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    The Awakening
    The Awakening
    The Awakening
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Awakening

    Written by Kelley Armstrong

    Narrated by Cassandra Morris

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 28, 2009
    ISBN9780061776267
    Author

    Kelley Armstrong

    When librarians finally granted Kelley Armstrong an adult card, she made straight for the epic fantasy and horror shelves. She spent the rest of her childhood and teen years happily roaming fantastical and terrible worlds, and vowed that someday she'd write a story combining swords, sorcery, and the ravenous undead. That story began with the New York Times bestselling Sea of Shadows and continues with Empire of Night. Armstrong's first works for teens were the New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband, three children, and far too many pets.

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    Reviews for The Awakening

    3.5/5

    779 ratings104 reviews

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    • 5/5
      At the end of The Summoning , Chloe Saunders had just been recaptured by the adults running the group home to which she'd been assigned after experiencing a traumatic episode with what she was first told was schizophrenia. She and a three other teens from the group home escaped when they discovered that instead of the mental illnesses they were "diagnosed" with, each of them possessed supernatural powers - Chloe's being the power to summon and talk to the dead.At the opening of The Awakening, Chloe is trapped in what is clearly some sort of prison/research facility, and it takes much cunning and the help of the ghost of a girl who disappeared from the group home early in Chloe's stay to escape.Once Chloe has escaped, she has to figure out a way to meet back up with two others, Simon, a sorcerer, and Derek, a werewolf, and find a way to get help, either from the boys' father or a friend of their father's.This was great - Chloe is a strong, yet believable heroine, and their troubles are not resolved through only luck, but effort, trial and error, and occasional luck. The dynamics between the characters are great, especially between Simon and Derek - foster brothers who are deeply devoted to each other - and Chloe and Derek, who are delightful (can't wait til they luuuurve each other...).Exciting, suspenseful and thrilling - Recommended, especially if you've read and enjoyed Armstrong's adult series! (Though I found myself wanting to yell at the characters, especially Derek, "GO to Jeremy! He's Pack Alpha, and he's a good guy! He'll help you!")
    • 5/5
      I'm really enjoying the Darkest Powers series. I just know that Derek and Chloe will end up together at the end. They spend so much time alone together (and Chloe's the only person that Derek likes and trusts other than his brother Simon, so it's obvious that she is special to him). I just wonder how it'll happen. The plot about the science experiment on the supernatural teens is getting more and more complex too. I'm curious about what more there is to learn and how it's all going to end.
    • 4/5
      The next installment in the darkest powers series. This book involves escapes, intrigue, and betrayal, and doesn't disappoint. Though the book hits a few slow spots that could have been avoided, the story does get better and is worth the read (or listen, in my case).
    • 4/5
      Spoilers ahead!Well, directly after finishing this book I thought not a lot had happened - it was just my initial feeling. But after thinking about it for a moment, I realized that in fact a lot had happened, but because I read so incredibly fast it seemed to me like there wasn't a lot to talk about in this book.I couldn't have been more wrong, because a lot of the secrets mentioned or revealed in the first book in the series are explained or unveiled in the second, as well as quite a few monstrosities. Some would think that the things the Edison Group did could never happen in the real world, but we all know that some people are obsessed with science and what it could do to make people's life easier - preferably the life of the scientist at hand.I really grew to like Derek better in this book. I couldn't have cared less for him in the first book but it's possible that was only due to the fact that there wasn't a lot of his personality shown. Simon remained his likeable self, and Tori ... well, let's say she isn't as mean as before. I personally wouldn't have minded if they had left her at Andrew's house.I have to say that I'm growing wary of the concept of the supernaturals in this series. Something just seems ... itchy. Like it doesn't belong. I don't know if this is because there is in fact something wrong, or that I just don't like how Armstrong handled it. I hope it's the first.
    • 4/5
      I was a big fan of Armstrong's first book in the 'Darkest Powers' series and the second one didn't disappoint. While it had more of a feel of a middle-of-a-series book, it was strong, probably stronger than The Summoning. We learned a lot more about the characters, their back stories, which then help explain who Chloe can trust. I like the characters Armstrong has created, they seem more aware and willing to do what it takes to be free. I have high hopes for the third book in the series.
    • 3/5
      I was in a local second-hand bookstore looking for books to read because I needed something fresh to read while I took a break from the ones I had at home. I walked in, looked down at one of the corners they have at the door, and saw this book. I knew it was Fantasy/Paranormal just by the way the jacket looked. I didn’t want to read what it was about because I knew it would be good. But I read the description anyways just so I wouldn’t be surprised when I read the book. It piqued my interest so I decided to buy it. The minute I got home, I started reading it. For a YA book, it was pretty cool. Everybody has non-human powers- werewolves, necromancing, or even just spurting spells from their fingertips. Hell, after that, I wanted to spurt spells from my fingertips! While the character’s personalities were there, they were fully known until the middle towards the end of the book. But they were there. The chase and running seemed never-ending and some parts lagged. But there was action in every chapter, even if it was just a simple fight. There were tons of surprises that you didn’t expect. It was a simple read and one to read if you’re bored of your current books.
    • 5/5
      I love it, I love it, I love it! And you'll love it, too. Don't even bother reading the rest of this review. That's precious time when you could be buying/borrowing/stealing this book to read yourself. While you're at it, grab book one, "The Summoning," if you haven't already. If you like any kind of paranormal fiction, you need to read this series. Armstrong's characters are genius, her writing brilliant, her contribution to society huge now that she's written these books. I don't care if you've read any of her other work and said, "eh... not for me." I don't care if you're 65 and don't want to be seen shopping from the Young Adult section. Buy it! Pretend it's for your neighbor's daughter if you must, just do it. Why are you still reading this? Go to the store. Seriously... I mean right now.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing. The author seems to have found the right voice for Chloe and the story is even better than the last book. If you are on the fence about reading this one after finishing The Summoning, just give it a chance and you'll see how much better it is.
    • 4/5
      This book had all the great qualities that I liked previously in The Summoning. It certainly did live up to its standards and I nearly ate up the entire novel in one sitting. It was so interesting and the plot went by so fast that it just kept me turning the pages to figure out what was going to happen next. It certainly was consistent and it flowed. There weren't any interruptions to hinder the plot or that deviated away from the main story. Which is nice to see. Usually you do get at least two or three (or insanely, even more) mini story arcs in novels nowadays that having this main one which focuses on Chloe was refreshing to read and easy to follow. It helps too, that it was told through Chloe's point of view since she is very central to the story.The characters are the same, although you do see a potential love triangle forming (I'm for Derek to win this one..you have to go for the underdog, Simon's too...good). The tension between Derek, Chloe and Simon is there, but between Chloe and Derek, it's just, almost electrifying. I think they seem perfect for each other, Chloe needs that protection and Derek provides it for her like a protective blanket. Tori, as usual, is still her annoying self, in fact even twice as annoying and really really snotty. She's the type of character you're forced to put up with, and I'm really surprised Chloe didn't raise an army of zombies to chase Tori of the face of this earth. The ending of this book wasn't left in much of a cliffhanger as The Summoning, yet it still left me with a great interest in the next one (The Reckoning which has just been released). I wonder though, there's still a lot of questions left unanswered and now I'm wondering if one last book is enough to explain everything. It just seems like a very long explanation(s) are left to do. I could be wrong when I get my hands on The Reckoning!Overall, it definitely lives upto its predecessor. If you haven't already, read The Summoning and onto this one! it's certainly a great trilogy so far and one of the best I've read at the moment.
    • 4/5
      Quick, fun, gripping read. I do like Kelley Armstrong's books a lot.
    • 5/5
      This middle book in the Darkest Powers series is essentially a journey book. The characters have escaped from the scientists of the Edison Group and are searching for the boys' father and then for a friend of the boys' father. They learn why the Edison Group wants them and they learn about their powers. Good story!
    • 5/5
      If you read The Summoning then you are definitely going to want to pick up this book. They go together so good. Characters you thought were on the good side you find out aren't. They discover truths about the Lyle House. This is just awesome and I can not wait to read the next one!!
    • 4/5
      My only problem with this book is the age of the characters. Whilst I understand what it adds to the story, children around the age of puberty are annoying, and that remains true here.However, past that, it's good read. Chloe's love of film is used nicely; sometimes it gives her good ideas, sometimes it leads her somewhat astray. Her morals are challenged as are her survival instincts. However, she never makes critically bad choices without someone there to rescue her.There's the start of some sort of understanding of her powers, although I'm sure there's much more to come. Looking forward to the next book, although I hope there's more adult books too, YA can be a wearying read.
    • 4/5
      Another slam dunk for Kelley Armstrong in this mind-tingling action-packed novel. The book begins with Chloe in the locked Edison Group facility after revealing to her friend that she is actually dead. She soon learns that the people of the Edison Group are not as nice as they seem. I really enjoyed this novel because I already knew these characters and I was interested to see how they came into their powers when danger arose. I have to say I need to stop guessing when it comes to her novels because most of the time I am usually wrong and people are not always what they seem.It was nice to read about the realtionship between Derek and Chloe. In The Summoning their relationship was very strained because of the secret of what Derek was, but the fact that these two are so different makes them perfect companions. We also delved deeper into Derek's secret agenda involving the Pack which happens to live closeby. I also enjoyed the character of Liz, we missed out on a lot of her in the first novel, but this novel really showed how strong of a character she was, although Chloe was the only one to truly recognize it.After reading other reviews about this novel, some say it was very slow and just a "middle" book, just setting us up for the end novel. I disagree. This novel explored more of the "coming of age" and power of these teenagers. Other novels explore characters already knowing their powers, but this particular series shows the troubles of learning to harness and control something that they never chose.
    • 5/5
      This is a fantastic series and I can't wait to read the final book.
    • 5/5
      If you had met me a few wwks 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 ruuning for my life with three of my supernatural friend-a cahrming sorcerer, a cynical wolf, and a disgruntled witch-and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.
    • 5/5
      Chloe's adventures continue in Book 2 of the Darkest powers series. After find herself betrayed by so many, she bands together with Simon, Derek, and most surprisingly of all, Tori. The four manage to escape the holds of the Edison project again, and head off in search of help from a friend of Simon's father outside Albany. With rough spots along the way, they finally make it there, with interesting discoveries along the way. Poor Chloe can raise the dead while shes dreaming about them, and she's slowly gaining control of her gifts. And while she is very interested in Simon, I really wonder if she's slowly falling for Derek.....
    • 4/5
      The Awakening starts from where The Summoning left. Chloe, Tori and Rae has been recaptured by the Edison Group. Chloe and Tori escapes and starts to search for Derek and Simon. After they are reunited they decides that the best solution is to look for a family friend of Derek and Simon who could help. They’re trying to learn to control they’re new powers and to figure out what was done to them.

      It’s been some time since I read the first book and didn’t remember these were so much fun!

      Chloe is trying to learn how to control necromancy and her power just seems to grow. She’s also trying to accept what she learned about her Aunt who was always there for her.

      I like her , and the fact that she doesn’t come complete idiot when a boy is around, and she is starting to believe in herself more. Sure she does some stupid decisions that leads her needing to be rescued but still. From the first book she has had a crush on Simon who is this nice, thoughtful guy but there is also Derek who most of the time is kinda rude at everyone but at times is kind and caring.

      I liked Simon and thought he was fun but Derek is the mysterious one. Chloe understand him and helps him with his struggle with the wolf. And I can’t feel hoping there would be more between the two!

      I wish we would have been told more about how the kids have been genetically altered. It’s told that they were but never more than that. And it doesn’t come clear what is supposed to be normal so you don’t really know how different the kids really are.

      Personally I found it interesting when we found out that Simon has diabetes. It doesn’t come across often in the books and not with something about medication plan explained. And even though it’s not a big deal in the story, there is still the proper information.

      I really enjoyed this and it was kinda quick read too. Can’t wait to start Armstrong’s adult serie too!
    • 4/5
      full review on talksupe.blogspot.comThe lack of teen romance is probably the reason why I managed to just breeze through the book and kept flipping the pages, totally engrossed. The focal point is the main premise, a group of special teenagers who wants to escape the clutches of evil scientists. There are no distractions of petting, backward glances, tear-eyed love confessions and unrequited or forbidden love. It's just creepy apparitions and the reanimation of the dead. Vintage YA, love it!
    • 4/5
      The Awakening is even better than The Summoning. I enjoyed the first book of this series, but I found it a little light on, well, plot. The characters and the concept were enough to keep me going, but the story itself was lacking. Well, The Awakening continues the fantastic characters, expands the concept, and has an ever-twisting storyline that kept me riveted.I don’t remember noticing this as much in the first book, but I found myself really enjoying the way Chloe looks at everything as if through a movie camera. Her movie references and imaginary filming gave her narration a unique flavour. I especially enjoyed the Deep Blue Sea reference.In the end, this may be a little juvenile for some adult readers, but I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next in the series!
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Darkest Powers seris. It really was amazing and i really enjoyed it. Like first book it also had a lot of cliff hangers and was very suspencful not a book you should read if you don't have a lot of time on your hands. You really start to like simons brother Derek in this book and some of the other caracters you wouldn't think you would ever like. I would recomend this to anybody that liked the first book and if your considering reading this book i would recomend reading the first book before you start this one.
    • 4/5
      The Awakening really blew me away, and I am all for the upcoming finale when it is released. Not overwhelming in ghosts, but I was more than satisfied with the choice appearances of Liz (one of Chloe's housemates who "went home") and other interesting souls who knew more about what was going on with supernatural powers.Chloe and her fellow runaways - Derek, Simon, and the newly-added Tori - had a great dynamic that really took off in this sequel. What you know about them - or thought you knew - from The Summoning gets thrown into a loop, but I think a loop for the better. Their escape was not perfect. Their relationships were not perfect. They bickered as much as they tried to work together in their escape route. Call me crazy, but I smell a love triangle about to explode between Chloe, Derek, and Simon - and I hate to say that I am Derek > Simon though Simon has his awesomeness.Since I tend to overwork my brain sometimes, I tried to figure out why I liked The Awakening better than The Summoning - and I think that the sequel acted more like the "action" part of a movie. I sat through the set-up, had my first impressions of all the characters and crazy goings-on, and now this is the good stuff where everything falls into place and/or falls apart. I assume that The Reckoning will carry on with the action and hopefully answer the many questions left unanswered.I mentioned in my previous review that you should make sure to have both books on hand since The Summoning left you on a cliff. I stand by that recommendation, especially if you left The Summoning as unimpressed as I did. The Awakening, of course, also leaves you on a cliff - but it does not appear as deep and I am more than excited to wait for the jump that the last book is sure to deliver :)
    • 5/5
      I was awaiting this sequence to The Summoning, and now I really can't wait for Book 3, The Reckoning! The Awakening furthers the tale of the escape of Chloe, Derek and Simon from the Edison Group's control, with Tori now in tow. We learn lots more on the background of he Edison Group and the particular powers of the various characters. There is mystery, new friendships, hints at romance and continual escape and chase action scenes. Funny parallels to the X-Men are joked about too.
    • 5/5
      A great second book in the series. It picks up right where you left off in the previous one and is full of action from there on out. Leaving you with (once again) a cliff hanger! and a wait for the next book!
    • 4/5
      The Awakening is definitely better than the first book of the series. There's more of a focused conflict, there's more action and adventure, and the characters are rapidly evolving. As always, Armstrong's writing is suspenseful and makes for a quick read (I don't know how she does it!)I like that more and more is being revealed about their powers and about the Edison Group, but we're definitely still not getting the full story. In any case, Chloe is learning a bit more about her powers and is practicing more often. We get to see more of Derek, who is awesome, and Victoria, who I'm actually starting to feel bad for.The one thing I didn't like about this novel was how stupid Victoria could be sometimes. I know she's spoiled, I know there should be conflict between the characters, but really? Sometimes, I just wanted to jump through the book and give her a good slap. I also got tired of Chloe continually comparing her life to the movies. I know, she's a movie buff and that's probably what a movie buff would do, but it did get overwhelming. I don't like it in general when authors use the whole "in movies/novels, it works like this, but this is real life" for when their characters are thinking. This just draws my attention to the fact that I am reading a book and it isn't real life.However, other than those two things, The Awakening was perfect. Armstrong does not make it easy on her characters, which makes for a suspenseful, exciting read. There are also some really cool (horribly frightening?) zombie scenes when Chloe's power gets a little out of control. :) I love the weird stuff.I am very excited to read The Reckoning. If you haven't started this series yet and you're a paranormal young adult fan, run, don't walk, to the nearest library or bookstore and pick these books up!
    • 4/5
      Picking up in what seems like moments after the ending of Armstrong's first book The Summoning, we find Chloe Saunders and her friend Rae captured by the Edison Group, the doctors who were conducting experiments on supernatural teens at Lyle House. Surprised to find former housemate Tori there as well, (Chloe assumed she was the tattler on their original escape plan), the girls are eager to slip out of Dr. Davidoff's hands and find Simon and Derek. Davidoff plans on using them as bait to nose out the brothers, but with the help of half-demon Liz and a redeemed Aunt Lauren, Tori and Chloe escape and are reunited with Simon and Derek. The boys figure if they can reach their father's old friend, Andrew, he will provide help and answers. A bit disturbed by what they have already learned, Chloe and the others wonder how the genetic mutations done to them will manifest now that they are in their teens and their various powers are coming to light. Because The Awakening presupposes we've read the first novel, we are spared what I felt was a lot of filler from the first novel. This is a great sequel and Armstrong has made a good transition to YA. It would probably be worthwhile to check out her adult series while waiting for the next Darkest Powers novel.
    • 5/5
      Wow! The Awakening was just as great as The Summoning. I loved every minute of it! The plot was exciting, never letting up for a moment. What Kelley Armstrong had in The Summoning just kept growing and getting better in The Awakening. Throughout The Awakening, you see the characters develop more and more, learning more about them. You learn not only more about the characters themselves, but their powers and how they work. It's interesting watching the relationship between Derek and Chloe. I want to know exactly what it all means. At different points in the book, I thought I'd finally find out, but no luck. :) The book ends with a great ending, leaving you pining for the next book just as The Summoning had. This book essentially just wowed me to no end. I loved it! And am now more impatient than ever for next year to come so The Reckoning will be released :)
    • 3/5
      This is the second book in the Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. I liked this book slightly better than the first book in the series. I have read the first few books in Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and liked those okay.The beginning of this book finds Chloe and crew trapped in the medical facilities; while Simon and Derek are still at large...right where the first book left off. The medical team wants to get Chloe and her friends to help find the boys. A jailbreak ensues and most of the book deals with Chloe and friends living life on the run; trying to hunt down Simon's dad and figure out the bigger evil plot that is going on.This is another story of genetic engineering gone arwy and leaving people (in this case supernaturals) with unpredictable power. The powers aren't well defined and the characters don't put a lot of effort into testing their abilities or trying to understand them...they just kind of stumble through the story. The story is still engaging because the characterse are constantly on the run and being hunted.I am still not that into the characters in this series. I thought the first book was okay and this book is only slightly better than the first one. Chloe is still pretty helpless, although she tries to get a better handle on her powers in this book. Derek and Simon are by far the most interesting characters in this series. This book did move faster than the first one and overall, was paced much better. The story was engaging, but I am still not finding it all that exciting.The characters and their problems seem kind of blah to me...maybe I just read too much paranormal. I feel like this plot has been done many times before. None of the characters really grabbed me and I didn't feel like there was great chemistry between any of them either. I am still trying to decide if I will even read the third book in this series "The Reckoning" because to be honest I have absolutely no interest in what happens to these characters. This book ends with another cliffhanger...and I always hate it when authors don't give any closure to the reader.Overall an okay book. Nothing to write home about. I still think there are other better YA paranormal series out there. Try Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz, or Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz .
    • 5/5
      *POSSIBLE SPOILERS, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK*In my opinion, this book is way better than the first. That could be cause there is more story than back story, or I am just more into it. This one (the second book in the series) takes place in “the world” with the teens on their own. I think it is in this one I can really see the teens starting to bond as a team. They are starting to build individual relationships between different members of the team, and through this, learning to trust each other. um. Did anyone else noticed they are obsessed with energy bars? I know it's not like they have time to stop to eat, or can't afford a real restaurant, but really? I stopped counting how many times the author brought them up. It became distracting. I was wondering why they couldn't find a granola bar or fruit snack or something. The love triangle vibe I am starting to feel? Not cool. Triangles are bad enough, but between 'brothers'? I guess it's an ongoing thing she can drag out, to keep the readers guessing, but for me it works the opposite. I find myself wanting to stop reading. (but I am assuming it's an age thing). Most of the book was spent looking for trustworthy adults. It made me wonder. If you find adults you think you can trust, do things really get better? And the bat scene? It was really creepy (not sure if that is in a good way or a bad way yet). I had to stop reading and walk away for a bit. It STILL makes me itch to think about. And one more thing? Enough with the (un)dead animals. The whole attitude of 'Let's go out to the forest and find dead things, so we can practice raising them, and pushing them back'. I kind of get, but twisted and disturbing. But with all that said, pretty good series, that I will continue with, for at least one more book.*END SPOILERS*
    • 4/5
      All of the great hallmarks of the first book are back. Twists and turns galore. All of Chloe's relationships undergo a lot of change, for better and worse. And of course there's the Derek vs. Simon issue. My only problem here was that it seemed to suffer from the same pitfall that a lot of novels encounter with trip/travel stories - it lagged somewhat in the middle. But that didn't last long or hurt the story much.