Switched

The Trylle Trilogy, Book 1

By: Amanda Hocking

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Switched: the first book in the Trylle Trilogy.

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until 11 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.

©2010 Amanda Hocking (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Vampire and werewolf lovers beware; this trilogy opener offers readers a new take on an unexpected breed of mystical beings. Readers who can suspend preconceived notions and open themselves up to this new interpretation are in for a midwinter version of a good beach read." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Wendy is a flawed antihero, which helps differentiate her from the throng of paranormal-romance heroines, and the potential for development, both dramatic and romantic, should make readers anxious for the next installment of the Trylle trilogy." ( Booklist)

The narrators' voice was superb for Wendy

Amanda Hocking has done it again. I loved this book. I had problems in identifying with Wendy. Her mood swings and temper in our world is not to be seen in the Trylle kingdom. She loves Matt and her aunt to bits and when surrounding by Trylle she spends very little if any time thinking about them. That said. She is a typical teenager and I loved her new world.
The one thing I loved most was the parental emotional removal so prevalent in Wendy's life. Her host mother as well as her own was written as …. well let's stick to emotionally distant. The author did this so well that even though I had trouble finding something to like about Wendy my sympathy for her won out at the end. I will definitely read book 2.

WaAr

Charming, magical fairytale

Wendy Everly has never belonged. Her school mates seem repulsed by her, the teachers pick on her and even her own mother tried to kill her at the age of six. So when the new guy, Finn Holmes takes an interest in her, she’s flattered - and confused. She soon discovers that there is more to his attention than meets the eye. Finn has been sent to find Wendy and bring her home, into a whole new world she never knew she was a part of. It’s a world full of magic, intrigue, danger, forbidden love and politics; a world Wendy’s not so sure she really wants to be a part of.

I’ve had this novel on my Kindle for a while now and wish I’d read it sooner. This is my kind of story. It’s a magical fairytale in a modern setting, with just the right amount of danger, romance and suspense. It’s the kind of story you can really get lost in. The kind of story you dream about.

Finn’s character is intense, yet tempered by duty and diligence. Wendy’s character is less collected, as teenage girls often are, highly emotional, impulsive and yet with a certain level-headed maturity that gets her through confrontations that would have most teens falling apart.

Hocking’s writing is not overly poetic or filled with ambiguous figures of speech. It is simple and neat, showcasing a well-planned and executed story without unnecessarily pretty prose. The plot, while predictable at times, is engaging and leaves you with a rather pleasant aftertaste that begs for more. This is genre writing at it’s best - it’s exactly what you would expect from a young adult series, and yet unique and charming enough to make the author’s name a fixture on your reading list.

I can’t wait to find out more about what’s in store for Wendy and Finn!

Good.

Where does Switched rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't know. The story is good, but to simple.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Switched?

I don't think the book has a memorable scene. The story is only good. Is good to listening and anything more.

Very Nice Story

If your between series and need to pass the time, this series was a good in between.

At first I didn't know if I was going to like the character since it's starts off as her being a young and demanding child. But the story eventually explains her anger issues.

I found the dialog between characters a bit dragging and felt like they talked in circles instead of getting to the point. I wanted to reach out and strangle them myself.

But in the end I found it to be a very good book as Wendy adventures out to find out who and what she truly is and ensnared by her family lineage into giving up her way of life for her people.

Loved the Narrator.

Love

It's one of my favorite Series Ever. I wish it was a movie ❤️ I read the books years ago and decided to get the audible.

A Traditional Myth with a Twist! Best Troll Story!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Switched?

The very end! Also, her confrontation with her host mother at the insane asyllum.

What does Therese Plummer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She definitely has a different voice, much deeper/huskier and it really gives the listener a better idea of the main character's personality and uniqueness as opposed to the traditional overtly feminine and helpless heroines. Her strength and resillence can be heard in Plummer's vocal storytelling.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely!

Any additional comments?

I was hesistant at first to purchase this book, but I am very happy I did! After listening to it, I immediately bought the other two finishing them over the weekend! Amazing story! I recommend it to all that love fantasy!

Good fantasy, unexpected twist.

Where does Switched rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As YA books go, this one is good. I like it well enough to pick up the next book in the series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Switched?

The way Wendy keeps trying even though life appears to have failed her many times, beginning with her nutsy mother. On the whole, I was not enamored with Wendy, but hopefully she matures in subsequent books.

What does Therese Plummer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Therese Plummer is a good narrator. She helped the story come alive. I would like to listen to her read other books.

Any additional comments?

The story was interesting enough that I finished it, and will probably catch at least the next sequel, but I did not care for Wendy. She was too moody, shallow and changeable for my tastes.

The beggining was amazing, the rest of the book...

I feel really mixed on this one. I liked everything but the romance, and since the romance was a good third of the book, I didn't love the book. The romance reminded me of a meh version of the Rose - Dimitri romance (vampire diaries) if Rose was more whiney and Dimitri less appealing. Everything else was decent, I like the Paranormal Princess Diaries premise. It was fun and light. The beginning started out really dark, and I like dark in my YA PNR but it turned pretty frilly and shallow. Still enjoyable and hard to put down.

I am not sure yet..

I read the reviews and lotta people say this 1st book isn’t great but it gets better in the next two books..I hope that’s true.. I like the idea of this story but there are choppy parts and it was SOOOOO SLOW in the beginning. I hope the next one is a bit better..

What An Adventure

I got some Twilight and Cinderella vibes from this story. It's very depressing and far darker though with heavy content (suicide, parental abuse, switching babies in the hospital, monarchy/dictatorships, etc.) and dramatics. The descriptions and imagery though.. the building romantic tension.. gradual friendships, and the warring kingdoms' politics all have me intrigued and enraptured to continue on to see what will come of it all. This story ends on a huge cliffhanger plus a couple chapters in preview of the next story in this trilogy. I feel like I'm in a different world when listening to this. Lots of messes need to be resolved!
The narrator is excellent in doing the varying female and male parts well; I can always tell which characters are interacting.
Have to find out what is going to happen next!