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Switched (Trylle #1)

by Amanda Hocking (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 35,961 ratings · 4,055 reviews

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter le...more

Kindle Edition, 315 pages

Published July 12th 2010

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Apr 06, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covergasm, pretty-dress-on-the-cover, owned-physical-copies, coverlove-booksuck, i-am-disappoint, dickhead-heroes, dont-understand-why-its-hyped, insta-love, pile-of-crap, unlikable-heroines, boooooring, cheese, no-just-no, hot-mess, sorry-excuse-for-a-romance, you-arrogant-prick, where-art-thou-originality

A more formal (and better xD) review of this is available on my blog. Check it out!

_______________________________________

I hadn't had a book infuriate me this much since A Beautiful Dark.

So Wendy Everly finds out she's a changeling switched at birth, and that she's actually one of the Trylle─a.k.a. trolls. She's also a princess.

Every. Single. Character. In this book. Expected her to know everything about Trylle life already. Nobody even educates this girl. Sometimes Finn, the hero, tries to, bu...more

34 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Alex Bennett added it · review of another edition

By now, practically everyone knows Amanda Hocking’s story. Self-published wonder turned multi-millionaire, now with multiple book deals. Before all of the hoopla, I read a little book called Switched. Even before all of the fame, I loved this book. So, of course, when it was re-released, I absolutely had to read it again. And let me tell you, I loved it even more this time around!

Switched is extremely readable and entertaining. Both times I’ve read it, I’ve gotten pulled into the story immediate...more

47 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2011 Edward Gordon rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I didn’t feel duty bound to review self-published gothic works, especially when they become incredibly popular, I probably wouldn’t have reviewed this book. If I’d known when I started reading this book that by the time I finished it the author, Amanda Hocking, would go on to sign with St. Martin’s Press for a $2 million four-book deal, and the film rights to her Trylle Trilogy (of which “Switched” is the first book) was going to be sold to Media Rights Capital, I definitely would not have re...more If I didn’t feel duty bound to review self-published gothic works, especially when they become incredibly popular, I probably wouldn’t have reviewed this book. If I’d known when I started reading this book that by the time I finished it the author, Amanda Hocking, would go on to sign with St. Martin’s Press for a $2 million four-book deal, and the film rights to her Trylle Trilogy (of which “Switched” is the first book) was going to be sold to Media Rights Capital, I definitely would not have reviewed it, because I want to spend my time on more under-represented yet higher quality works.

“Switched” (Amanda Hocking via Kindle Books, July 2010) is a Cinderella tale for the 21st century. It’s a juvenile story about a teenage girl, Wendy, who happens to be a troll (They look just like everyone else, apparently.). Wendy was switched at birth in the hospital by the Trylles (Trylle being the collective term for trolls.) so she could grow up in a rich family and later be tracked down and taken back to the Trylle community where her inheritance would ultimately go to the Kingdom of Trylle, known as Forening. Only Wendy isn’t any ordinary troll. Sure, she has psychic gifts just like all trolls, but in Forening she’s also a princess, and her real mother, of course, is the queen of Forening.

I would like to say there’s something to this story, but there really isn’t. Wendy predictably develops a crush on her sexy captor (a troll tracker named Finn), and she goes through the pains of learning to be a princess after he takes her from her human family to her biological family in Forening. There she is lavished with attention, prestige, wealth, and admiration and is even the subject of a botched kidnapping by the troll enemies of Forening during a grand ball held in her honor. Yet in spite of all that, she decides she doesn’t want to be a princess. She doesn't like the way her queen-mom does business, and she misses her human family, which consists of her brother, aunt, and the boy she was changed with at birth whom she finds in Forening.

Unfortunately, her changeling mother isn’t in the picture anymore because she took a butcher's knife to Wendy when she was a little girl, knowing full well that Wendy wasn’t her real daughter, or even a human being for that matter. She refused to accept that she had given birth to Wendy, and though her changeling mother was right all along, she was put in a mental institution nonetheless. If the story’s starting to sound familiar, it should.

The rip offs in this plot from modern movies like “Twilight,” “The Princess Diaries,” and “The Changeling” (staring Angelina Jolie) make for a very unoriginal work that even on its own is downright boring to read. At best it’s an escapist fantasy piece for young girls with low self-esteem. And perhaps that’s its charm, because there’s no denying that Amanda Hocking’s books, and this trilogy in particular, have sold very well. She’s become a multi-millionaire from them.

But I have to say “Switched” does nothing to advance the cause of modern gothic literature. Even the uncommon use of trolls that look just like humans comes off as a desperate, somewhat silly attempt to avoid using all the other over-farmed mythical creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, etc., that have already been cashed in on by other authors.

As well, the reading grade level of the writing is very low, and this will do nothing to improve the minds of the young girls who read this book. But Hocking has made a pile of cash in no time at all self-publishing it, and for some authors that’s what writing is all about. Perhaps I’m no one to judge.

Nevertheless, I’m giving this book my lowest rating, one ghost, not because the writing is bad or the formatting is bad, because that isn’t the case. In fact, during the first half of the book I found Hocking to be somewhat witty and pithy, and I liked the way the queen of trolls really acts like a troll by being curmudgeonly, stealing money, and running scams on humans with changelings. What warrants such a low rating is that the book harms the genre in terms of respect. If it were the opposite, if it were original and moved gothic literature forward, I’d give it my highest rating. But in the end, it’s just another fat-dripping burger added to an already bloated menu of McGothic tripe available to readers who don’t know any better than to consume it.

Edward Gordon
http://www.The-Gordon-Composition.com (less)

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view all 17 comments

Sonja Thanks for your review but I like the books!
Jan 02, 2013 02:47am

Emily I loved your review. I'm 18 and I guess girls my age are supposed to like these types of books, but I found that trying to force myself to read this s...more
Mar 31, 2013 09:04pm

Jan 03, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, paranormal

Trolls! I know, right? Flashy colorful hair, so-ugly-they're-cute dolls we all had at one point? In Amanda's world, these are all misconceptions. They're called Trylle, and they're beautiful, magical and on the brink of extinction.

With an entirely unique lore, Switched is able to stand out from all the other paranormal books available. I was fascinated by the Trylle mythology: How they lived, the monarchy, their custom of switching babies at birth. It was absolutely creative. Into this world co...more Trolls! I know, right? Flashy colorful hair, so-ugly-they're-cute dolls we all had at one point? In Amanda's world, these are all misconceptions. They're called Trylle, and they're beautiful, magical and on the brink of extinction.

With an entirely unique lore, Switched is able to stand out from all the other paranormal books available. I was fascinated by the Trylle mythology: How they lived, the monarchy, their custom of switching babies at birth. It was absolutely creative. Into this world comes a collection of commendable characters that are both well developed and easily likeable - even a select few that are fun to hate. Wendy has a big personality. She's had a difficult, traumatic childhood, but that only made her stronger for the wear. She doesn't let anyone manipulate her. She's sympathetic and kind. All of which make her really relatable. I enjoyed going through her dilemmas with her. The stressful demands of becoming a princess overnight, the boy she's falling for- it was all delightful. Almost like a modern day fairy tale.

Yes! The wonderful boys! From sweet to sweaty, Wendy has got more than her pick of lovely bachelors to chose from. I absolutely loved how the romance was played out in Switched. It's passionate and heartbreaking. It doesn't fall with the clichés of today's YA novels. It's unexpected - true to life. Truthfully, I devoured it and I can't fathom choosing a team. She can have them all, right?

While there is still good story development, I did find some parts of the book were a bit slow. A good portion is dedicated to character and world building, however the book does not completely suffer from "first book syndrome" it does have its own beginning, middle and end, but I think the rest of the trilogy will be much more action packed with powerful plot twists.

With this admirable debut, Amanda Hocking has begun a trilogy that has immense potential. Switched is just as beautiful inside as it is on the outside (definite cover lust) and I highly recommend it!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads (less)

27 likes · like · see review

Nov 21, 2012 Katie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dissapointments

Summary:

When Wendy was six, her mother tried to kill her claiming she was a monster.

When she meets Finn Holmes, she realizes her mother was right.

Now, she must discover who she really is and who she was meant to be.

Review:

Don't get me wrong! I will be honest. I found nothing wrong with it besides the fact that I did not enjoy it. It simply "was not my cup ot tea".

However, I will state this:

If you do not like bratty/winny/self-centered female "heroines", jerk-faced guys (that the girl falls for...more

16 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book started out strongly. Despite the protagonist being a brat (the throwing hissy fits kind) I was very into the story. However, when it got to the middle and she completely forgot about the family she loved because "ooooo cute boy" and the plot seemed to focus purely on her crushing on said boy they lost me. And the overuse of the word "foxy" made me want to hit something. There was some SMASH BANG excitingness at the end but then it went into mopey melodramatic girl mode again.

SPOILERS...more

65 likes · like · see review

Jan 17, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, z-2011-reads, disappointing

Ugghh! I like Amanda Hocking. I loved her series My Blood Approves, but this book was disappointing.

Originally I tried to read this when it was first self published, and couldn't finish it. I got about halfway, put it down, thinking I have way too many better things to be reading right now than this troll book. It wasn't even like I hated it, I just got incredibly bored and got to a point where realized I didn't care about Wendy or what happens to her.

So we know that recently it was republishe...more

26 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Kaede rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, whiny-unlikable-heroines, could-have-been-better, expected-more, girl-is-too-in-love-to-do-shit, males-done-right, paranormal, the-shelf-of-okays

3.5

Edited: 6/16/12

Can I justify buying Switched due to the hype surrounding it? No? Well how about because of the newly redesigned pretty covers? No? Well then honestly, I have no other reason.

After the disappointment that is Torn, I really couldn't find it in myself to buy Ascend. So I decided to re-read Switched, which I hoped would give me motivation to continue on with the final book in the Trylle Trilogy. Instead, I found that I had more problems with this book than I remembered.

First of...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2012 Claire Elise rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, pity-party-for-one, library-books

Picture this - a great life with a loving family,( with the exception of your mother trying to kill you when you were 5). and you're a total brat. all through out this book, i could picture Wendy whining and using her little gift of persuasion *sarcastic ooooh and ahhh* to get her way. It was her own fault for not having friends and being miserable because she never freaking tried. Its a two way street honey. You're not THAT beautiful. speaking of which i was so fucking tired of her constantly g...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 19, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: the author to work more on it

Recommended to Lisa O. by: Vasya

Shelves: fantasy, ya-lit, ebook, paranormal-ya

Well, this was interesting.
I've read and heard some much about Amanda Hocking lately - even an article on a major Italian newspaper - that I finally decided to give it a try.
I'd like to start by saying that this is my second attempt at a self published author and the first one didn't go well. The other book I read was ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy ~ 3-in-1 Edition and the main problem with it was the editing. The book was probably 150 pages longer than necessary and there was so much intern...more Well, this was interesting.
I've read and heard some much about Amanda Hocking lately - even an article on a major Italian newspaper - that I finally decided to give it a try.
I'd like to start by saying that this is my second attempt at a self published author and the first one didn't go well. The other book I read was ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy ~ 3-in-1 Edition and the main problem with it was the editing. The book was probably 150 pages longer than necessary and there was so much internal monologue that I skipped and skipped and skipped.

With Switched the fundamental problem is basically the same: editing. This book is better than the one I mentioned above but it still needs a professional hand working through it. It certainly does not need to be cut. On the contrary. It jumped from action to action to action without any character development at all. Wendy goes from finding Finn creepy to falling in love with him without maturing the feeling inside her at all. BAM! I've fallen for him.
The dialogue is horrific at times, there are long parts where the characters are just bickering and repeating things over and over.

The second part of the book was definitely better than the first. The writing flowed better, even the dialogue got better and I almost never "furrowed my brow" like the characters so many times did. I was kind of shocked at the end when the escape scene is described in approximately 20 lines. It felt like Hocking was tired of writing or had finished her word count for the day and decided to cut it short.

Plotwise once again I can't really say this book was anything new or original. I appreciated the Troll theme - that is new - but the rest is pretty much standard in YA lit now. Finn, especially, reminded me of a mix of Patch from Hush Hush (the stalking) and Sonny from Wondrous Strange.
Wendy I didn't like AT ALL. What a pain in the ass she is. She kind of sounds like a badass at the beginning and then she turns in this whiny, please-Finn-save-me thing. Tove and Rhys I liked, especially Tove, an interesting character with a lot of potential. Matt is a totally underdeveloped character and i'm guessing we'll see more of him in the next installment.

All in all, I can say this book was OK. Considering it is self published it is even good. But I also think that Hocking needs to mature as a writer, get published and acquire some new ideas. I will be looking for her work in a few years time.(less)

26 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Khadijae.523 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: university

AMAZING!! Finally I just finished ‘Switched’ A Trylle Novel by Amanda Hocking. It made me feel exited all the way along. It mainly talks about a girl that was different than everyone else, strange and she doesn’t quite fit in! Her mother tried to murder her as she accused her of having been switched at birth. Though she is not the ‘monster’ her mom claims she is…. Can’t tell you more hhhh :p it’s one of the books that steal you attention... Couldn’t stop from reading it.

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Nov 30, 2012 Domčo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Keď mala malá Wendy Everlyová šesť rokov, jej matka sa ju pokúsila zabiť, lebo bola presvedčená, že je obluda. Pritom bola len zlaté dievčatko, ktorej nechutila čokoláda. Aj jedna malichernosť dokázala zmeniť život Wendy. Ktovie, či nie k lepšiemu.

O jedenásť rokov Wendy zistí, že jej mama možno mala pravdu a ona nie je tá, za koho sa považovala. Bežná smrteľníčka zisťuje, že tak bežnou predsa len nebude - nachádza v sebe nadprirodzené schopnosti a keďže sa vôbec nepodobá na svojich príbuzných, j...more Keď mala malá Wendy Everlyová šesť rokov, jej matka sa ju pokúsila zabiť, lebo bola presvedčená, že je obluda. Pritom bola len zlaté dievčatko, ktorej nechutila čokoláda. Aj jedna malichernosť dokázala zmeniť život Wendy. Ktovie, či nie k lepšiemu.

O jedenásť rokov Wendy zistí, že jej mama možno mala pravdu a ona nie je tá, za koho sa považovala. Bežná smrteľníčka zisťuje, že tak bežnou predsa len nebude - nachádza v sebe nadprirodzené schopnosti a keďže sa vôbec nepodobá na svojich príbuzných, je zrejmé, že Finn, jej tajomný spolužiak, mal svojimi rečami pravdu. Finn už sprvu vedel, že na Wendy nie je niečo v poriadku. Ale verili by ste čudákovi, ktorí tvrdí, že ste trol? Jej život sa pritom zmenil tak dávno - vo chvíli, keď bola vymenená namiesto iného chlapca v pôrodnici.

Wendy a Finn sú zohraná dvojica. Dievča, ktoré vymenili v pôrodnici a čudák, o ktorom nikto nič nevie a ktorý prestúpil do jej triedy. Ako to už v podobných dielach býva, je zrejmé, že sa postupom času bude schyľovať k akej-takej romantike. No nebojte sa, autorka zvolila ten správny smer, aby kniha nebola presladená. S postavami je to rovnako, Amanda sa nezaťažuje žiadnymi zdĺhavými opismi a charakteristikami - počas celej knihy si udržiava jednoduchý, no pritom veľmi zaujímavý a pútavý štýl.

Autorka tejto knihy, Amanda Hocking, má na konte viaceré knihy z rebríčka amerických bestsellerov a patrí medzi obľúbených autorov u mladých. Nečudo, jej dielo Dedička sa číta veľmi ľahko a rýchlo. Aj keď sa môže zdať príbeh Wendy a Finna otrepaný a na jedno kopyto s ostatnými dielami, autorka ho poňala po svojom a chválim ju najmä za vykreslenie Trylov a kompletne vymyslenej krajiny.

Finn tvrdí, že Wendy sa musí vrátiť ku svojmu druhu, teda trylom. Wendy sa vyberie na cestu do čarovného sveta, o existencii ktorého ani netušila. To však znamená vzdať sa predošlého života. Ako sa Wendy rozhodne? Ostane pri bratovi a tete, s ktorými prežila roky alebo učiní rozhodnutie svojho života?

Celkovo ma Dedička príjemne prekvapila. Je ako stvorená pre čitateľov, ktorí nemajú radi zložitú a prepletenú zápletku. Dedička je pravým opakom, avšak štýl, ktorým autorka príbeh podala, je originálny a naisto si knihu užijete a obľúbite. Druhé pokračovanie série bude mať názov Roztrhaná, ale dátum vydania ešte nie je známy. No určite sa na trhu objaví už čoskoro - spoločne s podarenou originálnou obálkou.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

My two star rating really says it best... it was ok. As other reviewers point out, the story feels really rushed in the beginning. You don't get a chance to know the characters before you are thrown into the action. And for me, that is a pretty big flaw. I need to be interested in a character before I care what happens to them.

In my opinion, this is yet another book jumping on the "Twilight" bandwagon. Angsty teenage girl moves to a new town, starts a new school, and is immediately attracted to...more My two star rating really says it best... it was ok. As other reviewers point out, the story feels really rushed in the beginning. You don't get a chance to know the characters before you are thrown into the action. And for me, that is a pretty big flaw. I need to be interested in a character before I care what happens to them.

In my opinion, this is yet another book jumping on the "Twilight" bandwagon. Angsty teenage girl moves to a new town, starts a new school, and is immediately attracted to the dark mysterious boy who stares at her in class and treats her poorly. She starts to like him and low and behold he doesn't show up to school one day, but instead appears at her bedroom window. Then it is revealed that mysterious boy is actually not a boy but a mythical creature. The only major difference here is that the girl turns out to be one too. And even though there wasn't a really obvious love triangle happening in this first book, it's pretty easy to predict that there is one developing and it will probably appear in one of the next books.

The use of "Trolls" was really weak as well. There was nothing at all interesting about them, and they basically were no different than humans except they are picky eaters, have messy hair and don't like to wear shoes. It really just felt like the author just used Trolls because vampires and werewolves have been so overused.

And finally, a large dose of deus ex machina is given to us at the end of the story. (view spoiler)

Anyway, the book is slightly entertaining even though the reading level seems much younger than YA. There is enough action and teenage romance that I'm sure some readers will enjoy the book more than I did.

(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2010 Lillie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, for-review, i-own, nook-books, received-from-author, review-copy, reviewed-for-blog, series, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Review:
Wendy Everly's childhood has been defined by the incident that happened when she was six years old. The incident where her mother tried to kill her, certain that Wendy was not her child. And, as she grows older, her mother holds onto that certainty, even when deemed "insane".

Wendy's world is upended when she finds out that her mother somehow knew the real truth. She isn't an Everly. She was switched at birth by the mysterious Trylle. Now, she must return to them, and with the help of Finn...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Nymeria rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
«Sai muovere gli oggetti?».
«Con le mani, sì».
«Ovviamente», disse alzando gli occhi al cielo. «Visto che non sei paraplegica, davo per scontato che ne fossi fisicamente capace».

Questo libro è una noia mortale, lo preciso subito, non so come ho fatto ad arrivare fino alla fine.
La trama poteva anche essere "interessante" o almeno le premesse, ma in realtà è un disastro. Cioè lei è una troll? Sul serio? Ovviamente non quelli enormi e verdi di Shrek. I tratti che Finn cita per farle capire che è un t...more
«Sai muovere gli oggetti?».
«Con le mani, sì».
«Ovviamente», disse alzando gli occhi al cielo. «Visto che non sei paraplegica, davo per scontato che ne fossi fisicamente capace».

Questo libro è una noia mortale, lo preciso subito, non so come ho fatto ad arrivare fino alla fine.
La trama poteva anche essere "interessante" o almeno le premesse, ma in realtà è un disastro. Cioè lei è una troll? Sul serio? Ovviamente non quelli enormi e verdi di Shrek. I tratti che Finn cita per farle capire che è un troll o Trylle come preferiscono chiamarsi loro ( che sicuramente sta per troll altamente bono ) sono, intelligenza sviluppata ( sì, infatti la protagonista si è fatta mandare via dal tipo 6 scuole e la sua famiglia spera si diplomerà dopo 6 tentativi, un genio proprio ) capelli ribelli, asocialità, irascibilità, gusti difficli a tavola ( giuro, non me la sto inventando xD è scritto veramente nel libro ) e poca voglia di portare le scarpe.
Se qualcuno ( in particolar modo qualcuno che conosco appena ) mi desse del troll citando questi come esempi, io gli farei vedere davvero la mia "irascibilità".

Parliamo di quello che Wendy fa con le persone. Ok, è una changeling o troll e ha questa magica persuasione che, per qualche strano motivo, è già a livello avanzato anche se lei la usa solo per dormire in classe e no finire dal preside o fare come vuole, ma onestamente è un mostro! Usarla con il professore per convincerlo a non mandarti in presidenza lo capisco, certo poteva non addormentarsi tutti i giorni in classe ma va beh, passiamoci sopra.
Usarla con il ragazzo al ballo che praticamente manco conosce solo per farsi accompagnare a casa? No, cara, cos'è il tuo autista?
Usala sul fratello perché vuole andare a trovare la madre? No. Vacci da sola stella. La scusa è "è l'unico modo per farlo" no, con le persone ci si parla, se non si convincono amen, funziona così la vita. Lei invece chiede, la gente dice di no, e lei usa il su potere "speciale" per fregarli. Bella la vita.

I Troll poi non erano animali selvaggi,grezzi e bavosi? No!
Qui sono finissimi, vivono in case enormi, dipingono, amano la musica e la bella vita ( eh sì, visto che sparano i figli dalle famiglie umane più ricche e poi li rivogliono indietro con tutti i soldi di quella famiglia, bravi bravi ).
Wendy poi passa dall'inizio del libro in cui è descritta come una cessa, a via via sempre pià figona. Unica cosa interessante del libro. Tove e forse Rhys in qualche pezzo, ma il fatto che sia assolutamente bellissimo ( quando Matt invece non è niente di che ) e per una buona parte del libro non faccia altro che dire a Wendy quanto sia bella e fantastica, non me lo fa piacere del tutto.
Non voglio neanche spendere troppe parole sulla storia d'amore, perché secondo me di amore non c'è neanche l'ombra. Si vedono, lui fa la parte dello stalker a scuola e lei si preoccupa giusto un pò. Si rivedono al ballo, lui le chiede di ballare e poi la offende come manco si offenderebbe il proprio peggior nemico, lei se la lega al dito giusto per due secondi. Lui la pedina, si infiltra in camera sua passando dalla finestra ma a lei va bene, tanto è già innamorata di lui. com'è possibile? Lui ovviamente è innamorato di lei ma la loro storia ha un risvolto tragico ( si fa per dire ) visto che lei è la principessa del magico mondo dei Troll non può sposare un cacciatore ( e per quale motivo poi? perché lui ha dei poteri semi-nulli?) e quindi sono destinati a stare separati ( ma tanto non ci crede nessuno, no? ). Nessun problema, perché c'è un altro figone a palazzo, peccato che quello sia un umano e Wendy non si possa fare neanche questo. Ok, complimenti Wendy, te li scegli bene.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2011 Andy Gavin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been doing research on publishing for the last year. I'll have to write aseparatepost about the changing nature of the biz, it's relationship to other publishingbusinesses(like video games), and the rise of the self published ebook author. But inany case, I stumbled upon thisindependent and self published author who is selling very well (mostly on Amazon) with no prior print history. I figured I'd check one out. Switched appears to be her best seller and she says on her blog that it's her f...more

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May 04, 2011 Shannon rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Sigh*

So I went into this with low expectations. I had heard that the books were riddled with typos, so on and etc. But I made the argument to myself that most people do. "It's only $0.99."

What I liked... 1. good pacing. The books have a zip-zip pace to them, and I think that's what draws a lot of people in. 2. There is a sense of playfulness.

What I didn't like.

1. Trolls... treillings, whatever you call them. Just, really? I just couldn't get beyond the image in my head from a Merlin episode w...more

23 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Kaina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can find more reviews at These Flying Pages

After hearing all the good things about this novel I finally decided to read it, and was extremely disappointed by it. Wendy is witty, she describes herself as awkward, and had an admirable sense of compassion. But Finn *face palm* that dude has some serious emotional issues going on. He was a gentlemen one minute and then he was telling Wendy off on how a bad dancer she was and how she seemed so desperate that he was doing her a favor by dancing wi...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Sharon Malcolm rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Sharon by: Geraldine Le Couteur

Shelves: fantasy, mediocre, young-adult

The very first sentence put me off. I slapped the book down and went and hung the washing out instead because it annoyed me. I don't care if it's written for teens and was stuck to the front of a Dolly magazine, there's no excuse for a sentence that begins with "A couple things made that day stand out more than any other...". Of. Of, people. It's a word. It has a use. USE IT.

Once I got over my spelling and grammar pedantries, the story was enjoyable enough to keep you reading. I guess the fact t...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Switched was an interesting read because I was constantly flip-flopping over how I felt about it. While it was a quick and easy read that I found hard to put down, it was also filled with shallow characters, lacklustre villains and an abundance of plot holes. So while I enjoyed it for it’s mindless entertainment value, it definitely wasn’t without its issues.

A good chunk of my problems with Switched had to do with the way in which Hocking described her characters. If I wasn’t offended, then I wa...more Switched was an interesting read because I was constantly flip-flopping over how I felt about it. While it was a quick and easy read that I found hard to put down, it was also filled with shallow characters, lacklustre villains and an abundance of plot holes. So while I enjoyed it for it’s mindless entertainment value, it definitely wasn’t without its issues.

A good chunk of my problems with Switched had to do with the way in which Hocking described her characters. If I wasn’t offended, then I was completely put-off by how awful her characters came across.

She was thin, the way she had always been, in a beautifully elegant borderline-anorexic way.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think that anyone who is described as “borderline anorexic” should ever be described as elegant or beautiful – not in something that is marketed to such a young and impressionable demographic. I also had a hard time warming up to Wendy, because of her self-admitted and unapologetic brattiness, and Finn, because of his constant secretiveness; it wasn’t alluring and mysterious, it was annoying and frustrating.

Fortunately I was able to mostly forgive Wendy for her quick temper and childish ways when it was revealed that, even though she looked human, she was actually a troll princess, and a heated temperament was a characteristic of all trolls. Unfortunately, when it was explained that Wendy was a Changeling, a troll switched with a human child at birth, and that she had been raised by humans in order to help fund Forening, a troll community, so that they could live their lives without having to put in a days work, I lost all respect for anything Switched was trying to accomplish.

And so we leave our children with the most sophisticated, wealthiest human families. The changelings live a childhood that is the best this world has to offer, and then return with an inheritance from their host families that infuses our society with wealth.

So not only are these trolls lazy, they’re stupid. With this kind of wealth at their fingertips, why wouldn’t they invest it and remove their dependency on humans, not to mention alleviating any risk to their children’s lives should their host family suspect that something wasn’t right? Considering their numbers are dwindling, keeping their children safe should be a priority. It might also reduce the chance that a troll would mate with a human, further diluting their lineages.

Also, with this kind of wealth, how is it that they are subject to attacks from a rival troll community? How is it that a large group of trolls are all able to sneak past the large gate fencing in the community, sneak onto the palace’s property and smash through the skylights without attracting anyone’s attention or setting off some kind of alarm? What is all of this wealth buying them if it isn’t security?

Oh right, this is where Switched’s superficial plot comes in to play. We’re expected to believe that Wendy’s real mother, the Queen Elora, is trying to stave off having her rule overthrown by hosting dinner parties where the guests are forced to dress like they’re attending a lavish ball. Amidst threats of mutiny and enemy attack, we’re also meant to believe that she is more preoccupied with planning Wendy’s debut than actually teaching her how to be a princess that could defend herself from these kind of attacks. Oh, and that trolls with magical powers would cower in fear while a bunch of trolls relying on brute force tried to steal their princess.

But, like I said before, despite its numerous flaws, Switched is also immensely readable – it’s a quick read that I found hard to put down. So that’s gotta count for something, right?(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Mafi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pt, complete-series, 2012, favorites

4,5 estrelas

Gostei tanto deste livro, eu já tinha dado uma vista de olhos em ebook mas ler o livro integralmente e em formato papel claro que é diferente. Foi uma leitura muito agradável, o livro é sem dúvida um page turner e quando damos por nós já acabamos de ler :)

A história em si não é nada de novo, o que dá aquele toque especial é a escrita da autora, muito simples, directa, sem demasiadas descrições e mesmo quando elas existem não são maçadoras. Já referi que os primeiros livros de trilogi...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2011 Penny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bubblegum-guilty-pleasure-reading

I read the Trylle trilogy back to back on Nook in a period of 2 days, so it is hard to rate each book individually.
I downloaded Amanda Hocking's books in part due to her self publishing sucess story, and the .99 cent price for the first book. Once I read the first, I was hooked and had to keep reading. YA novels are indeed a guilty pleasure for me and this series was great. I often wondered how much better the books would be with a strong editor, but they were definitely worth reading as is. Gl...more

11 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Jojiwoji rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Desperate Paranormal Fantasy fans

Shelves: awesome-supporting-characters, irritating-main-character, awesome-cover, paranormal-romance, read-2013, boring, good-plot-bad-writing, let-down

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Switched – Review
1 star

Paranormal romance is a genre of which I’m very sceptical, mainly because everything out there seems exactly. The. Same. However, I decided to give this a try after reading some of Maggie Stiefvater's work, which is may be sorely lacking in plot but has some very good writing, and given all the hype thought surely this one must be as good, even better.

I was disappointed.

The prologue starts off promisingly enough, but it soon evolves into something bland and predictable...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Zoey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, hated

I read this book in two/three days. And I was furious almost the whole time. The author wasn't the problem; her writing is good enough. The characters, though, are absolute crap! I'm not the kind of person who hates books (I try to look at the best things in all my stories/tv shows... I'm kind of a HUGE fan girl and I love being able to squeal about something) but the only thing I ended up liking about this book was how the (human) mother KNEW the that the baby she had was not hers... That was k...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Renae M. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, paranormal, trolls, published-2012, changelings

Bottom line: Switched is not a good book. Shallow characters, superficial storytelling, lackluster “bad guys,” and subpar prose. However, I did somewhat enjoy this, and I think Switched has a very definite “mindless entertainment” factor to it.

In the beginning, Wendy is this bratty teenager with anger management issues who runs into a mysterious guy, Finn. Finn tells her she’s a troll, and takes her to troll-land, where apparently she’s the princess. Cue princess lessons à la Princess Academy...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Hermione rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-will-do-things-to-that-cover, paranormal-or-fantasy-or-magic, blargh, disappointments, i-would-rather-kick-myself, never-getting-my-brownies, whiny-heroines, warning-warning

DNF.

So, I really didn't like Switched.

Here's the deal: Wendy is probably one of the most annoying protagonists I've ever read about. It's not that the story was boring, however much I read it - that wasn't it. I really didn't like the characters (plural), and if I don't, how can I read this book?

Wendy is of the following: annoying, bratty, selfish, tantrum-y, conceited, and whiny. (enter tons of bad adjectives here.)

Finn is of the following: trying-to-be-dark, trying-to-be-sexy, watches-protagon...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2012 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, cover-appeal, trolls, romance

3.5 stars.

I have been looking forward to reading Switched for a long time! I really curious about the books that made self-publishing author Amanda Hocking famous in the literary world and was excited to see they were being published- with seriously lovely covers too! What drew me to this book was that it's about trolls. I've never read a book about trolls before. I'm sure they exist but not on my bookshelf. So it was already different and unique before I started it.

I really like Wendy Everly. H...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Sheri rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, goodreads-giveaway, own

My initial thought is that this book is only okay but somehow I am still a little curious as to what happens next. Maybe I should give it a 2.5

Switched is about Wendy, a girl who doesn’t know she is a troll. Ever since her mother tried to kill her (at 6yrs old) she knows something is weird about her. But it isn’t until the handsome Finn shows up and tells her whom she really is that it all starts to click in her head.

Immediately they want Finn to be her love interest and it seems the story of wh...more

1 like · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wendy has had a rough childhood, being almost killed by her mother who thinks she's a monster and couldn't possibly be her real child... She is raised by her aunt Maggie and older brother Matt. They love her and pretty much give her whatever she wants. There is this guy at school, Finn, that always stares at her, which creeps her out, but he's really cute. Finn tells Wendy that she's not human, she's actually a Troll, and that the family she has always believed is her own, is not her real family...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 ◕ ◡ ◕ Arooj rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When someone says the word "trolls", you probably get an image of these really short and ugly creatures with weird hair, right?

Well, this book is about trolls. Except they're not anything like what you think. They're more...advanced. And look a lot better.

The Good
- I've read many types of paranormal/fantasy books. I've read about fairies, vampires, werewolves, even mermaids. But never have I read one with trolls. That was initially what sparked my interest in this book. It was new and refreshing...more

4 likes · like · see review

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Finn or Loki?	75	357	May 16, 2013 05:07am
YA Paranormal and...: Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking	5	25	Apr 11, 2013 05:06am
Trylle Trilogy : Have you ever read a book similar to the Trylle Trilogy?	6	26	Apr 07, 2013 01:43pm
anybody else dislike this series could have spoilers?!	15	108	Mar 13, 2013 09:40am
Crazy for Young A...: Switched by Amanda Hocking → Start Date: February 18th, 2013	42	49	Feb 27, 2013 11:22am
Huntsville-Madiso...: Staff Picks: Switched by Amanda Hocking	1	9	Jan 11, 2013 01:38pm

About Amanda Hocking

I live in Minnesota, and I write young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy mostly. The My Blood Approves series is about vampires in Minneapolis, and its available now. I also wrote the Trylle Trilogy, which is a paranormal romance without vampires, shifters, mermaids, fae, angels, dragons, ghosts, or ninjas.

My latest book is Hollowland - a zombie urban fantasy set in the dystopian near fu...more

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Quotes from Switched

“Wendy: Why are you staring at me?
Finn: Because you're standing in front of me.” — 220 people liked it

“Finn: I look at you because I can't look away Wendy.
Wendy: That's kinda creepy.
Finn: I will work on being less creepy then.” — 169 people liked it

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Switched (Trylle #1)

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