Mini Review of Switched by Amanda Hocking

Hi Readers!

I think I have found a new love, in the form of Amanda Hocking and the 'Trylle' series.

Today I am going to do a review on Switched by Amanda Hocking Review. I bought this book from the Emporium Bookshop, which if you read my previous post is a lovely shop in Cromarty. Under the guidance of the Shop owner,  she picked this one out for me, and as soon as I saw the front I had a complete covergasm !(defined here by urban dictionary) It just looks so cool!

Here is the blurb of the book:

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…

To be honest, when I read the blurb of this book, I was kinda like, what the heck, it just seemed a lot to take in, before I had even started reading the book! But I pressed on and bought it...

Anyway, this book has been rated and slated by all the people at GoodReads, which I just don't understand. I really loved and enjoyed this book, and finished it in one day! Although I would like to say I found the 'changlings' refreshing, it does remind me a lot of 'The Stolen Child', where I discovered she may be not so original.

But still, I really admire this author, who made millions from self publication.

The thing is, the more I review this book the more I see flaws in it, the Personality-less main character, Wendy and  the far too fast paced relationship with Finn. That was my main problem with this book, everything happens way too fast, and then it gets really subdued, then something else happens or she decides something without even mentioning it before in the book.

I am being really harsh though, and I soooo enjoyed this book, despite it's flaws. I think they are down to the fact that she writes so frickin' fast!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that and found it helpful! I still love you Amanda! Promise...!

Keep Reading
BookWorm

PS. Just a heads-up for y'all! I might be re-naming my blog, I was thinking maybe 'The YA Book Stack'? I don't know, if you have any ideas, please comment  below, and let me know what you thought of the post!

Frozen In Time by Ali Sparks

Hiya Readers!

So lately I've been doing a lot of personal posts, but not many reviews, so I thought I'd do one about this book! Very rarely do I venture from YA to anything younger or older, but this certainly is a good exception! The reason I read this book was actually because my brother got it for his 11th birthday, but never read it so I... how should I put it... apprehended it?

So technically, this is a book for ages 9-12. I would disagree, I think this is a good book for about 9-14? Around that age is probably right...?

But anyway, this book is about these kids that have been Frozen in time using cryogenic technology, but a lot of bad people want to get their hands on them... I'll give you the blurb.

Ben and Rachel Corder are sure they're in for the longest, dullest summer ever, until they discover an underground vault at the bottom of their garden with an amazing secret inside - two children from the 1950s who have been asleep for decades.

But waking up Freddy and Polly Emerson means unearthing the secrets that were buried with them. Why would their father leave them frozen? How is cryonic suspension even possible? Why doesn't the world know about the process fifty years later? How will the Emersons ever fit into the 21st century world of cell phones and microwave dinners? And why does it feel like they're all suddenly being followed?


This book is very well written, and was the Winner of Blue Peter's Book That I Couldn't Put Down and Book of the Year Award 2010 . It flashes from present time to the past, in the years just after the cold war, if my memory serves me right?  I enjoyed the 1950s language and the references to different cultures, and every time I read this, I appreciate it more.

Another thing I love about this book is, although it is quite serious is some parts, it's quite well, funny! Freddy and Polly (the kids from the past) are completely old fashioned and get completely awestruck when they see a car!  It is hilarious watching them come to terms with the 21st century, and realizing that 2009 is very different than 1956.

So here is my review-

Appearance 7/10
It is quite  neat looking book, although the blurb for on the back looks a bit young, if I was being really picky. As you can see in the picture, it has 4 people with 1 climbing out of the ground, which makes it look quite cool. It also has a kind of neon green colour scheme on the back, which makes it look quite interesting!

Blurb 8/10
It makes the book sound really interesting although I think they should of mention the organisation that are after them. Also, as I've said, if I was to be really petty, the font makes it look really young.

Chapter Hooks 10/10
I thought it was really gripping and even a bit creepy, and I think being the Winner of Blue Peter's Book That I Couldn't Put Down kinda speaks for itself.  

Overall Value for Money 10/10
Well, for the BARGAIN price of £5.99 I think that even if you hate the book it is pretty cheap for 325 pages of top quality entertainment! It is a really good book and I cannot stress that enough. So next time you are in your library or book shop or whatever, then just ask for Frozen in Time and give it a read!

Anyway, if you have any comments or ideas, let me know, I absolutely love any comments so just take a second or two to do so!

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BookWorm xx