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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Spoilers ahead!
Oh my God. What an ending, seriously?! If I didn't have the next two books here as well (borrowed as well), I think I'd go crazy waiting for next installment!
Honestly though, this wasn't what I expected. The whole book wasn't, although that could be because I rarely read the blurb. I buy and read books on recommendation alone, mostly. And this one has been recommended so many times, it's not even funny. If every group home is like that, well, it's not that bad? That's what I thought at least, until something quite peculiar was revealed.
The kids at Lyle House have abilites, like Chloe with her ghosts. It seemed quite believable to me actually, the world-building (if you can call it that in an urban fantasy novel) was done so great and the characters were so alive! For some reason, this was especially true for Tori in my opinion. Who doesn't know those stuck up cows from school, right?
I read this rather fast, especially the last 150 pages - where the action was setting in and everything happened pretty fast. The beginning is too slow for my liking, and tell me people can't be as trusting and naive as Chloe? I kept wanting to smack her and maybe shake some sense into her. Trusting the evil girl and crawling with her into a tight secluded place? Sorry, that was just stupid.
Oh my God. What an ending, seriously?! If I didn't have the next two books here as well (borrowed as well), I think I'd go crazy waiting for next installment!
Honestly though, this wasn't what I expected. The whole book wasn't, although that could be because I rarely read the blurb. I buy and read books on recommendation alone, mostly. And this one has been recommended so many times, it's not even funny. If every group home is like that, well, it's not that bad? That's what I thought at least, until something quite peculiar was revealed.
The kids at Lyle House have abilites, like Chloe with her ghosts. It seemed quite believable to me actually, the world-building (if you can call it that in an urban fantasy novel) was done so great and the characters were so alive! For some reason, this was especially true for Tori in my opinion. Who doesn't know those stuck up cows from school, right?
I read this rather fast, especially the last 150 pages - where the action was setting in and everything happened pretty fast. The beginning is too slow for my liking, and tell me people can't be as trusting and naive as Chloe? I kept wanting to smack her and maybe shake some sense into her. Trusting the evil girl and crawling with her into a tight secluded place? Sorry, that was just stupid.
Having a "mental breakdown" is bad enough. Having one in high school is not good for one's social life . Sadly the dead don't care, and Chloe Saunders can see them. Chloe has an episode in school and is sent to a house for troubled teens. She's told she can go home in two weeks as long as she follows the rules. The house for troubled teens isn't what it seems to be, and the people that work there are keeping secrets. During her stay at the home she finds out that there's a name for her ability to see the dead, and the kids in the house all seem to be supernaturally gifted as well.
The ending was suspenseful, I was basically holding my breath. There's a cliffhanger, which is a good way of ensuring people go and read the second book. Great first book in the series.
The ending was suspenseful, I was basically holding my breath. There's a cliffhanger, which is a good way of ensuring people go and read the second book. Great first book in the series.
This was an ok book. I will read the next but I'm not going to run out and get it right away.
Armstrong has taken a normal teen and created a world of emotion and challenges. Chloe begins to "see" people who are not truly there. People who want something from her, yet she does not understand why they are looking to her. It takes Chloe a while to figure out that she is seeing ghosts, and is what they call a necromancer.
Turning to the only person she feels will help her, Chloe is pushed aside. Her aunt says they they'll talk, but circumcstances dictate otherwise. Chloe is labelled "schizo" and shipped off to a home for mentally disturbed teenagers. This is when things really begin to get crazy -- why are all these kids here? What is wrong with them? And WHY does Chloe keep seeing ghosts, even when she takes her meds? Things are not as they seem, which Chloe is slowly beginning to discover.
While Chloe does some underhanded things (like stealing files, lieing, and pretending to take her meds) she does what she feels she needs to do in order to survive. She slowly uncovers the secret powers of other children here, and together they hatch an escape plan -- which naturally goes awry!
Hmmm - what is wrong with Tori?
Is Rae really a half-demon?
Why are Simon and Derek so close?
What really happened to Lizzie? Is she really dead?
And HOW did Chloe's aunt arrive to help so very quickly?
Is Chloe falling in love with a werwolf?
Looking forward to the next one!
Turning to the only person she feels will help her, Chloe is pushed aside. Her aunt says they they'll talk, but circumcstances dictate otherwise. Chloe is labelled "schizo" and shipped off to a home for mentally disturbed teenagers. This is when things really begin to get crazy -- why are all these kids here? What is wrong with them? And WHY does Chloe keep seeing ghosts, even when she takes her meds? Things are not as they seem, which Chloe is slowly beginning to discover.
While Chloe does some underhanded things (like stealing files, lieing, and pretending to take her meds) she does what she feels she needs to do in order to survive. She slowly uncovers the secret powers of other children here, and together they hatch an escape plan -- which naturally goes awry!
Hmmm - what is wrong with Tori?
Is Rae really a half-demon?
Why are Simon and Derek so close?
What really happened to Lizzie? Is she really dead?
And HOW did Chloe's aunt arrive to help so very quickly?
Is Chloe falling in love with a werwolf?
Looking forward to the next one!
After the HUGE disappointment that TWO WAY STREETS provided, I needed something to wash away the bitter taste it left in my mouth and I thought that, maybe something non-romantic, out of this world and a little spooky would be satisfying so I picked up a Mrs. Armstrong book and boy how much I was right!
Fast paced and very well written, this book was a breath of fresh air, all those supernatural kids with awesome powers (I always had a thing for pyromania!) and the big mystery behind Lyle House reminded me a little of "The Pretender" minus the genius thing.
What bothered me a bit was the ending, I was waiting for a major cliffhanger that would knock the breath out of me and would make me anxiously waiting for the next book. However, I'm looking forward reading it.
Fast paced and very well written, this book was a breath of fresh air, all those supernatural kids with awesome powers (I always had a thing for pyromania!) and the big mystery behind Lyle House reminded me a little of "The Pretender" minus the genius thing.
What bothered me a bit was the ending, I was waiting for a major cliffhanger that would knock the breath out of me and would make me anxiously waiting for the next book. However, I'm looking forward reading it.
A few years ago, I started reading Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and LOVED it. I'm read up through book #8. Low fundage means that I'm getting most of my books through the library and they don't have the newest two. So, I was eager to try Armstrong's YA book series. It's been on my list for a while, I just hadn't gotten to it yet. I LOVE it! Though, I have to admit, those of you who've read Armstrong's Women series will see definite similarities. It feels like these books are in the same universe as the other. I keep expecting Elana, Paige, Clay, or Jaime to come and help them. This had me turning page after page, eager to know more. The end is an extreme cliffhanger. I'll be vague and just say that there's a twist at the end that I didn't see, though it does make the main plot of the book a lot more believable.
I absolutely LOVED it. Though I'm a HUGE fan of her Women of the Otherworld series, and The Summoning is set in the same universe, so the big surprises weren't really, because I already knew the rules of the universe. Kelley is a fantastic author and I will read ANYTHING she writes. DEFINITELY pick this one up!!!!
Also...sequel is necessary like RIGHT NOW!
Also...sequel is necessary like RIGHT NOW!
Great series and a great start to the series! Very good plot and writing as well!
I really should have read the synopsis of this before reading, as I was not expecting the paranormal elements (boy, do I feel daft).
Anyway, The Summoning focuses initially on Chloe, a young girl who lives with her aunt. The book begins by setting up her as a character and establishing some of the details that I assume will be pertinent once we realise the truth about Chloe.
The story really begins on the day she gets her period (which at fifteen seems pretty delayed) and is in the bathroom at school dying her hair when she hears voices. Naturally a little unnerved, things get weird when she is being talked to by a man that nobody else appears able to see. Within a short space of time, Chloe is being transferred to a special Children's Home that caters for those with mental conditions.
Putting us in Chloe's shoes means that we get to find out what is happening to her as she is dealing with it. A little frustrating, but it does encourage us to have empathy for her predicament.
A large part of the book focuses on introducing the others in Lyle House. Brothers Derek and Simon, her roommate Liz, Rae who likes fire and Tori. Each of them appears to have a specific label given to them, but we can see that this is not all that is going on.
Reading this certainly involved putting some assumptions aside. The paranormal elements come thick and fast once Chloe starts to ask questions. Unfortunately, we don't get the answers we might want - no idea how this has happened - but events suggest that someone close to each of the teens knows about their true condition. The closing stages of the book were a good way to keep our interest going into book two.
Anyway, The Summoning focuses initially on Chloe, a young girl who lives with her aunt. The book begins by setting up her as a character and establishing some of the details that I assume will be pertinent once we realise the truth about Chloe.
The story really begins on the day she gets her period (which at fifteen seems pretty delayed) and is in the bathroom at school dying her hair when she hears voices. Naturally a little unnerved, things get weird when she is being talked to by a man that nobody else appears able to see. Within a short space of time, Chloe is being transferred to a special Children's Home that caters for those with mental conditions.
Putting us in Chloe's shoes means that we get to find out what is happening to her as she is dealing with it. A little frustrating, but it does encourage us to have empathy for her predicament.
A large part of the book focuses on introducing the others in Lyle House. Brothers Derek and Simon, her roommate Liz, Rae who likes fire and Tori. Each of them appears to have a specific label given to them, but we can see that this is not all that is going on.
Reading this certainly involved putting some assumptions aside. The paranormal elements come thick and fast once Chloe starts to ask questions. Unfortunately, we don't get the answers we might want - no idea how this has happened - but events suggest that someone close to each of the teens knows about their true condition. The closing stages of the book were a good way to keep our interest going into book two.