Switch by A.S. King

A.S. King books are difficult to describe. The stories exist in a world similar to reality but always with some impossible element that is treated as mostly normal. And there are several in this one. The first being that time stopped several months ago - for everyone. Not that everyone and everything is frozen in place. Time just stopped - no moving clocks or watches. So many questions, but best to accept it and move on. 

Truda's life is literally upside down (like sometimes her house rotates). Again, best to just roll with it. Her mother left and her father is not handling it well. He cooks and builds. He builds boxes within boxes to cover the switch on the wall in the house. Truda lives in one of the boxes and so does her older brother. Their sister is never in the story but has caused so much pain that she is central to the narrative. 

The world is not right. Truda spends her time in school in a group trying to find ways to restart time - the group's focus is psychology. She joins the track team and becomes a javelin thrower. She hangs out with her friend Carrie. Mostly normal, but not really. Time stopping has messed up everything in her life. 

I enjoy A.S. King books. They are odd enough to keep me interested without going too far. Even when they are difficult to visualize, I know there is a point being made. Like the characters are living in a giant metaphor. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.