Maybe It's All In Your Head

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Summary: Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens.

At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?

Review: An unbelievable center for mentally ill teens, a girl that believes way too quickly, a nonexistent relationship, and an evil (possibly government) plot. 

I was disappointed by this book. I think there was a disconnect in my brain between what I thought the book was about and what the summary of the book said. I was thinking of it more as a standard young adult paranormal, possibly with the paranormal already out in the open. I must have read the summary and it went out of my head. Still, when I get the book and started to read it, I was interested into how the story would play out. 

I found the premise of the center for mentally ill teens too hard to believe. It was made for the teens to sneak out of their rooms at night and have secret meetings. Their mental illness was not taken seriously. Also, teens in the center seemed to disappear and I didn't always remember where they wound up. There seemed to be a relationship that blossomed between Chloe and one of the teens (forgot his name), but I didn't see any reason for it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Chloe. She was a spoiled brat at times. And an evil plot by the bad guys! Oh noes!

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to big fans of young adult paranormal/supernatural fiction.