Review: The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1) by Kelley Armstrong

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…


Kelley Armstrong took her creativity to new heights if you ask me, with her series opener, The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1).  I'm not sure what I was expecting and I know I'm late to join the fan club for this series, but I'm joining all the same.  The Summoning is chalk full of mystery, paranormal events, suspense, budding romances, and bite your nails because you can't stand it tension and of course tons of fun in between.

Chloe is our main character and narrator in this series and the poor thing can't have her dreams come true for a normal life.  No, normal is not how you would describe someone who can see ghosts, now is it?  She's sent to a group home following a pretty scary incident at school revolving around, you guessed it...ghosts, and Lyle House is not your typical "rehabilitation" facility for troubled teens.  She's introduced to her "house mates" and although reluctant to make friends and trust her "crazy" fellow inmates, Chloe quickly learns to befriend some of her co-residents.

Along the way Armstrong unfolds a mystery that still has me thinking.  This is a mega-mystery, a conspiracy and an all out complex puzzle that will keep all readers guessing and questioning everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) the whole way through.  The ending was also a turn of events I did not see coming for all the world, whoa! is all I can say!  I love when an author can keep me entertained and not frustrated with the lack of answers, but instead has me chomping at the bit and flying through the pages to know more, more, more.  I'm officially a Kelley Armstrong fan and I'm going straight to the bookstore to pick up The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2) to see where the fun and mystery goes from here.

I gave The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!