Switched Review

Switched (Trylle #1) by AMANDA HOCKING

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 (goodreads).












1/2
Review:                                      Based on an ARC

Amanda's Hocking's publication of her once self-published trilogy has the internet all a flutter so I was excited when I received an ARC. Hocking's take on the "troll" lore is refreshing and sets up what seems to be a really fun and original trilogy. 

Wendy Everly is noticeably different from her family which leads her mother to deny her as her daughter and attempt to kill her only daughter on her sixth birthday nonetheless. 10 years later, armed with the truth that she is a troll changeling, Wendy struggles to find herself in the Trylle culture as well as become the perfect princess that the mother she never knew demands of her. 

I was drawn to this book initially because I had never heard of a novel centered around troll folklore and I was interested in seeing how the author would shape this young adult piece. While the plot rushed at some points, and dragged at others, I noticed a clear plot shaping up which kept my interest throughout the entire novel. The audience suffers with Wendy as she struggles to find out why her mother despises her and follow her as she is swept away to the Trylle kingdom which is conveniently located in Minnesota. I stated that the plot drags and is rushed at all points, but as a whole the novel does drag; I feel that the entire first novel was setting up for the rest of the trilogy; I was excepting a bit more action and a more specific conflict rather than hints of bad things to come. 

Given that the novel was told from the first person perspective, our introduction to all of the secondary characters is based on how Wendy portrays them. All of the characters have clear and distinct personalities which make them memorable and fun.There are even some characters that I wondered if they were as trust-worthy as Wendy made them out to be. I enjoyed all of the colorful characters that Hocking introduced to her world but I did think that the romance fell a little flat. There are hints that the trilogy will involve a love triangle with a human but the first novel revolved around Wendy's infatuation with a fellow Trylle. In my opinion, the two characters, Finn and Wendy, did not have enough interaction to be able to pine after one another. 

Lastly, the writing style was very solid. There were points which I felt were glossed over, especially during scenes in the Trylle kingdom. I wanted more descriptions of the troll community and I also think that there could have been a clearer timeline throughout the novel. I didn't know if a series event happened in a week or a month so I felt that clarification would have lended itself to the novel.

Amanda's Hocking's published novel is a great start to a trilogy but it lacks substance as a novel on its own. The plot promises an interesting conflict with characters who have already one me over with hints of a very interesting love triangle. 

I recommend this novel for those who want a fresh take on their childhood troll under the bridge. 


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