Search - The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Bk 1)

This book will leave you desperate for the sequel! I am glad that I had both before I started reading this one. I highly recommend having both before you start reading them. There are some laugh out loud moments. I couldn't stand Tori!

This is what young adult fiction should be like! (can you tell I hated Twilight) I found this book super engaging, read it all in one sitting. It's age appropriate without talking down, and has plenty of action. I picked it up because I'm a fan of Kelley Armstrong's adult novels, and this one definitely holds its own against them.

On the day that fifteen-year-old Chloe Saunders finally gets her period, she sees the ghost, her first since her childhood. It freaks her out so much that she is sent to the hospital and then referred to Lyle House, a private home for mentally ill adolescents--otherwise known as a place to lock the crazy kids up in.

At Lyle House, Chloe takes medication for her diagnosis--schizophrenia--and attends to a strict schedule of chores and schoolwork. But she continues to encounter strange occurrences, such as the ghost who's attempting to contact her. It just might be that there's more to herself than she knows... and more to Lyle House and her housemates than others are letting onto. Chloe and her newfound friends may be in much more danger than they expect.

After hearing so much hype about Armstrong's upcoming sequel, The Awakening, I'm very glad I picked The Summoning up. It felt to me almost like Harry Potter with a female protagonist and fewer subplots. The strength of this series lies in its idea: these teenagers with supernatural powers are funneled into this peculiar house for possibly sinister purposes! The characters' interactions with one another are spiritful, the dialogue vibrant; the characters themselves, though, do not stand out to me in the heavily populated world of YA paranormal fiction.

The exception may be Chloe, who is wonderful, constantly changing and growing and doubting herself--all the things that a normal teenage girl should do, all without being petty or annoyingly shallow. I also found Derek interesting, and would like to see much more of him in the future. Perhaps there will be a romance between him and Chloe...?

But that's a minor complaint, for the story more than makes up for the less-than-outstanding characters. The Summoning ends on a suspenseful, slightly disappointing note as readers wait for the sequel impatiently to find out what happens to Chloe and her friends.

16 pages into this I give up. Boooooring. Snzzzzzzz. I can't understand these reviews. I could barely make it through the first few pages. I only kept reading because I was hoping for a better plot to swallow. The book jacket summery reads better than this splinter in my hand.

Mostly books that begin new series, are not that good because there is a lot of build up weaved into the storyline. However, the author was able to keep the plot moving, while sewing seeds for future setups. Not once did I feel the urge to skip a paragraph or page, which is quite rare.

Great for teens (I would have fallen in love with this as a teenager) and excellent for adults [women].

The characters were all beautifully written, the premise was exciting and intriguing and it left me eagerly anticipating the next book. I know that I am extremely late on the bandwagon for this one.

This was surprisingly good though I'm not sure why I'm surprised as I love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Other World series. 15 year old Chloe sees ghosts and is committed to a group home for troubled teens after a disturbing encounter at school. The reason the other inhabitants - Derek, Simon, Rae, Liz and Tori - are incarcerated is a mystery. Chloe becomes friends with them all but especially the brothers, Derek and Simon. Their secrets come out, she shares hers and they are fast friends immediately planning an escape from the home. It seems that Simon and Derek's father disappeared right after they were sent to the home and they are determined to find him. With their combined powers, they are convinced they can find him.

Of course, there are other things going on like the ghosts of Lyle House talking to Chloe and implying that terrible things have happened to other residents of the home. So in addition to finding the boys' father, the mystery of Lyle House also must be discovered.

I really liked these teens except Tori as she is a total bitch to one and all. They have real issues and are fighting to maintain their sanity as well as discover their gifts. I can't wait to read The Awakening to see where the adventures lead these curious teens.