Alex wakes up one morning in someone else's room, in someone else's home, in someone else's life. Philip - Flip - is his age almost to the minute, but that's the only thing they have in common. Except that Alex is now stuck in his life with no way out - and Flip is stuck in Alex's.
There's an odd creepiness underlaying this story. I have to say I was very relieved to find I'm past the age where PE - psychic evacuation - might be an issue. Imagine waking to find yourself in a country where you don't speak the language? The book is clear that while muscle memory may carry over, memories don't. Alex finds himself hurled into a new world without warning and with no map along the way. With only one person on his side, the weight on his shoulders is sometimes overwhelming, and the way he deals with it is very realistic.
The story touches on some moral issues - what is the soul, what is the mind, what's the difference, can your soul really be dragged from body to body - but thankfully keeps them in the background instead of preaching about them. Flip is a fantastic debut from Mr Bedford and I'll be looking forward to his next novel.
And I love the cover - the back cover is a mirror of the front, bar Flip's eyes being open - and the way the chapter headers are mirrored. It's a nice touch.
Parents be warned; there are direct and indirect references to suicide, and some kissing and drunkeness by teens.
The typical, all-too-familiar mood swings of the new PE was how Rob saw it.
"One day you feel great, like you've got a whole new lease of life; the next day you're so far down you could top yourself." Rob ran his fingers through his fake yellow hair, causing it to spike up even more than usual.
"Did you ever think about that?" Alex asked. "Topping yourself?"
Rob held his gaze. "Alex, there isn't a psychic evacuee who hasn't."
That shut them both up for a while.
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