Review of The Awakening

My review of The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong, second in The Darkest Powers Trilogy, is based on a hardcover copy that I borrowed from my local library. The following review is my honest opinion of the work.

Goodreads Summary: "If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.
Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying."

Characters are supposed to grow as books, or series, progress but it isn't always handled correctly in my opinion. Sometimes characters change from book to book, or chapter to chapter, so fast that they are no longer recognizable as the character they once were which leaves me shaking my head because I cannot suspend my belief that much. I was so glad that this didn't happen with this book. Any changes that the characters underwent were totally natural, fitting with the plot and how you think these characters would grow as they progress through the challenges they faced. I have to admit I am loving reading about these guys coming into their own.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the way that Chloe looks at the world around her and the way things happen to them. Everything to her is seen as a movie or potential film. For me this proves to be endlessly entertaining because she pokes fun at the things that Hollywood could so never get away with, how the scenes could be improved and so on. I love the commentary she provides.

I'm not usually into the whole X-Men thing with creatures that have been mutated or any such thing. Odd for a girl who is into comics and anime I know. Again I just can't usually manage to suspend my belief quite that much, usually end up huffing and reluctantly finishing the book. I haven't once had that problem with this series, in fact I devour these books as soon as I manage to get a hold of them. Though it is an X-Men type plot, and the characters themselves admit to it and make fun of that notion, I really am enjoying the development. And of course the snide remarks the characters themselves make as they refer to themselves, at times, as superheroes.

I'm giving The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong a four out of five stars review. I liked this novel way better than the first in the series and have really high hopes for the third and final book in the trilogy.