History Literature / TheChangeRoom

** It turns out Sophie, a supporting character, is a lesbian. She'd kept this from her mom, who found out due to her snooping into Sophie's phone, where she had found photos of her with her girlfriend, and was having sex with her during [[SecretlyGayActivity "sleepovers"]].

* QueerEstablishingMoment: Eliza spends a lot of time staring at Shar naked in the pool's shower, with it being made clear it's more than admiration or envy for her beauty. She then mentally remembers having had relationships with women in the past too, not just men. Later on Shar shows that she too is attracted to women when she hits on Eliza after noticing this and they have sex.

** Martin was also groomed by his female teacher in his pre teens, after which she started raped him under the cover of a "romance". He convinced himself it was romance, and claimed that his mother was imagining things after she discovered this, so his rapist got away with the rapes. Only later did he realize what she really did to him.

* SexGoddess: Shar is extremely good at giving women orgasms, as Eliza learns. Eliza gets six in a row from her when they first have sex in Shar's place.

Eliza is a middle class woman of forty two living in Toronto with her husband and two sons. Although she loves them, Eliza is unsatisfied with her life, particularly she and Andrew now [[SexlessMarriage have sex rarely]]. On meeting a younger woman at the pool, Shar, who's very beautiful, Eliza grows entranced with her. Embarking on an affair, Eliza's revived by their passion, though she struggles with her guilt at the same time.

* SexGoddess: Shar is extremely good at giving women orgasms, as Eliza learns, giving her six in a row when they first have sex in Shar's place.

* TitleDrop: The change room at the pool is where Eliza has sex with Shar the first time, sparking their affair, which is the main focuse of the book.

* UnproblematicProstitution: Shar it turns out is a sex worker who pays for law school through doing this. There is no mention of any problems, with her first client being a kind older Frenchman who has never treated Shar anything but well. Her ex-girlfriend Leanne though believed any such idea was a terrible myth due to her being a radical feminist, with all sex work being inherently abusive, which Shar knows isn't true.

* StrugglingSingleMother: Eliza's mother was swamped by dead and had to care for her with her two siblings after their father died. Seeing how hard it was, and having to help her as best Eliza could while still just an adolescent had affected her deeply. Eliza realized how important money was as a result, vowing she would have her own business after growing up (and succeeded).

* SheIsAllGrownUp: Sophia has blossomed into a beautiful girl at fifteen, which both her mother Janet and Eliza (her mom's friend) notice, which she accentuates by wearing more revealing clothing. Janet is worried by this, afraid she'll get into trouble with boys. She's actually a lesbian, with a girlfriend.

* SexlessMarriage: Eliza complains how she and her husband now have sex rarely, going months without anything. When she and Andrew finally start to have sex in the book, it's soon interrupted by their sons (who she blames for this overall). When they do manage later, she's already started an affair.

* SexlessMarriage: Eliza complains how she and her husband now have sex rarely, going months without anything. When she and Andrew finally start to have sex in the book, it's soon interrupted by their sons (who she blames for this in general).

* SexIsGood: Shar, a HighClassCallGirl and EthicalSlut, believes this firmly (at least if it's all parties are enjoying this).

StayInTheKitchen: Corrine opines that so many men can't find a wife these days as they don't want to just serve as their husbands' helpmates, in disapproval. Eliza is a feminist and finds this very annoying, but refrains from comment.

* SecretlyGayActivity: Sophie frequently having sleepovers with Binta it turns out was cover for their having sex together, as they're actually girlfriends. Binta's parents knew about [[OpenMindedParent and were fine with this, but Sophie's mom was unaware (which she's initially very upset by).

* ParentWithNewParamour: Eliza's mother grew close to Garry, a Jehovah's Witness elder on the death of her husband and she joined the religion, accepting his marriage proposal. Her son though believed he was a creep and threatened to kill Garry, so she called it off, leaving her new religion too.

* MsFanservice: Shar's very beautiful, with her body described at length. Further, she's the most open and unabashed about her sexuality. She and Eliza have several explicit sex scenes, which mostly focus on describing Shar since they're from Eliza's perspective.

* NoEnding: [[spoiler:The book ends right after both Eliza and Andrew learn Shar was once a sex worker as she's about to tell both of them about it. It's left unknown as to how either of them will react, along with whether Eliza will stay with Andrew, Shar [[{{Polyamory}} or both.]]

* HeteronormativeCrusader: Janet is alarmed and upset after learning her daughter Sophie is a lesbian. Eliza, her friend, is annoyed by this (as she's attracted to women along with men herself, though Janet doesn't know) it and coaxes her to tell Sophie she loves her still no matter what, rather than becoming hung up on it. Janet thankfully isn't that prejudiced and takes Eliza's advice.

* BrutalHonesty: Eliza is given to speak her mind, even when it's insulting to others and shocking otherwise. Andrew, her husband, feels embarrassed but curious or amused too about this.

* AmazonChaser: In a female version, Eliza is very attracted to Shar, a woman whom she meets at the pool, admiring her lean, muscular form (the woman's a keen swimmer), dubbing her the Amazon before she's told her name.