Common Sense Media Review
Slow but suspenseful teen supernatural fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 28 kid reviews
Kids say this book is an exciting and engaging read, appealing to those who enjoy supernatural themes, with many reviewers highlighting its relatable characters and intense plot twists. However, while some find it suitable for ages around 12 and up, others caution that it contains graphic descriptions and elements of violence that may not be appropriate for younger readers.
- suspenseful plot
- relatable characters
- intense scenes
- age recommendations
- supernatural themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
When Chloe begins seeing gruesome ghosts and flips out in school, she is placed in a group home for disturbed teens. There she begins to realize that all of the kids in the home have supernatural abilities, and that sometimes they are taken away from the home and not seen again. As she begins to understand her new talent, she also discovers that the building itself has a dark past linked to those with supernatural abilities -- and that she may not be safe there.
Is It Any Good?
Author Kelley Armstrong takes her time to get this story moving. This is no slam-bang action-adventure, though it does get pretty exciting in the last quarter. Before that, the author gradually builds up Chloe's (and the readers) understanding of what is happening to her and around her, though the reader will get there long before Chloe does. By the end, though, Chloe and her friends have just barely begun on their journey to understand themselves and their world, which is quite different than what they have been brought up to believe. The cover picture, showing a hot girl in a low-cut dress holding a ruby pendant, may convince some boys that this book is not for them. That would be a shame -- with a touch of gruesome and edgy violence, and that last action-packed quarter of the book, along with ghosts, werewolves, and magic, boys will find just as much to like here as girls. Those who persevere through the rather slow start will find that this has more in common with Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (if that were written well and had fewer plot holes) than it does with Gossip Girls: a group of kids with special powers trying to escape from scientists who want to experiment on them. A fun start to what should be an exciting new series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about mental illness and the supernatural. Is it possible that people we think are ill are actually in touch with things we can't see or hear?
If you had special abilities, would people think there was something wrong with you?
Does that happen to kids whose abilities aren't supernatural? Do you know kids who are treated as if there's something wrong with them just because they have an unusual talent? How do you treat them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : July 1, 2008
- Number of pages : 400
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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