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.

Forening, the home of the Trylle. Everything begins to make sense to Wendy. Among the Trylle, she is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger.

With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Forening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever…

– Publisher’s Blurb

I of course knew that this had been a huge success via self-publishing originally and the author Amanda Hocking signed with the publisher for a not inconsiderable sum of money, but when I was offered the book for review initially I didn’t make the connection.It was only when the book arrived that I realised it was that author. So I hope I came into the book open-minded.

The concept’s not the most original in the world (and an already packed market place), and the plot itself is a little on the light side, it could really do with a couple of sub-plots woven around the main strand. Although to be honest, this is more noticeable when you’ve finished the book, than when you are actually reading it.

I wanted to shake the main character at times. Early on, she tells us she used to be a foot-stomping, stroppy so-and-so when she didn’t get her own way. Yet when both her Trylle’ mother and Finn among others, avoid giving her answers to all her questions, she just becomes a little mouse, and allows them to. I just wanted her to stamp her feet and demand some ******* answers! (not that there’s any language of that nature in the book, bit you know what I mean!) Frustrating.

Yet, she remains resolute in other ways, she refuses to give up her love for her old family (well her brother and auntie anyway), as well as her history and heritage. That. She will stand up to her real mother for. Despite her faults she turns into a more than likeable character.

But, you know what despite its faults. It was a page-turner. I devoured the thing and stayed up late to finish it.

Sometimes a book doesn’t need to have perfect plotting, characters & writing for it to be engaging. And Amanda Hocking’s story-telling is certainly that, in Switched. I’ll be grabbing the sequels to read fairly sharpish just as soon as I can.

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Buy: Switched by Amanda Hocking from The Book Depository
My copy was provided by the publicist for review purposes.