-review- The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

-...Finally, he sensed me there and danced in a circle, fists falling to his sides, feet still moving. His face lit up in a grin so big it chased away the last of my worries.-


First and foremost, can we all say together COVER LOVE BIG TIME?!


Kelley Armstrong is one of many of my favorite YA writers that are out there, I really fell in love with her Darkest Powers trilogy though I have yet to read her famous adult books.
Even though I'm reading this way later than when it was released I'm so glad I was able to get it here and finally read it!


The beginning of the book is a complete killer. I fell in love with Kelley's writing and characters right away, I mean what's there not to like about them. 
Maya being all mysterious all the time.
Daniel being a complete gentleman and a best friend to be envied.
Rafe, because he's hot ;)
and well all the others that if  I take my time describing you'll be dead by the time I finish because of how many and how awesome they all were.


The setting of the book is a really refreshing one, because yeah forests as setting in books are all over the place, but THIS forest is unlike any you've ever read before. Trust me.


Maya, oh Maya! she is one of the female characters I can completely admire and cheer for, she's real, fun, an animal lover, straightforward, and believe me too bold for her own good but that's her and she knows she isn't perfect! and the mystery that revolves around Rafe just makes him all the more appealing to her.


I really don't know my feelings for this book can be put into words, all characters, settings, feelings, minds, thoughts, and more played out perfectly to be there when in the middle of the plot all hell broke loose...only...it didn't. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting some more to whatever it was supposed to be happening, happen.
I really love the romanticism, little as it was, the fights, punches, parties, deaths...all added for an amazing book and just made the tension that more exquisite to my mind, body, and heart just to never let me get even a glimpse as to what was REALLY going on. Of course you get to know a little of what this kids are 'supposed to be' but never know who are the bad guys, good ones, and sometimes I didn't even know what was happening.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the book in all it's glory and it reminded me a lot of Kelley's Darkest Powers books. I just felt that that special something was missing.


In the end, imagine just for an instant; you grow up thinking you're okay with knowing little about your origins and biological family, grow up with kids that seem normal and just the same as you...then out of nowhere you start getting anxious to go out to the woods and stay there for hours, have an ability to heal animals faster than any other human could, some animals even seem to understand and listen to what you say, and the mysterious paw-print shapped-like birthmark on your hip...
You kind of would ask...WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?
Well then, that's Maya's life in this book, without the answers to many of the questions.


The book is a BIG-HUGE cliffhanger in all it's glory!


I give it 4/5 Fotitos!