Monday, April 23, 2012

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1)
By Kelley Armstrong
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed

To Sum It Up: Fifteen-year-old art school student Chloe Saunders discovers that she can see ghosts. A terrifying encounter with one at school results in her being sent to Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens. Chloe is diagnosed with schizophrenia, but despite taking medication for her condition, she continues to see spirits. Soon Chloe learns that maybe the ghosts are real and aren’t just inside of her head. When some of her fellow residents at Lyle House reveal that they, too, seem to possess supernatural talents like Chloe, they all begin to wonder if more than coincidence has brought them together.

Review: I just couldn’t get into this one. The writing is solid, but I didn’t find the book to be a page turner. There seemed to be quite a bit of, “What’s really lurking in the creepy basement/creepy attic?” happening. Although there eventually is a payoff, it still wasn’t enough to really draw me into the story. I think that my general problem was that no particular character or event jumped out at me. Chloe is a likable enough protagonist, and brothers Derek and Simon have an interesting backstory, but I never felt compelled to find out what happened to them next. Perhaps this is a Young Adult book that appeals more to the audience for whom it was originally intended.

I’m still undecided about reading the sequel, The Awakening. Part of me is curious to see if the plot picks up, especially since The Summoning ended with a cliffhanger, of course.

All in All: Ally kindly lent me her copy. One read was enough for me, but I can understand its appeal to some readers (like Ally, who couldn’t believe that I wasn’t crazy over it).

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