I read this book for the first time right when it came out in 2011 because I’d just finished reading The Darkest Powers trilogy by the same author (check it out!!) and I was in love with all the characters. When I read this one two years ago, set in the same world about teen protagonists struggling with supernatural powers, I wasn’t as in love for some reason. Looking back on it, I think I was too attached to the old characters from the previous trilogy and hadn’t had enough time to take a breather and move on from Chloe and Derek. So I decided to give The Gathering another shot (guilty confession: it was mostly because I heard that Chloe and Derek would be back in the third book, The Rising, which has just been published). Good thing I did, because the second time I read this book, it just blew me away! I was in shock by how quickly I flew through it. I am so in love with Maya, Rafe, and Daniel, that it just ugh. I think, on one hand I could relate more personally to Chloe because she was more in tune with what I would have done in similar situations, and also because she was extremely nice and likeable. Maya, on the other hand, is a lot more driven, confident, and aggressive, all good things too! But the author is also able to portray her faults, like Maya never giving anyone a second chance, or jumping to conclusions about someone. I couldn’t really relate to her love of nature, mostly because I’m not an out-doorsy person. But this time through I could really connect with her because everything seemed more vivid and drawn out. I could smell the British Columbian forests and just picture those beautiful purple mountains in the distance. That’s another thing that I’m so proud of in this book: it’s set in Canada! WOOH! Not Oregon, not Alaska, but British Columbia, more specifically, Vancouver Island. I guess it works, because Canada is typically described as this really rural, wilderness setting, and Maya lives in the smallest town ever in the middle of the forest. But then Kelley takes you into Nanaimo and Vancouver! Hellsya! I even thought it was funny when instead of Daniel having a deep fried Mars bar, he had a deep fried Areo (Canadian Nestlé brand) bar instead (which I’m not sure how that would work because Aero is pretty different from a Mars bar, but it’s all good). Represent. I love Kelley and her romance. She takes you one way, and then whips you around another direction. She sets characters up to not understand one another and constantly clash, and then something clicks, but it’s not all fun and games and constant getting along. The romance is real: it has its cute moments, steamy moments, and fighting moments. And then Kelley throws you for another loop, and the character is left questioning everything all over again. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that Maya was a skin-walker. While I understand it would sound cool to turn into an animal, I’ve never wanted that ability. I’ve always thought it would be weird, having to strip down, change into some strange beast, ramble around, and then change back, find your clothes, and hope no one sees you naked. Plus there’s the whole bestiality thing that’s always at the back of my mind. If someone is attracted to a skin-walker, are they still attracted to them when they turn into an animal? I dunno, it just weirds me out. But that’s a really particular preference of mine. No shape-shifting for me. As the first book in the trilogy, this one does a really amazing job of building the characters and the mysteries surrounding their small town. I loved the romance, I love all the characters, and I can’t wait to find out about the other characters’ powers.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong is the first of the Darkness Rising series, a supernatural young adult (YA) trilogy about 16-year-old Maya who lives in a small medical-research town called Salmon Creek on Vancouver Island. The small populated and isolated town not only has less than 200 people, but also a slew of secrets that slowly unravel as the novel progresses. Since I prefer reading literary fiction, I tend not to read a large amount of YA fiction in comparison. And of those that I have read in the past, most have been a tad disappointing in their narrative and character development, which would most often, more than not, be filled with cliché and superficial and self-indulgent characters who made it difficult for me to empathize with. But with The Gathering, this is not the case. The Gathering is one of the best YA fiction reads I’ve read in a long time, which explains why Kelley Armstrong is one of the number one bestselling authors according to the New York Times! The main character, Maya, a 16-year-old popular and athletic teenager is not only likeable by her peers, but will be most likely be “liked” by the readers of this book. I did. She has a strong relationship with her parents without losing herself in identity or rebellion; she’s fiercely loyal to her friends without being dependent; she has a natural agility that gives her grace and strength, and a wit that is refreshing, entertaining, and endearing without being abrasive. Above all, she’s a natural animal lover, comfortable in their midst and gifted in sensing their needs. To read the rest of my review, you may visit my blog, The Bibliotaphe's Closet: http://zaraalexis.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/the-gathering-book-one-of-the-darkness-rising-series-a-review-04-30-2012/

in the beginning the book was kinda slow but in the end it was an okay read. If you are a person who likes books about animals and a bit of fantasy then this book is perfect for you! the only thing that threw me off was the amount of dialogue there was about animals...like common i personally don't care about the ways of animals but i did enjoy the perceptive of the protagonist!

Maya is a sixteen and living in the small town on Vancouver Island. One year ago her best friend drowned despite the fact that she was a champion swimmer. The loss never quite left Maya and she threw herself into her work of taking care of injured wild animals. She notices that she has an unusual knack for healing. Other strange things are happening in Salmon Creek not the least of which is the arrival of “bad boy” Rafe. I am a Kelley Armstrong fan so despite this being another YA entry I enjoyed it. Ms. Armstrong always amazes me in the way she changes her writing voice for YA fiction. The fact that this book draws in some of characters and institutions from both the Darkest Powers series and her mainstream adult books (one more to go in the Women of the Underworld series before she puts those characters away for a bit) was enjoyable for a long time fan.

I devoured this novel within days. I absolutely loved Maya as a character, and the story being set on Vancouver Island made me hurrah for this novel.

I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and have quite a few of her books. I won't spoil any details, but The Gathering was a pretty decent read. I wasn't sure if it would stay on par with the Darkest Powers trilogy, which was absolutely fantastic. Her writing style is entertaining and is a jolt to your senses. However, I found parts of this book to be a little slow.

As mentioned in a previous review, I am a long-time fan of Kelley Armstrong, pre-YA novel days. And one of the things I feel Mrs. Armstrong does best is shifters. It was wonderful to see her returning to a shifter based character. I think I am also a bit biased because this story takes place in pretty isolated portion of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. I have long since had a strong fascination with this area due to the "sea wolves" that live there. I love nature, and wildlife, and just general outdoorsiness, and this book has it all and more. It also has a strong basis in native culture, which also is a strong draw to me. (This is one of the few things I actually enjoyed in the Twilight series as well.) Maya, the main character reminds me so much of myself. I was instantly able to connect with her and understood almost every decision she made (and I pretty much had made them in my head before even she did!). I was a very enjoyable read. One of the best things about this book was the presence of strong parental figures! It's about time! I am so tired of wondering where the heck all the parents are in these YA books! No wonder they get into so much trouble without anyone to guide them. But Maya's parents (adopted) are fantastic role models that support her in her decisions while still allowing her the space to become her own strong and independent person. But you still get those strong parental undertones, like when Maya comes home with a guy and you can immediately tell the father is not super impressed by it at all. It makes sense! This is the way parents would (typically) act in reality. Thank you Mrs. Armstrong for proving parents can indeed still exist in a good YA novel. Since most people are aware of my extreme hatred for cliffhangers of doom...I was warned in advance that I might not quite be happy with the ending. But I have to admit, it didn't really bother me as much as others have in the past. It seemed mostly wrapped up with a little bit of "what now" at the end. I can live with that. I don't have much negative to say except for a slight feeling of "meh". I don't quite know how to describe that more in detail, but basically there was just a little of the certain something missing that I would need to rate a book a perfect 5. It was really close, but not quite there. Maybe next time! I'm also not a huge fan of the covers. I don't feel it suits Maya at all. The model on the cover seems much older and "calm" for the Maya I have pictured in my head as I am reading. I have already devoured book two in the series, The Calling. The review will follow soon!

This book was amazing, fast read and entertaining. I would recommend to any who is up for some mystery and romance :)

this book was good and i think she will fall in love with both guys but hope she picks dan i just cant waite for the sec book and i hope the other ones are in it

This story is basically the story of a girl who lives in a very small town (and I say very small as in very freaking small), when one day she goes to get a tattoo of a birthmark that she has and an old woman calls her a witch. From here on, the story develops. Honestly, because of the Darkest Powers series, I anticipated a lot more. The book gets sort of dull throughout the middle, and the action is only at the end. Don't get me wrong it was a very good book, and we can totally link some of the stuff in it to Chloe and her friends, but in my opinion, it was missing a little something. Nonetheless, I can't wait for the next book!