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Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Published by Sphere
Source: Review Copy


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.


***
I thought the summoning was a really thoroughly enjoyable read and am very much looking forward to reading the next two in the series.

The first chapter (which is a prologue featuring a young Chloe) had me hooked from the first page. It sets the tone for how this book is going to be, a bit creepy with lots of ideas left for you to get your head around. I really liked how it takes a while for the reader (and Chloe for that matter) to really grasp what is going on in this book. There is so much that is teased out slowly as the book goes on and Chloe gets so many mixed messages that she starts to doubt herself which means you as the reader do too.

Another thing I loved about this book was the characterisation. Chloe was a fab leading lady and enjoyed following her story but I also loved all of the other teenagers around her, even Tori was was a complete bitch to everyone. I loved the dialogue between them as it was often witty and amusing.

Once the book kicks off the action is fast paced and exciting. I loved finding out about the supernatural potentials of the main characters and delving more into the whys and wherefores of how they all ended up at Lyle house and why the place was built in the first place.

The ending was jaw dropping. I was stunned about what happened between two of the characters and when the book ended I wanted more straight away.

All in all an excellent start to a trilogy that I can't wait to continue.

Comments

Kathy Martin said…
I recently read this series too. Aren't we lucky that we didn't have to wait months for the next book to become available? You'll want to look for The Gathering after you finish this series because these characters are mentioned. Happy reading!
Cary Cheyenne. said…
The Summoning was one of the books that really kick started my love for the Paranormal side of YA. I loved this book and the entire series. This is such a fantastic review, very thorough and to the point :)
Maya said…
I love Kelley Armstrong's writing, and this trilogy is no different. I think you'll like the sequels just as much, and the offshoot series starting with THE GATHERING too! :)
Cory K said…
I really need to read this! great review :) Don't be a stranger; stop by my blog and say hi! I'm not sure if we're fellow followers, but I follow you!

Looking forward to hearing back from you,
Cory @ Anti-Drug Reads
Mel said…
Kelley Amrstrong is one of my favourite authors - and I love that her YA are as good as the 'regular' otherworld series! This trilogy is a great read - hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
Essjay said…
So glad you enjoyed it :-D
I LOVE this series! It's definitely in my top 5 favorite series. :) SO glad you enjoyed reading it!