In the beginning I didn't like her additude of doing the wrong thing on purpose. Also I thought the Green Lady would be nice and kind of like a warm goddess but, I was wrong. As the story progressed, it started getting better but I still didn't get why they want to switch a Folk with a mortal. The book is pretty good.

This book contained many different good and evil magical creatures. A journey to be reaccepted into her own park where she grew up and lived with her fairy godmother and godfather...( a white rat and a shadow horse) Neef had broken a rule that cost her, her life but after her journey and troubles did Neef a changeling with too much curiosity and her twin human did Neef get reaccepted into her home without the threat of being hunted by the Hunt? Find out in this book that start a series by Delia Sherman: Changeling!!!

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

What a perfect morning vacation book! My husband sleeps later than I do, so I read quietly with my cups of hot lemon tea with honey. This story was magical, fun, humorous, and captivating. Childish and silly in the best possible way!

This is a great book and a must read. Books are always better than the movie, at least that's my opinion

this is a really novel and entertaining retelling of old stories and of making up of new stories. you don't get hit over the head with the "moral of the story" either. I highly recommend this.

Neef is (as the book's title would imply) a changeling - that is, a human stolen as an infant by the fairies to be replaced with one of their own. She now lives in New York Between, a version of Manhattan that exists side-by-side with the real city, invisible to all its mortal residents. New York Between is the home of all manner of supernaturals from around the world, and it is amongst them that Neef has been raised and educated in the ways of Folklore by her fairy godmother Astris - a white mouse.

But Neef is growing bored with her life amongst the folk of Central Park, and knowing so much about the rules and conventions of fairytale adventures, she increasingly wants to experience one of her own. Knowing that the first step to having an adventure is to break the rules, Neef decides to attend the Solstice celebrations in the hope of meeting other mortal changelings.  Naturally, the consequences are far more dreadful than she could have ever expected.

Best described as urban fantasy for tween readers, "Changeling" is a fun little read that draws heavily on the traditional elements of folklore and mythology to shape its story whilst giving everything a modern twist. There are lots of little winks and nods to famous fantasy stories, such as mention of "the fields we know" and "goblin fruit," cameos from the Water Rat from The Wind in the Willows and the Shakespearean fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and off-handed comments concerning modernized fairytales such as Jack and the Extension Ladder and Little Red Baseball Cap. Anyone familiar with the genre will have a lot of fun spotting all the allusions and references that Sherman litters throughout.

Neef makes for a funny, smart, witty protagonist who is well-versed in the tropes and idioms of fairytales, and bases all her experiences on what they've taught her. Joining her halfway through her quest is the fairy changeling that took her place in the human world: Jenny Goldhirsch. After Neef gets over her shock at an identical stranger with plenty of odd idiosyncrasies of her own, Neef comes to rely on the changeling who currently lives the life Neef would have led had she not been snatched by the fairies, a scenario that leads to an intriguing dynamic between the two girls.

However, although it's not explicit, the character of Jenny Goldhirsch clearly has some form of autism, and which is meant to be a symptom of her role as a changeling in the mortal world. Much like Rick Riordan's use of dyslexia as an indicator of half-divine mortals in the Percy Jackson books, some readers may find this appropriation a little disconcerting. It doesn't figure very heavily into the plot, (in fact, young readers with little understanding of the condition may not even pick up on it) but consider yourself warned.

The plot itself can get a little pedestrian at times: it's basically a succession of getting into trouble, running away from trouble, trying to get out of trouble, being sent on a quest to undo troubles, and gathering various McGuffins in order to regain Neef's right to live in Central Park. The interest lies completely in the variations on typical quest-fairytales that Sherman throws in along the way, and in doing so, she throws practically everything but the kitchen sink into her eclectic world of New York Between. Amidst the famous New York landmarks you'll find bogymen, dragons, living statues, Japanese spirits, mermaids, pixies, vampires, and the above mentioned literary characters.

To supplement this variety of supernatural creatures, there is a brief guide at the end of the story (written by Neef herself) that provides short descriptions for each one, as well as their country of origin. Also fun are the "Rules for Changelings" that Neef inserts at the beginning of each chapter, that include 'sticks and bones may break your bones, but words can get you in a lot of trouble,' and 'if something seems too good to be true, it's probably trying to kill you.'

It didn't surprise me to read on the back cover that Delia Sherman has more books about Neef in store, as there's plenty of room left for a sequel. All in all, "Changeling" is a fun, quick read that will appeal to long-time fans of the fantasy/fairytale genre.

We bought this book for our 8 year old son who enjoys this genre.  Each night we read one chapter together before bed and each night he begged for just a little more.  Delia Sherman weaves a world of mythologies into New York as seen through the eyes of a strong, stubborn little girl on a quest.  Part of the pleasure, for us, is that it is set in New York Between and we live in NYC, so could visualize the settings easily.  Before we got to the last page, he was asking for the sequel!  And he liked it so much, he asked us to buy a copy for his friend also!

Although set in New York, this cannot really be described as an urban fantasy, because this is a parallel version of the city, inhabited by every denizen of Faery from every corner of the globe, from brownies to bogles and dragons to demons - and the occasional human changeling snatched for reasons known only to the powers that rule in this strange city.

The city is portrayed with great wit and invention,(and obvious affection for the human version of New York). The inhabitants are colourful and intriguing. You also get a real feel for Faery, a twisting land with odd nonsensical rules, where life and death frequently depends upon the results of a game. And where everybody cheats. All the time.

This is a book that's suitable both for children and for adults who like fairytales. If I've rated this with only 3 stars, it's because the character of the first person narrator, Neef the changeling child, is a little too naive and simple for my own tastes. But if you enjoy classic fairytales, you'll probably like this a lot.

It has literally all magical creatures in it I'd have to say it was very interesting. If you like to read about adventures this is the book for you.

CHANGELING is really middle grade rather than YA, but because of the humor and the references to New York that might be over 12-year-olds' heads, older kids might like it, too. I can barely remember 5th grade, but I enjoyed reading it.

Neef is a human child who was exchanged for a fairy when in her cradle. She lives in Central Park, in "New York Between," with a white rat for a fairy godmother, and a pooka for a fairy godfather. This is New York City book. The action moves all over Central Park, up to Broadway, over to Wall Street, into the harbor, and even onto the New York Between version of the subway. Neef and her new friend, known as Changeling, face dangers and use their wits and talents to survive. The resolution is satisfying, even if the last-minute save is pretty obvious, and by the end, you're really pulling for both girls to make it home.

A thoroughly fun read with a lot of energy.  Note that I read the Kindle version, and it was in excellent shape as far as formatting.