The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Review of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: March 31, 2009 (paperback)

4 out 5 smirks

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.”

I do not believe I have ever seen as much betrayal in my life as I have seen in The Summoning. Holy shit, it was everywhere you looked. Within characters that you originally trusted because of the mutual background or connections with other characters you love, like Chloe. It seemed that everyone she ever came in contact with had at one point or another somehow betrayed her. The Summoning was a great book which had all the elements I require a book to have in order to keep my attention. There was a whole lot of mystery, action, adventure, supernatural, and some romance. I’m not sure if I would buy this series though, hence why I only gave 4 out of 5 smirks. (The economy sucks and you have to pick and choose things you can and cannot live without. I could live without this book for awhile.)

I really liked how Kelley Armstrong went about telling this story. It was like unraveling bits and pieces here and there, but also giving you clues along the way to help you realize what is right in front of you. Of course what is right in front of you always comes as a complete shock when it is revealed later in the book. Which is another truly great aspect of The Summoning; everything that is revealed within its own time always comes as a shock. Then you think wait all the signs were there, this makes total sense. I also really enjoyed the fact that Kelley Armstrong makes the reader feel what the main character is feeling; I feel that is an important aspect to have in order to make a story truly memorable. At first everything is normal and then everything isn’t so normal. It was like being plucked along with Chloe out of a normal life she desperately wanted to have. I enjoyed The Summoning and cannot wait until I read the next installment; The Awakening.