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Torn by Amanda Hocking

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review paperback

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Acknowledging that she was different from everyone else wasn’t difficult for Wendy Everly – she’d always felt like an outsider. But a new world and new family is a hard for any girl to accept easily.

Leaving behind the mysterious country of her birth, she is determined to fit back into normal life. But the world she’s left behind won’t let her go that easily. Kidnapped and imprisoned by her true family’s enemies, Wendy soon learns that the lines between good and evil aren’t as defined as she thought. And those things she’d taken for granted may have been lies all along. With the help of the dangerously attractive Loki, she escapes back to the safety of Förening – only to be confronted by a new threat.

It’s time to make a choice – can she put aside her personal feelings for the sake of her country? Torn between duty and love she must make a choice that could destroy her one chance at true happiness.

This is the second novel in the Trylle series by Amanda Hocking. I really enjoyed the first one – Switched – so couldn’t wait to read this one. The story picks up after Wendy escapes from Förening to the home she lived in with her brother – or rather, host brother. However, it isn’t long until she is kidnapped by her true family’s enemies. She is in for a shock when she discovers that the King is in fact her Father. With the help of one of her kidnappers, Loki, she escapes again, this time back to Förening. Here she learns the story of her family, the extent of the feud between the two and the only way she can get peace. She has to learn how to control her power; how to fight her feelings for Finn, the tracker she can never be with and make huge decisions that will affect the rest of her life.

I could not wait to read this book when it arrived at my house! I read it in one sitting, and loved it as much as the first book in the series. Hocking writes a very engaging book – full of excitement, adventure, friendship and love. Although there was not a big fight scene in the book there was suspense and drama.

The story has all of the characters from the first book. I like Wendy, she was fiesty but caring. When she was kidnapped she was taken with Matt, her brother and Rhys, Matt’s real brother. They were all imprisoned in a dungeon in the King’s home and refused to leave without them, but was prepared to fight for them. She has to make some big decisions to try and protect Förening that will affect the rest of her life – decisions that won’t necessarily bring her happiness but she was prepared to make them anyway. I liked Matt as well – very protective older brother. There are quite a few characters in the book that I liked – and also some I didn’t, such as the King. He was aggressive and ruthless and some of the things he did were just awful.

I really enjoyed this book. I like a book that sparks emotion in me – there were times I didn’t like the characters or the events, times I felt sorry for Wendy – and times that she annoyed me! This was a really good book. I read it in one sitting – I was gripped and really wanted to know what was going to happen. This book has adventure, excitment, love and drama. I mentioned in my review of Switched that I thought the book reminded me of the Iron Fey series, this book didn’t although it did still contain fantasy. This is a story of trolls and two tribes going to war. This novel contains hobgoblins as well as trolls and supernatural powers. This is a really well written fantasy book.

Although a young adult novel, this was a good read and I really enjoyed. It is easy to give this book 4 out of 5!