Customer Reviews

Possessions

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In X meets Y fashion, I'd call Possessions something like "Mean Girls meets the paranormal". It was a quick but definitely creepy read that had me turning pages like crazy towards the end - with an ending that made me go "whoa" and take a second or two before it really sank in.

The characters are well-realised, with Lindsay as a great protagonist right in the center. She had an excellent voice, realistic but also chilling in her descriptions. The way she described what happened to one of the girls in the school over time really sent shudders down my spine, so that was very well done indeed. While she is very worried that she might have another breakdown, especially in light of the events of what is happening, she still remains incredibly strong and very impressive, but doesn't wander out into the realms of being an unrealistic character. Most of the other girls were the same (a few did get lost around the edges though as the cast of characters grew, and I did become confused as to who was who amongst those ones), and Mandy really impressed me in particular - she also caused me, at one point, to make an expression that can only be expressed through emoticons: D: (However that disturbed me, it was in a "good way", not because it was ridiculous or stupid)

Unfortunately a few of the relationships between the girls seemed a bit weak at times, such as when Lindsay called her roommate her best friend. Not it is very possible that she says this because even someone she has only known a month is a friend as opposed to people she knew before her breakdown, but it would have been nicer to see a little bit more confirmation if that were the case. There was also a fair bit of repetition in the painting of the girls as rich - the reader would get that after the first time or so, so there was little need for further, in-depth descriptions into the cost-factor of parties and things.

As for the paranormal aspect of the plot I found that to be really well done. Although there were a few things I picked up on, it still kept me guessing all the way through, and I found myself having mis-guessed a few times even. The exploration into the school's history as a home for wayward girls was very interesting and I would like to see some more of that in the sequel when it comes out. The one slightly-negative thing I would like to say would be that, although there were first hints to this paranormal aspect right at the start it would have been nicer to have it appear earlier and a little stronger than it did. Perhaps in future books the rich girl repetition would be cast aside in favour of more paranormal and creepiness - I know I would welcome it.

Oh, and if you are like and do not do the horror movies thing, don't make the same mistake I did: no matter how much you want to find out what happens next, don't keep reading after midnight. :P I know, I know, I have a weak constitution sometimes...

Although I initially thought I was perhaps a little too old for this book (the main characters are fifteen or so, and I usually end up reading books with characters of around seventeen), the paranormal side of the plot definitely proved me wrong there, resulting in Possessions being a fun and entertaining read, with more than a little dose of creepiness. Its sequel, The Evil Within: A Possessions Novel, is out June 2010, and I will be looking forward to it.

I just got my copy in the mail yesterday and needless to say I'm already done with it. Yup, it was that good. She managed to actually write a young adult book that was able to send chills down my spine and that doesn't happen to often with me. I really have to give her props!

Nancy Holder has given us one hell of a book! Everything about these books right down to the covers are eerily creepy. As the plot thickens, you'll find yourself wanting to sleep with the lights on!


Lindsay has had her fair share of problems and the best thing for her is to get away. She is now starting school at Marlwood Academy which is an all girls 'school that many years ago used to be a psychiatric hospital. Marlwood is filled with nothing but rich, snotty girls trying to outdo one another.


Shortly after Lindsay arrives she notices things just don't seem right. Is there a face staring out a window at her, or just a shadow? This has to be just one of the girls' pranks. Over time, more odd things keep happening that Lindsay tries to shrug off of this nature. Over time, she learns more secrets that none of the teachers want the students to know about Marlwood. Secrets about some of the things that went on with the patients when it was still a hospital. Some of the students say its still haunted.


Mandy is the 'queen bee' of all the girls at Marlwood and everyone seems to flock to her. Everyone except Lindsay. Mandy seems to have it in for Lindsay too. Lindsay tries to pull of the whole keep your enemies closer motto with Mandy and keeps watchful eye on her only to notice that now Mandy is acting funny and talking to herself. Not only that, but she is calling herself another name!


The truth is, many have died years ago for reasons unjustified and Lindsay is scared the ghosts are trying to come back. She only has two people she can trust. One of them just turned up dead and the other is now missing.

It is very clear that Nancy Holder is a very talented writer, that is just stating the obvious. As I was reading Possessions, I just knew it was going to be a great story. Unfortunatly, it wasn't all that I thought it would be. It had a great story line and I could tell that Holder put great thought in it, but I felt it just wasn't used to it's full potential. I was really hoping this story would send chills down my spine and make me want to sleep with a night light, but it wasn't quite that way. On a more optimistic note, after the story finally picked up, it ended up being pretty good and it ended on a pretty 'darn you!' cliffhanger, if you know what I mean. Truthfully, I'm pretty excited to see what is going to happen with the story and I am looking forward to it taking a more intense paranormal turn in the sequel. Let's hope! (:

Lindsay is a scholarship student at Marlwood Academy. Surrounded by rich girls, Lindsay isn't sure she'll survive. Of course, fitting in is the least of her worries once she discovers queen bee, Mandy's, weird obsession. Marlwood has a secret past, and Mandy and pals are up to no good...in a black arts, raising the dead sort of way. Possessions is the novel Steven King would have written had he been asked to write Gossip Girl - full of the posh cliques, girlie drama and high school shenanigans, but also scary as Hell. With its creepy, secluded setting, ethereal language, and leanings toward the occult, Possessions is the perfect book to not read alone in the dark.

I was wanting a semi scary book to read during the halloween season, but I also wanted to be able to sleep at night afterward. After searching for such a book, Sept 2011, I came accross the Possessions series and saw that it got positive reviews and that it might fit the bill. I READ IT IN 2 DAYS!!!! I couldn't put the book down. It was slightly scary, enough to keep me reading, wanting to know what was going to happen on the next page, but not frightening. It was a really easy read and the concepts are not for the advanced reader, but it is a perfect book after a long day of taking care of elementary aged children.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a supernatural teen book thats not about vampires! the only thing is i feel like the book didnt develop enough, but i haven't read the second one yet

So I know this book came out a while back but it popped up in my recommendaions and I was like ok I'll give it a shot. Only I don't know whether to say I like it or not.

Yes, there are some parts where I enjoyed it, the end was nice. I was surprised to say the least and it lead up to a good opener for the second book. The other thing was seeing where the possessions part comes in, I guess more to say who. ;) The thing is, it still didn't tell you to much about Lindsay and what happened to her. What lead her to the boarding school is still questionable to me. I know the two leading factors but is that what lead her there? Her wanting to protect Julie, I understood, but she seemed so pushy and childish at some parts. Her falling for Troy the way she did was to quick almost. I would have liked to see it develop instead of rush like it did.

I saw that there are two more books to this and I will read those so maybe some of my questions can be answered. Also to see how things play out; not just with Troy but with everyone.

This is a well-crafted ghost story that will have you jumping at all the things that go bump in the night, the strange images that your mind will create in the shadows around you. And the only thing you can do is let go and enjoy the scare. There are things that irritate me bout this book-but in the most positive way possible. The main thing is that you, as the reader, don't know what's going on. Nancy doesn't give anything away, so at times I found myself getting freaked out. The entire story is told through the eyes of Lindsay, so there is nothing that you know that she doesn't. In the back of my head I kept wondering what was really going on; either Mandy and the popular crowd were cruel and really going to great lengths just to scare people. Mandy seems to have the money to do just that, but there was nothing in the book that supported the idea that Mandy was behind the weirdness. In fact the more that I read, there wasn't any real evidence that Mandy was even aware of the things that were going on that she didn't directly control. Yes, she was participating in it, and she may have even initiated contact with the spirit world. But at some point, the spirits started taking over. Not knowing exactly what was going on, only made it that much easier for Holder to play on instinctual fears.

Though this part of the story ended in a way that absolutely irritates me , I have to admit that it absolutely works for this and it may have done more damage if a resolution was forced into it. So my advice if you can't stand for books to just stop, then get all three books together and read them straight through. ( I am not sure if there are only three or if there will be more. This is the first one and I didn't get them altogether.) But the ending was a resting point for both Lindsay and the reader (at least it was for me). It's the rest that comes when you've been scared to death and you need to take the time to relax and catch your breath, slow your heart down before it jumps out of your chest. Your mind is left with questions swirling around in your head and you find yourself wondering if you really just read what you did. The same feeling that Lindsay is left with as she story ends in this book. If I had been told that this book had a very open-ended conclusion before I started reading, I would have passed on reading it. ( I need closure in real life as well as in the fictional world.) But I would have missed out on something that has become my favorite read of the summer so far. I can only imagine what it would have been like to read this during Halloween.

Always Shine,

Starr K.

Lindsay is just about to get the fresh start she has been longing for. No longer will she be surrounded by those who remember the "breakdown." No longer will she be "that girl." Instead, she is hoping to blend in nicely with the other students at Marlwood Academy. But it looks like luck just is not on Lindsay's side. Shortly after arriving at the Academy, she begins to experience some unexplained activity and hearing some rumors she just cannot seem to ignore.

Possessions is one of those novels that you will have a reaction to. It might not be the most positive one, but it will leave you thinking. And questioning every action leading up to one heck of a cliff hanger. For me, the ending is what really makes this novel stick out. For one, it was something that I did not see coming. It completely blew me away.. in a good way. But it also left me frustrated beyond belief and words. It is one of those endings where days later, I am still not sure if I loved or hated it.

The world that Holder created was fascinating. It is a unique blend of old and new which suits the mood of the novel perfectly. I am sucker for novels that include settings which have a torrid past, and Marlwood Academy definitely has one of those. Add in a little bit of paranormal activity, and I was sold. The characterization of Lindsay and the other student's was also nice. Like Marlwood Academy, each student basically has an interesting past, but also tries to live in the now. For the most part, I really like Lindsay. Her personality fit right in with all the kookiness going on around her.

Possessions is a novel full of layers and things that go bump in the night. I found myself completely captivated by Marlwood Academy and even Lindsay to a certain extent. This is a novel that I both completely enjoyed as well as found myself yelling at. There is enough of the paranormal element here to satisfy most paranormal lovers. But even if you do not enjoy a paranormal read, there may be something here for you... lurking in the pages.