Switched by Amanda Hocking

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 335pgs

The Story

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 iis - 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. Forening, 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 with dark forces are conspiring - not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about.

The fate of Forening rests in Wendy's hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever . . .

The Review

SWITCHED was a delightful cutesy read for me and it was a great departure from your average YA fantasy novel that we read nowadays, and since everyone had been praising this author up like crazy, I knew I had to pick up this book no matter what book I was currently reading. And boy, I'm really glad that I did read this book. Not only has this author, Amanda Hocking, come a very long way from self-publishing and now onto the big bucks, while also becoming a great inspiration to me, but she's also done something quite remarkable and unheard of . . . to write about trolls no less and not focus on your vampires . . . werewolves . . . fairies . . . and whatever else there is out there to do with YA fantasy. I mean, I honestly HONESTLY overlooked reviews when it came to this book because when I read it was about 'trolls' or rather Trylle as the characters prefer to call themselves as, it was a big-but-nice surprise when I opened up this book. That's for sure!

While I will admit the events in this book happen far too quickly, but the storyline was always engaging and addictive because one after the other (almost like uncontrollable firecrackers), shocking twists and jaw-dropping secrets were soon revealed and they alone made you wonder and second-question whom to trust in this new mythological world the main character is about to embark on. Regarding the characters themselves, while they had their own personal issues to sort out and plenty of drama to add to the storyline itself, but they too were super addictive. For the most part, I really enjoyed entering Wendy's world and experiencing everything she's experiencing. Toward the beginning of the novel, Wendy was a bit of spoiled brat with a quick tongue but as the novel slowly progresses she matures, so it was nice to see that change in her. As for Finn, the "love interest" I suppose, I was already on his team when I met him. He had that ooh la la factor about him. In some ways you don't know whether to trust him or not, but once his heart is out on his sleeve and his fiercely protective side over Wendy escalates into something much more . . . every fibre of his being has that sizzle that you're dying to feel and trust me here . . . you'll totally be rooting for Finn and Wendy, even when it seems impossible to get them together in the same room without arguing.

Overall, it's easy for me to see why so many fans - new and old - adored this series and why it has become a MUST book to read for this year of 2012. With a consistent easy-to-read storyline, a variety of strong and handsome characters with their own set of personal stories, and a mythology and a new love to fascinate all, SWITCHED is one of those reads where you just HAVE to read it for the sake of it because when you look past its cliches, its cheese (but the kind of cheese that's tasty) and its frustrating romances . . . you can see the amazing side of what's to come from this author, Amanda Hocking, which I'm sure will be many great things in the future with her writing career.

The Rating 4/5 stars