THE GATHERING by Kelley Armstrong Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: HarperCollins (April 12, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0061797022 Source: Publisher Extras: Browse Inside Rating: YYY

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.

MY THOUGHTS

As I began reading THE GATHERING by Kelley Armstrong I was reminded on how well she could wield a story that could leaving me hanging on tender hooks and not stopping until you finished the very last word.

I began reading this book and had a bit of apprehension, not sure on where the story would take me. Yet, from the prologue I was in for the ride and wanted to keep going. Although certain names will appear and cause an old fear to kick up and spread the characters and this story are fresh and intriguing. I especially enjoyed Maya for she provided me with quite a few laugh out loud moments, and her quick witted banter with her father were priceless. It was refreshing to have a prominent parental roles in this book, unlike so other YA novels that seem to have absent parents. I liked how I came to understand and like her as her backround was slowly revealed as the story went. An added benefit was the ambiance of the story's secluded location, it provided a bit of a spooky vibe that worked.

What I had a bit of issue with was of a few characters that I could not seem to understand. A certain character in particular still had me guessing about their intentions and I hope that it gets explained in the following novel. I also feel that the big reveal was not surprising to me, but it was written in a way that still had my interest piqued.

The Gathering is a book that is consuming enough that you are compelled to keep reading until your are finished. It is quick, and entertaining and leaves you with enough questions to find out what happens next which I find is a good thing if you intend to keep your readers coming back for more.

Have you seen the book trailer video?