Flip by Martyn Bedford

The long-awaited YA novel by my friend and teacher, Martyn Bedford, is out! I first met Martyn at the Avon Foundation's workshop in Yorkshire, England. Together with Phil Whitaker (author of Triangulation), Martyn taught a course on fiction-writing to about 15 aspiring writers from all walks of life. The course was held in Lumb Bank, an 18th-century mill owner's house, which once belonged to the poet Ted Hughes. If you've never participated in a writers' retreat, Arvon courses are a great way to get started in the decadent world (did I mention the all night drinking?) of immersive writing.

Anyway, I've been eagerly anticipating this novel as it's Martyn's first foray into YA fiction.

Flip is about 14-year-old Alex who goes to bed one December night and wakes up to find himself in an unfamiliar bedroom, in a strange house, in the middle of June. He discovers that he's wearing another boy's pajamas and hears a woman calling for "Philip" to get up. When Alex goes downstairs for breakfast, the family at the table are complete strangers. But this is the shocker: when Alex looks into the mirror, he sees another boy's face staring back at him!

An intriguing premise indeed, and one that reminds me of a more benevolent version of Kafka's The Metamorphosis. (Alex is luckier; at least he isn't transformed into a large insect.)

Flip is published by Walker Books, in the UK, and by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House, in the U.S. You can read the exerpt here and find out more about Martyn at http://martynbedford.com/.