They Were Just Science Experiments...Gone Wrong

It's been a while since the last post, but I have started revisiting old favorites. The reason...well my public library won't let me hold onto a best seller for more than 3 weeks, and with finals (because we all know high school students are extremely needy) I haven't had a chance to try something new. I need my brain to focus on new books, but past loves, I can easily get through quickly. Here's what I'm on:

Chloe Saunders is an average 15 year old, until she gets shipped off to the looney bin because she

was "seeing ghosts". Once there, she is thrust into the world of the Edison Group; lots of therapists 24/7, and a group of kids around her age who all seem to have something a little off. Chloe is slapped with a schizophrenic label and medicated, just like the others, so all seems natural. Until, Chloe begins to see things, hear things, and suspect that maybe the diagnosis at this hospital isn't truthful. Her roommate, Liz, is said to throw things across the room and make things move without anyone seeing her actually touch them. Now, after one outburst, she's gone; left to be rehabilitated, the nurses say. But why can Chloe see her days later, as a ghost? Derek and Simon, two step brothers with enough issues between the two, take notice of Chloe and her "abilities". She realizes she's a young necromancer, so she was seeing something; it wasn't a mental illness. 
Chloe begins to see that maybe these illnesses the group presents are just a front; so what's the hospital hiding? All they know is they are apart of some kind of experiment, so they need to get out, find Simon's father, and get some answers. But, can they all escape the Edison Group's clutches? Are the answers they seek even able to be found?

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is the first in the Darkest Powers Trilogy. I absolutely fell in love with this series once I first read them. The writing is good, not the best I have ever read, but it flows nicely. Armstrong really does a nice job of capturing a fifteen year old's point of view. Plus, it's a new take on super powers. The kids all have something that is hidden, and it's not until they all recognize the lies that they realize they need to break out of this supposed hospital. The more things Chloe sees, the more the story unwinds and they realize this is no hospital, and they are not mental patients. Chloe's character changes dramatically throughout the novels, which is really amazing, so the reader knows she's actually growing up. All the characters, slowly but surely, do become more aware of their powers, stronger, and more attached to each other.
I will not say a bad thing about this series. This series centers around Chloe being a necromancer, which is an interesting power to take the spot light. I think that's why I was so drawn to the series, and I will always be. This is my second time around, and I am still enjoying the story, even though I already know the end. Definitely a must read! :)

And she does it again!

My friends know that I was high on Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series. It was a great paranormal series about a group of kids who found out they were apart of an experiment giving them paranormal powers. However, their powers were mutated and these four have powers beyond what the experimenters, including Dr. Davidoff, could imagine. Chloe, Simon, Tori, and Derek discover the truth, escape from captive, and go on a search for Simon and Derek's father. I absolutely loved this series. It did not have a teeny bopper feel to it, and the powers they had were different. Chloe's a necromancer, which was such a different idea that I was intrigued. The adventures, the friendships, and the trouble they encounter forced me to continue reading. I picked up this series after I finished Mockingjay. Yea, The Hunger Games is a hard series to follow, especially because of how exhausted I was at the end of the journey, but luckily Armstrong's series was not a let down. I had bought the first book months before because I thought it would be a nice filler, but after reading the first half I became obsessed. I immediately bough the second, and I ordered the third in paperback. I am looking forward to revisiting these book.

Armstrong's spin off series: Darkness Rising begins with The Gathering. Maya is Native American and adopted by her animal loving parents. All is quiet in Salmon Creek, Canada where the closest mall is an hour drive from the town. Quiet it may be, the town still has many mysterious, including the one about why Dr. Davidoff appears every few months to test the teenagers on their health. When Maya's best friend, Serena, drowns in the lake, most rule it out as an accident. But there is something suspicious about a first class swimmer mysteriously drowning. There's also something different about Maya and how she can mysteriously heal and "feel" animals. Maybe it has something to do with her paw print birthmark. As the story goes on Maya encounter Rafe, the new kid in town, who seems to have an interesting background himself. Although Maya doesn't trust him at first, he helps her to discover something about her past she wished she never knew. Along with her best friend, Daniel, Maya begins to unravel missing information about the town that could be linked to Serena's death.
I read this book extremely quickly because I do love Armstrong's writing. I really liked how she tied the doctor into this book. Even though Davidoff never shows up, he is mentioned enough that you find commonalities between the four characters in the previous series. It almost makes you wonder if the characters will find each other. The mystery behind the drowning plays a big role towards the end of the novel. I found myself going on the hunt with Daniel and Maya and wanting so badly to figure out who the hell is behind the lies and cover up. The second one...as per usual, is out in April. :p. I am really hoping Maya and Daniel become an item...they've been friends forever, and come on, what's a bigger turn on than a guy who is constantly looking to protect you and keep you happy? Hello!?