Book Review - The Summoning

The Summoning

Author: Kelley Armstrong  , 

Series: Darkest Powers Trilogy #1

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal | Young Adult

Release Date: July 1st 2008
Publishers: Harper Collins

No. Pages: 390

Source: Borrowed

Rating: 

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My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost - and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? it's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House...before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

The story is set around Chole, a seemingly ordinary girl. Apart from one thing, since she was a young age she's been able to see ghost. Starting with the people in the basement at her childhood home, to the old man that chased her through her school ending in Chole, now 15, being locked up in Lyle House and being diagnosed as a schizophrenic. At first Chole believes that maybe she is what they tell her and starts looking for signs. Only to find out that she's in fact a necromancer, a powerful one at that. Lyle House is suppose to be a group home, to help you recover. Only you don't have a choice in the matter, and if you so much as slip up you're transferred to the local mental hospital.

But its not all bad, Chole isn't alone in the house, and even though she doesn't always see eye to eye with the other house mates, at least its someone to talk to. There's Rachelle, or Rae as she likes to be called, another 15 year old who ended up in Lyle House because of her strange obsession with fire. Elizabeth, or Liz, Chole's room mate and friend. A girl who is prone to violent outburst she doesn't remember and is convinced is acts of a poltergeist following her around. Victoria, or Tori, 16 years old and Liz's best friend. Tori and Chole are enemies, all because she thinks Chole is trying to steal her crush away, and does everything to try and get her transferred. Simon, an easy going boy without any real problems, and is only in Lyle House because he's dad cant be found and it was the best place for his foster brother Derek. And Derek... he's 16, very tall, and very intimidating. He's rude, been diagnosed with anti social behaviour and has no time for anyone but Simon. He is also my favourite character of the lot.

At first, I liked this book and then by the middle I didn't that much and anymore only to love it by the end. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but found the story line very refreshing. I didn't find this book predictable (which is surprisingly as so many people did and normal I do) but I didn't. I thought the characters where well thought out, had enough back story to give you a feel for them and the written was good. The only thing I disliked a lot about this book was Chole constantly comparing everything to a film (because she's and aspiring director) it got really annoying after a while.