Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1)

Hocking convinced a skeptic on this one!

When I first started reading, I was very skeptical about the world of Trylle, especially once I found out that the main character, Wendy, was a troll. However, this book forces the reader to reevaluate the stereotype surrounding trolls, and the novel actually had a pretty decent plot line.

This novel is about a heroine that can't seem to fit in wherever she goes. She didn't even fit in with her own mother and is accused of being a Changeling. Because she thinks her mother is crazy, she doesn't consider that her mom may actually be right. When a mysterious boy named Finn from her school convinces her that she is a troll, and that she must leave with him for her safety, she enters the world of Trylle.

Finally, Wendy will find a place to fit in... NOT. In fact, although Wendy tries to fit into this world and embrace her new role in life as a Princess, she does not do very well. The person she latches on to for sanity is Finn, and a love story develops as well. By the end of the novel, Wendy has a clear idea what her role is in the future, yet she is not sure of her powers and how she can live up to the challenges before her. She knows the Trylle community needs to be changed, but the novel ends with her fleeing back to her human family, because she thinks that she cannot possibly live up to the challenges before her.

If you like stories that involve the supernatural world, a heroine that rises to power, love stories, or even stories about finding yourself, this series is for you.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review after reading the entire series in three days. I know what is in the future. However, don't be sure of yourself. If you make predictions about how you think the novel will end, or attach yourself to characters, be prepared to change your mind.

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?

“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.

I gotta say the book turned out a lot better than I thought so that is a good thing. There were some parts that I didnt like but I would say overall the book was quite good. I didn't like that Finn was all like I can't be with you because we would never be able to. Yet, he kissed her and made her think that they could! So frustrating! I did like the idea of the story. I mean have you ever heard of Paranormal Romance with trolls in it(even though they aren't green and gnarly or anything like that). I did like most of the characters. Like her mother the queen was all ordering her around and everything but then sometimes it was obvious that she did care about her daughter. I know this sounds stupid but I actually LIKED the enemy. Well, I shouldn't say liked exactly but, I found they were very important in this story. I wouldn't have liked it nearly as much if there weren't some crazy enemies thrown in the story!

When you think of trolls, you think of huge, green, warty disgusting things. Switched reveals a new truth about trolls: They, in fact, are not ugly, and they are a very cultured people.

Switched is about a changeling called Wendy. When she was six, her mum tried to kill her. At sixteen (all YA books seem to take place at sixteen, don't they?), she is tracked down by a gorgeous tracker called Finn, who tells her that she really is one of the Trylle (or trolls), and asks her to join them in their own community. Understandably, she doesn't want to leave her family, so Finn bides his time, for a while, anyway. Then she gets attacked by a rival clan of trolls, and so Finn kidnaps her and takes her to her new home, where she discovers she's a princess.

And then, being a princess, she's got to learn everything about being one, and then there are all these dilemmas about attempts on her life and her love life because she's not allowed to be with Finn because she's a princess and he's just a lowly tracker.

This is definitely a must-read!!!

http://beerensbaby.blogspot.com/

A self published masterpiece! I can not wait for the sequels. A story of a very special changeling brought back to her true people. While the begining seemed a tad slow, the romance built until it exploded and the pages almost combusted.

Switched is about the Trylle. A species of troll who live in a village hidden away from view. Wendy is a changeling, a Trylle switched at birth with a human child to grow up in their family. Wendy doesn't know she is a Trylle until Finn comes along, the weird guy who stares at her. She has to live her 'foster' family when she is attacked by Vittra, an evil side of the Trylle. She goes back to the Trylle village where she learns she is a princess, destined in line to the throne. Beautifully written this is a must read!!