The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis:My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.

But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.

My Review:
Man I love a happy ending! This one had me smiling even after I shut the book. This was a great series and I really loved the story line as well as the characters. The author’s writing style lends itself to both great story telling as well as exploring human relationships which I found easy to relate to and read and overall very enjoyable. It’s hard to believe that this story takes place in only two weeks with all the action and drama that unfolds. Parts of this book were thoroughly creepy with some of the scary ghost Chloe had to summon which made each scene even more exciting. There was also a good mix of action and humor which lightened up what could have been a very tense book. These poor kids could not catch a break and I was right there with them not knowing who could be trusted with their lives. But they ended up trusting each other which is all that really matters.

I think this one was my favorite of the three and it ended on a high note which makes me happy. I will be interested to see how Armstrong ties this story into her next series which introduces new characters but is somehow connected to this one. Well shall see… If you enjoyed the first two, give this one a shot because it’s good!

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis:
Book II in the Darkest Powers trilogy takes us deeper into a world where the supernatural intrudes on the everyday with riveting effect.

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl – someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment – not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Review:
I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. We finally learn a little more about the other characters and their past while they continue to stay on the run from the Edison Group. It was a fluid continuation of the first book and I grew more attached to the characters and what happened to them as the story progressed. I thought at first the first two books could have been combined but now I am glad they were split up because it would have felt too overwhelming. I like that while Chloe could be helpless against her enemies considering her lack of fighting experience, she stands up for herself and does not try to play the role of damsel in distress (even if she is).

I love this author’s writing and the way she tells the story and how the characters interact. Although I will say that there were a few times where I was confused about how we got from point A to point B with things suddenly happening in the action scenes. She tells you some things in detail and others are left to your imagination but it’s not significant enough to take away from the overall story. This one was not hard to finish in a day because I had to keep reading to find out what happens next. All I can say is thank goodness the third one already came out because I would be struggling with having to wait to see where the story goes next. Read it!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis:
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.

My Review:
This book was good! I was not sure what to expect because I had not heard anything about the story, only that it was a popular series. I was surprised to discover what it was about because the cover is somewhat misleading making me expect something along the lines of a “Beautiful Creatures” story line. It was more like X-Men and or a comic strip with kids dealing with supernatural powers and an opposing group trying to experiment on them and bring them down. I really loved it and it was leaps and bounds better than another book I finished.

Although Chloe is only 15 she considers the impact her actions will make and explores the conflict raging inside her because of her supernatural abilities. I like the way Chloe thinks by picturing different scenarios from a film director’s point of view which adds a creative flare and imaginative element to her character. While the story itself slowly builds up to the climax at the end, I enjoyed that aspect because too many times I feel the plot is rushed to get to the action sequences which I think does a disservice to the characters and their development.

The romantic relationship between Derek and Chloe was not as obvious in this book and that’s a real change because many times I am easily able to pick it out and I liked not knowing. I also appreciated the author not making these characters seem perfect because they have supernatural abilities. These teenagers deal with real teenage issues like acne and seeking approval from not only their peers but their parents while dealing with having a “mental illness” and having to cope with that truth or in these case, that lie. This one was a page turner for me and I can’t wait for the next one!