The Summoning

Title: The Summoning

Author: Kelly Armstrong

Date Finished: May 17, 2011

Personal Book Count: 20 out of 75

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: Young Adult- Paranormal

First Line: Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement.

Why did I pick this book?: I had read her series about the female hit woman, and had heard good things about these.

Summary and Review: taken from the author’s website-

“Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens.

At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?”

Honestly, this book took me 3 tries to read. The first time I picked it up at the library. I wasn’t into it at the time, but knew it was something I would like to read. So, I went out and bought a copy. The next time I tried to read it was during the last Dewey's-24-hour-read-a-thon. But honestly, it reminded me too much of a novel a friend of mine was working on, and I found I just couldn’t read it. Once I cleared a few other books off my list, I was determined. So I sat down, and made myself read further then I had ever read before. And you know what? It grabbed me. To the point, where it was hard to put down. All I wanted to do was read. It had me on a rollercoaster ride until the last page. Loved the characters, some more then others, but even the ones I didn’t love, were great, believable, characters that contributed conflict to the story. Oh, the teen drama! Lol. I will complain a bit about the setting. Let’s see, we will put a bunch of teenagers with similar powers in the same place. Um, Harry Potter? Hex Hall? It felt a little done. With that said, it was well done, with a twist being in a group home, rather than a school. I think if you were a fan of either of these, this might be up your alley, and definitely worth picking up. I will say, I am NOT a fan of loose ends, and cliff hangers, and this one left me wondering and thinking (good for the author, bad for me). But maybe it gives me reason to hope for it (or at least bookstore gift certificates?) for my birthday. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D