Switched by Amanda Hocking
Published: 12th July 2010
Publisher: Tor
Series: Trylle Trilogy #1
Page Count: 335
Synopsis: What if your entire world was built on a lie? Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claims she is – she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in... She’s bored and frustrated by her small town life – and then there’s the secret that she can’t tell anyone. Her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why... When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night – her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Förening, the home of the Trylle. Finally everything makes sense. Among the Trylle, Wendy is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Förening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever...
Review: So I started reading this straight after finished another book about Trolls which made me a little worried that due to similarities I wouldn't be able to enjoy it, however where he similarity started is also where it ended. Whilst this is about trolls, it isn't your average big green and ugly kind of trolls, nor is it any form of troll-like that you might imagine, these trolls are in fact so very human looking they're actually swapped out with human babies to help them survive with privilege human "parents" - its a tradition that dates back a while and a little complicated but I guess it works, most of the time. Unfortunately for Wendy it didn't work, her human "mother" knew that Wendy wasn't her flesh and blood and eventually decided she wasn't even human flesh and blood to the extent that she deemed it worthy to take a knife to Wendy's belly in an attempt of murder. Flash forward a few years and Wendy is bored at school and what we assume a-ok other than a scar across her mid-drif (its a good job tank tops aren't ever nice looking I guess?) and her ability to well push people to do or not do what she wants, its a little spectacular really that she isn't more worried about the fact when looking at someone and thinking something hard enough they do just whatever she thought but I guess being brought up being called a monster makes you have a little tougher shell than usual people. Anyhow this boy, Finn, gets a little creepy close with the staring and almost but not quiet flirting but he turns out to be from the Troll world too and its his job to get Wendy where she belongs, back with her Troll mother, only here is the catch not only does Wendy not want to leave her human family behind her real mother isn't just any Troll, she happens to be the Queen of the Trolls! Don't worry though, Wendy does end up following Finn back "home" but it takes an attack from the Vittra (bad Trolls) to get her to run away, here is the point in the story where things get interesting but at the same time not, its why the books has left me with very mixed feelings, whilst I adored reading and learning about the Trolls lifestyle and customs and seeing Wendy adapt to attempting to become the next Queen I just constantly felt like nothing was ever happening. I think if you've read the book too, you'll know what I'm going on about, whilst we're pounded with all these details nothing actually happens and it just leaves you wanting more that is until a big attack at the end from the Vittra which isn't all that big because we're seeing it from Wendy's point of view and she spends most of it worrying and running. I think if I hadn't found the whole initiation process of Wendy into her new life and the development between her character, Finn and her fake brothers real brother Rhys and the lack of relationship between herself and her real mother, I'd have given the book a lower rating, I'm definitely open to reading the next in the series to see how it progresses as I think things could potentially be rather interesting.
I love the cover on this book. The premise does sound interesting but I know what you mean about reading a book where nothing seems to "happen".
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Colletta
It's true. The middle felt like it was dragging on for a while, and looking at the ending, it seems to be all for nothing. I hope the Trylle Trilogy gets better!
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