What do you think?
Rate this book
The Power #1
The Possession
Teenage psychic McKenzie Gold and her boyfriend, Aidan, come to the aid of Lilicat, after their friend buys an antique shawl possessed by a vengeful spirit. Original.
187 pages, Library Binding
First published February 25, 1992
3 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 19, 2025
Super fun read about a psychic-ish girl dealing with some strange happenings in the mysterious town of…Bakersfield (lol). Great fall/halloween feels in this one.
A vintage shawl turns her best friend into a bad girl hoop earring-wearing, knife-wielding floozy (who knew guys go crazy for SHAWLS) and things kind of just devolve from there.
Even the denim jacket’s got bad vibes.
Moral of the story: thrift with caution bc your secondhand outfit might come with a side of psychic baggage ⚠️
A vintage shawl turns her best friend into a bad girl hoop earring-wearing, knife-wielding floozy (who knew guys go crazy for SHAWLS) and things kind of just devolve from there.
Even the denim jacket’s got bad vibes.
Moral of the story: thrift with caution bc your secondhand outfit might come with a side of psychic baggage ⚠️
January 25, 2020
This is my first time reading The Power series, about teenage psychic McKenzie Gold, and I really enjoyed book one: The Possession.
We meet McKenzie, Mack, and her best friend Lilith, Lilicat, as they browse a flea market for Halloween costumes. Lilicat finds a shawl and other items to dress up as a gypsy...but it turns out the shawl is possessed and takes over Lilicat when she wears it! Mack notices her friend's change in personality and is concerned for her. Through her special psychic abilities she soon realizes that the shawl is to blame but no one believes her. Can she convince them before it's too late?!
Sure the story is nothing particularly ground-breaking but it is well written, well paced and features a relatable cast of characters. I loved the friendship between McKenzie and Lilicat, plus her relationship with her boyfriend Aidan, they felt really sweet and genuine. There were some wonderfully 90's moments such as a teenage boy with a peace sign shaved into his crewcut!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this slice of supernatural teen nostalgia and I'm looking forward to continuing with the series!
We meet McKenzie, Mack, and her best friend Lilith, Lilicat, as they browse a flea market for Halloween costumes. Lilicat finds a shawl and other items to dress up as a gypsy...but it turns out the shawl is possessed and takes over Lilicat when she wears it! Mack notices her friend's change in personality and is concerned for her. Through her special psychic abilities she soon realizes that the shawl is to blame but no one believes her. Can she convince them before it's too late?!
Sure the story is nothing particularly ground-breaking but it is well written, well paced and features a relatable cast of characters. I loved the friendship between McKenzie and Lilicat, plus her relationship with her boyfriend Aidan, they felt really sweet and genuine. There were some wonderfully 90's moments such as a teenage boy with a peace sign shaved into his crewcut!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this slice of supernatural teen nostalgia and I'm looking forward to continuing with the series!
April 21, 2023
I really liked this one. Not only was there an evil cursed shawl but there was also a jean jacket with residual psychic energy!
A quick easy read with a batch of dumb male characters ( sensing a trend 90's YA horror...) and smart resourceful female leads.
I got kinda freaked out reading at night alone when the ghost witch was in the girls room trying on clothes!
Read for Old School April: 5 points!
A quick easy read with a batch of dumb male characters ( sensing a trend 90's YA horror...) and smart resourceful female leads.
I got kinda freaked out reading at night alone when the ghost witch was in the girls room trying on clothes!
Read for Old School April: 5 points!
February 5, 2021
This is a throwback series from my youth and reading this was a fun time,I look forward to carrying on with the series.
May 7, 2025
This book was cool and creepy.
A party is coming up and two friends will do anything to get the perfect outfit. So of course we’re gonna buy it from some suspicious gypsy woman even if it has disturbing powers….
A plot that will keep you hooked till the end with a mix of character types.
Problems:
As a kid growing up in the 2020s some things were hard to get my head around like 14 year olds driving cars! Sadly this book is way too short and i was able to work it out😭 but hey! I still bought the rest of the series.
A party is coming up and two friends will do anything to get the perfect outfit. So of course we’re gonna buy it from some suspicious gypsy woman even if it has disturbing powers….
A plot that will keep you hooked till the end with a mix of character types.
Problems:
As a kid growing up in the 2020s some things were hard to get my head around like 14 year olds driving cars! Sadly this book is way too short and i was able to work it out😭 but hey! I still bought the rest of the series.
August 12, 2024
It’s so weird to read a book like this and remember that there was a time before cell phones and GPS. A quick read, The Possession was a fun reminder of all the YA horror I read as a kid, even if it wasn’t the best book in the world.
October 5, 2025
A possessed shawl and jean jacket.
Reminded me of an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? except it’s older teens instead of preteens.
All the fall vibes in this one. There’s even a Halloween party with multiple Bart Simpsons.
Very 1992. Walkmans, mixtapes, INXS, pay phones, answering machines. Princess Bride reference. Multiple instances of someone using a paper map to get around. Remember when people used to have that skill? Remember when we had to go to someone’s house to find them?
Characters named Lumpy and Lilicat.
Short about 170 pages. But did drag a tad for me during the psychic visions.
Reminded me of an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? except it’s older teens instead of preteens.
All the fall vibes in this one. There’s even a Halloween party with multiple Bart Simpsons.
Very 1992. Walkmans, mixtapes, INXS, pay phones, answering machines. Princess Bride reference. Multiple instances of someone using a paper map to get around. Remember when people used to have that skill? Remember when we had to go to someone’s house to find them?
Characters named Lumpy and Lilicat.
Short about 170 pages. But did drag a tad for me during the psychic visions.
October 3, 2013
One of the most poorly written books I've read in a while. It truly reminds me of books I used to write when I was 13, and that is not a good thing.
The characters come off as phony. They talk in a phony manner, and even the narration for them is odd. It's bad, but the book was somewhat decent.
I felt the author overused the first name of one of the characters. Lilicat was said like a million times in a row. Her real name is Lilith, but her nickname is Lilicat, and there is no explanation for such an obscure nickname.
The characters come off as phony. They talk in a phony manner, and even the narration for them is odd. It's bad, but the book was somewhat decent.
I felt the author overused the first name of one of the characters. Lilicat was said like a million times in a row. Her real name is Lilith, but her nickname is Lilicat, and there is no explanation for such an obscure nickname.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews