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rjdenney's review against another edition
4.0
YouTube Video on this book coming soon!
I thought it was fun & entertaining.
Definitely scared me at parts & made me want to use my book light
to guide me through the hallway to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Gretchen is a great writer & I can't wait to read more of her books.
- R.D.
I thought it was fun & entertaining.
Definitely scared me at parts & made me want to use my book light
to guide me through the hallway to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Gretchen is a great writer & I can't wait to read more of her books.
- R.D.
eyreguide's review against another edition
5.0
I'm just realizing how much I adore Gretchen McNeil's storytelling. This is only the second book I've read by her (the first was Ten) but the way she spins suspenseful yarns is beautiful! This story deals with demons and in tone this book was not what I was expecting. With demons you'd think it would be pretty dark, but thanks to the snarky, spunky Bridget Liu, just when you think you might be grossed out by the exorcisms, Bridget is just as grossed out and knows how to take the seriousness out of the situation with just a few words. The story is not all light-hearted though. Bridget is just coming to terms with the loss of her father when she realizes her gift, and she must deal with the trauma while also being the social outcast at school and trying to figure out who is behind the demon's plan. It's a lot for her to deal with. There are many touching, realistic interactions between Bridget and her family and friends, and although Bridget tries to be very closed off emotionally, there were times when her vulnerability peeked through, and I found her character arc to be very engaging.
The story grabbed me immediately, and while the demon aspect is already intriguing, the author adds more dimension with the nature of the demons and their past, and the mystery of why some demons act differently. The romance in the story is sweet, but I didn't feel very much invested in it from the beginning. It's a great addition to the story, but definitely the focus for me was on the suspense and the paranormal mystery. The mystery of which priest could not be trusted, was a bit easy to guess, but thankfully there are multiple mysterious threads that weave this plot, and I absolutely could not put this book down until I finished the last page!
The story grabbed me immediately, and while the demon aspect is already intriguing, the author adds more dimension with the nature of the demons and their past, and the mystery of why some demons act differently. The romance in the story is sweet, but I didn't feel very much invested in it from the beginning. It's a great addition to the story, but definitely the focus for me was on the suspense and the paranormal mystery. The mystery of which priest could not be trusted, was a bit easy to guess, but thankfully there are multiple mysterious threads that weave this plot, and I absolutely could not put this book down until I finished the last page!
smuttea_matcha's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to see a Chinese female protagonist (even though she's only half)! I adored the exorcism scenes in this book, they were so vivid and spooky; I loved it. The plot definitely reeled me in. I loved the use of anagrams and just the secret passageways and all that junk. My inner explorer was hyped. I wasn't crazy about Matt's romance with Bridget. I warmed up to them as the story progressed and it was cute how he was always rushing to save her and just be part of her life. McNeil also did a great job of keeping the religion to a minimum, it wasn't overdone or underplayed, but it was just enough. Definitely something I would recommend.
katetj's review against another edition
5.0
More reviews can be found at my blog: Nomalicious Reads
Ever since I discovered Possess, I've been dying to read it, I think it might have been at the mention of demonic possession, and banishing (exorcism) bad things back to hell that roped me in.
For some reason I thought that it might be a historical or fantasy, but I'm not complaining that it's set in modern time, it was very well done, and the story was intriguing.
I really like the cover, after the initial 'Woah creepy' I think it's really pretty, especially when you get the Hardcover and its all shiny!
I have a special place in my heart of all things that go bump in the night, and Possess earned a good seat up front, with my other favourites; Gretchen McNeil did a thrilling job.
Strange Powers,
a surge in demonic possessions,
a creepy stalker going haywire,
a yummy boy, that just won't leave her alone,
cryptic messages from the beyond,
a murder and mystery to solve
and being grounded till the end of time.
Life isn't easy for our heroine Bridget Liu, all she wants to do is be normal, but normal just isn't an option that's open for her.
Watching Bridget grow from an unsure teenager with so much on her shoulders into an independent kick-ass demon exorcising heroine, was definitely worth the read! I really hope that there will be a second book, I can't wait to find out more about everything! (I just adored Sammy hahaand wanted to bite a chunk out of sexy Matt Quinn)
Gretchen McNeil is another amazing debut author of 2011 to keep your eye out for in the future! I can't wait to read her next book: Ten, that comes out sometime next year! I love a murder mystery and a good creepy read! It looks very promising.
I give Possess by Gretchen McNeil 5noms, it was extremely appetizing.
Ever since I discovered Possess, I've been dying to read it, I think it might have been at the mention of demonic possession, and banishing (exorcism) bad things back to hell that roped me in.
For some reason I thought that it might be a historical or fantasy, but I'm not complaining that it's set in modern time, it was very well done, and the story was intriguing.
I really like the cover, after the initial 'Woah creepy' I think it's really pretty, especially when you get the Hardcover and its all shiny!
I have a special place in my heart of all things that go bump in the night, and Possess earned a good seat up front, with my other favourites; Gretchen McNeil did a thrilling job.
Strange Powers,
a surge in demonic possessions,
a creepy stalker going haywire,
a yummy boy, that just won't leave her alone,
cryptic messages from the beyond,
a murder and mystery to solve
and being grounded till the end of time.
Life isn't easy for our heroine Bridget Liu, all she wants to do is be normal, but normal just isn't an option that's open for her.
Watching Bridget grow from an unsure teenager with so much on her shoulders into an independent kick-ass demon exorcising heroine, was definitely worth the read! I really hope that there will be a second book, I can't wait to find out more about everything! (I just adored Sammy hahaand wanted to bite a chunk out of sexy Matt Quinn)
Gretchen McNeil is another amazing debut author of 2011 to keep your eye out for in the future! I can't wait to read her next book: Ten, that comes out sometime next year! I love a murder mystery and a good creepy read! It looks very promising.
I give Possess by Gretchen McNeil 5noms, it was extremely appetizing.
mellabella's review against another edition
2.0
Possess was OK. I'm surprised I finished it. The main character was a little cliche. The social outcast who suffered a tragedy. The hottest guy in town likes her, yadda, yadda. She is a Watcher who can banish demons. Her late father could as well. She fails to realize that someone close to her is evil, however. If I'm reading a book like this, I expect it to keep it on the edge of my seat. It just kind of went along. I also don't think it was as cohesive as it could have been.
missjessie182's review against another edition
5.0
I really love this book. It keeps you wanting more and more.
abbievillehorror's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I didn't think I would like this book because I'm not usually one for horror, but this was a nice balance between high tension scary moments and laughably awkward teenage life. A fun, quick read if you ever feel like a bit of a scare.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
5.0
Possess is an absolutely fantastic debut novel. It's creepy, funny, suspenseful, and just plain awesome! Gretchen McNeil is another debut author to add to your list of must read authors.
Bridget is an amazing main character. She is snarky, sarcastic, kind of shut off from people, and possibly going insane. That, or the voices she hears could be demons. I'm not sure which would be worse. I think Bridget is the main reason I liked this book so much. She lightened the mood and she made me laugh when I normally would have wanted to scream. She was also so sweet with her little brother, Sammy. I loved him. Another great guy was Matt Quinn, the possible love interest. He was sweet, funny, and a little overprotective. I really grew to like him throughout the book.
The plot was very gripping! From the first page I was hooked and I had no idea how everything would play out. I was amazed at how perfectly everything tied together in the end but left me with just enough questions to hope for a sequel. Oh and beware, there are some seriously creepy scenes in this book. One involves dolls (my personal worst nightmare.)
Overall, Possess is a unique story that really grabbed me and did not let go until the very last sentence. I cna't wait for more from Gretchen McNeil.
Bridget is an amazing main character. She is snarky, sarcastic, kind of shut off from people, and possibly going insane. That, or the voices she hears could be demons. I'm not sure which would be worse. I think Bridget is the main reason I liked this book so much. She lightened the mood and she made me laugh when I normally would have wanted to scream. She was also so sweet with her little brother, Sammy. I loved him. Another great guy was Matt Quinn, the possible love interest. He was sweet, funny, and a little overprotective. I really grew to like him throughout the book.
The plot was very gripping! From the first page I was hooked and I had no idea how everything would play out. I was amazed at how perfectly everything tied together in the end but left me with just enough questions to hope for a sequel. Oh and beware, there are some seriously creepy scenes in this book. One involves dolls (my personal worst nightmare.)
Overall, Possess is a unique story that really grabbed me and did not let go until the very last sentence. I cna't wait for more from Gretchen McNeil.