day when she must soon decide on one, permanent form which she will wear for the rest of her life. Her choice is not made any easier when her parents send her to stay with her cousins in Clare during her birthday. While at her cousins' house, Tess discovers
414:
Toward the end of the first book, Lizzie reveals that all children are born with the ability to Switch, but that unless they discover it before they turn eight (the age at which their minds begin to conform to the ideas presented by others) it remains dormant within them and never surfaces again.
378:
of the series. She is initially reluctant to accept the existence of the supernatural world which her powers make open to her, and her rather narrow view of the world limits the array of forms which she can take. However, as the books progress, she becomes increasingly open-minded, and her range
410:
The term "Switching" is used in the series as a euphemism for shapeshifting. Most of the series' main characters either possess this gift or did at one point, and are referred to as "Switchers". The power is not limited to creatures of the current age or of the natural world, and can be used to
518:(referred to as 'Switchers' in the books). The idea of choice is another a central theme of the series. Another theme that could be read between the lines, but is stated at the end of the third book, is that the world is in danger and the new generation needs to protect the planet.
428:, who were well known for their shapeshifting abilities. This book also reveals that Switchers can choose to become like their fairy ancestors, and so retain their gift beyond their fifteenth birthday, but such a transformation permanently cuts them off from the human world.
474:, Tess turns her attention to helping a depressed fellow Switcher named Martin to choose his path when he turns fifteen. But Martin's habits of Switching are unconventional, for he has taken refuge from his grief and loneliness in the cold, dark persona of a
319:
501:
The primary focus of the series is the idea of "coming of age", and the possibilities with which teenagers are faced in the modern world. This theme recurs throughout many of Kate
Thompson's books. The series also deals with various
447:
A lonely teenage girl named Tess finds solace in using her ability to 'Switch' to explore the animal world. When she meets Kevin, another
Switcher, he reveals to her that an enormously powerful force is threatening to usher in a new
452:. Kevin and Tess alone have the power to stop this terrible threat. Before she knows what is happening, Tess finds herself leaving behind her comfortable home and her parents to journey with Kevin to the
385:
Another
Switcher. When he discovered his ability to Switch, Kevin used the animal world as a means of escape from his unfulfilling human life, eventually deciding to leave behind humanity altogether. In
370:
city. Tess is thirteen at the beginning of the first book, and the final book deals with the events which precede her fifteenth birthday, concluding with her turning fifteen. Tess is a
Switcher (
379:
expands greatly. Throughout the series, Tess struggles with the choice of what to become when she makes her final, irreversible Switch on her fifteenth birthday.
600:
564:
211:
of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be
590:
585:
529:, the first book of the trilogy, was originally published in Ireland by the Aran Press in 1994, and was republished in Great Britain by
98:
49:
580:
541:
followed in 1998 and 1999, also published by The Bodley Head. The three books were published in one volume by Random House in 2004.
300:
282:
168:
63:
493:
that there is something strange and frightening lurking in the nearby woods, beckoning her to join it in its otherworldly domain.
424:, the final book of the series, the Switching power is revealed to originate from interbreeding between humans and members of the
595:
263:
149:
235:
121:
102:
208:
242:
128:
465:
197:
249:
204:
135:
220:
24:
87:
231:
117:
106:
91:
478:. Soon Tess is in a race against time to save Martin, and herself, from the darkness of the vampire world.
335:
55:
507:
471:
425:
20:
487:
420:
216:
256:
142:
442:
212:
530:
574:
515:
343:
371:
351:
318:
375:
76:
554:
503:
475:
449:
339:
331:
453:
367:
347:
511:
317:
19:"Switchers" redirects here. For the locomotive used in yards, see
203:
Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing
401:
and adviser in matters relating to Tess's powers as a
Switcher.
456:
circle, where they must face the fearsome and ancient krools.
180:
70:
29:
544:
The
Switchers Trilogy received very favourable reviews from
415:
Therefore, very few children ever learn to use the power.
342:. The leading characters are teenagers with the power to
394:, Kevin subsequently coming to accept his human status.
470:With Kevin happily settled into the form of a
8:
366:An only child who lives with her parents in
313:
105:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
64:Learn how and when to remove these messages
565:Children and Young Adult Literature portal
312:
334:book series for young adults, written by
301:Learn how and when to remove this message
283:Learn how and when to remove this message
169:Learn how and when to remove this message
7:
103:adding citations to reliable sources
16:Fantasy book series by Kate Thompson
374:), as well as being the principal
14:
45:This article has multiple issues.
557:
346:(or "Switch") into the forms of
185:
75:
34:
601:Children's books set in Ireland
53:or discuss these issues on the
338:. The series is mainly set in
198:notability guideline for books
1:
506:creatures such as vampires,
591:Contemporary fantasy novels
586:Fiction about shapeshifting
617:
485:
463:
440:
398:Elizabeth "Lizzie" Larten:
322:Omnibus, Random House 2004
205:reliable secondary sources
194:The topic of this article
18:
466:Midnight's Choice (novel)
196:may not meet Knowledge's
25:Switcher (disambiguation)
581:Young adult novel series
596:Fantasy novel trilogies
552:and Books for Keeps.
459:
323:
23:. For other uses, see
321:
550:The Sunday Telegraph
99:improve this article
522:Publication history
406:The Switching Power
315:
232:"Switchers Trilogy"
118:"Switchers Trilogy"
21:Switcher locomotive
548:, as well as from
488:Wild Blood (novel)
324:
314:Switchers Trilogy
200:
535:Midnight's Choice
460:Midnight's Choice
443:Switchers (novel)
392:Midnight's Choice
328:Switchers Trilogy
316:
311:
310:
303:
293:
292:
285:
267:
195:
179:
178:
171:
153:
68:
608:
567:
562:
561:
560:
426:Tuatha Dé Danann
358:Major characters
306:
299:
288:
281:
277:
274:
268:
266:
225:
189:
188:
181:
174:
167:
163:
160:
154:
152:
111:
79:
71:
60:
38:
37:
30:
616:
615:
611:
610:
609:
607:
606:
605:
571:
570:
563:
558:
556:
546:The Irish Times
531:The Bodley Head
524:
499:
490:
484:
468:
462:
445:
439:
434:
408:
360:
307:
296:
295:
294:
289:
278:
272:
269:
226:
224:
202:
190:
186:
175:
164:
158:
155:
112:
110:
96:
80:
39:
35:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
614:
612:
604:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
573:
572:
569:
568:
523:
520:
498:
495:
486:Main article:
483:
480:
464:Main article:
461:
458:
441:Main article:
438:
435:
433:
430:
407:
404:
403:
402:
395:
380:
359:
356:
309:
308:
291:
290:
193:
191:
184:
177:
176:
83:
81:
74:
69:
43:
42:
40:
33:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
613:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
578:
576:
566:
555:
553:
551:
547:
542:
540:
536:
532:
528:
521:
519:
517:
516:shapeshifters
514:, as well as
513:
509:
505:
496:
494:
489:
481:
479:
477:
473:
467:
457:
455:
451:
444:
436:
431:
429:
427:
423:
422:
416:
412:
405:
399:
396:
393:
389:
384:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
362:
361:
357:
355:
353:
349:
345:
341:
337:
336:Kate Thompson
333:
329:
320:
305:
302:
287:
284:
276:
265:
262:
258:
255:
251:
248:
244:
241:
237:
234: –
233:
229:
228:Find sources:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
199:
192:
183:
182:
173:
170:
162:
151:
148:
144:
141:
137:
134:
130:
127:
123:
120: –
119:
115:
114:Find sources:
108:
104:
100:
94:
93:
89:
84:This article
82:
78:
73:
72:
67:
65:
58:
57:
52:
51:
46:
41:
32:
31:
26:
22:
549:
545:
543:
538:
534:
526:
525:
504:mythological
500:
497:Major themes
491:
469:
446:
419:
417:
413:
409:
397:
391:
387:
382:
372:shapeshifter
363:
352:supernatural
350:and various
327:
325:
297:
279:
270:
260:
253:
246:
239:
227:
165:
156:
146:
139:
132:
125:
113:
97:Please help
85:
61:
54:
48:
47:Please help
44:
376:protagonist
354:creatures.
273:August 2018
209:independent
575:Categories
539:Wild Blood
482:Wild Blood
421:Wild Blood
344:shapeshift
243:newspapers
217:redirected
159:April 2014
129:newspapers
50:improve it
533:in 1997.
527:Switchers
508:phoenixes
437:Switchers
388:Switchers
207:that are
86:does not
56:talk page
512:fairies
476:vampire
472:phoenix
450:Ice Age
348:animals
340:Ireland
332:fantasy
257:scholar
221:deleted
143:scholar
107:removed
92:sources
454:Arctic
383:Kevin:
368:Dublin
259:
252:
245:
238:
230:
213:merged
145:
138:
131:
124:
116:
432:Books
364:Tess:
330:is a
264:JSTOR
250:books
219:, or
150:JSTOR
136:books
537:and
510:and
326:The
236:news
122:news
90:any
88:cite
418:In
101:by
577::
215:,
59:.
304:)
298:(
286:)
280:(
275:)
271:(
261:·
254:·
247:·
240:·
223:.
201:.
172:)
166:(
161:)
157:(
147:·
140:·
133:·
126:·
109:.
95:.
66:)
62:(
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
