Book review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

In this review I will behead a troll or two so this might get ugly. Even though Amanda Hocking’s trolls in Switched are beautiful creatures it needs to be done!

A Norwegian sketch of a baby being switched
next to the Norwegian ARC of Switched. Click picture to see the details of the ugly trolls.
Photo: Copyright Mari.

Trolls
Switched is a novel about a trylle named Wendy. Wendy had quite the dramatic childhood as her mother was convinced that Wendy was a monster, and tried to kill Wendy when she was only six years old. Now some stalker dude named Finn has started school and Wendy both dislike and attracted to Finn. Wendy is up for a surprise that might be the reason for her mother hating her.

Stealing babies
As we all know, at least here in Norway(I’m not sure how well known that fairytale is elsewhere in the world?), that trolls come into our world switching our lovely, plump cheeked, little blabbering babies with their own ugly offspring. Well the time has come to take the trolls back to their own world.

Trolls are stunningly beautiful
In my photo at the beginning of this review I’ve posted a picture of the Norwegian ARC of Switched next to the sketch by a well known Norwegian artist called Theodor Kittelsen(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Kittelsen)(1857-1914) to show the contrast between the Trylle and the Norwegian trolls. Click on the picture to see a larger version of it. As you can tell it is quite the contrast compared to Hockings Trylle. It feels a bit shallow I must admit, it might not be fair to take this out on Amanda Hocking because she isn’t the only one creating picture perfect characters but c’mon these are trolls!

This is a real Norwegian troll! 14 meters high and can be found in
Hunderfossen family amusementpark in Norway.
I have fond memories of going there with my entire familie as a young girl.
The Hunderfossen Troll by Jan Hammershaug, license CC BY 2.0.

I am pretty sure that it isn’t healthy to have all these gorgeous looking characters in YA. It only supports a trend in the real world that I’m no fan of. I recommend reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, he does a better job addressing this subject than I could ever hope for.

Great idea, badly executed
I’m sorry to say that although was super exited by the blurb for Switched the story just never met my expectations. Honestly I’m pondering how on earth this could be a bestseller. The language and dialogue seems forced and the characters aren’t likable. Wendy, the main character, is both a pushover and selfish, the love interest, Finn, is a stalker and rude fellow turning into a hero/love interest. Bella and Edward anyone?! Oh and Wendy’s real mum is a total bitch, uugh! The plot could have been so much, the story could have been great but sadly it seems like the author couldn’t follow up on her own great ideas.

Oh, even though I complained about pretty characters I appreciate Amanda's effort for reinventing trolls. See, there, I can say nice things as well!

Amanda Hocking = superstar in the publishing industry
For some time now I’ve been curious about Hocking’s novels, actually so curious that I owned an English e-book version of this book before I got the ARC, I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. I mean a self-published author who sold rights to St.Martin’s Griffin for very high figure, most be something good, right?

What made Amanda Hocking a super star almost over night? After reading Switched I’m still none the wiser. In my opinion this book should have been polished a lot more before ever being released. Hocking found the template for success and she used it, obviously that works for a lot of readers but not for this girl. It is a wonder I finished this book at all.

Final verdict?

 - I can not recommend this novel.

Source: Review copy from the Norwegian publisher.

Have you read Switched? Did you like it?

My life in literature

I found this on a norwegian blog today and she found it on  Devouring Texts. I thought it seemed fun to try it out so I "stole" the idea:-) You're supposed to answer the following questions with book titles of books you read the last year. I took the liberty though of using books with english titles I read since I started to blog.

Describe Yourself:  Naive.Super

How Do You Feel: Wonderstruck

Describe Where You Currently Live: The Road

If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You Go:  172 Hours on the Moon

Your Favourite Form of Transportation: Wings

Your Best Friend is: This Charming Man

You and Your Friends are: Wintergirls

What's the Weather Like: Wuthering Heights

Your Fear: Pride and Prejudice

What's the Best Advice You Have to Give: Hold Tight

Thought for the Day:  The Sky is Everywhere

How I Would Like to Die: The Dead of Night

My Soul's Present Condition: Perfect Chemistry

Silje*

Bitten by Books » Molly Harper Release Party and $20.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest 7/30 – RSVP Here!

Bitten by Books » Molly Harper Release Party and $20.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest 7/30 – RSVP Here!

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Firstly, I'm very sorry for my absence this last month, I was stuck in a place without a proper internet connection. However, I'm back now, and I'm going to make it up to you with a review of the most amazing book I read in 2011! I actually read it three times more since that first time, so it's about time I review it...

I can guarantee you, this book will get you hooked.

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

My thoughts
Divergent tells a story set in a dystopian world, post war. This sounds suspiciously similar to the Hunger Games, and yes, a lot of people do compare these books with each other. At first this made me weary, as I absolutely loved the Hunger Games and didn't feel the need to read a similar story. However, at one point there was no way of escaping: I had to read this book. And I loved it!
The inhabitants of Chicago have been divided into five factions: Abnegation (Selflessness), Erudite (Intelligence), Dauntless (Bravery), Amity (Peace), and Candor (Honesty)
Once a year children aged 16 must choose their faction, it's entirely up to them whether they decide to stay with their family in their old faction, or join another faction. Tris is stuck between two choices, her family or herself.

The book isn't that similar to the Hunger Games in my opinion. The heroines may be a tad identical, yet their worlds are completely different, as well as their stories. 

Veronica Roth's writing style is amazing. The way situations are described, I felt as if I was the one jumping from a roof, not Tris. Also, Roth managed to catch my attention right from the start, even though the first chapters are slow. As the story progresses it gets more and more thrilling. I simply couldn't put the book down.

I loved the world Roth created, and I loved the characters even more.
Tris, this short, shy girl somehow transforms into a strong and fearless leader. The kind of person you can't help but admire. The changes she goes through in just 487 pages, incredible. And believable, amazingly done by Roth.
Four is completely different. He doesn't really change, it's more that Tris him bit by bit unravels. The story is written from Tris's point of view, and as a reader you know as little about Four as Tris does. Where he is an intimidating, mysterious and a bit scary person to Tris at first, she learns about his past and gets to know him.

If you don't read this book now Tris and Four will come and hit you, you've been warned.

Cover

Personally I prefer the UK cover of this book, as I have a preference for pretty covers. I do feel the US cover shows the main setting and plot of the story better.

My rating of this book

Source

Bought at the local bookshop. 

Other links

Find this book on Goodreads

Visit Veronica Roth's website here

~ Sylke

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Book review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie is a sequel to the book Matched and part of the Matched-trilogy. I've really been looking forward to this book since I liked Matched so much. I have to say I'm a little bit dissapointed. If you haven't read Matched you should stop here, because this review contains spoilers from the first book, and rather read Nina's review of it here or my review here (in norwegian.)

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again. (Photo and summary from Goodreads)

My thoughts: 
To tell you the truth this book bored me one time to many. There's a lot of talk and no play (isn't that how it's said?:-)). Even though Ally Condie's writing still is beautiful and low-key I wanted this book to be more filled with action than it is. The first book isn't excactly action-packed either but it presents the characters and the Society where it all takes place to us in a very satisfying way in my opinion. The ending of Matched built up some expectations of a more exciting second book and what we get is even more background history of the characters, the Society and the rebellion on the outside. I don't think there's anything wrong with that but it doesn't match (haha) my expectations. We get to know Ky a lot better and what's going on outside the Society and it's "safe" boundaries. I want to know more but I wish we got to "see" it with our own eyes instead of beeing told the story through someone else like Ky or some of the new charachters we meet (I'm not sure this make's sense). Instead of being where it's all happening we just hear about it.

Ally Condies biggest strenght still is her poetic language and the moods she creates in her books. I still think it's a bit over the top for my taste in Crossed with all the poems and love declarations. Condie still writes in a way that makes this an easy read and I'm very excited about the third and last book. The pace surely must pick up in that one?

Source: 
Review copy from the norwegian publisher Mangschou in exchange for an honest review

My rating:




Silje*

Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop July 27th to August 1st

Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop

July 27th to August 1st

Hosted by Colorimety & 
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Tell me you idea of an ideal lazy day.

Contest will be open internationally.

I will be giving away 

a $10 Amazon/Barnes and Noble Gift card 

or I'll let you chose 

a book from Book Depository

up to $10 and as long as they ship

 free to you, you can enter.

Just make sure they ship to you. If not sure, 

 check here.

I love to win Gift Cards and 

these are the simplest and the best 

as far as I'm concerned.

For every 50 brand new followers,

I'll give away another $10 Gift card or

book from Book Depository.

 Click HERE for the full list of participating bloggers on the hop. At this time there is over 200 great blogs to visit and enter their giveaway! This is a great way to meet more bloggers, win books, gift cards and more!

Click on the "Read More" to take you to Rafflecopter--

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Read "Click for Instructions" before answering the question!

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Waiting on Wednesday: sequels

Because I start to read many YA-series and then don't have time to continue to read or finish them I have a goal this year to continue reading more series than I start new ones. The reason I don't finish the series is not because I don't like them but because there's always a new series or independent book that catches my interest and I want to read them all (sounds familiar?). This is why I'm going to concentrate this Waiting on Wednesday on upcoming sequels I'm looking forward to this fall.

Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick:
Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Hush, Hush saga. Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen Angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean that they will always be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. And yet their biggest challenge lies ahead. Can their love survive a seemingly insurmountable divide? The lines are drawn, but it's unclear which sides have been taken. And in the end, will there be enough trust left to rebuild what has been broken? Expected publication: October 23rd

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor:
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas. 
Expected publication: November 6th

Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie:
After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.
Expected publication: November 13th

What are you waiting for this week?

"Waiting On" Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Please visit Jill's blog to find out what other book bloggers are waiting for.

Silje*

Bitten by Books » Author D.B. Jackson Release Party and a $110.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!

Bitten by Books » Author D.B. Jackson Release Party and a $110.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!

Memorable Monday: Pushing the Limits by Kate McGarry.

Join our weekly Memorable Monday meme and share a quote(or quotes) with us that you feel deserve a place in the spotlight. Today I'm sharing a quote from Pushing the Limits, a young adult contemporary romance by Kate McGarry(it's her debut novel actually). Check out my quote below and don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway while you're visiting. 

Teenage romance
I'm currently reading an ARC of Pushing the limits by Kate McGarry and I'm enjoying it in a slow pace. Time and space cease to exist when I read this book, the story has been that good so far.

The cover is ozing hot teenage romance, isn't it?
I'm thinking Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry when I see it.
Cover: ©Harlequin Teen

The moment the words flew out of my mouth I regretted them. Sometimes when you see a the line, you think it's a good idea to cross it - until you do.

I do believe most of us have been in that situation on time or another, don't you? Now I'm super exited to read your quote of the day :)

Add the link to your MM post here:




Want to know more about this meme?
Just read this post. The short and easy guide? I started this meme because I was tired of memes telling me what page I should look up a quote from or just picking one from a random page. I wanted to share a quote/quotes that I really enjoyed. Want to join? Just write a blog post where you share a quote that you like, come back here and leave a link in the inlinkz widget below.

 

Graphic Novels of YA-series

I recently read a graphic novel of Hush hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. The first one I didn´t like very much. The drawings were wrong compared to the descriptions in the book (Nora is not blond and Vee does not look like that!) and the story missed out too much from the book even though it was just a small part and not the whole book. Vampire academy was a lot better in my opinion but in this case I haven´t read the book. I still think it told me a good story and I liked the drawings so I want to continue reading this. When I read the reviews on Goodreads of the first graphic novel I saw that many people felt the same way as me and also commented the necessity of making so many popular books and especially YA-series into graphic novels.

Personally I enjoy reading adapted books but of course they have to have a certain quality. It´s in the same way I´m curious about the movie-adaption of a book I read. If it's a good adaption it adds something new to the story, tells it in a different way. Do you think most of these are just another bi-product of a popular book-series to make money or are there actually some value in these graphic novels? I have to say that it seems many of these comments come from people who dont like the books or maybe not even the type of books. As a school librarian I would like some guiding to the good ones because it´s hard to know from the cover-picture you see in the online bookstore.


 (Photos from Goodreads)

I found a review Mari wrote a while back of the graphic novel made out of Twilight and she wasn't very excited.

Heart Warming Scavenger Hunt!! « Book & Trailer Showcase

Heart Warming Scavenger Hunt!! « Book & Trailer Showcase

Birthday giveaway INTL'

What better way to celebrate my 29th birthday than to give away a book to one of our followers.

Since I'm on holiday and blogging from my cellphone atm I will keep this short and simple.

To win a book of your choice(limit 15 USD) simply leave a comment and remember to give me your email address.

Extra entries:
1. Tweet this contest, put the link to your tweet in a comment. +2
2. Follow Escape In A Book. +3(old & new followers.

The giveaway ends July 31st.

I wish you all a lovely day, Mari :-)

Below is a photo I captured at the break of dawn today.

Bitten by Books » Author Donald Allen Kirch Interview and $25.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!

Bitten by Books » Author Donald Allen Kirch Interview and $25.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!

amberafterglow: The Name of the Star Winner and New Giveaway...

amberafterglow: The Name of the Star Winner and New Giveaway...: Congratulations Wendy Hoffman,  Congratulations Jeanne Tennant    (you should have received an email from me) for winning the copy of  Th...

Memorable Monday: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent.

Join us in this weekly Memorable Monday meme, hosted by us here at Escape In A Book.  Come and share a quote(or quotes) with us that you feel deserve a place in the spotlight. Today, for the first time, I've actually picked a quote from a book(and a series) that I haven't read myself and that is Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6)by Rachel Vincent. 

I usually complain over the whole girl in a dress theme these days,
 but I love this swirly pink dress!
Cover: ©Harlequin Teen

A book she hasn't read?
No, you don't need glasses and yes you read correct a quote from a book I haven't read. Last week I read a review written by Krazzyme over at Young Readers of Before I Wake.  Krazzyme had sprinkled her review with all these fun little quotes and one of them stood out for me.

"Do you take anything seriously?
"Only you.I take you seriously.Everything else goes down better with a joke-the verbal equivalent of a spoonful of sugar."

I just couldn't resist this quote! And by the sound of it this is a series that shouldn't be missed. Which book are you sharing from today?

Add the link to your MM post here:








Want to know more about this meme?
Just read this post. The short and easy guide? I started this meme because I was tired of memes telling me what page I should look up a quote from or just picking one from a random page. I wanted to share a quote/quotes that I really enjoyed. Want to join? Just write a blog post where you share a quote that you like, come back here and leave a link in the inlinkz widget below.

 

JULY New Release Giveaway Hop

Welcome to Stop #9 of the 

July New Release Giveaway Hop!

The  July New Release Giveaway Hop

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Take time to visit the other blogs 

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