Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Title: Switched (Trylle trilogy book 1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: January 1st 2012
Publishers: Pan Macmillan
Available from: Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository
The Nile

I received this book from the publisher.

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 claimed she is she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in ...The new girl in High School, 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...

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I remember reading about Amanda Hocking getting her publishing deal and have been looking out for Switched ever since. So many people have praised this series and it's no wonder she has sold a million copies. 

Switched is a fantastic start to the series, I hated putting this book down. I was immediately caught up in Wendy's story. It has one of the best openings in a book that I have ever read and it sets up the rest of the book so well. Wendy is such an appealing character, you can't help but like her. She never feels like she fits in anywhere and people have never made her feel welcome either. Her brother and Aunt are the only family she has left, but she quite often takes them for granted. Then she's thrown into the world of the Trylle and begins to learn she has a large role to play in a life she doesn't want. 

The world Amanda Hocking has created is extraordinary, constructing an entirely new version of folklore that will reinvigorate the Young Adult market that is so full of vampires, werewolves and fairies. Switched has an impressive array of characters, conflict, suspense and romance that there is never a dull moment. I was kept on the edge of my seat, biting my lip in anticipation. I can not wait for Torn and Ascend to be released! This is a series that is going to be huge in 2012. Grab your copy now!

4.5/5