SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

This months Author is.....

Amanda Hocking

Here you can say what you are reading and if you are enjoying it, etc :)

Her books don't interest me, but I got a copy of Switched from Pan Macmillan, and it's so short I might as well give it a shot. I know chances are high that I'll hate it, but it doesn't hurt to know more about popular YA.

I hope you enjoy it at least a bit :)
It was something a little different!

I will be reading the second in the series :)

I started Switched. Not very far in, but I already find the main character to be an annoying brat. I guess when your mother tries to kill you at your birthday party (even if it is because you're being an insufferable brat) you're bound to have some unpleasant personality traits, but usually with these books you're expected to sympathise with the protagonist and I don't.

Rofl I don't care for her either. I just went with the storyline and I am interested to see where it leads :)

It got really bad for a moment at the dance and just after, but it's a bit better now. Wendy is with the Trylle, and obviously they're keeping secrets, so I'm intrigued. Finn didn't seem like the great tracker he's supposed to be though. He expected Wendy to just jump and follow him when he told her she was a changeling, and he was surprised when she wanted to stay. How is that surprising? She has a family that she loves, and although Finn goes on about the great stuff she's missing, he doesn't tell her what that is exactly. The Vittra attack looked like a convenient ploy to make Wendy leave. I'm wondering if Finn was behind it. Either that or it's a very obvious strategy from the author.

Wondering why on earth the author chose trolls instead of fairies, elves or pixies, given how she's made them beautiful.

How far are you from finishing?

I'm 100 pages in, at the start of chapter 10, and there are 240 pages. You were right; it's a very quick read. The only reason I'm taking this long is that I'm kind of distracted.

Let me know when you finish :)
Its not an amazing book, but I found it to be atleast a little different from the norm.

From what I've read so far, it only seems different because the author is using trolls instead of vampires, werewolves, fairies, angels, or any of the other mythological creatures that have been so often used for YA romance.

I found something different in the writing, these was a ease to it that I enjoyed.

It's easy to read, unlike Stephanie Meyer, for example. Her writing was so awful it kept making me cringe. So I'm glad for that. I don't find it particularly striking or poetic though.

Heheh

I am reading the second one soon :)

I got the first one from panmac, and then won all 3 in a giveaway :) At some point I also bought myself the 2nd book (for R25 I think). So I have 2, 2 and 1 of the series :P Different sets tho, so I am just rolling with collecting them now!

Lol :)

Just finished.

Lu, was there anything you found different about it other than the writing?
You said there was an ease about the writing that you liked, but isn't YA generally quite easy to read?

I'm really baffled now as to why the author chose trolls, because he creatures in the book are more like elves or fairies. They're beautiful and they dress up in jewels and ball gowns all the time. In fact, the first time the word 'troll' is mentioned, we're immediately assured that the they've got almost nothing in common with what we know about trolls. Is it just because no one had used trolls yet? In general though, they're basically just humans with a random assortment of special powers.

I actually didn't dislike Wendy. She was a brat at first, but afterwards I felt for her - everyone expected her to know things she couldn't possibly know, like how to behave as a Trylle Princess. Then they'd yell at her every time she made a perfectly understandable mistake. It was so stupid, and I was really annoyed with the fact that no one wanted to give her any useful information until she cocked something up. Despite Finn going on about all the wonderful things awaiting her, the whole Trylle thing sounds really boring.

The romance was a bit inexplicable. Wendy has 3 romantic interests rather than the usual 2, and although she seems to favour Finn, she also seems to forget about him when she's with Tove or Rhys. Her romance with Finn seems to be the typically shallow teen variety, based on nothing more than good looks and physical contact. It comes off as a bit ridiculous when they're suddenly willing to die for each other. Wendy's relationships with Tove and Rhys have more substance.

Overall, I didn't hate it; it was ok. It had a lot of inconsistencies and a weak plot, but I'd expected much worse.

It wasn't that is was easy to read, the flow was easy. I find that most books lack ease. You have to reread sentences sometimes etc.

I think she chose trolls to set her book a little apart from the rest. Sort of to make a distinction between hers and the other elves/fairies.

Do you also want her to end up with her "brother" Or am I just a bit dodge?

Glad you didn't hate it :)

Ah ok, I see what you mean about the writing. Did you find anything else different?

I think that's a poor reason to choose trolls. She's basically just slapped on a different name; there's very little that distinguishes them from the other mythological creatures that are currently popular. And god forbid they were actually ugly.

Hahaha, yeah, I liked Rhys too. And hey, they're not blood siblings. But it is weird that he looks like Matt. It'd be like Elora going for Finn who probably looks like his father (which is what Wendy was afraid of).
I was surprised that Rhys was so bold though; you'd think he'd know what colossal trouble he'd get into for making a move on Wendy.

Mmmm not much else, maybe just the love interests.

I'm reading the second one soon, will tell you if the Troll Lore gets any better!

The sad thing is, she is probably gonna end up with Finn, no matter what.

You mean 3 love interests instead of 2?

Hmm, romance plots do tend to be rather obvious. I wasn't too taken with this one though. It felt kind of random. In Unearthly, I surprised myself by actually enjoying some of the romance. But this one was kind of meh.

The 3 yes, but also who they were in relation to her.

I couldn't get to this in time. Will try next month :(