Kelley Armstrong

After fifteen-year-old Chloe starts seeing ghosts and is sent to Lyle House, a mysterious group home for mentally disturbed teenagers, she soon discovers that neither Lyle House nor its inhabitants are exactly what they seem, and that she and her new friends are in danger.

The summoning

Kate Perrin

I read it and then immediately needed the rest of the series. Has a really interesting plot and isn't slow. Great characters and character development over the whole series. Definitely more of a middle grade-YA kind of book. I finished it within 2 days.

Emmalie Stearns

For me i couldn't put this book down, i loved every second. This is the first book i have read about necromancers and not my last. Thank you, Kelly Armstrong for one of the best books i have ever read. :)

Dawn Keiser

URGH! a cliff-hanger! now I need to go get the next book!

Marsh Wu

The ending was a cliffhanger, so I'll have to read the next book.

Elizabeth Neill

I'm so happy that I read this book again and this time I love

Leah Patton

This book was an ok light read. I personally enjoyed The Gathering, Kelly Armstrong's new book, much more. In this book Chloe Saunders, I'm not really sure of her last name I libraried this book and returned it, has a mental episode in school where she is sure that someone with a burned face is attacking her. No one else see's this person. This is when Chloe is diagnosed with schystophrenia and shipped to Lyle house.
In Lyle house, two mysterious brother's come into the story, Simon and Derrick. They intoroduce Chloe to what she really is, a necromancer, someone who has the ability to see, talk to, and occasionally raise dead people. She is part of a small network of supernaturals that include simon, who is a sorcerer, and Derrick, a super-rare supernatural that remains a mystery to Chloe throughout most of the book. Also there is mystery involving the finding of Lyle house and its purpose and if the other patients are supernaturals.
This book was really just ok. It didn't have a really dynamic romance and Derrick was really almost a disgusting character. He was a little bit of a jerk.

Kaley Catron

Dudeeeeeeeeeeee this book made me so happy. It’s everything I expected it to be and more and aghhh I can’t wait to read more! It felt so nostalgic with those original 2000s YA book vibes. As weird as that is to say I think everyone who read a lot knows what I mean. It was so good.

Alexandra Mellas

Kelley Armstrong's latest supernatural series for young adults is the Darkest Powers trilogy series. The first book, The Summoning, was released in 2008 and follows the adventure of 15 year old Chloe Saunders as puberty hits, brining much more than monthly cramps and a few pimples.

Armstrong's latest series are aimed at a younger audience than her Women of the Other World series, with much younger protagonists and less violent action. Chloe Saunders sees ghosts and when she starts seeing spectres unexpectedly when her period starts, she takes it badly. Chloe ends up in a group home, Llye House, where she is diagnosed with schizophrenia and now lives with 5 other troubled teens.

Chloe is a fun protagonist. She has all the fears and concerns of a normal fifteen year old girl. Is my homework done? Why am I developing slower than everyone else? Do boys notice me? Yet, in developing Chloe, Armstrong hasn't created the commonly found 'ditzy' and boy crazed teen than many YA writers do. Chloe is down to earth, she is serious about getting better and she accepts her circumstances.

Armstrong's style is great. The Summoning is written in first person, encompassing the chatty and quirky nature of Chloe's personality. Using Chloe to tell the story makes it easier to relate to and funnier than the omnipotent observations of an absent narrator.

The Summoning is the first book in the Darkest Arts trilogy, beginning the trilogy with the how of Chloe's powers and adventures. The Summoning shows the development, and Chloe's acceptance of the supernatural world, preparing the way for further adventures in The Awakening

Laura Yaneth Martinez

'Terrifying ghosts, smatterings of gore and diverse teen voices will prompt young adults to pick up the next in this series.' - Kirkus Reviews, starred review 'Action, danger, supernatural secrets, and a hint of romance--Armstrong's world is one in which trusting the wrong person can have dire consequences. You'll be desperate for a sequel.' - Melissa Marr All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager - the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy. But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never be normal again. Soon ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention. When Chloe finally breaks down, she's admitted to a group home for disturbed kids. At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients - charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek; obnoxious Tori; and Rae, who has a 'thing' for fire - Chloe begins to realise that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn't your usual 'problem kid' behaviour. And they're about to discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home, either . . . The first book in the Darkest Powers trilogy - the first YA series by #1 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. Books by Kelley Armstrong: Women of the Otherworld series Bitten Stolen Dime Store Magic Industrial Magic Haunted Broken No Humans Involved Personal Demon Living with the Dead Frost Bitten Walking the Witch Spellbound Thirteen Nadia Stafford Exit Strategy Made to be Broken Wild Justice Rockton City of the Lost A Darkness Absolute This Fallen Prey Watcher in the Woods Alone in the Wild Darkest Powers The Summoning The Awakening The Reckoning Otherworld Tales Men of the Otherworld Tales of the Otherworld Otherworld Nights Otherworld Secrets Otherworld Chills Darkness Rising The Gathering The Calling The Rising Cainsville Omens Visions Deceptions Betrayals Rituals

Book 1 of the Darkest Powers Series

The Summoning

Rochelle Ferguson

This was a fun quick read that made me laugh at loud. The only issue I had was I felt that the book was rushed.

Elska Bee

This was a very meh read. It was a nice quick fix at the time, but it doesn't have enough of anything to make it truly compelling. 

The characters were fine but not great and writing was also fine. My biggest problems were how contrived some plot elements felt and how cartoonish the villains were.

The best part was that it didn't hold back on creep factor for a younger skewing YA.

But... It also has one of my most hated tropes: "you're not actually mentally ill, you have powers and taking your meds is weakening you"
This is SUCH a dangerous trope and I really hate seeing it. 
SPOILERS: (view spoiler)[They also have the character institutionalised and the people running the group home are 😱 evil! (hide spoiler)]

Jeni Enjaian

Eh.

I think that one non-word sums up my feelings about this book. Of course, I will write more. I never got into the book. I never really identified with any of the characters. None of them, not even Chloe felt fully fleshed out. Nothing made a ton of sense and that ending? Seriously? I know that raising questions to answer later in the series can be a perfectly valid narrative technique but simply raising a whole bunch of questions and providing not a single answer? Yeah. Not cool. I did not even ever feel engaged with the book yet the confusing drip of information made me wish for at least a handful of answers. Nope.

I don't recommend this book.

Megan Leprich

I normally love Kelley Armstrong but I found myself struggling to get into this one. I didn't care for the main character Chloe and about the only interesting part was that she could see ghosts. The writing style bored me and I only made it about 30% of the way in and gave up.

Maria Parise

Great read... at times can be a bit of a teeny-bopper read, but I'm looking forward to grabbing the rest of the series soon!

Cecilia Giordano

Giulia 

Recensione su Giulia's World

Posso dire sinceramente che mi aspettavo di più. La storia è intrigante, il tempo della narrazione è molto veloce quindi ti permette di andare avanti nella lettura senza che nemmeno te ne accorga. Questo a discapito delle descrizioni, ma quando si sceglie di adottare questo metodo il più delle volte va a discapito delle descrizioni.
I personaggi potevano essere caratterizzati meglio, a parte la protagonista non conosciamo nessun altro e questo non mi ha permesso di entrare in empatia con nessuno di loro. Mi è spiaciuto un sacco, quando leggo una nuova serie cerco sempre di capire chi sono i personaggi e come affezionarmi a loro :(. 
Nel finale succede tutto quello che non è successo nelle prime 200 pagine. Negli ultimi capitoli soprattutto c'è stata la tendenza ad andare più veloce e a narrare scene con più azione, cosa che non è successa per tutto il libro. 
La serie la continuerò non solo perchè ho tutti i volumi, ma anche perchè voglio scoprire chi è Chloe e cosa succederà a questi ragazzi, ma spero che migliori un pochino... ;).