The Summoning

I've had The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong on my bookshelf for awhile.  I would pick it up, think it was a little too thick for what I was in the mood for, and put it back down.  One day, I was sorting through my "To Be Read" list on Goodreads and this book was listed first.  I decided to give it a shot, and I'm really glad I did.   

Cover:  There's something intriguing about how the cover cuts off the top part of the girl's face.  The cover made me think the red pendant would be a majorly significant part of the story, but I found that it wasn't played up as much.

Characters: The main characters of The Summoning are Chloe, Derek, Simon, Rae, and Tori. There are some other characters who make frequent appearances, but I didn't think they were as important. Chloe suddenly finds that she has some abilities that most other people don't have. Chloe's got the typical teenage struggle. You know, finding yourself, dealing with peer pressure, and trying to fit in. On top of that, though, is this new realization that she's different...in a big way. Chloe has a good head on her shoulders. I liked that she was intelligent, had plans for her future, and wasn't boy crazy. That was refreshing for me. I've read so many books with teen girls who were absolutely out of their gourds over boys. I have trouble identifying with those girls, because boys were never my main concern. Good grades, getting into college, and getting a good job were always at the top of my list.


Derek and Simon are mysterious brothers who ended up in the facility after their father disappeared. Without giving away too much, I'll just say that they know more about Chloe's special abilities than she does. Rae and Tori are two girls that were already at the house when Chloe joined. Rae befriends Chloe, but Tori seems to make it her own personal mission to make Chloe's life hell.

Writing: The writing was simple but descriptive enough to suck me into the story. I felt the author had good timing with certain events in the story and knew exactly where to end chapters. That's a big thing that can determine whether I like a book or not. I love when I finish a chapter and just CAN'T STOP. I MUST read the next chapter. This was one of those books for me.

Plot: The storyline in this book seemed different from the other books I had been reading. There was the paranormal aspect (which I've been reading a lot of lately), but it seemed to have been incorporated in a different way. Chloe finds herself with a strange new ability and discovers others who are kind of like her. While most people don't believe in the things Chloe and her friends can do, there are others who do believe, want to learn more, and have cruel intentions. As I sit here writing this about the plot, I'm reminded that I have no idea how Chloe's story ends. The author left the book with a real cliffhanger. Guess I'll have to read the second book. ;-)

Overall: 4/5 I really liked this book. I never lost interest in it and really liked the way it ended. It was a true cliffhanger ending, the kind that I think all books in a series should have.