REVIEW: Torn by Amanda Hocking

Torn by Amanda Hocking
Series: Tryll #2
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: March 1st 2012
Source: Bought

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.

Torn was a fantastic follow up to Switched.

We meet the new character Loki in the second chapter of the book (I think) when he kidnaps Wendy, Matt and Rhys. Later on we find out that he's a Markis of the Vittra (who are the Trylle's enemies). I had conflicting emotions about Loki. On one hand, I think he's a really bad influence and I'm certain that if he and Wendy were to get together it would cause a whole lot of trouble and on the other hand, I think he might just be misunderstood. He seems to be scared of the Vittra and seems to be very vulnerable, but I don't know if it's just an act or not. He and Wendy kiss later on in the book but Wendy doesn't take him up on his offer to run away and instead heads back into Elora's mansion.

I really enjoyed seeing Wendy's character develop and become more mature as she learnt how much she would have to deal with when she becomes Queen and how soon it might happen since her mother - Elora - is dying. I love Wendy's character because she's so strong willed and always sticks up for what she thinks is the right decision/choice for The Trylle, and she'll continue fighting until someone listens. 

I wasn't a big fan of the relationship between Finn and Wendy in this book. In fact, I wasn't a big fan of Finn altogether. He was so arrogant and horrible to Wendy in this book that it made me question whether I actually want him and Wendy to be together. I was rooting for them all the way through Switched, but after reading this, I'm not too sure whether Finn and Wendy would make a great couple. I know they can't be together because Wendy is a princess and Finn is a tracker, but I always hoped they might find a way, but it doesn't look like they will.

I liked Elora much more in this book because we got a deeper understanding of what she went through when she was Wendy's age and we also learned that she had been pushing Wendy because she's going to die soon. I'm not too sure if I'm that bothered that Elora will probably die in the next book, but I know it will affect Wendy in a lot of ways.

We were also introduced to Tove more in this book as he and Wendy got engaged. Although they don't love each other, they think that their partnership will benefit the Trylle community so they decide to go through with it (even though Tove's gay and I'm pretty sure we found out who he has a massive crush on). I really don't agree with this part because I think it's extremely unfair that they don't get to be with the person that they love. That they'll  have to live a lie for their whole lives just to benefit their community.

Rhys, Matt and Willa also make an appearance in this book, with Matt and Willa becoming involved with each other which is against the rules because Matt's a human and Willa's a Marksinna.
I enjoyed the character development throughout this book and how I learnt what each character was actually like.

I love the world created in these books and I love the detail that Amanda Hocking goes into to explain it. My favourite part of the world (and Wendy's) is the back garden. It sounds like a stunningly beautiful place and the picture I have of it in my head probably doesn't even do it justice. I like the unique idea Amanda had of the way she was going to write trolls into a story, because whenever I think of a troll, I think of a small green monster that lives under a bridge. But Amanda's trolls look exactly like humans, they just have weird habits.

I also loved learning more about the Vittra and why the Trylle and Vittra have been at war for so long because I never really understood it in the first book. I was also intrigued by the differences between the Vittra and the Tryll: The Vittra's power lie in physical strength and longevity whereas the Trylle's power comes from psychokinesis.

Torn completely reeled me in and it was a fantastic follow up to Switched. I definitely recommend giving the first book a go because this series is fantastic.