Book Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

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This book has been a long time coming. I'm pretty sure I bought this the year it came out, excited that there were more fey/fey creature books coming out (as, back then, they were not so hot or common). And....then it sat on my shelves for years. Though, it did happen to skip the book un-haul that happened when going through a move. It's actually this move that reminded me that the book sat on my shelves and still needed to be read.

Skip to the post-move and a pandemic causing the world to gain a lot more free-time and I am happy to say I'm glad it missed the purge pile! I read this book after a really bad read and boy, let me tell you - it was a saving grace!! It reminded me that:

1. I am no longer a teen reading Young Adult.

2. That despite this fact, I do still enjoy it even as an older, young adult.

3. Some Young Adult books will seem immature because of the previous stated reminders.

This book is intended for a younger audience in my opinion. That being said, I Ioved it. Young romance can be so charming and sweet. Mix an adorable romance that can't be denied, add it to an unknown destiny to rule the Trylle (mystical trolls), and you end up with one great, unique world. I have read several different fey inspired books in the last few years and still have yet to revolve around only Changeling lore. Changelings don't have one of the more charming lore but Amanda Hocking was able to spin together a tale that highlights their mischievous nature, some common conceptions, and elegant modern kingdom that faces an unseen threat.

It was a very short read and Hocking decided to spend most of it setting the series. Sometimes that leads to a very anti-climatic book but Hocking did it effortlessly. There was just enough action, romance, and magic wrapped up in this little read. The characters were realistic (as far as teens go). The scenery was beautiful. The ending was just enough to peak your interest and want book two.

If you're on a fey kick and want more books within the genre, I highly recommend this one! It was refreshing to receive something different and with a cutesy romance instead of *ahem*...s*xy. Again, it was a very easy read so its perfect for reading during a dry spell or in between TBR piles. I bought the rest of the series and look forward to reading the next book!

Giving this one a 3.5 (rounded up on Goodreads & BN)