Switched by Amanda Hocking.

Release Date: January 1, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin.

Rating:

The 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…

The Review:
I should have listened to the warnings. I should have listened to the other reviews of this book. I shouldn’t have looked at the cover and said “But it’s so pretty!” or gotten carried away in my head about the idea of changelings. I started this book the day before I started Anna Dressed in Blood and finished it yesterday before a write in started. I’m really disappointed in myself, and in this book. The concept of Changelings is something that fascinates me. Alternate worlds, and fantasy make me really happy when it comes to things I read.

Things that do not make me happy when I read a book:

-Insta-love between the two characters. Chemistry is great, lust is great, planning your wedding and your children’s weddings? Not so much. Wendy didn’t go to that extreme yet, but it seemed like every male character she encountered, including the brother she was raised with, she had warm squishy feelings for.

-Whiny lead characters. Wendy probably couldn’t tie her shoe without having an existential crisis about it. She can’t do anything on her own. She also falls into the “special snowflake”, and “But everyone’s prettier than me!” trope.

-Everyone knowing everything about the main character, but said character is in the dark. This is especially true when she and Finn go to the Trylle. Everyone knows everything about Changeling culture, and troll culture, and Wendy is left out of it. No one tells her anything, meaning we as the readers are just as much in the dark as she is. Which is exponentially frustrating.

I can’t recommend this book. If this style of writing is your thing, and you enjoy not knowing what’s going on the entire book, go ahead and pick this up. Unfortunately, I disliked it, but I have to finish this series because I have a thing when it comes to completing books/series.

So, let’s talk about the last book that disappointed you. Tell me all about it.