The Summoning Bk. 1 by Kelley Armstrong (2009, Paperback)

"The Summoning", by Kelly Armstrong

This is the first book in a trilogy; the second one is called "The Awakening" and the last one ("The Reckoning") has a release date set for 2010.

Read the prologue and you'll 'get' the whole concept of this book.

Basically it's like this: You know the movie "The 6th Sense"? What if that little boy didn't learn how to 'cope' with what he could see and hear, and instead of being in touch with the paranormal, people though he was psychotic?

Meet Chloe Saunders...a fairly average 15 year old high school student, living in Buffalo NY. One day she starts seeing and hearing dead people. She gets so scared that she 'freaks out' at school one day and is admitted to 'Lyle House: a center for disturbed teens'. She is diagnosed with schitzophrenia, and she tries to get better by taking her medications and attending therapy sessions. She doesn't want to be locked up in a group home for 'crazy kids'...she wants to go home and back to life as it was before.
Ok, that's all normal enough, nothing too weird about that...but now imagine this:

You know the movie "X-men"? What if the teenage mutants who are starting to learn about thier various super powers didn't have a safe place to go, such as 'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngesters'? What if instead they were considered to have mental or behavioural problems? Seem to have super-strength? He must be 'antisocial with violent tendencies'. Facinated by fire? She must be a 'pyromaniac'. Seeing and hearing ghosts? She must be 'schitzophrenic and suffering from hallucinations'.
What do you do except to lock the teenagers up in a secure group home and medicate them because they have emerging powers that can't be explained by rational means.

What if teenagers who had the ability to conjure magic (in the movie "Harry Potter") did not have a sanctuary such as Hogwarts School? What would happen to them? Where would they go? How would they be able to 'fit in' with 'normal' people? How would they leran to control their powers?

I am sorry for all of the references to movies, but that is what this book felt like to me...that the whole idea for it came from mixing the concepts of "The 6th Sense" with "X-men" and "Harry Potter". In a way, it felt a bit like plagarism, a copy of other ideas that you've already seen...but if you could get past that, then it was wholly enjoyable to read.

If you liked the concept of those three movies that I mentioned, then you'll probably really like this book. Some people classify it as a 'horror' novel...I wouldn't call it that. I would say it is a "teenage" book for young readers, but not for children. There are a few parts in the books that are a bit creepy and the ending will remind you of "The X-files"...'trust no one'.

I really enjoyed this book, I read the Summoning and the Awakening in about 3 days. Action, danger, supernatural secrets, and a hint of romance!

THis book was in great condition and was shipped very quickly.
I was very pleased with this buy.
Thank You:)