Helpful Score: 1
Maya Delaney and her best friend Daniel Bianchi live in a tiny island town outside of Vancouver. It's basically a private town operated by St. Cloud - a drug research company with a facility nearby. It's a relatively quiet town until reporter Mina Lee arrives and winds up dead. Maya, Daniel and Rafe (the new boy in town) know something is really wrong and start to investigate Mina Lee and her death. Maya is fascinated by bad boy Rafe and starts spending time with him, until he tells her something unbelievable about himself, his sister and Maya. Now she's questioning everything she's ever believed and Rafe's ultimate intentions.
I liked Maya, Daniel and Rafe (who has his reasons for all he's done). I liked the mystery of who orphan Maya really is and why she was left behind by her mother. I also liked the mystery of what St. Cloud is really doing behind those locked doors and how and why Maya's BFF Serena died. I definitely will continue this series as the cliff hanger ending was intense and I just have to know what is happening and why Maya seems to be in the middle of it all.
I liked Maya, Daniel and Rafe (who has his reasons for all he's done). I liked the mystery of who orphan Maya really is and why she was left behind by her mother. I also liked the mystery of what St. Cloud is really doing behind those locked doors and how and why Maya's BFF Serena died. I definitely will continue this series as the cliff hanger ending was intense and I just have to know what is happening and why Maya seems to be in the middle of it all.
Reviewed by Andrea for TeensReadToo.com
Maya lives in a special community - it's based around a research hospital. And only certain families are invited to live there.
Maya's family lives in a park where her dad is the ranger. She's always had a special connection with the mountain lions, but recently they've been seen around a lot more. Suddenly, Maya is having flashes of the world from a mountain lion's point of view. But she has no idea why. And she still wonders what really happened a little while back when her best friend, who was a strong swimmer, suddenly drowned. Things are definitely not what they seem to be in this little town.
Add in her best friend, Daniel, and the new hot boy, Rafe, and you've got a great trio of characters. This book will keep you wondering as to what will happen next.
THE GATHERING was a nice change in that I really enjoyed it! I think I was in a reading rut and just couldn't seem to read a book that I really enjoyed until this one. That being said, I do have to say that for the most part, this book is pretty predictable. I knew Maya's secret pretty much from the beginning, as well as Rafe's. But I'm not sure just how Rafe's secret is tied to Maya's. Hmmm. And I"m not sure how their little community plays into it just yet, but I'm sure it does somehow. And Daniel...sometimes I felt like he had feelings for Maya, and other times he just seemed like a big brother.
There were so many unanswered questions - but in a good way! In a way that makes it so you can't wait to get your hands on the sequel. I can't wait to read the next book, THE CALLING. Hopefully, it will answer a bunch of questions that I have!
Maya lives in a special community - it's based around a research hospital. And only certain families are invited to live there.
Maya's family lives in a park where her dad is the ranger. She's always had a special connection with the mountain lions, but recently they've been seen around a lot more. Suddenly, Maya is having flashes of the world from a mountain lion's point of view. But she has no idea why. And she still wonders what really happened a little while back when her best friend, who was a strong swimmer, suddenly drowned. Things are definitely not what they seem to be in this little town.
Add in her best friend, Daniel, and the new hot boy, Rafe, and you've got a great trio of characters. This book will keep you wondering as to what will happen next.
THE GATHERING was a nice change in that I really enjoyed it! I think I was in a reading rut and just couldn't seem to read a book that I really enjoyed until this one. That being said, I do have to say that for the most part, this book is pretty predictable. I knew Maya's secret pretty much from the beginning, as well as Rafe's. But I'm not sure just how Rafe's secret is tied to Maya's. Hmmm. And I"m not sure how their little community plays into it just yet, but I'm sure it does somehow. And Daniel...sometimes I felt like he had feelings for Maya, and other times he just seemed like a big brother.
There were so many unanswered questions - but in a good way! In a way that makes it so you can't wait to get your hands on the sequel. I can't wait to read the next book, THE CALLING. Hopefully, it will answer a bunch of questions that I have!
This was my first book by Kelley Armstrong and it will not be my last. I thought this book was very well written and the characters were very likeable. The dialogues were great and not whiny when it came to the teens. I liked how there was mystery around the small town and hints of several characters being skin-walkers. I can't wait to read the sequel when it's released. I would definitely recommend to others to read.
This is most definitely not a book for the faint of heart. The action pulses with each flip of the page and the romance sizzles at an audible level. And there is the pesky matter of a cliffhanger that is driving me insane with curiosity. Kelley Armstrong is a fantastical writer, and this book is a great addition to any readers shelf.
I found Maya to be an extremely likeable character. She was somewhat sheltered, but how could she not be considering the way she (and all the other kids in town) have been raised? In fact, the whole cast was fun to read. I loved reading the scenes where several characters interacted (like at Mayas birthday party) because they played so well off each other. Writing a chapter that throws 90% of the characters together but still gives each a distinct, individual voice is quite a talent that Armstrong seems to have mastered.
My only hang up was the predictability of the book. Well, that and the brutal cliffhanger that the reader is left with. But this book wasnt one to throw a curveball at you. Sometimes thats a good thing, and other times not so much. I think I just had higher hopes for this book, and was somewhat disappointed when I figured out the plot less than three chapters in.
I most definitely recommend you guys check this one out you just might want to wait until the next book is almost published so you arent left feeling bereft and alone when you finish the last sentence.
I found Maya to be an extremely likeable character. She was somewhat sheltered, but how could she not be considering the way she (and all the other kids in town) have been raised? In fact, the whole cast was fun to read. I loved reading the scenes where several characters interacted (like at Mayas birthday party) because they played so well off each other. Writing a chapter that throws 90% of the characters together but still gives each a distinct, individual voice is quite a talent that Armstrong seems to have mastered.
My only hang up was the predictability of the book. Well, that and the brutal cliffhanger that the reader is left with. But this book wasnt one to throw a curveball at you. Sometimes thats a good thing, and other times not so much. I think I just had higher hopes for this book, and was somewhat disappointed when I figured out the plot less than three chapters in.
I most definitely recommend you guys check this one out you just might want to wait until the next book is almost published so you arent left feeling bereft and alone when you finish the last sentence.
An enjoyable read. Slow to start, really picked up about 1/2 through. I have many questions after reading this book and not very many answers. I really liked Maya. I liked that KA made the main character Native. Most of the fiction I've read isn't very diverse and it was wonderful to have a main character who was something other than Caucasian.
Excellent new series. I can am guessin she will eventually tie this to her other YA series the Reckoning. Well done. Really good characters, no teenage whine and hating their parents. Plot builds well can't wait for the next one. Love the animals in the book too.
I just put this book down and I slightly freaking out over the fact that the second one isn't available yet. Dang it. Great book, crazy cliff-hanger. The trilogy seems it will be one long story in three books.
The characters are awesome, the town is a character itself, there is mention of the first YA trilogy and the Cabals from Women of the Underworld series. I love that they all tie in. Great beginning, I was completely committed by the end of Chapter one.
The characters are awesome, the town is a character itself, there is mention of the first YA trilogy and the Cabals from Women of the Underworld series. I love that they all tie in. Great beginning, I was completely committed by the end of Chapter one.
Serena stood on the rock ledge twenty feet above the lake, singing in a voice known to bring tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it.
This is the first book in the Darkness Rising series. The first sentence of the book led me to believe that the supernatural powers would involve a siren. Not true! As least not yet. The small town of Salmon Creek is located on Vancouver Island. It boasts a grand total of about 200 residents. The town is owned by the St. Cloud Corporation which has a medical research facility on site. Everyone in town was handpicked by the St. Clouds to live and work there.
Sixteen year old Maya moved to Salmon Creek when she was five after her dad was hired as the park ranger/game warden. She rescues and rehabilitates animals from the surrounding forest. Big cats in particular seem to gravitate towards her. Maya refuses to believe that her friend Serena accidentally drowned. An unusual birthmark and uncertainty regarding her biological family lead her on a quest for answers.
Rafe is the resident bad boy that recently moved to Salmon Creek. He attempts to get close to Maya because he knows something about her past that she needs to know.
I found the set up of the town to be a bit creepy. The corporation approves or disapproves who lives there. Each of the teenagers has a yearly physical with a visiting doctor that involves "vaccines". Big red flags as to their true identity!
The teenagers are well written and experience the usual angst. I like Maya's friend Daniel who also arrived in Salmon Creek at age five. He is her biggest supporter and greatest champion. The birthmark was a huge clue to Maya's true self.
The story ends with a cliffhanger which normally drives me nuts!! I was not terribly annoyed by this one. It actually makes me want to read the next book fairly soon to see where the story is going.
I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's world building in her other series and look forward to learning more about Salmon Creek.
This is the first book in the Darkness Rising series. The first sentence of the book led me to believe that the supernatural powers would involve a siren. Not true! As least not yet. The small town of Salmon Creek is located on Vancouver Island. It boasts a grand total of about 200 residents. The town is owned by the St. Cloud Corporation which has a medical research facility on site. Everyone in town was handpicked by the St. Clouds to live and work there.
Sixteen year old Maya moved to Salmon Creek when she was five after her dad was hired as the park ranger/game warden. She rescues and rehabilitates animals from the surrounding forest. Big cats in particular seem to gravitate towards her. Maya refuses to believe that her friend Serena accidentally drowned. An unusual birthmark and uncertainty regarding her biological family lead her on a quest for answers.
Rafe is the resident bad boy that recently moved to Salmon Creek. He attempts to get close to Maya because he knows something about her past that she needs to know.
I found the set up of the town to be a bit creepy. The corporation approves or disapproves who lives there. Each of the teenagers has a yearly physical with a visiting doctor that involves "vaccines". Big red flags as to their true identity!
The teenagers are well written and experience the usual angst. I like Maya's friend Daniel who also arrived in Salmon Creek at age five. He is her biggest supporter and greatest champion. The birthmark was a huge clue to Maya's true self.
The story ends with a cliffhanger which normally drives me nuts!! I was not terribly annoyed by this one. It actually makes me want to read the next book fairly soon to see where the story is going.
I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's world building in her other series and look forward to learning more about Salmon Creek.
This was book was an interesting story idea. You don't get too many YA books about someone struggling to come to terms with the possibility of becoming a shifter.
And ahhh! Such a cliffhanger ending! I want book two (The Calling) right now! There are way too many unanswered questions I have, and I want to see what direction the author takes this series in. Lots of potential here!
And ahhh! Such a cliffhanger ending! I want book two (The Calling) right now! There are way too many unanswered questions I have, and I want to see what direction the author takes this series in. Lots of potential here!
Maya lives in a small town on Vancouver Island, the main industry comes from a Medical Research facility. All the town is made up of family members of people who work for the corporation that run the medical research.
Her best friend and caption of the swim team drowns. A year later she begins noticing strange things about how she deal with the animals on the Reserve where her dad works. Her best friend Dan begins to get strange feelings. Two strangers show up: one a reporter and another who joins her classmates and his name is Rafe. Rafe has a secret. Maya decided to get a tattoo and the grandmother of the owner/tattoo artist freak out from seeing her pawn print birth mark. What does all this mean to her? What are these changes? Who was the stranger and what did she want?
Her best friend and caption of the swim team drowns. A year later she begins noticing strange things about how she deal with the animals on the Reserve where her dad works. Her best friend Dan begins to get strange feelings. Two strangers show up: one a reporter and another who joins her classmates and his name is Rafe. Rafe has a secret. Maya decided to get a tattoo and the grandmother of the owner/tattoo artist freak out from seeing her pawn print birth mark. What does all this mean to her? What are these changes? Who was the stranger and what did she want?
