Switched is the first book of the young adult paranormal literature series the Trylle Trilogy. It follows the story of Wendy Everly as she meets Finn Holmes, who informs her of her inherited royal status and true identity as a member of the Trylle. Background Switched was first self-published as an eBook by author Amanda Hocking in early 2010, and was published in paperback by St. Martin's Press on January 24, 2012. Her failing to initially get published through traditional book publishers was an advantage because "it allowed me to put a lot of books on the market quickly, so if people liked them, they could immediately buy another" ... so the first of a trilogy, Switched, sold 50 eBooks the first month and increased rapidly reaching almost a million copies. This was "the most spectacular example of an author striking gold through ebooks." Plot summary In the prologue, Wendy recounts her sixth birthday party. At the party, she expresses contempt at the gifts of fragile porcelain dolls and throws a tantrum after being presented with a chocolate birthday cake, which she does not like. After which, Wendy's mother claims that she is not her daughter and attempts to take Wendy's life with a large kitchen knife, but is stopped by Wendy's brother Matt. Eleven years later, Wendy is living with her brother and her aunt Maggie, who assumed guardianship after her mother was placed in a mental institution. After difficulties at previous schools, Wendy had just transferred to a new high school when she meets Finn, another new student, who asks her to a school dance. At the dance, Finn makes some rude comments to Wendy which angers her, and prompts her to want to leave. She approaches another student and gets him to take her home through a "persuasive" ability by looking in his eyes and telling him what she wants. When Wendy performs this ability in front of Finn, he becomes alarmed. Later that night, Finn comes to her bedroom window and tells her that she is a changeling and that he is here to bring her back to her biological family. He tells her that her ability to "persuade" people is because she is Trylle. At first Wendy does not believe Finn, but then she recounts the differences between herself and her family. She uses her persuasive ability to get her brother Matt to drive her