The Awakening results in new series addiction

So I was planning to review The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong while attending a literacy conference, but much to my dismay, I didn’t have the greatest wireless connection. As it turns out, however, I wandered with a teacher friend of mine to a nearby shopping center. And there, like a beacon in the dark  midst of endless clothing stores, was Barnes & Noble. So of course, book nerds that we are, we headed happily inside. And while I was lamenting a full day of hearing the pains and sorrows of the educational system, a shiny cover caught my eye: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong. After months of eagerly awaiting its debut, it caught me by surprise. And what a surprise it was to find that The Awakening is even better than The Summoning.

Being the shameless geek that I am, I headed straight back to my room and locked myself away for the entire night, reading my new book cover to cover. My verdict? I am now officially addicted to this series. For those of you who like X-Men, Kelley Armstrong’s series will deliver endless thrills, keep your heart racing with non-stop action, and even prompt you to laugh and cry as the relationships between characters develop.  

Like X-Men, fifteen-year-old Chloe Saunders and her friends from Lyle House are outcasts with special powers–that are out of control. Chloe is a necromancer who raises the dead without meaning to. Derek is a werewolf who can’t always control his strength or temper. Rae can ignite her hands and deliver severe burns. Tori is a witch who can’t control her powers. And finally, Simon, docile compared to the others, is a sorcerer. However, all of these adolescents have been genetically modified, and in The Awakening, they are on the run from members of the Edison Group, who plan to terminate their experiments gone wrong.

What I love about The Awakening is the development of the characters. Chloe, a shy film student with a stutter, will rise to the challenges she faces, thus becoming a strong force to be reckoned with. She quickly learns that she must stand up for herself and for her friends as she runs from the Edison Group. In addition, Derek, the temperamental werewolf, learns to control his anger around Chloe and actually becomes quite gentle towards her, risking his own life to protect her. I look forward to the further development of the relationship between Derek and Chloe. In The Awakening, they both learn to get along together, and as of now, I am sensing some chemistry between the two of them–more on Derek’s part right now, but I think Chloe will soon realize her feelings for Derek run much deeper than she thinks. Finally, we get to Tori, who, even though she is running away with the others, is still rude, cruel, and incredibly selfish. In The Awakening, she is more likeable than she was, but I will be anxious to see where Armstrong takes Tori in the next installment.

The Awakening is a fun thrill-ride that captures a group of unlikely friends banding together to complete a seemingly impossible journey. Through the characters of Chloe and Derek, Armstrong illustrates that it is possible to overcome adversity, to persevere even in the most dire situations, and to stick by your friends, no matter what lies ahead. The Awakening is so good, I plan to read it again, and place it alongside The Summoning on my classroom recommended reading list.

Armstrong is a wonderful storyteller who captures the true essence of adolescents through a group of misfits fighting against all odds to be free.  I can’t wait for the final installment in the Darkest Powers series and will likely pick up some books in the Otherworld series when I haven’t blown my monthly book budget!