Monday 27 March 2017

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong


The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2)

Series: Darkest Powers
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Page Count: 360
Published: April 28th, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
  5 Stars ★★★★★

Chloe has escaped from Lyle House, but she's been captured by the Edison Group and is staying in another one of their facilities. With Simon and Derek still on the run, Chloe has to escape by herself this time. While the group continues to pose as one that helps those with powers like herself, Chloe knows the truth, that there have been deaths... young people who have been subjects in the Edison Group's studies have died mysteriously in their care, and that she may have been genetically modified. 

When Chloe does escape, she leaves with Tori, a girl with a bad attitude, to find Simon and Derek. But there is a reward offered for her return, so Chloe has to travel in the shadows to safety... that is, if she isn't killed first. 

Kelley Armstrong has done it again! I remember loving The Summoning, and when I remembered that I already owned The Awakening, I decided that I had to find out what happened to Chloe, Simon, and Derek, next. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the first one, maybe even more. 

In this sequel, the same interesting characters star in an exciting supernatural story. Chloe remains the likeable necromancer that she was in the first book, Simon and Derek, the two foster brothers, continue to be complete opposites of each other and friends with Chloe, and Tori is still the same annoying, stuck-up bully that she was in the first book. This cast of characters makes for a book of paranormal thrills, amusing dialogue, and lots of tension!

The author did a great job of making me feel what Chloe was feeling. This mainly consisted of concern for those she cared about, and fear of the Edison Group. Chloe's voice remained believable, and her struggles relatable, despite their often supernatural nature. I love when I can relate to characters in vastly different situations than my own, because it just makes the whole situation seem a bit more real to me, which greatly affects my reading experience. 

The writing style was incredibly easy to read, which made this book go by very quickly for me. I just devoured page after page because I couldn't stop reading! The book was packed with event after event, one after the other, and I was never, ever bored. I hope that the third book in this trilogy is as good as the first two!

I recommend this trilogy to fans of young adult paranormal stories. If you're looking for a story with different paranormal creatures, secret groups, and teenagers on the run, this book is for you.