Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

This is the second novel in the Ruby Red Trilogy series by Kerstin Gier.

My review of #1: Ruby Red.

Not even a week ago, Gwenyth found out that she, unlike her cousin Charlotte, has the time travel gene in her family. And Gwen has no idea about any of the historical information she should know, liker her cousin likes to point out.

So now Gwenyth is stuck with Gideon, the male time traveler who infuriates Gwen, even though he's a great kisser. Kissing or not, he is a pompous male who thinks he knows best about everything and likes to ignore her, until he wants to snog a bit with Gwen. Then they get along just peachy.

But now Gwen is stuck going in the past for 4 hours a day using the chronograph, the device that sends them back into time with a particular date in mind. Which is also the second chronograph created, the first having been stolen by Lucy and Paul, the other time travelers before Gwen and Gideon.

And no one is trusting Gwen with any of the information because they think she is going to betray them to unforseen events that came from Lucy and Paul stealing the first device, but also because she "stole" Charlotte's spot at being the time traveler.

Like Gwen really wanted it.

Thankfully, Gwen has Leslie, her normal human friend who is very resourceful at finding information on the internet, so Gwen has been getting a little bit of info, even if it isn't necessarily the right information.

And strange things are definitely happening because many occasions that they travel back in time, it seems that others are expecting their arrival.

One good thing has come from this, though. Gwen gets to see her grandfather again, Lucas, who died a few years ago. And they have devised a plan where he will find out information  and each time she travels to get in her quota of travel for the day, she will see him and gather all the information that she can about her traveling gene.

However, the count, the first person with the time travel gene, is very interested in Gwen and wants to know her more. Gwen's not happy about that though, because the count gives her a horrible feeling. And she swears that he tried to choke her and talked to her without speaking.

But the count gives some interesting news about Gideon that has Gwen doubting everything she's known for the past week as a time traveler. And she's not sure what to think anymore. What will Gwen do with this new information? How can she possibly do what she's supposed to do if she can't trust the one person who will travel with her? Read Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I finally got my hands on this book! And I only have to wait 8 more months for the conclusion of this series!

On the one hand, I really liked this book because Gwen is trying really hard to figure out what is going on, despite everyone keeping her in the dark about the secret of the time traveling gene and what they are planning to do with the chronograph.

But on the other hand, I felt like not a lot went on and Gwen should just refuse to help until she gets the answers that she wants. She's not a very docile character and she needs to start vocalizing what she is thinking and make sure that she starts getting heard.

So I liked it and I thought it could have been better. What I'm really curious about is how this series is going end since there is only one more novel to come out before the conclusion is revealed. It doesn't seem like we have enough information to go on in order to finish this series, but I will be excited to find out come October when the novel is released.

For anyone who likes books about time travel and set in the past with, at least for me, some pretty accurate historical subjects, I would definitely recommend it to you. However, I would say that reading the first novel would be something to consider as this book does start exactly where the first one ends. It will clear up any confusion.

So yes, I had ups and downs with this book, but I will be a dedicated reader and read Emerald Green when it is released to find out what will happen for numerous parts of this book!

Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the third novel in the Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

My review of #1: Raised by Wolves.
My review of #2: Trial by Fire.

WARNING - This book will contain spoilers from the previous two novels in the series. Proceed with caution!

Bryn has had to make some tough decisions as alpha of her pack. The latest one was having to kill a wolf she took in her pack, only to have him challenge her. And once an alpha is challenged, there is no going back. They have to fight. To the death.

While Bryn won the fight, and killed Lucas, she lost another member of the pack: Maddy. She was in love with Lucas and could not look at Bryn afterward without feeling anger at her for killing the one she loved.

So Bryn let Maddy go and now she's living on her own in the No-Man's-Land.

Let's just say things were going pretty rough for Bryn.

Now she's training with Jed, another human like Bryn who has a psychic ability to go feral, or rabid but without shifting into a wolf. They lose control of what their body does and they fight to survive any threat that tries to kill them. And almost always they get out of the situation somewhat unscathed.

Things can't keep staying normal for Bryn, though. Shay, the alpha of the bordering territory has called for an alpha meeting. He reveals that there is a lone, rabid wolf roaming around killing animals and humans, brutally. Local police are starting to notice.

But the part that intrigues all of the male alphas is that the rabid wolf is FEMALE. Female wolves are very rare and every pack, besides Bryn's, wants their own so they can breed more children and make their pack larger.

Bryn needs to find this wolf before everyone else because she is the only one that won't force the female wolf to join her pack just to use her as a breeding tool. She will allow the wolf to be free, just letting her join her pack to steer clear of the other alphas.

But the mysterious killer wolf is not what Bryn's pack thinks. And Shay is not a wolf to underestimate. Because he usually has an ultimate goal that Bryn doesn't see coming. And everything is about to become 100 times worse before she can see any brightness in her future. Will Bryn be able to help this female wolf and figure out who is attacking innocent humans and animals? Read Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. I was a little leery when down to the last 20 pages and it was still mid story, but Barnes did a wonderful job creating this ending to her series!

And I'm going to say it: it was bittersweet and heartbreaking. I was very teary eyed and couldn't believe all of the things Barnes did in the last 50 pages of this book. I was angry, I was sad, I was satisfied, but I was devastated.

All in all, I went on a rollercoaster ride and, even though I know I loved the ending, I'm still trying to get past all of the emotions that I went through.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you why I went through all of those emotions, because it would give away the ending and I'm so not a spoiler reviewer. Let's just say that some characters die and if you want to know who, you'll have to read the series to get attached to them just to lose them.

Ironically, I read many reviews saying that this was the best YA werewolf story ever written. I'm not sure if I would go that far, but I did really, really like this storyline. There was so much randomness and multiple topics thrown into this series that I felt satisfied with how Barnes pulled it off.

I would definitely recommend this novel to werewolf fans, and also supernatural fans since there's a little bit more going on than just werewolves. Also, if you've read the first two novels, you HAVE to read this story to find out what happens!

For those who want to read this series but only have the third novel, I would advise you to find the first two because it will make the story so much better and you would also understand a lot more by the third novel.

Great series, Barnes! I was made a believer by the very last page of this book that this series is a great story and beautifully written! Now, I'm going to hunt for more of Barnes's books and see if she will entrap me again with her story telling!

The Temptation by Alisa Valdes

This is the first novel in The Kindred series by Alisa Valdes.

When Shane was going to a musical recital to play her violin, she never expected to get into a major car accident initialed by a coyote with glowing red eyes.

She also never expected to meet a gorgeous stranger who miraculously healed her from fatal wounds that were slowly killing her.

But that is what happened. And it changed Shane's life after that. She was saved from dying, but she also couldn't forget Travis, the mysterious man who came to her rescue. Thankfully, Travis felt that deep connection with Shane as well, so they were always trying to seek one another out.

Except for one thing... Travis is dead. He's a revenant, a spirit traveling in a physical body and he is supposed to protect and help any living creature at the area where Shane had her car accident.

If he does enough good in the world, he may be able to get out the Vortex and go to the Afterlife. But he if goes against the Vortex's rules, he will be sent to the Underworld.

When Shane tells her best friend, Kelsey, the truth, she just wanted to talk to someone about this. But Kelsey told her mom, who decided that Shane had a terrible head injury and that she needs to see a psychiatrist.

Then things get even worse for Shane. Not only are she and Travis soul mates, but they are not allowed to be intimate with each other -  otherwise Travis will be going against the rules and will disappear forever.

But that's not the worst part. Travis has a mortal enemy - even in death. Victor is the one who killed Travis and also his father and older brother many years ago.

Victor is still out to punish Travis's family, and Shane is the next victim since Travis loves her.

Will Travis and Shane be able to survive Victor's hatred, or will Travis have to give in and break the rules in order to get rid of Victor? Read The Temptation by Alisa Valdes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I randomly saw this at a local library and decided it sounded like something up my alley. And I really did enjoy it, for a random pick up :)

This is one of those "love at first sight" novels where the two characters know they are supposed to meet one another.

But of course there are complications, like the majority of novels out there.

Shane is a tough cookie. She takes being healed by Travis like a champ, and even took to him being dead fairly quietly - not something a normal girl would take lightly. She also took the criticism of her classmates at school when they started calling her insane and crazy.

Really, Shane didn't really care what others thought of her as long as she knew Travis would be with her since they were in love.

Overall, this was a good book. Not my favorite, but I loved the story line of another revenant plot. This is the second series I've read about revenants (the first being the series by Amy Plum, Die for Me) so it gave me another aspect of this topic to consider.

This is the first in a series, though I don't know when the second will come out or when. This was just released April 2012 so it's still somewhat new, and it's also the first I've read of this author, though it's not her debut novel.

I will be keeping my eye out for the sequel to see what happens with Shane and Travis.

I would recommend this to any female reader wanting a new supernatural creature of Revenants and one that wants to read an automatic love story where the characters don't question the connection.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the first novel in The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater.

Living with a family of psychics is interesting. For Blue, it's normal when random strangers come to her house to get their reading done, and hearing phrases that would normally make other people raise an eyebrow.

Also, ever since Blue was 6, her mother and her two friends Calla and Persephone have stated that she will kill her true love with a kiss. And it's not just Blue's friends and family who have said that - other psychics around the country have stated that same phrase.

So, it's safe to say that Blue has never had a boyfriend, nor really any guy friends for 10 years.

One night during their yearly visit to the graveyard where Blue's aunt hears the names of all the souls that will die within the year, Blue sees a boy.

Blue never sees a boy, or any other spirit on this night.

See, Blue isn't psychic like her mother. But she can make any psychics ability 10x stronger just by being in the same room.

So when Blue saw the boy, it meant one of two things. One, he was her true love. Or two, she was going to kill him.

After finding out his name, Gansey, Blue meets up with him in real life along with his 3 friends Noah, Adam, and Ronan.

Now Blue seems to be friends with not only one, but three guys when she has obviously sworn off boys for life.

But Gansey and his friends are looking for the ley line - the magical area where magic can be used if only the person knows what to sacrifice in order to possess the magic.

Gansey has been looking for this for over a year, and he's getting close now that he's met Blue and her eccentric family.

Will the secret of possessing the ley line magic get uncovered? And why did Blue see Gansey that night when she's having some feelings for Adam, his friend? Does this mean Gansey isn't her one true love? Read The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I have been a devote fan of Maggie Stiefvater since she first wrote Shiver of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series (which I haven't wrote about!!! I will fix that!!) and her recent novel The Scorpio Races.

So of course I would love this new book by her!

It was a little different though. The narration switched between multiple characters so we got a lot of different viewpoints.

And honestly, if I wasn't a devoted Stiefvater fan, I'm not sure if I would have been as interested in this book as I was. I'm hoping that someone who hasn't read her novels before would still pick this up and like it, but it was very deep and delved really far into the story line before coming back out crystal clear (well, kinda).

Blue is a unique girl but she kind of has to be when growing up she never got any commands - just simple remarks that her mother made letting her decide what she wants to do.

And the Raven Boys - boy are there some deep, troubled things going on which each of these boys. I love all of them for different reasons, but I think Gansey was my favorite. Being a nerd who likes to do research is not always found in lead boy characters, so of course I fell for him!

There is a lot of content in this book and once the reader gets to the end, everything makes sense. Just stick it out!

I would recommend this anyone who wants to read about magic, friendship, society, and second chances. I am looking forward to the sequel, which won't come out until September 2013 so I have a while to wait, but I'll be picking it up when it gets released!

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

This is the second book in the Hourglass series by Myra McEntire.

My review of #1: Hourglass.

Kaleb Ballard has always felt distant from everyone, but now his mother is in a coma, Michael, (his adoptive brother), is with Emerson all of the time, and his father, back from the dead, is keeping more secrets from Kaleb and sharing them with Michael, he feels lost in the crowd.

When he meets a feisty Tiger on Halloween only to find out that she's Emerson's best friend, Lily, things start to look up.

Well, at least for Kaleb's love life.

In fact, Jack is changing time zones even more now, causing anyone with a time gene in their DNA to see rips, images from the past and future.

The Hourglass society gets together to try and figure out what Jack is looking for. And they start taking major risks because, if they don't, the life that they know now will not be the same if Jack gets what he wants.

Can Kaleb and the rest of the Hourglass group find the device Jack is looking for before him? Will it be enough to keep their time frame the same? Or did Jack mess up time too much to be reversible? Read Timepiece by Myra McEntire to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
At the end of my review for Hourglass, I said that I really didn't enjoy it. While I was leery about reading this novel, I wanted to see if it was better because it also has a different narrator!

I love Kaleb. He appears a bad boy with his leather jacket, piercings, tattoos and tall, built frame, but inside he just wants to be loved and to protect the ones that he loves.

So I did enjoy this novel a little bit better than the first. I didn't have to read Emerson complaining all of the time.

I liked where the story went with the Hourglass society and it was a great build-up for the next novel.

I think this was a great addition to the series and now I'm excited to read the third novel, Infinityglass, when it comes out in June 2013.

For anyone who enjoys time travel and a mystery story, I would definitely recommend this to you! It would be better if you read the first novel to fully understand the story dealing with the Hourglass, even though I wasn't a fan of the first one.

For those that didn't enjoy the first novel, I would suggest giving this a try as it is a little different and might make you a believer of Myra McEntire's writing!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

For the past 4 years, Emerson has been able to see apparitions - people who are obviously from the past with the hoop skirts and old fashioned hair do's, when no one else has seen them.

She's also had a rough time with it because right after she started to see things that weren't there, both her parents died in a vehicle accident. The grief was too much for her, on top of the abnormality that was introduced to her, and had to be medicated to cope.

Now, at 17, Emerson has been weening herself off of her meds without telling her brother. The "ghosts" are starting to come back, but Emerson tired of feeling like a zombie.

After telling her brother, Thomas, that she is seeing them again, he found a "counselor" for Emerson to talk to.

And that counselor happened to be Michael, a college student who understood more about Emerson than she did herself.

It just so happens that Michael has a very similar ability. He sees apparitions as well. And, he can travel to the future.

Emerson found out that she's his other half. While he can travel to the future, Emerson can travel to the past. Together, they make a complete time traveling package where they can go anywhere through time.

And Michael needs Emerson's help to change one little event that happened 6 months ago - to save someone who died in order to protect other people who have abilities.

But changing history is never a thing to mess with, because who knows what can happen and what will be changed in the future...

My Thoughts/Reflections
Time-travel seems to be the next big thing in Young Adult literature. I thought this was refreshing with new information and contexts about time travel, but there was something that kept me from loving this novel like most other time travel novels.

I admire Emerson. She lost so much and gained a scary and crazy ability to see apparitions from another time.

But at the same time, I can't help but compare her to Bella from Twilight in the sense that she's all about Michael. Since they are two halves of a power, they have this strong connection with each other. Every time they touch, heat and sparks literally channel through each other.

So when she felt that she lost him, she started to channel Bella when she lost Edward in the second novel/movie... And I didn't enjoy that Emerson.

She's so strong willed and independent, but did a whole 360 degrees and became so dependent on Michael is was a little sickening.

And I didn't even mention Kaleb!! Kaleb is another "superpower" guy who seemed to fall hard for Emerson, even though Michael had the "she's mine" vibe from the beginning. (Yes, like Jacob in Twilight.) But I somehow liked Kaleb and Emerson more than Michael and Emerson.

This novel was alright. It definitely wasn't my favorite. I didn't even get into the Hourglass aspect - the organization where anyone who can manipulate time get together to learn more about their ability. Or Jack/Jonathan Landers - the evil villain in this story who used Emerson for his own purposes. There was just a lot going on in this novel - and not too much of it appealed to me, overall.

But apparently the next novel (which is already out) is through Kaleb's point of view... So I may have to take one more chance on this series since I liked Kaleb the most out of the characters.

For anyone who liked Twilight - this is a novel for you. For anyone who likes time travel, I would also recommend this novel to you. But if you don't like one or the other, I would suggest staying away from this book as those are the only two things I can think about after reading it.

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The town of Cryer's Cross is not very big. There are less than 250 people. Most of the families are farmers, and the high school consists of 1 room - where all 4 years sit and have one teacher. Think of it as "Little House on the Prairie" if you will.

At the end of Kendall's junior year, a girl, Tiffany Quinn, went missing. They searched for her over the summer, but was unable to find her.

When coming back to school to start her senior year, the news about Tiffany started to die down. Now the buzz was about the new kids: Marlena and Jacian Obregon.

Kendall still did her usual routine at school: put the trash can the right way, put the markers in rainbow order, open the windows and straighten the desks. She has OCD and needs to have things in an exact way, or she starts to get jittery.

After a few weeks at school, Kendall's best friend Nico starts to act odd. He spaces off, doesn't have a conversation, and wanders away.

Then a few days after that, Nico disappears just like Tiffany did...

There was a search party, but just like Tiffany, no one was able to figure out where he went.

When Kendall started hearing voices coming from the desk Nico sat at, she thought she was going crazy. A desk can't talk to her. Later on, though, Kendall forgot about the weirdness of the talking desk and decided to listen to what it was saying.

She could help Nico. But at what price?

My Thoughts/Reflections
I think Lisa McMann is starting to be my new favorite mystery/suspense YA author! She did a fantastic job with this story, weaving mystery and supernatural together to create a great story.

I read another novel by her, (I reviewed Dead to You here) which was a little different than this novel, but just as suspenseful.

I've never met anyone who has OCD (not that I know of, anyway) so while I couldn't relate to Kendall, I thought she had a handle on her disease. She didn't announce it to everyone. In fact, Nico was the only one who really knew about it, so when he disappeared, it made hiding her OCD habits hard for Kendall at first.

Jacian was by far my favorite character. He was the silent, stay-away, moody new guy who was mad about moving during senior year to a town-but-really-country/town-area from a big city. When he found out about Kendall having OCD, he didn't make fun of her, but let her be herself.

The mystery and supernatural aspect of this story could have been stronger. The reader didn't really get answers until the end of the book and it seemed almost rushed.

Lisa McMann did leave this book open for a sequel to come out, with the "ghost" factor after the last few pages. It will be interesting if she writes another one and where she would go with it.

I really enjoyed this story. I read reviews that said they didn't like Kendall and thought this story gave them goosebumps, but I found it a quick read that kept my attention until the very end.

For anyone looking to read a suspense/mystery story with a little paranormal, I would definitely recommend this novel. With the above cover, it could appeal to guy readers, even though it's a female narrator, so I would say any audience could enjoy this novel.

I also think reluctant readers would like this novel as it's unique and dark in some areas. It's very easy to read and, once you get into the story, very fast paced.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

After living in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rory is going to a 2 year school in London. Her parents are teaching in Bristol and Rory got to choose her schooling during their overseas job.

When Rory gets to Wexford, her new boarding school/home, she was struck with the thought that it was HOME now. She had to shower there, sleep there, eat there - do everything there.

Upon the arrival of her coming into London, there was also a brutal murder that occurred. A murder that was the exact replica of Jack the Ripper's murders in 1888. There is a Jack the Ripper copycat.

Rory is less than amused by this act as she's not from London, doesn't know that much about Jack the Ripper, and she's having a hard enough time keeping up in her classes. She figures that things will die down after the killer is caught and it was just some sort of prank.

However, on the night of the third murder, Rory sees a man outside of her building at school. When her roommate, Jazza, did not see anyone there, Rory is a little... worried about her seeing people who aren't there.

She comes to find out that she can see ghosts. Rory had an incident where she almost died, and she has the genes in which she can see ghosts, but only if she encounters a scare of death.

After that, Rory gains a new roommate - Boo. Boo has the same ability that Rory has, along with Boo's "friends" Stephen and Callum.

When the ghost portraying as Jack the Ripper finds out that Rory can see him, he decides to make Rory is 5th and final victim in the Jack the Ripper replica.

Will Rory be able to find the way to get rid of the ghost? Read The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Okay, first, Rory. I can't help it. When I read that name, I'm transferred to Gilmore Girls. This book is nothing like that show, nor is Rory anything like Rory Gilmore, but I still see Alexis Bledel when I see that name.

Second, this book is unlike anything Maureen has written in the past. And I LOVED it just as much as I love her previous novels!

Third, London. I've been to London, so I knew some of the landmarks Maureen Johnson wrote about, but she did a great job describing it and if I hadn't been there before, I would have after reading this novel.

This has a great deal of mystery and murder, keeping the atmosphere of the book "on your seat with suspense".

Trying to figure out London ways is hard for Rory, let alone having to deal with ghosts, murders, and becoming the next victim of a killing spree.

There was a little bit of romance in this novel between Rory and a classmate, Jerome. However, I didn't feel it. I think I felt more sparks with Rory and Stephen (another person who sees ghosts) even though nothing happened romantically between them.

This is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to see what other adventures will be uncovered in the next two books!

I would recommend this to anyone, espeically those who like London, historical atmospheres, and a good murder and mystery story!

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning - #3 and Final book in the Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong. 

Click here: The Summoning for the review of the first book in the series and here: The Awakening for the review of the second book in the series. 

**NOTE** There will be SPOILERS in this review from the first two novels in this trilogy. 

Just when Chloe Saunders thought she escaped from the corporation she was running from, she's right back in the middle of it as an experimental test.

Chloe, Simon, Derek, and Tori have been saved by Andrew and taken into hiding. They don't feel safe, though, especially because Lauren, Chloe's aunt, and Rae are stuck in the facility that Chloe and Tori escaped from.

While hiding out, Andrew's co-workers come in and try to help the teenagers with their powers - each specializes in the abilities Simon, Chloe and Tori have.

When Chloe's mentor, Margaret, takes Chloe to a cemetery, Chloe is very uncertain she should be there - considering she can raise the dead without even trying. When the test trial goes wrong and Margaret sees just how powerful Chloe is, Margaret thinks that they need to get more help since she's unqualified for the job.

That's how all of the mentors think when they see the teenagers try their powers.

After getting ambushed by other werewolves, Derek and Chloe find out that Andrew was part of a mission to get all of the teenagers under one place, watched by guards.

So it seems the teenagers went from one prison to another.

The main mission the teenagers are on is to find Derek and Simon's father. He will help them out and know what to do.

Will the teenagers have to run for the rest of their lives? Can they finally break free from the prisons they are always being taken to? Read this final installment of the Darkest Powers Series to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a great finish to this series! I like how it was just as action packed as the first two, making the reader zip through the pages to find out what happens in the end.

Knowing it was the final book, I was anxious to find out the ending, and I just loved it! Everything gets resolves, and while there may be a story with Chloe and the guy that she picks (not going to say because I want to keep something non spoilery), I'm overall really happy with how things ended.

I would definitely recommend all three of these books to other readers! It's definitely different than the novels written today and we get to experience different types of supernatural (necromancer, werewolf, sorcerer, witch, demons, etc.) so it's not just one type of paranormal species.

If the author decided to make another novel continuing their story, I wouldn't mind that either, but for now, I'm very content as to how this novel finished! :)

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening - #2 in the Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong

Click here: The Summoning for my review of the first book in the series.

**NOTE** There Might Be Spoilers in this review for the first novel in the series. 

Chloe Saunders used to be an ordinary girl. That was before she found out she was a necromancer - a person who can raise, talk, and summon the dead spirits. Now, Chloe and her friends she made at the Lyle House (Derek, Simon, Liz, Rae, and Tori) are running away from the authorities that kept them in the house.

They wanted to run tests on all of the teenagers because they are supernatural. Derek is a werewolf, Simon is a sorcerer, Liz (who was killed but her ghost lives on) is telekinetic, Rae can manipulate fire, and Tori is a witch.

Together, Derek, Simon, Chloe, Tori and Liz are working as a group to get away from the "scientists" who want to run experiments on them to figure out their powers.

When the group reaches a close friend of Derek and Simon's father, they find out that Andrew used to be a part of the "scientist" group for supernaturals but now is trying to destroy that company.

In order to do that, though, they need Chloe and her friend's help to make sure it will be fully destroyed.

My Thoughts/Reflections
I think I liked this book even more! There really wasn't much going on, just everyone trying to find a safe place to meet up and figure out what to do next.

During the journey, though, we see Chloe's supernatural power some more - sometimes out of order and others when Chloe tries to use it. We also see Derek fighting his metamorphosis into a wolf.

There is some subtle romantic feelings in this book, just like the first, between Chloe and both Derek and Simon. I know most might pick Simon because he is the cuter, more outgoing out of the two brothers, but I think I would like to see Chloe and Derek together. Derek is the not so good looking one since he's in his puberty stage still, but every time Chloe and Derek were together he was always protecting her and got emotional when Chloe was "causing trouble". I think they'd make a cute couple!

Even though this was mostly them running from place to place, we learned more about the organization hunting them and we learn more about all of the characters.

I'm excited to see what happens in the final book of this series and where Kelley Armstrong goes with it.

I would definitely recommend these books to teens who like paranormal stories, and want to read another novel about necromancers since there aren't too many out there yet.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning - #1 in the Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong

Going to an art school for classes about film directing was a normal day for Chloe Saunders. Until the day her monthly cycle came and she saw a janitor with burn scars chasing after her in the hallways.

That janitor, though? He wasn't alive. He was actually a ghost trying to talk to Chloe, as she was the only one who would see him.

After that episode, where the teachers had to sedate Chloe as she was trying to run away from the ghost, Chloe was sent to a "house for troubled teens". Now she has to prove to everyone that she can't see ghosts - that it was just a mistake.

Which is kind of hard to do when ghosts keep popping out of nowhere scaring her each time. The more time Chloe spends in the Lyle House with the other teenagers, the more she realizes that things are not as they seemed when she first got there.

With the other teenagers: Derek, a 6 foot, acne face 16 year old; Simon (Derek's older brother); Rae, a girl who likes looking at fire; Liz, the perky, happy one of the bunch; and Tori, the snarky, queen of the House, Chloe learns more about each teenager and how they are not so normal as she first thought...

After teenagers have left the house, Chloe forgets the idea of trying to be a "normal, non-ghost seeing girl" and starts to contact the spirits. What she finds would make anyone in that situation get goose bumps...

My Thoughts/Reflections
I was sure what I would think of this book. I've read great reviews and I read Armstrong's newest book series The Gathering, so I wanted to see how this book would pan out.

After figuring out some mysteries, I'm now hooked. There aren't too many books being written about talking to the dead/ghosts, so the storyline was new and refreshing. Also, there wasn't a heavy romantic appeal - at least in this first book of the series - which kept me hooked on the story rather than who the main girl would choose to fall in love.

This was a very easy and fast paced book to read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal but is getting tired of the fallen angel/vampire/werewolf stories that are being over written lately.

This is also the first book of a triology, which all books are finished and available for purchase/checking out so there is not waiting for the start/ending of the story!! Yay!

Reviews will be up for the second and third book very soon (As soon as I read them :))