Review by Booklist Review
Tia is a head-hopper, though she prefers the term immersionist: she's one of a small number of people in the world who can jump into someone else's body (with permission and close proximity). It's a good side hustle, plus there's the bonus of eating all the food that she'd normally be allergic to in her own body. Then someone borrows her body while she's "away" on a job and uses it to commit a couple of federal crimes, including the murder of a prosecutor. Though the police dive into the case, Tia starts her own investigation, trying to find not only the real murderer but also the reason behind the crimes. Unfortunately, she has to involve her ex, Nash, who just revealed to her that he's also an immersionist. During the media-swarmed mess, Tia becomes the poster child for the Immersionist Liberation Organization, mostly against her will, and tries to right some wrongs for those left behind by the prosecutor's death. Tia is conversational, funny, and a bit rough around the edges, which makes her a protagonist to root for as well as laugh with; she's absolutely a modern Veronica Mars with a sci-fi twist. Between this and her YA fantasy Lumara (2022), Landers will be developing an eager fan base.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Seventeen-year-old Tia Dante has a side hustle as an immersionist; with her classmates' consent, she temporarily transfers her consciousness to take over their bodies by utilizing her head-hopping ability. She uses this under-wraps skill to help her schoolmates accomplish things that they're often too afraid to do on their own, such as confront bullies or come out to their loved ones. While she's assisting her latest client, however, someone head-hops into her abandoned body and murders the town's district attorney. With the aid of her ex-boyfriend Nash and her bestie Val, Tia must find the true killer before she's convicted of a crime she didn't commit, and as the trio's investigation leads them into increasingly dangerous situations, Tia navigates reemerging feelings for Nash. Landers (Lumara) imbues Tia's first-person perspective with wit and brash humor reminiscent of Veronica Mars. Thriller elements involving international mobs and secret supernatural organizations, as well as weighty themes surrounding criminal injustice, propel this jam-packed roller coaster to a climactic finish. Nash is described as having dark skin; most other characters read as white. Ages 12--up. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Dec.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Body-swapping can be a neat side hustle--until it gets you framed for murder. With consent, 17-year-old Tia Dante can head-hop, or take over another person's body, leaving her own temporarily uninhabited. Tia makes good money as an immersionist, using her power to carry out her clients' nerve-wracking errands, like breaking up, coming out, or fighting back against bullies. For Tia, it's all fun, games, and escaping her many food allergies until someone steals her own body and uses it to kill a district attorney. In Tia's subsequent quest to clear her name, her cheeky one-liners ("Pies before guys," "Deal with it like a normal person and day drink") give the brisk narration a Veronica Mars--like appeal. While there is some mention of serious contemporary issues like criminal injustice, child abuse, and eating disorders, the story omits deeper systemic observations. Although Tia's afraid of the treatment she might receive as a member of a supernatural minority, in the end, her interactions with the police do not bear these fears out. A brief, charged flirtation with Blade Romanovitch, the son of a prominent Russian gangster, teases further danger but doesn't add much to the story. The murder case often takes a back seat to the second-chance romance between Tia and her ex-boyfriend, Nash Brock, but this storyline does provide a sweet coda. Most characters read white; Nash has dark skin. A satisfactorily escapist page-turner enhanced by its sarcastic humor. (Paranormal thriller. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
