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Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Published by Atom
Challenge: None
Series: Darkness Rising #1
Source: Review copy (UK paperback)


Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. 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


***
I received this for review having never read any thing else by Kelley Armstrong (I know I should have). This is a new trilogy but set in the same world as her other YA trilogy.

The main character is Maya. She is a teenage girl who lives in a tiny town in Canada where everyone know everyone. She loves the forest, being outside and animals. I loved how down to earth normal she was and I loved how witty she could be. I also loved that just because she is adopted it wasn't used an excuse for her to go off the rails or hate her parents. I hate it when YA books do that.

The story itself sets up an awful lot which doesn't really begin to be resolved as the book is the first is a trilogy but does hint at some awesome story threads that have the potential to be awesome. I so badly want to know more about St Cloud industries, the company that owns the entire town and employs everyone in it. I also am dying to know more about the skin walkers and Maya's abilities.

The thing I liked most about the book though was Daniel. Daniel is Maya best friend (well his girlfriend was her best friend because she died and since then the two of them have been friends). I feel for him in what he deals with in his day to day life and in now hard life has been more in over the past few years. I love how he looks after Maya (although she doesn't think it's his best quality) and think he is far more gorgeous than Rafe the main love interest of the piece.

The final 50 pages of the book was where we started to get some answers about what was going on. The pace picked up as the forest fires began to sweep towards the town. The book ends on an excruciating cliff hanger that I know will kill people who hate cliff hangers. I literally can't wait to see what happens next.
Thank you Atom for the review copy

Comments

Oh intruging *looks at list* *shakes head*
Jules said…
I have this waiting for me to read, I've heard a few mixed reviews about it, but I am still looking forward to getting stuck in.
I haven't read anything by Kelley Armstrong yet despite hearing great things about her books! I think I shall have to resist awhile longer as well..
Essjay said…
I loved this too! Agree with the cliff-hanger ending - I really wished I had the next book waiting.
serendipity_viv said…
Aargh! I hate cliffhangers!