Review: The Summoning

Title: The Summoning (Darkest Powers bk 1)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date published: 2008
Type of book: Young Adult/Supernatural (Witches, Shaman, Werewolves, Necromancers, Mental facilities)
Pages: 400
I received this book from/at: Walden Books
My interest in this book is: plot

Ideas expressed/message/plot: From the back cover: “She sees dead people – and they see her. Chloe Saunders used to have a pretty normal life. But that changed on the day and she met her first ghost. Locked up in Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens, she finds out there’s more to the home’s teen residents than meets the eye. Will Chloe be able to uncover the dangerous secrets of Lyle House… or will its skeletons come back to haunt her?”

Favorite characters, quotes/lines: Chloe: I liked her, but sometimes I was disappointed in her (like her judging Derek by his unconventional looks), but she got much, much better towards the end; Derek: I liked that he had surprising depths, definitely one of my favorite characters; Simon: he was definitely the lighter character in the book – he wasn’t as intense as the other characters, like Derek

When I finished this book I felt: At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but then I got further into it and I didn’t want to put it down. It left me wanting to go out right away and get The Awakening, the next book in the series. The characters, all in their young teens (15 and 16) were a bit of a negative for me at first, but they didn’t really act that young most of the time and I liked that. It just would have been better if the author made them 17 and older. I liked the mystery aspect of the book. And it reminded me of one of my absolute favorite shows: Supernatural! Derek and Simon are brothers, just like the main characters Sam and Dean in the show – and the first season was spent looking for their father in both the book and the show.

Other books to read by this author: The Awakening (Darkest Powers bk 2)

I would recommend this book to: Fans of Supernatural Young Adult fiction – guys and girls