The Gathering – Kelley Armstrong | A Book Review

Title: The Gathering

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Fantasy (Young Adult)

About the book: It’s the first in the Darkness Rising trilogy. Strange things start happening in a small Vancouver Island community with unexplained deaths and deadly secrets. A normal girl in a normal town realizes she isn’t all that normal and her town isn’t either.

First impressions: I felt as though the beginning read more like a contemporary novel with the main character attending her local high school where everyone knows everyone. Not much happened early on.

Characters: Maya, the protagonist, is flawed but likeable. She is trying to figure out her own background and history while dealing with the weird things happening in the present moment. I could not for the life of me picture how anyone looked like. I wanted more character development overall, so I could get to know everyone a bit better.

Quote:

“But I don’t want to see you beating yourself up every time you make a mistake.”

Writing: Armstrong really loves the word “though”. The writing is simple, easy to read. I do wish the author described people and places in greater detail, however.

Final thoughts: I hoped to have more answers by the end. Instead, I just have a ton of unanswered questions. But I think this book probably sets the stage for the sequel. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a realistic story with relatable characters and elements of the paranormal.

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