Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 04.06.2010 (HaperTeen)

Pages: 400

Series: The Darkest Powers (3)

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

Find the author online

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 necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets.

My Review

Having finally found a safe haven, Chloe and her group of fledgling supernatural friends batten down the hatches at a home used as a retreat for the rebel group seeking to bring down the Edison Group.  Simon and Derek's father's friend, Andrew introduces the teens to a few other members, each of whom can help one of Chloe's friends, or her.  The plot slows down for a little while; instead of the group living on the road, fleeing the Edison Group, Kelley Armstrong shows us the full ramifications of their super-charged powers: Chloe being taken to train in a cemetery, and the disastrous turn of events, and Andrew and his friend's disbelief at what their enemies have done to the kids.  I immediately disliked a few of the new characters, but all things considered, I think that was the point.  And it was nice to have a change of pace, because with that came a switch in focus.  Chloe's struggle over her feelings for Simon versus her feelings for Derek was guided into the forefront, in a way that was so well done that I teared up more than once. 

I am a huge fan of this pairing.  I love that they are unorthodox.  There will never be a perfect first date with these two, and they are not all hearts-and-flowers.  They're complicated, and unsure.  They have a tentative friendship backed by a bond forged out of their circumstances, a friendship that over the course of this book is tested, and found solid, a friendship that is beautifully allowed to grow into something more. Their interaction never once feels forced, and I wanted more scenes with them, even though a large portion of the book was kind of woven around them.

I also enjoyed seeing some character development from Tori.  Over the first two books, we saw glimpses into why she is the way she is, but in this book, Armstrong showed us the real Tori, a girl who has more talents than just her magic.  Tori starts to prove her usefulness and ends up helping the group a good bit in the book, and I was really pleased to, by the time I closed the book, be able to say that I liked her.

The plot picks back up when the group starts digging into an attempt on Derek and Chloe's lives from other werewolves.  I sped through the last 150 pages or so, because the climax of the book was drawing near.  And I was pretty satisfied.  The very ending felt a little too rushed for my taste, but it wrapped up enough yet left enough open for future books (I heard these characters may show back up down the road!)  There were a few plot arcs that left me sort of wishing for more - one connection between two characters that I truly truly hope Kelley Armstrong will explore down the road, and one that was just left dangling, again, hopefully to be brought back up in later books, or else I will be disappointed.  I'm also still curious to know more about the history of the Edison Group, and I'd love more info on that and on the teen's parents and all of their involvement.  But overall I really enjoyed this - I'm digging the YA/Paranormal vibe like crazy.  : )

Memorable Quote

I looked up at him. His green eyes glittered in the dark, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. His scowl had vanished. The defiance was gone, too, replaced by a tightness around his mouth, a worry that clouded his eyes; and seeing that quicksilver change, I wanted to...
I don't know what I wanted to do. Kick him in the shins seemed like a good option. Unfortunately, bursting into tears seemed more likely, because here lay the root of the problem, the contradiction in Derek that I couldn't seem to work out, no matter how hard I tried.

One second he was in my face, making me feel stupid and useless. The next he was like this: hovering, concerned, worried. I told myself it was just his wolf instinct, that he had to protect me whether he wanted to or not, but when he looked like this, like he'd pushed me too far and regretted it . . . That look said he genuinely cared. - Chloe

Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening / Kelley Armstrong

Published: 05.01.2009 (Harper Collins)

Pages: 360

Series: The Darkest Powers (2)

Rating:  4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

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 sinister organization called 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. 

Now 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 before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying. 

My Review

Chloe Saunders is on the run with an unlikely band of allies - half-trained sorcerer Simon; too-powerful witch, Tori, and untested werewolf Derek, when the group is seperated, and Chloe, Tori and Rachelle (who may or may not have powers of her own) end up comfortable, spoiled prisoners of the Edison Group...the group who, Chloe discovers, is responsible for genetic mutations performed on her and her friends - not to mention various others - to tamp down their powers.  But in Chloe and Tori's case, the experiments back fired.  And having discovered the plot they were all unwittingly part of, none of them are the same.  Chloe's innocence has been flaking away with every new development, but The Awakening is the transitional book in the trilogy - the story that takes intelligent but sheltered Chloe from her normal world and fully thrusts her into the middle of the supernatural world.  And Chloe, to her credit, handles it pretty well.  Kelley Armstrong doesn't really write shrinking violets, from what I've seen.  She writes characters that, even if they stumble from time to time, are ultimately capable of making their own choices, and learning along the way, all of which Chloe does over the course of this book.  After she escapes the Edison Group and reunites with Simon and Derek, and reluctantly, Tori, the four delve head first into the quest to locate Simon and Derek's father and, hopefully, a safe haven in the storm brewing all around them.

As dire as their circumstances are (Chloe now has a bounty on her head, placed there by her grief-stricken father, who knows nothing of what's going on,) sending the group to the streets was what this book needed to be, while transitory, also enough to keep me reading.  Nowhere is really safe for Chloe, Derek, Tori, and Simon, as Kelley Armstrong proves more than once, sending different threats their way, while all the time, Chloe's powers continue to manifest themselves in new and unexpected ways.  Armstrong shows us glimpses behind Tori's tough exterior, and proves, subtley, that there is more to Tori than meets the eye.  All four characters struggle to come to some sort of understanding of what their powers mean, what they are capable of, and how to survive on their own, away from small comforts and trusted loved ones. 

But the real star of this book was Derek, and his relationship with Chloe.  Briefly separated from the others, Chloe and Derek are thrown together and experience a couple of harrowing ordeals (a pair of werewolves, Chloe talking to an elderly woman in a restaurant who turns out to be a ghost,) and Derek's second attempted Change.  Through all of this, the two become closer, and Armstrong gives us a few rare glimpses behind Derek's gruff facade.  There's a real guy there, a guy who cares a lot about those around him, and slowly, a sweet bond develops between him and Chloe.  There isn't romance there, not just yet, but there's the hint of something more, something really meaningful, and Kelley Armstrong writes what IS there so well that I immediately wanted more of Derek and Chloe, when they weren't in the same scene. 

Overall I was pleased with this book.  I had a few hang-ups (people are always "swearing," and I guess because it's a YA novel the words themselves aren't allowed, but to me, it happened far too often and got a little annoying, "he swore, "it was my turn to swear," etc) but mostly it was a good book, and a little better than I remembered it being (I had previously read this book last year.)  The pacing is pretty solid and keeps the book moving along nicely toward its climax.  By the time I finished it, I felt like I had gotten to know the characters better, and was definitely ready for the third and final book, The Reckoning.

Memorable Qoute

"There was no closing my eyes and sliding back into that blissful dream of normal. This was my normal now."  - Chloe

Music Monday - #3

{ ++ } Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Jess at Gone With the Words where she tells us all about a book pairing or a favorite character/book and a song that reminds her of it/ them.  Bloggers are invited to join in the fun and I thought, music + pairings?  I am SO there!  It's no secret that when I get attached to a ship, I get all flail-y and spastic and grabby hands over the shiny couple... so here goes. Fangirling commencing in... 3...2...1!

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 sinister organization called 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. 

Now 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 before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying. 



 { ++ } I just adore Chloe and Derek.   Like, I really adore them.  They fight.  They challenge one another.  And at the end of the day, they care about one another.  They don't usually know how to show it - especially Derek - but the little moments in this series when how much they do care for each other slips out just always warms my heart.  I hear this song and I think of both of them, knowing on some level that things are changing between them, but unsure where they are headed: friendship, or something more?...and afraid to say out loud what is growing, unspoken, between them.

 

All I want is to keep this moment alive, featuring you and me.

I see us slipping away, starting to fade

Crumbling down till we both hit the ground

You know if we never say we'll never crash and burn

Cause love is a 4 letter word.

I am afraid of losing all that we had now

(A four letter word)

It could all get ruined if it's ever said out loud

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning / Kelley Armstrong

Published: 07.01.2008 (HarperTeen)

Pages: 390

Series: The Darkest Powers (1)

Rating:  4 of 5 stars

Further info: Goodreads / Amazon

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

My Review

Fifteen year old Chloe Saunders lands in Lyle House after she gets her period and starts seeing ghosts - all in the same day.  I immediately wanted to hug Chloe, who is thrown into a new situation and into a group home for "troubled" kids, and, all things considers, adapts fairly well.  I liked Chloe immediately - Kelley Armstrong writes female leads very well.  Chloe is a character that I felt for, but I didn't feel sorry for her.  Maybe it was because of her inner monologue, where we see a little bit of cheek, which I like or maybe it was just that Chloe, even surrounded by strangers as the plot thickens, doesn't give up.  She keeps questioning her circumstances and her surroundings.   She's intelligent, and she knows her strengths and her weaknesses. 

Chloe struggles with the diagnosis the adults in charge of Lyle House give her.  She knows there is something more going on, and she starts investigating, as scared as uncovering the truth makes her.  With the "help" of standoff-ish Derek (a sixteen year old near-genius with some real personality issues) and his foster brother, Simon (a cute, half-trained sorcerer) Chloe begins looking for answers.  Along the way she encounters firebug Rae and disgruntled, spoiled, and wounded Tori.  Each of these characters defy stereotypes, instead bringing fresh life into the pages of a premise that could have fallen flat, but with Kelley Armstrong's writing style, and story-telling ability, instead becomes a really poignant and slightly scary coming-of-age story.

One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was the introduction of Derek.  Simon is sweet and considerate and thoughtful, but Derek.  Derek is brusque and honest and has no idea how to show anyone - least of all Chloe - that he is trying to protect them, or in this case, her.  Under his tough exterior, Derek has his own fears, and I loved seeing Chloe start getting to him, little by little.  As much as they infuriated one another, they kept one another on their toes, too.  Any good relationship, even be it friendship, needs a little conflict to keep things interesting, and these two definitely had that!

I guess my only real complaint is that I wish we'd gotten to see a little more of a few of the supporting characters (Liz, Peter, etc) before they were gone.  And although a few of the villains motivations were supremely clear, there were a few other characters who i wasn't sure if they had gotten carried along for the ride, if they were ignorant of what was going on, or if  they were just supposed to be plain old evil.  Either way by the end of the book I had to know more about how this group of supernaturals had all "accidentally" ended up in a group home. 

This book has it all: mystery, a little tinge of romance that is so subtly done that it is just gorgeous in its simplicity, and the supernatural.  Kelley Armstrong's young adult paranormal romance is supremely satisfying, with genuine characters that I ended up caring about, enough to go grab the sequel, The Awakening, immediately after finishing The Summoning.  

 

Memorable Quote

I let out a laugh that sounded more like the yip of a startled poodle. "Superp-powers? I wish. My powers aren't winning me a slot on the Cartoon Network anytime soon... except as a comic relief. Ghost Whisperer Junior. Or Ghost Screamer, more like it. Tune in, every week, as Chloe Saunders runs screaming from yet another ghost looking for her help."- Chloe.

Teaser Tuesday - #8 { The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong }

{ ++ } Miz B over at Should Be Reading hosts this weekly meme, where us book lovers get a chance to spotlight our currently-reading and basically...do a little teasing.  : ) The rules are simple:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.  (Full disclosure: I actually go hunting for a good teaser.  heehee.)
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.  (Um.  Sometimes I post more than 2 sentences.  hee.)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their to-reads if they like your teaser.

A shadow glided past me and I turned to see Derek at my shoulder.  As the dining room door swung shut behind him, I caught a glimpse of books and a calculator spread across the table.  He must have been there the whole time, doing independant work.

As he looked down at me, I expected some sarcastic comment about eavesdropping, but he only muttered, "Welcome to the madhouse," then brushed past me into the kitchen to swipe an extra snack.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 07.01.08 (HarperTeen)

Pages: 390

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…