Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Title: Switched

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: Jan. 24, 2012

Genre: YA

Main Themes: Family Ties, Magic, Romance, Trolls, and Hierarchy

Pages: 293

Plot: (From 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 finds out her mother might've been telling the truth.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.”

This book had me at the cover.  The cover is really amazing as I’m sure you can see.  Then I read the summary on Goodreads, it was very intriguing.  When looking into this novel, I discovered that Amanda Hocking was a self published author that got everyone raving and St. Martin’s Press caught notice and not only was she signed but the movie rights have been sold!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book!  I had it posted on my conspicuous covers, (covers that I love), which one of my friends seen and had a copy.  So, she contacted me and passed it on before she even read it!  So thank you Jordanne for loaning me your copy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  To read something besides vampires and fallen angels was a great change of pace.  I found that this novel was vibrant, stunning, and dramatic. Since this was a straight through read for me, I found that it was very fast paced-there weren’t any slow parts for me to get caught up in .  It held my attention from opening the first page! 

Amanda Hocking painted a beautiful world of magic in a secret society made for a mythical creature that is so unique and natural that you can’t help but be fascinated and absorbed by the story.   I found myself getting so wrapped into the plot that I couldn’t stand to not know what was going to happen next. 

There were many characters in this tale that were very charming and captivating but then there were also many more that seemed deceitful and scheming.  At first I really didn’t know how to feel about Wendy; she seemed like a little spoiled kid, throwing temper-tantrums and stomping her feet.  But she grew on me and in the end I decided that I liked her.  Finn was definitely my favorite character from the beginning.  He seemed strong, protective, brazen, and little mischievous.  Oh and attractive, can’t forget that!  There are many more but if I go into describing it will give things away that you don’t want to know, so, I’ll suggest you read the book and decide for yourself.

Overall I gave this splendid novel a solid A-, as I feel it a great start to a beautiful and brilliant fairy tale.  I would strongly suggest that you pick up this book when it is released on January 24, 2012.  I know I can’t wait for the second novel, Torn, to be released February 28, 2012!

My Rating: 18/20

Originality: 4

Plot: 5

Characters: 4

Writing Style: 5