Review: Switched

Title: Switched

Author: Amanda Hocking

Book Summary:

“When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her.  Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.  She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.
Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her.  Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit.  But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth:  Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.   
Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening.  And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…”

If my mother tried to kill me, I would probably pee my pants!  Wendy is shocked, to say the least, when her mother tries to kill her.  Her mother is convinced that Wendy isn’t her child and is not the least bit remorseful about her attack.  Years later, Wendy starts to notice that she is different than others… she can do things.  Soon enough her carefully constructed world is shaken when she is forced to leave her family and go “home”.  Her only consolation is that mysterious Finn Holmes is to be her guide, so maybe this adventure won’t be quite so bad…

            When I first encounter Wendy, I am struck by what a bratty kid she is.  In my first few moments, I hear whining about almost everything, from her presents to her birthday cake.  Then, her mom pulls the knife.  Overreacting much?  Original brat aside, I think Wendy is a very strong character.  Oh, she is definitely spoiled rotten, but by the end of the book I understand her character.  Wendy isn’t a weak person.  Good things and bad things happen to her, and she takes charge when she needs to.  As the story progresses, I happily see her step up to the plate more often and become her own person.  In the book summary, when it describes Wendy as a “changeling”, I instantly connect the word to faeries.  I am SO wrong.  Wendy is not a faerie.  She is something much more… interesting.

            Now, on to Finn…  Finn is the first person Wendy trusts, and she would follow him anywhere.  Of course, that has nothing to do with how amazingly attractive she finds him or anything… all I can say is: I would follow him too, honey!  My only real problem with Finn is that his duty always comes first.  I understand that a sense of duty is an important quality, but it needs to have some limits.  If he cares about someone else, then I think there should be more of a struggle to choose between that person and his duty.  Overall, Finn is a very mysterious and alluring character who sucks me in!

            As I first read the premise for Switched, I am hooked.  This book sounds exactly like my type of story, and I really look forward to it.  Not to mention that it even has a beautiful cover!  Let me just say that Switched surpasses all of my original expectations.  Fast paced, intriguing, romantic, and with some characters I can’t help but connect with-- Switched hits the ground running and doesn’t stop until it reaches a cliff hanger ending.  I love how Hocking takes her words and brings to life a magical story and, though a few things are annoying about the characters, the annoyances make them seem human and easier to relate to. 

The Cover:

What can I say about this cover that isn’t completely obvious?  It’s gorgeous.  The castle in the background makes me want to switch places with the girl.  The swirls around the title remind me of the twists and turns of a briar.  The red flowers around the girl contrast with her pure white dress, and I can’t help but wonder if there is a hidden symbol there, purity and blood perhaps?  Or, maybe just a beautiful cover.  Whatever the reasons, the contrast in colors make this one beautiful cover that I am proudly displaying on my bookcase!

I give Switched 5 out of 5 hearts: I loved it!

For more on Amanda Hocking visit her website here: http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/

You can purchase Switched here: