Review: Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1) by Amanda Hocking

Switched
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Trylle, #1

Synopsis (goodreads): 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.

Review

Switched drew me in from the very first page. I was completely enthralled. The story is mesmerizing as are the characters, and Wendy Everly is such a loveable character. Well, except for the whole throwing tantrums thing. Her whole life she's felt out of place. Her hair is always unruly, and she's never liked to wear shoes. People have never seemed to like her, therefore, she's never had a friend in her life, and every school that she's been to, she has also been expelled from. At the age of six, her mother tried to kill her, calling her a monster and asking what she did with her real child. After that, she and her brother Matt went to live with their aunt Maggie.

Eleven years later, at the age of seventeen, she realized she had the ability to make people do what she wanted, such as getting her teacher to change their mind about sending her to the principle's office. Then she meets Finn Holmes. He's mysterious and aloof and always saying the weirdest things. Then one day, Wendy uses her mind control on someone in front of him and he confronts her. He tells her what she really is: a changeling, someone who has been switched a birth, and that she's one of the Trylle.

She leaves her home behind to embark on a journey with Finn to Forening, the community of the Trylle, to find her real family, who turns out to know more about the switch than she thought they would. She wasn't expecting the life she was thrown into in Forening, and she certainly wasn't expecting to fall for Finn. But she does. And she also meets a boy her age, named Rhys, who looks oddly familiar.

Wendy is thrust into a world she knew nothing about expecting to know everything from the get go. She's expected to behave a certain way, know certain things, none of which she truly wants. All she wants is a place to fit in, and she seems to be struggling where others seem to fit in with no problems.

There is also evil lurking out there, waiting for the right time to strike and take her away, meaning keeping her protected is essential. Somehow through all of this she gains a few friends, Willa and Rhiannon, as well as Rhys, and even strikes up a little romance with Finn, even though it's forbidden. Ah, forbidden romance...

Switched is an easy read and very well written. I absolutely loved this story. When I finally reached the last page, I found myself disappointed that I had reached the end. I wanted to keep reading. I was a little surprised to find out that I was reading a story about trolls! I've never read a story about them being the main character of a story, but I found that I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read more about them and their world. They aren't the kind of trolls that we usually think of though. You know the ones: bright colored hair, short, so ugly that their actually kind of cute with little jewels in their belly buttons?? Nope. Those definitely aren't the ones. These trolls are actually quite beautiful, they love the earth, hate wearing shoes, and they have magical abilities. I honestly can't find anything about this story that I didn't enjoy, and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

I rate this book: