REVIEW: The Gathering (Darkness Rising,#1) by Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Publication Date: April 12th 2011

Publisher: Harper (HarperCollins), New York

Hardcover, 359 pages

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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.

The Gathering is the first book I ever read by Kelley Armstrong and I have to admit that after I finished reading it,I was more than curious to read other books by the same author!

Reading Gathering was like watching an X- Files episode,at least that secluded town dedicated to scientific experiments gave me that vibe...And I liked that!I liked that everything wasn't the way it seemed and I liked the whole idea behind the book.I liked how Armstrong showed as more of the characters in this book and less of the actual plot,even if that left many things unsaid and since this is the first book in a series, I'm only guessing that more answers are on their way to come.The ending of Gathering after all,left more questions than answers and it's one of those rare occassions that I didn't mind one bit about that!

Maya is your typical teenager,but with a veil of mystery surrounding her past.She's smart and strong and with her own sets of values that aren't dictated by her peers behavior.I really liked that about her.

Rafe,Maya' s love interest is the school's bad boy and by the end of the book,although we get to learn some things about him,there's definitely more going on with him. I must admit that I didn't really love him in this book, but since there's more of him to come,I stand waiting.

Who I really loved though,was Daniel,Maya's best friend with whom she shares an incredible relationship.Should I be able to pick Maya's love interest that would definitely be Daniel instead of Rafe.He was strong and caring and smart and always there for her and to be honest I don't know what Maya thinks and sets him up with other girls.But hey,one can only hope,and I'm definitely hoping that in the books to come,she will see some reason and set for Daniel instead of Rafe!

All in all,The Gathering was a really good book and with its ending I really have no other choice but wait eagerly for the sequel!I really enjoyed it!