Escaping... One Book @ a Time

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

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

    This is one of those books that the cover just screams at you and you can't help but pick it up.  After reading the summary I couldn't help but buy it.  To be honest I think that I may have hyped the book up a bit in my mind because of the pretty cover and different summary.

  Wendy had never really fit in anywhere.  Constantly moving around and didn't have anyone rather than her brother Matt and aunt Maggie.  I want to say that I loved Wendy but I can't.  She was quirky and I felt well written but I just couldn't connect with her on any level.  Even though she is strong willed and very able, I felt she was also kind of whiny.  I understand that being a Trylle makes her want what she wants but I found in her down time she complained and whined to herself about one thing or another.  This was probably because no one ever told her what to do. Given her brother did let her get away with a lot but he also loved her unconditionally!

  When Finn walks into the scene that is when everything fast tracks and it's not that far into the book.  Finn's job was to locate Wendy and take her "home." This is where she meets her birth mother Elora and learns she is not any more motherly than the one that tried to kill her at birth.  Elora would never harm Wendy but there is so much detachment that you can't help but feel a little bad yourself.  The only thing that really made me have a hard time feeling bad for her at this point is that she doesn't seems to really miss her family(Matt and Maggie).

  The best thing she really seems to have for her at this place is an amazing garden that Finn shows her and a couple people that float in and out depending on what's going on. Willa and Tove are probably my favorite people in the book and you don't see much of them! Tove is my main man in this book and I really hope I get to see more of him in the next book.  Both of these people were changlings themselves but for the most part seem more well adjusted than Wendy.  Despite all odds these two people make the book that much better for me and really help towards the end of the book. 

  The use of Trolls was an interesting concept and I liked it.  The characters were well written and for the most part I felt the world that Amanda created was vidid enough for me to picture it.  Overall this was a good story and I liked it  but had hoped for more.  I will continue on with the series and am still excited for it! 

3/5