Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date: April 12th 2011
Genre: YA
Pages: 359 pgs
ISBN: 9780061797026

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary from GoodReads:
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

My Review:

I had never read anything by Kelley Armstrong but I have heard so many great things about her. When I saw The Gathering at Chapters for 30% off (40% off with my discount card) I just had to get it. I wasn’t disappointed by this book. From the moment I started it I couldn’t put it down. I loved the setting of this book. I especially loved all the Canadian elements to this book. (They even mention poutine- for all you Americans reading this blog you need to try poutine!) It is not often that I read a mainstream novel with a Canadian setting. I have never been out west before but I have heard that it is beautiful. While reading this novel I felt like I was there. I would love to live on this island although I think I would be a little freaked out by the mountain lions all around. I also loved Maya. She was such a strong character and so loyal to her friends. You could see her inner conflict from the very beginning of this novel. My one beef with this novel is that it just sort of ends. I hate when novels are part of a series and it ends on a cliffhanger. Now I have to wait for a while before I know what happens next. I have Armstrong’s book titled Bitten which is part of another series. I will have to read this as soon as possible and at least I know there are quite a few books in this series which are already out. Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.