Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1) by Amanda Hocking, Book Review

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

Title: Switched
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 293
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

*I received a review copy of Switched by Amanda Hocking from St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for a 100% honest book review.

I loved this book!  I first heard about Amanda Hocking when she was still an indie author and self-published the Trylle Trilogy, and based on the positive reaction of the majority of book bloggers online, my interest was piqued from the start--and then it was announced that St. Martin's Griffin bought the trilogy and was going to traditionally publish the series and I was so excited!

I felt as if the beginning of Switched started off really strong--the prologue draws you in, and you literally can't seem to put the book down.  I read Switched in one sitting--that's how much I loved this book!

The romance in Switched felt very authentic to me.  In most books, authors try to make the characters fall in love too quickly and un-realistically, but the relationship that develops between the protagonist Wendy and her Trylle bodyguard, Finn, was very honest and realistic, and that made the love story that much more concrete for me.

I really liked the characters in Switched--I felt as if they were relatable and flawed, but not so much that it affected the book in a negative way. I loved how Wendy was strong and empowered and stood up for herself--I love a strong heroine. I also really enjoyed Wendy's spunky, cynical humor--it gave the book a little comical relief, but not too much.

I enjoyed the level of action and adventure in Switched. I felt as if the action scenes were realistic, and the adventure was entertaining. I loved the scenes with magickal abilities, combat, and fighting and wish that Hocking would’ve written more of it into the storyline.  I can honestly say that there was never a dull moment!

I loved the cliffhangers almost at the end of every single chapter. The cliffhangers really kept the pages turning, and I was kept thoroughly entertained. I felt pleased that Hocking wrote Switched so that the reader would feel the element of surprise, which I definitely did.

I rated Switched 4/5 stars--it was a really good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt as if I were on the journey that Wendy goes on and discovers who she is while discovering what she is as well. I am excited to see where Hocking takes the story and to see more character development in the following books Torn (2/28) and Ascend (4/24).

Prepare to be enchanted…Switched by Amanda Hocking is a fast-paced read thoroughly laced with action, adventure, fantasy, and romance. Hocking has created a magickal world that I am excited to return to and will definitely be following Wendy and her gang of friends throughout their spectacular journey into the world of Trylle.



Until next time, happy reading!


-Casey