REVIEW: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Description

Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.
It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark.

About the Author

Kelley Armstrong is the author of the New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy, which includes The Summoning, The Awakening (which debuted at number one), and The Reckoning. 

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061797022
• ISBN-13: 978-0061797026

SOURCE:  AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS
REALLY LIKED IT

Like any new series, there is a lot of set up for the characters and story development.  This one had a really slow start for me and I found myself struggling to get into the story.  I stuck with it and by found myself enchanted by the whole group of characters and now I can't wait to read the next one to see what happens next.  There are so many unanswered questions I have after finishing this one up.


What really happened to Maya's best friend, Serena? How could she possibly have drown since she was the captain of the swim team? What is the deal with Maya's birthmark?  Is Rafe really as bad as he seems? What is wrong with Daniel and is there something more to him than meets the eye?  What the heck is the deal with the medical research company that runs the area?  ARGHHH!  There, I feel better.  I tried to do this without giving away any of the plot, but I must say, I have tons of questions that I really need to know the answers to.  I guess that is what makes a series worth reading.

I really like Maya since she was strong and vulnerable with an open mind.  She never discounted any theory about anything that came across her path.  Rafe was an enigma to me and since the most of the book really centered around Maya and her history, I am sure that he will be developed more in the next book.  There is more to Daniel than meets the eye or at least that is the way I read it.  I hope I am right and I read more about him in the next installment.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone over thirteen.  There are some instances of violence, a few bad words, implied sexual situations and some alcohol/drug use. The alcohol use seems common in this group of kids, yet the do seem to be responsible.  Again, the parents are there, but not, just like in real life. 

I received this book through an advance reader group at no charge for my honest review.