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 that's both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

• ISBN10: 1429956526
• ISBN13: 9781429956529
• Publish Date: 3 January 2012 (first published 1 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: St. Martin's Griffin
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[nannah]

Yikes.

Book content warnings:
ableism
classism

First of all, what a prologue! I didn't know who to root fore, especially with the title being what it is. I thought the book would go into more about how changelings affect humans (because they're literally victims). But then what I got on the first page is the love interest introduced by having him "stare" at the MC incessantly during her high school class with his "dark eyes". Give me a break.

And soon after, I got this:

Most likely he was a damn sociopath, and for whatever reason, I found that endearing."
??

This isn't the only awful line because once Wendy meets her actual mother, there's this gem:

". . . in a beautifully elegant borderline-anorexic way."
Lovely. I didn't know an eating disorder was elegant. What makes this worse is that this is a young adult book. Young girls are going to be reading this and seeing anorexia as "elegant" and "beautiful".

I also should have counted how many times the author uses the descriptors "foxy" and "dark eyes" because it seems she ran out of creativity when it came to describing men. The only way it could be worse is if she used the word "orbs".

It's also difficult to relate to Wendy, the MC, because she's so privileged. Her brother drives a Prius (even without having a job), her family came from money, and she's "never been a big fan of manual labor" --> and by that she's talking about working in the veggie garden.

This whole privilege thing was supposed to be justified, too. Eventually, Wendy finds out she's a literal troll, and goes to the "troll village" somewhere in Minnesota. The Queen (of the trolls) says this: "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 . . ." Soooo . . . the Best This World Has To Offer is the childhood of the wealthiest? And it doesn't help that all these trolls are coded as white, even though they're supposed to be earth-toned--so it would make so much more sense if they were black, or literally any other race. So these trolls supposedly get the Best this world has to offer by living with privileged, racist families, most likely. Because poorer and poor families have nothing to offer, do they?

Plus this whole Princess thing with emphasis on bloodline and the fact that Wendy is the most important because of her pure bloodline and what she can offer the kingdom through her CHILDREN reeks of misognyny. Is she a princess or a purebred dog? The whole plot seems to revolve around this. What if she had endometriosis or cysts or other reproductive issues? Would she be banished as if she had actually "bred" with a lower Trylle such as a tracker? But then again the author probably didn't even consider someone could have actual illnesses when her book is so ableist as it is (re her "host mother" and all the jokes about insanity so FUNNY).

So yeah, I didn't enjoy this book. I did like Tove, but not much else.

[tweetybugshouse]

I been wanting to read this book for awhile mostly since i saw the cover for the spin off and i like okay got to read the 3 books this one based off. So i reading along totally loving the story and then you find out she not a fairy, a witch, a vampire or any of the usual things you come across no she a troll yeah i know a troll oh yeah new idea yeah go amanda. This book spends a lot of time setting the world up, character developing, and explaining the general way the tyrlle community works but that okay it a new series got to get all that information out their so we can get to the guts of the story in book two. So excited for this series cause i love that frost fire cover lol.

[Kim Deister]

I loved the fantasy world that Amanda Hocking created in the worrld of the Trylle. It is a complex society that lives within our own world, completely off the grid for most humans. I read a lot of fantasy and rarely have I come across a world featuring trolls, especially depicted as socially cultured and refined creatures.

The society of the Trylle and the lore behind it reminded me a lot of Aprilynne Pike's Wings series. There is a very defined caste system which most are unwilling to change or challenge, different social groups of trolls who all function in specific ways. The changeling theme is also similar, although that is a piece of the lore that exists in a lot of mythology.
But, despite those commonalities, the story is its own. Wendy has had a rough childhood in a lot of ways. Her father died when she was very young and her mother hated her, going so far as to try to kill her when she was only six years old. She has never fit in and she was always more than a little difficult, no matter how hard she tried. Even with all of that, she grew up with her aunt and her big brother, both of whom loved her unconditionally. Despite the paranomal aspect to the story, there are some strong messages on family acceptance and love.

And then she meets Finn, who turns her world upside down when he tells her the unimaginable... that there is a reason that she is the way she is and that her life is in danger because of it. She soon discovers that latter is true, although she has a tough time wrapping her head around the rest of it.

I love Wendy as a character. She is strong and loving, and more than a little stubborn. She loves her family fiercely and is strong in her own beliefs. But she isn't sure that her new life is better or worse than her old life, and neither was I as a reader. Finn is a great character, strong and loyal. He is a warrior and a protector and full of honor. He is the epitome of the knight in shining armor, almost to a fault as he is willing to sacrifice even his own needs and wants for the greater good. Elora (Wendy's mother), however, is a conundrum. She is regal to the point of being more than a little cold. She and her biggest rival, Aurora, seem to take a great deal of pleasure sniping at Wendy. Nothing she does is ever good enough and there is no compassion for the changes she has been through. Elora is the woman we love to hate and Aurora is a raging snob!

Bonus: There's a bonus short story in the newer editions of the book, The Vittra Attacks, set in the world of the Trylle!

My Recommendation: Forget the fact that the cover is gorgeous... this is a fun book with a great premise. There is a lot going on under the surface that we are only just getting hints at. There are secrets and mysteries and intrigue and I can't wait to read the second book!

[reveriesociety_]

It was interesting, but I don't like the protagonist's personality -_-

[nitzan_schwarz]

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE BLOG POST! 

Switched is a book I'd rather forget I've ever read, and there aren't many books I'd say that about. It was so bad that to this day I can rant about it as if I've just read it yesterday, and I've been too afraid to pick up another Hocking book since. 

I got this book because of the cover. I was struck with how beautiful it was, saw the summery was up my alley and my friends liked it, so it became an instant buy. But yeah, mostly cause it's supper beautiful. #Shallow

Tay-Tay knows her stuff...

Despite this fact, I had really high hopes, for all the above reasons. The last thing I thought would happen would be the intense hatred I felt toward this book. But why did I hate it? The short version: Insta love, annoying heroine, a love interest with a multiple personality disorder, and an obsessive "romance". Gah. 

And now, into the long version (what, did you think I was going to leave it at that? pffft).

First of all, Hocking's trolls are hella disappointing. Trolls are not the everyday literature heroes, and I wasexcited for that. But guess what? they are the farthest thing away from the big, ugly, menacing boulders of rock we're accustomed to. In fact, they just look like supermodel humans! So, not that different from everyday literary creatures...

Speaking of Trolls - Wendy is one. She's our main character, and under different circumstances (i.e were she an interesting, compelling MC), I could've ignored the aforementioned point. But no. While she started out alright, she completely lost me when she started obsessing over Finn. And I mean, really obsessing. Her only redeeming quality was how she managed to make me laugh occasionally.

Speaking of the devil... it's not often that I outright dislike a main male character. But I really did with this one, even when he was "playing nice". And frankly, he mostly wasn't. Mostly, he was a class A jerk, or he was distant. At the end, I never got what Wendy saw in the dude.

But I'll be honest, I liked almost all the supporting characters. If this trilogy was about them, I'll probably be gulping it up. Like, Tove or Rhys's stories will be fun. Or even Matt's!

Now we're moving to the REAL THING. I'm putting here the general gist of things, but if you want to see a play by play, detailed rant of the whole "romance" thing, come back to PART TWO tomorrow. 

Now, okay. Oh. My. Fucking. Tripping. God. WHY?

The romance in this book made me want to kill myself. Scratch that, kill Wendy. I just wanted it to end already! It was so insta love I can't even! 

This was one of the worst--if not the wrost--cases of insta love I've ever read of, and I couldn't find one good reason for them to fall in love! It takes her exactly four days to decided she's fallen in love with Finn, in which they barely interact. (Go to the hilarious part 2 for more on this).

The "love" in this story, if you can really call it that, completely overshadowed and overpowered the plot, to the point where I felt there wasn't much of the latter. Thankfully, it eased up a bit after 100 pages, otherwise this would have been a DNF for sure.

Side note: I did enjoy their first kiss. Maybe it was because some plot has finally been dished out and diluted the romance a bit, but I'm not complaining. About this, anyways lol

Another thing I'm not complaining about is the ending, because I kind of liked it. I truly believe that if this story took a different turn (i.e: erasing the god-awful romance and focusing on the actual story), I would've liked it. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

P.S - someone, please tell me, do people really say "foxy" nowadays? Is this still a thing??

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPOILERY THOUGHTS ON THE ROMANCE! 

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________________
Old Version
This review was originally posted on my blog, and re-reviewed on my new blog. 

Sorry for the language in this review. This book makes me emotionally unstable. 

So, I'm actually going to start Tuesday Oldie with one of my my most hated books ever. Switched is a book I'd rather forget I've ever read, though it provides great rant material. It's widely loved, so yes - I'm a minority in my opinion. But I'm really not one to hold my tongue.

I'll admit to getting this book solely for the cover. I mean, look at it! It's absolutely stunning! And the summary sounded rather interesting, too, and my friends loved it... yeah, I had all the reasons in the world to get this book, and to love it. Except I didn't. Because it drove me mad.

The short version is - Insta love. Annoying heroine. A love interest with what appears to have multiply personality disorder and a "romance" that borders on obsessive. And those are just a few. If those sound like things that may turn you off... don't read this book.

Now, I'll admit - this book is intriguing solely for its choice of supernatural beings. Trolls are not the everyday literary heroes. But of course, Hocking's trolls are the farthest thing away from the big, ugly boulders of rock we're accustomed to. In fact, they just look like supermodel humans! So, maybe not that different from everyday literary creatures... 

Now, moving to the Long Version (because, let's face it, what kind of rant would it be if I used the short version?!) - 

Wendy is our MC, and at first I liked her. She was a breathe of fresh air among all the pretty heroines who think they're ugly. But then she had to ruin it by thinking herself average compared to. And it was her only redeeming quality, too! Because when Wendy started obsessing over Finn, she completely lost me. If she didn't manage to make me laugh a few times, I might've burned her at the Worst MC stake.

Only time I really felt for her? When everyone were furious with her for doing something wrong, when she couldn't have known better because no one explained a single thing to her! 

Now, what can I say about Finn? It's not often that I outright dislike a main male character. But I didn't like this one - not even when he was playing nice. And most of the time he wasn't. Most of the time he was a jerk. Or he was distant. At the end, I never got what Wendy sees in him.

But I'll be honest. I liked almost all the supporting characters. Too bad this trilogy isn't about them, cause I'd read Tove's story, or Rhys's (who was just such a cute one!) or Matt's (another cutie).

Now we're getting to the major rant. This is going to be huge. Be warned. Because the romance.... just... Oh. My. Fuckin'. Freakin'. Tripping. God. WHY?!

I wanted to kill myself. I wanted to kill Wendy. I just wanted it to end already! This was so Insta Love...

This was one of the worst case of Insta Love I've ever seen, and I couldn't find one good reason for them to fall in love! Just to clarify things for you... It takes her four days to decide she's fallen in love with him. In those four days, their contact is summed to: 

On the first day, they barely talk, she accuses him of creepily staring at her and he promises he'll try not to bother her with it (not to stop, mind you, just not to bother her with it). 

On the second day, he insults her and acts like a total jerk. Oh, and he ends up Edward style on her windowsill and breaks the news she's a troll. Wendy's reaction? Learning he's only stalking her as part of his job makes her sad that he's not stalking her cause he wants to. WTF?! How desperate for attention (not to mention f*cked up) are you?! Then he tells her he needs to take her to an effing compound and somehow they reach the point where Wendy realized there's been others before her. Which makes her utter this lovely gem:

"Crazy I could deal with. Slutty, not so much". 

What. Is. Wrong. With. You?! taking you to a compound is okay, but the idea you're not the first he'll take to the compound (and no, this is not a euphemism for something dirty), is not?! Dear lord. 

But wait, it gets worse, because she spends the third day wondering why isn't she leaving with him, because she really likes the idea of a life with him (whhhhy? And when did you ever get the impression the compound would lead to a life with him!?) and the only thing keeping her there is her family. After one last attempt to make her come with him, he leaves.

And so, she spends the forth day depressed about his departure (Bella issues much? At least Bella knew Edward months more than you know Finn!). Luckily for her, he saves her from a kidnapping attempt! And, god almighty, save me. She was slapped around, kicked and beaten - but she wouldn't trade it for anything because it led to Finn touching and looking at her tenderly.

The "love" in this story completely overshadowed and overpowered the plot, to the point where I felt there wasn't much of the latter. Thankfully, it all eased up after the first 100 pages, which was just so much better to the degree I could actually enjoy their first kiss.

And yes, you had to suffer through all that to get to this admission ;)

Also, I liked the ending. And I think that if this story took a slightly different turn (like erasing this god-awful romance and focusing around the troll story more), I might have liked it. But it didn't. 

P.S Someone, please answer me this - do people really say Foxy nowadays?! 

This review was originally posted on my blog, and re-reviewed on my new blog. 

______________________________
Edit: as I've finally grown over my fear of one-staring, this was now has the appropriate rating - 1 star...

[Kelsenator]

Check out my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf for the full review.

Wendy grew up feeling different than everyone else. She had trouble making friends, got expelled from many schools, and people seem to give her a weird look. She hates wearing shoes, her hair is a mess of curls, and her mother tried to kill her when she was a kid, convinced she wasn’t hers. The only family she really has is her brother and her aunt, who have moved around a lot for her to be able to graduate.

When she meets Finn, she becomes intrigued by him, even when he isn’t always the kindest. She learns that she is Trylle, a troll, and that she is to come home and his job is to take her. Missing the only family she cares for, to make sure everyone is safe, she ends up going with Finn. What she finds out when she gets there is crazy and she has a lot to learn of that world and how it runs. Her feelings for Finn grow, even when he tries to put distance between them.

I’ve gotten used to reading about faeries and other mythical beings, but this book definitely tried something new. Trolls. Not the toy or the creepy and ugly kind that hides under bridges. These kinds of trolls look like normal people, except for their added beauty and gifts. There are different classes with the trolls too, and Wendy comes from a strong line of Trylle. They seemed more like just people with some paranormal abilities than trolls to me, they lost their connection with the earth and are pretty much just living rich. I hope that changes as the story goes.

Wendy can be very stubborn, and it seems like she doesn’t really try at anything before giving up. I was annoyed with her a bit at first, but I also felt sorry for her past and ended up liking her character more as I read. Her homesickness kept getting to her, and if I was away from my family I’d definitely feel the same. Finn was interesting, but he gets an award to sending mixed signals to girls! I’m hoping the two end up together, but it’s hard to tell where the rest of the story will go, especially after what happens closer to the end of the book.

This version also included a short story, called The Vitra Attacks. It’s pretty much a behind the scenes story, from the perspective of a Vittra called Loki during her kidnapping and the plans for another attack later.

I recommend this for young adult fantasy fans.

[notajammiedodger]

I only got about 20 pages into this book. And I just didn't want to keep going. I might go back to it when I'm desperate for something to read, see what happens.

[bookishzelda]

This book had a lot of buzz because Amanda Hocking was a self-published author who ended up with a big book deal. A true dreams come true story and with this enticing cover I couldn't help pick it up.

Honestly not what I expected the Trylle to be at all....they are trolls. Aren't those to the little green guys that run around with clubs and drool coming out their mouth. Apparently not, Amanda Hocking creates a whole new society of trolls that quite resembles a humans existence. Except for a main different, Trylle unlike humans have special abilities and no two Trylle are created equal. It took me a little bit to get out of my head that these weren't those green men with clubs that I've been accustomed to in other stories but I did like the idea of them having this whole secret society. Although I wouldn't call them "good guys" by any means, stealing babies and all.

I was disappointed in Wendy a little bit. She's a changeling and actually a Trylle so that is supposed to explain her bad attitude and hissy fits. Which okay she doesn't really fit in, who she thought was her mother called her a monster. Okay so I can understand she might be not quite perfect. The part that disappointed me was that I didn't feel like she matured at all in the book. It ends with her doing, what I consider to be a selfish deed and not thinking about the consequences of her actions.

Finn was easy to love. I like the fact that even though his heart might say otherwise he didn't let it effect is duty. He looked at the big picture of the situation. Did I want him to throw caution to the wind sometimes. Of course but I respected him when he didn't.

I had mixed feelings about some of the other characters but I like the dynamic of them. That they were this grab bag of personalities. I think that help add to the book.

I consider this book a light read. One that you are not supposed to try to wrap your brain around every tiny detail and just read for enjoyment. I always like to read a book like this after I have read a longer book. This book had me interested from beginning to end and I did enjoy it.

[Angie]

"A couple things made that day stand out more than any other: it was my sixth birthday, and my mother was wielding a knife. Not a tiny steak knife, but some kind of massive butcher knife glinting in the light like in a bad horror movie. She definitely wanted to kill me."

I absolutely love opening lines like that, which make you go "what?!" And this book contains an original creature: trolls! I've heard amazing things about Amanda Hocking, and I'm happy to learn that it's all true. Switched was such a fun and unique story full of great characters! Wendy is strong-willed, quirky and feisty, and I loved her! She doesn't truly fit into the human, and her family has to move a lot, so she's basically stopped trying. Then when she finds out her true heritage, she doesn't really fit in with the Trylle either. I found her easy to relate to and believable. I'm definitely cheering for her to find her place in the world.

Finn! I love forbidden romances that aren't suppose to work out. Wendy and Finn are great together, and I hate Elora for keeping them apart! Elora is Wendy's birth mother, but is just as cold as the woman Wendy always thought was her mother. It's such a strong contrast between the life she left behind with her brother and aunt. They would do anything for Wendy, and she loves them just as much.

My one complaint about this book was that almost every chapter ended with an unnecessary mini-cliffhanger. There was no real point to them, since they were immediately resolved in the first few lines of the following chapter. It did keep me engaged though, and I probably would have read this in one sitting if school and life didn't get in the way. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a fun paranormal read without vampires, shifters, or witches.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Switched is an alluring, richly beautiful blend of dark gothic fantasy meets fairytale. It is a powerfully seductive and suspenseful paranormal romance, that is cleverly written, and gives a unique twist to the magical fantasy realms Hocking creates. Her words bring life to the pages, with stunning imagery that puts readers right inside the pages. She creates a world of memorable characters that possess flawless traits, which sets them apart from other characters in most young adult paranormal romance novels. They are richly developed character's that are compelling and likable, yet sympathetic to readers. They will leave readers wanting the best for them.

Wendy is a wonderfully strong female anti-heroine unlike any other I've read in young adult fiction, which is a breath of fresh air. It is interesting to see her struggle with all of the obstacles that cross her path and then have to shoulder responsibilities no one her age, should have to do and do it all with beautiful strength and courage. The character growth that Hocking applies to Wendy throughout this book, is extremely well executed. She does a phenomenal job at tapping into that emotional well of fear, mystery, intrigue, and the greater responsibility that weighs upon her shoulders. She has a whole new world to discover that comes along with duty, honor, sacrifice, and destiny.

Finn Holmes, is a marvelously written mysteriously sexy guardian that is tasked with keeping her safe and returning her to her rightful home. For months he has been doing this, until he reveals his true identity to Wendy. He is not human and just as her mother feared, she isn't either.

The way in which Hocking handles this development in plot, is wonderfully masterful and the emotional relationship that she slowly works to build between these two, is beautifully realistic and fantastically written. They way it progressed, was captivating as it showcased strong qualities and interesting quirks. It seemed as if they were two halves of a whole coming together and it was incredibly heart-breaking and filled with beautiful passion, angst and longing.

Incredible character arcs are fleshed out, with beautiful storytelling abilities. Her villains are wildly dark and thrilling. They are mysteriously alluring individuals capable of danger unlike any other reader's will discover in young adult literature. The level of world building, including this breath-taking new realm of paranormal fantasy that she's created will have reader's clamoring for more. Her unique and clever decision to tell such a dark and compelling magical fantasy filled tale full of trolls versus the usual vampires and werewolves, makes her stand out apart from the usual paranormal novels on shelves. This world is both frightening as it is beautiful, which makes it so beguiling and filled with dark illustrious seductive charm. There is danger, heart-stopping action, and intrigue that fill the wonderful pages of this novel. Readers will simply not be able to put it down until the last page has been turned.

There seems to be underlying hints of psychological darkness that sort of shadows the story being told, which gives it another edge. There are incredible amounts of mystery and deeply hidden secrets that begin to unravel as the story progresses, that will keep readers engaged. With cleverly written characters, unique storylines that will hook readers, and elaborately rich dark and compelling characters Switched is a book that readers will be unable to put down. Readers who enjoy dark fantasies involving the paranormal such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the brilliant writing style of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, or the beautiful dark gothic richness of Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures are sure to enjoy the dark and wonderfully lush magical realms of The Trylle.