The Possessed

Dark Visions #2

by L.J. Smith

A second volume in the Dark Visions trilogy follows Kaitlyn Fairchild and her four friends as they listen to the psychic voices calling them and travel to an isolated house, where terror awaits. Original.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Supernatural

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Smith was born in Villa Park, Orange County, California. In interviews, she has said she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, “when a teacher praised a horrible poem I’d written”, and began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987, followed by teaching credentials in Elementary education and Special education from San Francisco State University.

She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.

Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”

She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another good instalment, but not as good as I remembered! I want more romance ♡



8 out of 10

[Karen Barber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Possessed focuses on the journey the group take once they decide to leave Mr Zetes. Desperate to not get tainted by his evil intentions, Kaitlyn and the group decide to try and find the White House of their dreams.
They set off on a seemingly futile journey.
Along the way we see the danger to Gabriel, and Kait’s desperate attempts to feed him to prevent him harming others. The others in the group fear him, and we see they might have reason to.
This was something of a filler in terms of story. Inevitably, things go sort of to plan. The White House isn’t quite the cure they hoped, and we end the book with a very real sense of threat from Zetes.

[Syki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co se vám vybaví, když někdo řekne jméno této autorky? L.J.Smith. Já si vzpomenu na nekonečnou řadu knih o upírech. Smutné je, že samotná Smith stojí jen za prvními díly, a zbytek už si vzal na mušku někdo úplně jiný, i když knihy stále nesou autorčino jméno.

V poslední době se její série staly nejen oblíbeným terčem nekonečného prodlužování, ale také v zorném poli zájmu televizní stanice The CW. Kromě seriálového zpracování Upířích deníků se fanoušci dočkali také Tajného kruhu. S tím se ovšem po první sérii rozloučili a pokračuje se jen s upíry. Uvidíme, jestli se nakonec třeba nedočkáme i Temných vizí.

Příběh plynule navazuje tam, kde skončil. Kaitlyn, Rob, Anna, Lewis a Gabriel jsou na útěku z institutu posedlého pana Zetese. Ten chtěl totiž využít jejich zvláštních schopností a rozhodně ne k ničemu dobrému. Posbírají jen to nejdůležitější k přežití a vydají se hledat bílý dům ze společného snu. Problémem ovšem je, že jsou díky Gabrielovi svázaní společnou telepatickou sítí. A Gabriel je hladový…

Kait to brzy dojde a je rozhodnutá mu pomoci. I když Gabriel o její pomoc nestojí. Ačkoliv si to Kait nehodlá přiznat, ke Gabrielovi ji to táhne i z jiného důvodu. A to by mohl být problém, jelikož tomu není tak dávno, kdy se dala dohromady s Robem. Ale citové problémy jsou momentálně to nejmenší. Zetes je jim v patách a ani obyvatelé bílého domu nejsou takoví, jak si představovali.

Český překlad pokračuje v kvalitě předchozího dílu. Kniha se díky němu četla lehce a dosti rychle. Stránky ubíhaly jedna za druhou a já byla zvědavá, jak to bude pokračovat dál. Nemám tudíž žádné výtky.

Upířím deníkům jsem zatím na chuť nepřišla, ale její Temné vize se mi líbí. Zvlášť proto, že je už jednoduše přeupírováno. Změna není na škodu. A kdo by nechtěl mít zvláštní schopnosti? Já určitě ano. Pravda, nechtěla bych, aby mě kvůli nim chtěl někdo využít, ale takové lítání mě například fascinovalo vždycky.

Mou nejoblíbenější postavou je Gabriel. Nejspíš na těch záhadných, dosti vražedných a věčně nevrlých, klucích něco je. Chudák to v životě neměl nijak jednoduché a ještě stále mu osud háže pod nohy jeden klacek za druhým. Kait je taková ta typická naivka, která chce dělat všechno jen správně, ale když se všechno začne hroutit, dokáže se vzchopit a reagovat. Ostatní postavy jdou tak nějak mimo mě a spíše dotvářejí celkový obraz příběhu.

Druhý díl mě překvapil svým temnějším provedením. Pravda, první půlka byla spíše jen o útěku a o hledání domu. Jenže některé myšlenky postav byly rozhodně zajímavé. Jediné, co mi na sérii vadí, jak velkými protiklady jsou Rob a Gabriel. Jeden světlo, druhý temnota. Přijde mi to moc vyhraněné, alespoň ze strany autorky.

Pokračování jsem si rozhodně užila. Příběh měl spád, svižné a dramatické části se střídaly s pomalejšími a klidnějšími. Kniha možná nepatří mezi nejlepší z nejlepších, ale já se bavila. Knize tak dávám 4 hvězdičky a těším se na pokračování.


--------------Reakce po dočtení knihy--------------
Ani pořádně nevím proč, ale líbilo se mi to... A hrdina je pro mě Gabriel.

[Debra K · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a more detailed review, check out my review below:

Debra's Book Cafe


Debs :-)

[Em-em · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book Possessed pick up where the last book ended Kaitlyn, Gabriel, Rob, Lewis and Ana are five psychic teenagers who are on the run because an institution is after them with the intention of using them for evil. Now, they set out on a journey to find the house of their dreams where finally they could be safe. But the journey brings them danger and to a discover about Gabriel that will threaten to strain their friendship. With no direction of where they are going and with danger lurking in every direction they continue to journey to uncertainty.

I love this book!! It is full of action and it's conflicts are well laid out. I am very sad for Gabriel he was beaten up in this book physically, mentally and emotionally. Physically, he's body was metabolizing more energy so he needs energy from others; mentally, he has to deal with the psychic link that the five of them share and he is not use to being around people because of his past experience; and emotionally people around him seem to have the prejudice that he is a bad person and he has to deal with that wherever they go. Furthermore he is in love with Kaitlyn who is already with Rob not only that but he has to watch them being all romantic with each other everyday. I could feel the anguish of Gabriel in this book he has a lot on his plate but somehow he is able to handle these things. There is also a change in Kaitlyn somehow she is drawn to Gabriel. I hope that they will be together in the end not because I find Gabriel more attractive than Rob but that is partly it (hehehe) but more than that it is because Gabriel has this imperfections that makes him more vulnerable that is quite attractive to me. In addition to that, I think that Gabriel's anger is just a mask and beneath that is a person with a good heart. He has been through a lot so you can't blame the guy for being bitter with the world and the people in it right? I am not being biased here but Kait really feels a lot of concern of Gabriel something tells me that this concern goes deeper than friendship but that is just me and what I want. In the end she is still with Rob that makes me sad but there is still the third book and who knows maybe she will have a change of heart. I have nothing against Rob. Rob is a very good guy in fact he is like a perfect guy but somehow I could not sense the same care that Kait has for Gabriel. Perhaps because Rob is always in control with himself and he has this leader trait in him. This book made me connect with the characters. I can't wait for the third book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Source: I own a bind up of this trilogy.
Cost: Free gift

Title: The Possessed
Series: Dark Visions #2
Author: LJ Smith
Overall Rating: 4 stars

A series review will be posted on my blog tomorrow!

There's something about this series that I can't connect to as much as LJ Smith's other books. They don't seem to be as sexy or mysterious as the previous books that I've read, there's no emotive connection to the characters in this book. I kind of miss the insta love that was in Night World. I really like Gabriel as a character, and I'm excited to see where they develop his character.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good read in the series, but again, I didn't enjoy it quite so much the second time around.

Looking forward to reading the last book in the series.

[Chelsea Moreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same feeling as the last book. Will finish this trilogy soon!

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrative is still going pretty strong. I was engaged despite the fast pacing and simplicity of the story. However, this installment has two things that are... eh...

1) Kaitlyn is basically cheating on Rob. Like she kisses and hugs and mind touches with Gabriel is and is way more concerned for him. I think she's only with Rob because she feels like that's the correct thing to do and Gabriel pushing her away irritates her or something. Like we can all tell she really wants to be with Gabriel but is like playing them both hot and cold because she like wants to have the best of both, I guess.
2) They treat mental illness kind of badly. Like we're told the prior psychic group all went insane and now they're being weaponized against the five leads, but then it's like "we can feel their insanity and their evil" and it's like... okay so, are you saying they're evil because they're sick? That's not how that works. Secondly, if they're evil because they were corrupted by the evil crystal then... like... act like that's the cause? Don't just write them off as "crazy and evil"??

Otherwise this is basically part 2 of the book. They've escaped and they're looking for help, we realize Gabriel wasn't unaffected by the evil crystal which causes him and Kait to get closer, they find the guy from the airport on this secret little island colony with other psychics, they endure a psychic attack, everyone on the island does a 180 and goes from "welp we can't help" to "okay let's go defeat him" and then Gabriel, being a fucking little edgelord because Kait like is with Rob and he's like mad about it despite pushing her away decides to run away with Lydia back to the evil guy.

The majority of this book is them just being on the road so it's definitely just a bridging book between the start and ending :/ I got through it easy enough but I do think this didn't need to be its own book so I suppose I do understand why later editions of this book were bound together in a 3 book bulk; the story is linear enough that it doesn't really need to be chopped apart.

[Corrine-The Book Broad (❁´◡`❁) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Koki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5*

[Sašenka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Po Upírskych denníkoch som siahla po tejto sérii s poriadnou rezervou. Prvý diel bol zaujímavý a na počuovanie sa mi aj clekom páčil. Vyzeral inak, nádejne. A potom prišiel druhý diel.
Keby to nebolo tak krátke tak sa na to vykašlem. A okrem toho potrebujem dohnať moje resty v ročnej GR challenge. Ale inak je to "full of bullshit". Seriózne. Upírske denníky cez kopirák, len tam nie je Stefan, Damon a Elena, ale Rob, Gabriel a Kaytlin. Jaj a magické pozadie. Ale aj to je úplne bullshitoidné. Totálna zloba.
Táto autorka u mňa definitívne skončila a ja už od nej nebudem čítať nič. Pretože neverím, že napíše niečo hodné mojej pozornosti.
Chápem, že niekomu sa ot môže čítať ľahko. Sú to knihy na jedno posedenie. Nenáročné s postavami, ktoré sú buď dobré alebo zlé. Sweet boy, bad boy a dievčina, ktorá si nevie vybrať. Klasické klišé. No nič pre mňa. Určite nie v tejto podobe a od tejto autorky.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues with The Possessed and it just gets darker all the time. There are some really strange revelations here, like the slime trails, and the peculiar group of people in Washington who wont lift a finger to help them (although they were called there to be helped by them).

This book wasn't so good, but it was obviously one of those tie-in novels between The Beginning and The Final Battle.

[Evelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tento diel je pre mňa katastrofa. Hrdinovia poletujú všade možne a zápletky sa odohrávajú v aute. Pre mňa to bola až na pár svetlých momentov nuda. Preto som na 3. diel ešte viac zvedavá a dúfam, že to bude epický koniec. Naďalej platí, že to je oddychovka. Tento diel mi však nesadol.

[Sakinah Al Taleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

More interesting and shocking

[Pottermnm Montse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in a jiffy. Need the other one like right now !

[Courtney Gruenholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second part of a trilogy can either be a dud or it can actually be worth getting to the final conclusion and The Possessed is NOT a dud.

Spoilers may be given for The Strange Power so if you have yet to read it...you may want to come back later before you continue.

Kaitlyn Fairchild has been different since she was a young girl...she's been a psychic with visions of the future that come out in drawings.

Things seemed to finally be working out for her...surrounded by others like herself. Kaitlyn was attending the Zetes Institute where the four other teens had powers like hers but each one different.

Rob Kessler, a good-looking country boy with healing powers.

Anna Whiteraven, a gorgeous Native American with the ability to communicate with animals.

Lewis Chao, an Asian-American tech geek with psychokinetic powers to move objects.

...and then there was Gabriel Wolfe.

Darkly handsome, broody with a criminal past that was brought on by his powers of telepathy and draining life energy...like a vampire.

Kaitlyn found herself torn between both Rob and Gabriel...the light and the dark. Innocence in one and a hardened heart in the other refusing to crack the icy shield.

Trying to uncover the true reason why they were being tested after an unfortunate accident placed grad student Marisol Diaz in a coma and Kaitlyn's powers brought about drawings of a foreboding doorway, the five of them became connected.

Now, they can share thoughts between each other without words brought on by Gabriel's gift growing more powerful in a moment of panic.

They learn there were others before them in a previous test and Mr. Zetes has money tied up to people of great power and position. All of this is to strengthen the psychic abilities to make the teens weapons in psychoactive warfare by means of using a crystal, more powerful and ancient than anything in the modern world.

Used in the center of the forehead over the "third eye"it will amplify psychic abilities but with undesirable consequences...

The torture of it has now left a mark on Gabriel as it was forced on him by both Mr. Zetes and Joyce Piper for trying to save the others and only Kaitlyn knows and she has to keep it from the others...knowing what it is like to be different and thought of as a monster.

Gabriel now has to continually take another person's energy or die like a real vampire must drink blood or perish. Kaitlyn catches him in the act and in order to protect innocent people, she offers Gabriel to freely take her own energy when needed.

All of them are now on the run from Mr. Zetes and Joyce with only a shared dream that was once only Kaitlyn's to guide them...to where there may be others like them. Who else could be sending the dreams of a peninsula and rushing waters where the air is cold and arctic?

The quest for answers isn't a pleasure cruise as Kaitlyn must keep secrets from the others while being torn between two young men who need her for very different reasons but also because they know that Mr. Zetes won't let them escape, driven mad with a hunger for power.

No place is safe...

The vibes are certainly darker in this book and as we get closer to this book's ending, we are introduced to new characters and shocking revelations. The triangle between Rob, Kaitlyn and Gabriel is more focused on Kaitlyn and Gabriel but there are moments when you think that this crew of mind-mates are done for to keep the tension.

It may seem to be a slog to get through and be presented as padding but that's the way any epic story is done.

How did we get here and just where...are we headed?

A strange power possessed us so how will passion...be the thing that saves us?

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoufalý únik do nicotného pryč
Jakmile na povrch vypluje pravda o šílených plánech pana Zetese s pěticí středoškoláků s paranormálními schopnostmi, neváhají Kaitlyn, Rob, Anna, Lewis a Gabriel jednat a dávají se na útěk. Především však vyráží na nebezpečnou a velmi dlouhou cestu, na níž se blíže seznamují, uvědomují si vážnost celé situace, řeší dosud nepoznané konflikty a snaží se rozvážně uvažovat o dnech uplynulých i následujících. A pak je tu samozřejmě Gabriel, který své ochranné zdi ve své mysli telepaticky propojené s ostatními ze skupiny staví překvapivě vysoko a každým dnem se chová podivněji.
Jedinou nadějí, která jejich vypůjčenou dodávku žene dál, je vidina bílého domu, o kterém se Kait, a tím pádem i jejím čtyřem přátelům, zdálo. Doufají, že právě tam jim někdo může odpovědět na naléhavé otázky a pomoci přežít.



"Možná, že nám ti lidé z bílého domu dokážou pomoct," nadhodila. "Možná budou znát způsob, jak tě vyléčit - napravit, co ti krystal způsobil."
"Pokud to byl krystal," poznamenal Gabriel. Se slabým sebeironickým úsměvem dodal: "Mám pocit, že od těch lidí v bílém domě očekáváme nějak moc."
To proto, že nemáme žádnou další naději. Kaitlyn to nevyslovila nahlas, ale věděla, že jí Gabriel rozumí. Ona s Gabrielem si někdy rozumněli až příliš dobře.

Do druhého dílu série Temné vize od autorky L.J.Smith, která figuruje v souvislosti s knížkami Upíří deníky, jsem se pustila hned po přečtení prvního. Bohužel, i když jsem ho četla takřka stejným způsobem, postrádala jsem v něm něco, co by příběh s takovou zápletkou měl obsahovat. Jako kdybyste četli detektivku a už od začátku věděli, kdo bude vrahem - a hned by knížka ztratila to nejcenější, totiž moment překvapení z posledních kapitol. A i když tato třídílná série zpočátku působila na mou nepříliš sečtělou mysl zajímavě, druhý díl mě lehce strhl k těm, kteří tuto autorku nečtou.

Byl zesláblý. Zesláblý tak jako ještě nikdy. A uvnitř měl strašlivý pocit - hladu. Vyhořelý pocit, jako by ho spálil oheň a on zůstal zčernalý a vyprahlý. Jako popraskaná země žíznící po letním dešti.
Ještě nikdy se takhle necítil. A část jeho já, maličká část, která sídlila stranou od zbytku jeho duše a někdy mu našeptávala, co by měl dělat, mu napovídala, že na takovém pocitu je něco nebezpečného. Něco špatného.

Poté, co se Kaitlyn a jejím čtyřem přátelům, se kterými sdílí nejen paranormální schopnosti, ale i svou telepaticky propojenou mysl, podaří utéct z domu šíleného pana Zetese, se vydávají na dlouhou, náročnou a nebezpečnou cestu přes celé státy, aby našli bílý dům z jejich společného snu, ve kterém, jak doufají, jsou lidé, kteří jim dokáží pomoci vyřešit jejich problémy.
Těch je hned několik. Zvrhlý Zetes, vlastnící smrtící zbraně, jim je v patách a psychicky na ně útočí. Telepatické spojení pěti myslí, které by se mohlo jevit jako užitečné v boji se zlem, mění povahy všech propojených - Kaitlyn, Roba, Anny, Lewise a Gabriela. A pak je tu jeden velký zádrhel ve zvratu událostí, který se tak úplně netýká celé skupiny...
V prvním díle se Kaitlyn seznámí s oslnivým dobrákem Robem vyzařujícím slunce a klid, který umí lidi nabít léčivou energií. Naproti tomu tu stojí temný černovlasý Gabriel s uhrančivým pohledem a smrtícími energickými schopnostmi. Není tedy trochu klišé, že se těmto dvěma rozdílným povahám - slunci a černé díře - zalíbí právě rusovlasá Kait s kouřově modrýma očima čarodějky?

Kaitlyn úplně otevřela oči a nevěřícně hleděla na kresbu. Viděla siluetu s širokými rameny, jejíž linie těla se táhly přímo dolů a která vypadala jako muž v kabátě...
Jediným prudkým pohybem byla na nohou.
Já ji zabiju. Ach, Bože, já ji zabiju...

Ačkoliv jsem knížku přečetla téměř ve stejném čase jako první díl, který se mi i docela na úvod série líbil, nemůžu říct, že by mne ve čtení hnala touha po zjištění dalších a dalších informací. Ne natolik, abych se snažila přijít na kloub událostem s nutkavou potřebou, kterou u spousty jiných knížek mám. Ale zároveň si netroufám psát, že bych četla rychle proto, abych měla Posedlost z krku a mohla si útlou knížečku napsat na seznam. Naopak jsem se snažila vnímat jak pozitiva, tak negativa, protože to dozajista není nejhorší knížka dob. Jen je, bohužel, oproti prvnímu rozjezdovému dílu lehce nudná a i když ne pořád předvídatelná, tak vás náhlá zjištění a zápletky nepřekvapí, vezmete je jako další "problém" do hry. Možná, že by tomu tak nebylo, kdyby se hlavní hrdinové nechovali tak, jak se chovali a kdyby celá situace nevyzněla tak uměle, že vlastně nemáte při čtení co dělat. Ráda bych držela pěti teenagerům palce a přála jim, aby Bílý dům našli, ale když jsem pak viděla, jak jednoduchou mají cestu vpřed, začala jsem pochybovat o tom, že by svůj sen doopravdy nenašli. Museli ho najít, bylo to jasné jako facka.
A jak jsem u prvního psala, že se postavy nevyvíjí, má to pokračování, i když ne zrovna slavné. Nějaké větší změny se nekonají, pouze se postupně zhoršují povahové vlastnosti hlavní pětice. Mám občas pocit, že ani neuvažují jako šestnáctiletí - často mi připadali opravdu hloupí i v lehce řešitelných situacích, a nebo naopak problém rozlouskli během chvilky, jako by žádný nebyl. Nepřirozeně a strojeně. To mě docela mrzí, protože to sráží opravdovost těchto jinak docela dobře vymyšlených postav.

"Zůstaňte pohromadě," zakřičel Rob a natáhl se pro Annu a Lewise. Pevně je chytil a všichni čtyři se přitiskli k sobě. Bylo to jako snažit se stát uprostřed sněhové bouře.

Knížku bych.. já nevím, jestli nedoporučovala, třetí díl mám stále rozečtený a zatím mě nejvíc zaujal první díl. Kdybych tušila, že to nebude jen lehký rozjezd a že se to ve druhém díle nezlepší, asi bych ani po dalších osudech Kaitlyn a jejího milostného trojúhelníku a po boji s šíleným Zetesem nepátrala. Kdo ví. Takže určitě, pokud máte přečtený první díl, zkuste i tento. Uděláte si obrázek o vývoji postav k lepšímu/horšímu, o stylu psaní autorky, o zamotanosti nepevně zavázaných uzlíků příběhu a o spoustě dalších věcí. Ale abych nepropagovala jen zápory - knížka v sobě skrývá jednu novinku (pro mě novinku, nikdy jsem o ničem takovém nečetla), která by všechny milovníky nadpřirozena a paranormálních schopností spojených s nebezpečím a lidskými životy mohla nadchnout. :)

KNIHY V MÝCH MYŠLENKÁCH:
1. Proč jsem si vybral/a právě tuto knihu.
Je druhým dílem série, která mne ve svých počátcích zaujala.
2. Definujte knihu až dvěma slovy (přídavným nebo podstatným).
Paranormální boj.
3. Definujte knihu jedním slovem (slovesem nebo citoslovcem).
Rozhodovat (se).
4. S jakou postavou bych se ztotožnil/a, případně kým bych chtěl/a nebo naopak nechtěla být.
Vlastně mě lidi v tomto díle moc nezaujali. Jediný, kdo se o moc nezměnil ve své původní vyhovující povaze byla Anna, která sice ztratila svůj klid a vyrovnanost, ale pořád jsem ji chápala a nepřipadala mi jako takový mimoň, na rozdíl třeba od Kaitlyn, která mě docela štvala. A nechtěla bych být Lydií, protože její osud mě vážně mrzel - zrovna taková holka by si to nezasloužila. (Prozrazovat, kdo to je, nebudu, spoilery nevedeme.)
5. Pokuste se v každém příběhu něco vyšvihnout, ať už je třeba i opravdu velmi špatný, najděte v něm alespoň jedno positivum.
Když to takhle zpětně hodnotím, pozitivní je, že hlavní hrdinové (a Kaitlyn obzvlášť) nemuseli v tomto díle dělat velká a důležitá rozhodnutí, která by změnila jejich životy. Protože se bojím, že by se nejen nemělo o čem psát ve třetím díle, ale pak by taky mohla knížka ztratit nějaký ten plusový bodík - některých závěrů se docela děsím, po tom, co už jsem se od postav naučila očekávat.
A druhým pozitivem, v jistém smyslu se to tak dá opravdu brát, opět je to knížka čistě oddechová, žádné přemýšlení, jen ležet a automaticky číst a snažit se pochopit zvláštně vytvořené hlavní hrdiny. :) Čas od času tyhle knížky neškodí, ale myslím, že jakmile tuto sérii dočtu, sáhnu po něčem opačného rázu. :)
6. A naopak najděte jedno negativum, ale pouze jedno, cílem je uvědomit si, co Vám na knize vadilo nejvíce, nemusí to být jen chyba v knize (spisovatelce), ale třeba i v chování postav.
Vlastně jsem jich uvedla víc než dost. Zmiňovat se o autorčině stylu psaní by nebylo sice na škodu, ale zároveň nemohu ho nemohu přesně zařadit. Protože ačkoli používá barevná slova v popisech, stále těm větám, odstavcům, stránkám, chybí nějaký nádech osobnosti. To i Rowlingová vykládá poutavěji.

* v článku jsou použity úryvky z knihy

[Kaliska Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Possessed is the sequel to the Dark Visions series. It focuses on the group's journey as they decide to leave the Zetes Institute. They dream of a place by the sea with a white house, and believe it's a vision of a place that will help them get rid of their telepathic web as well as fight against M. Zetes. They manage to get a van from Tony Diaz, Marisol's brother, who is suspicious that M. Zetes is the reason why his sister is in a coma. The group begin to travel north with clues from their dream. Meanwhile, Gabriel has discovered that the crystal made him more powerful, but also turned him into a 'psychic vampire' so he needs to drain people's life energies to survive. Kaitlyn finds out and decides to help him by giving him energy, both promising not to tell the rest of the group. When they finally arrive to the white house, they see that it is not what it seems because the people there are pacifists. A betrayal happens, and the threat from M. Zetes has never seemed more real.

There was a lot more action in this book, and a sense of urgency as they headed towards the white house. Furthermore, we learn that Gabriel is falling in love with Kaitlyn who is already with Rob. I personally prefer Gabriel more than Rob because he's imperfect which makes him more vulnerable. His anger is just a mask he wears and deep down, he's a good person with a good heart. He has been through a lot in his life, and I can't really blame him for being bitter about it. I have nothing against Rob, but he seems too perfect. It might be because he always has control over himself and he's basically the leader of the group. Also, I just don't see the same care Kaitlyn has for Gabriel. Rob and Kait are together but nothing ever seems to happen between them.

The things I didn't enjoy in the book:
1. Kaitlyn is basically cheating on Rob, her soulmate
• When she helps Gabriel with his need for energy, they see in each other's minds and she acts a lot more concerned for him than she does for Rob. Love triangle as usual in YA books ... Kaitlyn can't seem to choose who she loves, Rob or Gabriel.

2. Psychics from the pilot study going insane
• They say that the psychics from the pilot study became insane and are now being weaponized for M. Zetes to find them. However, they were corrupted by the evil crystal ... which means that the crystal is the cause of their insanity. The author just writes them off as 'crazy and evil' when it's actually the crystal that made them go insane.

3. The people from the white house
• They were very disappointing to say the least. Once the group got there, they said they couldn't help them break the telepathic web or fight against M. Zetes which are exactly the reasons Kait and co. went searching for the white house. After the psychic attack, the people from the white house did a 180 from 'we can't help you' to 'here's a shard of the last perfect crystal, use it to destroy M. Zetes' evil crystal'. Then, they say that they are not going to help them defeat M. Zetes, instead look for some other safe haven to live in.

This book was more of a filler between those novels that have The Beginning and The Final Battle type of thing going on. The majority of the book was just them being on the road and trying to figure out where the white house from their dream is.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers!

The kids are now driving away from the evil Zetes who ran the institution that wanted to create psychic-assassins-weapons-or-something-like-that. Also, they're still linked together telepathically. Kaitlyn is still in sickly sweet syrupy love with Rob. Anna and Lewis are still completely forgettable. (I had to go back and look at the book to remember their names for this review. Sad.)

The story here is with Gabriel.

His battle with the big-creepy crystal at the end of book one left him depleted of his own chi (life force), and he's now a "psychic vampire." (Someone who needs to drain other people's chi to live.) Kaitlyn tries to help Gabriel by willingly giving him her chi (so Gabriel can stop snacking on people and leaving them for dead.)

Gabriel is your cliche dark and brooding bad boy. He develops feelings for Kaitlyn that he never expresses, or acts upon, or gives any indication that he's anything other than a pissy little boy.

There's a road trip to find a beach and a white house that Kaitlyn saw in a dream. However, it's all the way in Canada. They get some help along the way and they also get "psychically attacked" by grey people.

Eventually, they make it to the white house, and we finally come back to that weird guy in a red robe that was in book 1. He's a good guy who only acted like a psychopath because he wanted to warn Kaitlyn about the dangers of Zetes Institute.

On a side note: The author did some research into psychics, remote viewing, crystals, and the legend of Atlantis. I appreciated the effort.

Apparently, some of the people of Atlantis escaped to this alcove in Canada to live in seclusion from the rest of the world, yet, they knew about Zete's Institue enough to warn the kids and to offer them "sanctuary," but still, they were shocked to see just how "evil" Zetes actually is. Who knew such evil still thrived in the world! The Atlantean-descendants (ok, ok, the author does not come out and SAY that they are from Atlantis, but that's what she implied). Anyway, the Atlantean-descendants are shocked Zetes turned innocent children who come from the blood-line of Atlantis (that's why they are all psychic) into evil, twisted grey-beings made to do his bidding. None of this makes any damn sense of course, but whatever, it's written in 1995, just go with it.

As for Gabriel? At the end, he says, "if I can't have Kaitlyn and be on the "white-hat" team, then I'm going full-on dark!" Think, Anakin Skywalker on his path to becoming Darth Vader. Book three will probably have Kaitlyn doing her Padmé impression to try to bring Gabriel back over to the, um, "white-hat" side of things.

So yeah. It's bad. It's silly. But, I was entertained. Might as well read book three.

[Drusie's Biblio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eccomi al secondo appuntamento con questa trilogia e credo che arriverò prestissimo al terzo.

Ho trovato questo secondo volume della saga decisamente superiore al primo, soprattutto a livello di emozioni.

La storia di per sé invece non mi a colpito più di tanto. Il primo volume si conclude in un momento piuttosto decisivo, con i ragazzi che pensano alla fuga e da lì riparte la storia, fornendo così un inizio piuttosto rocambolesco alla seconda parte.

La trama si suddivide in due momenti, quello del viaggio e quello dell'arrivo alla casa vista in sogno, con la prima che occupa buona parte del libro.

Devo dire che, a livello di storia, non ci sono elementi particolarmente innovativi o originali e, come nel primo volume, ho riscontrato alcune 'forzature' affinché tutto scorresse liscio. In particolare permane l'assenteismo degli adulti e, quando ci sono, continuano ad essere un po' troppo blandi, permissivi e creduloni.

Anche il fatto che tutti siano disposti ad accettare la storia dei ragazzi così su due piedi mi ha lasciato un po' perplessa. Non che un genitore non debba credere ai figli, ma gli estranei? Inoltre, nonostante i pericoli e le disavventure non manchino, fila sempre tutto un po' troppo liscio.

Per finire con gli 'appunti' stonati, i ragazzi si ricordano un po' troppo tardi dei loro poteri, eccettuato la protagonista e due dei ragazzi.

Sì, lo ammetto, sono tremenda nel fare le pulci! Comunque questo sono, appunto, pulci, perchè nel complesso il libro è bello e si lascia leggere.

Il lavoro positivo lo fanno quasi tutto le emozioni e i sentimenti.

I momenti più intensi dei ragazzi, quando vengono fuori le loro riflessioni più intime, ciò che sentono e provano, lasciano assolutamente con il fiato sospeso e il cuore che batte.

Mi hanno emozionata tantissimo, al limite della lacrimuccia (e io son sensibile come un rospo congelato) e li ho trovati scritti davvero in maniera ineccepibile. Forse troppo.

Confesso che mi sono ritrovata a pensare che il libro fosse scritto a quattro mani, tanta era la differenza tra le parti di trama pura e quelle riflessive.

I momenti più belli sono indubbiamente quelli tra Gabriel e Kaitlyn, nonostante la 'coppia' sia un'altra e proprio questa discrepanza, tra amore e amicizia, porta all'inevitabile finale.

Inevitabile per come lo ha messo l'autrice, ma anche qui, io avrei registrato una leggera forzatura, o forse un modo un po' troppo semplicistico di portare avanti la storia. Per contro ammetto che non me lo sarei aspettata, almeno non fin quasi alla fine, e questo l'ho apprezzato.

Mi è spiaciuto invece, veder tralasciati alcuni personaggi. Nonostante i ragazzi siano cinque, l'autrice si concentra quasi esclusivamente su due di loro. Questo posso in parte capirlo, ma non del tutto, se c'è stata la scelta dei comprimari, allora trovo giusto seguirli al meno un po', cercare di sondare anche le loro opinioni e di farli intervenire in maniera un po' più consistente nella storia. Cosa che non è stata fatta. L'impressione che ne ho avuta è che vengano mossi e spolverati quel minimo indispensabile per non renderli proprio inutili. Tra l'altro l'autrice crea un singolare triangolo, ma tralascia costantemente uno dei ragazzi, che sarebbe poi quello amato dalla protagonista. Forse nel suo intento c'era il voler schierare i lettori dall'altra parte, in realtà si fa fatica a schierarsi se uno dei due 'manca'.

I momenti tra Kait e Gabriel sono bellissimi e profondi, mentre quelli tra Kait e Rob non ci sono. Non è che non sono profondi, sono proprio assenti. A me è spiaciuto perché in questo modo i sentimenti della ragazza per il secondo giovane diventano un po' meno chiari e giustificati. Tra l'altro quando pensa a lui è terribilmente monotona e noiosa.

Spero in un suo 'arrivo sulle scene' nel terzo ed ultimo libro.

Personaggi: Kaitlyn è la protagonista indiscussa, anche se l'azione non rimane quasi esclusivamente su di lei. Risalta nettamente rispetto agli altri, soprattutto ad Anna, mostrandosi come più forte, sia come carattere che come poteri. E' quasi sempre lei a riflettere, a ragionare, arrivare a conclusioni e a fare proposte. Forse un po' troppo super eroina, tanto da non risultare sempre adorabile e simpatica. In generale però, è un buon personaggio, con i pregi e i difetti che possono avere tutte le sedicenni, compreso quello di essere troppo gentile e finire per venir freintesa. Nonostante io l'abbia definita super eroina si lascia apprezzare eseguire con trepidazione. Gabriel già nel primo libro emerge molto e in questo secondo si conferma come coprotagonista. Irascibile, prepotente e strafottente come nel primo libro, mostra inizialmente una leggera apertura verso gli altri, ma il dolore e la sofferenza lo spingono di nuovo dietro le sue mura. Indubbiamente è quello che mi è piaciuto di più, sia per la caratterizzazione che per la sua complessità. E' un personaggio classico di questi romanzi, ma ben studiato e ben realizzato. Molto coerente con se stesso e con il 'ruolo' che si è scelto. Rob ... dovrebbe essere quello dolce, carino e amato da tutti, ma rimane superficiale e anche un po' antipatico. I suoi pensieri e sentimenti non ci vengono mai mostrati e anche se potrebbe essere un bel personaggio, la marginalità in cui lo relega l'autrice gli fa perdere molti punti. Peccato. Spero di poterlo 'conoscere' di più nella terza parte.

Discorso simile per Lewis e Anna di cui spesso si tende a dimenticare l'esistenza. Avrei voluto un ruolo un po' più importante per loro, soprattutto per Anna in quanto unica altra ragazza e con un carattere splendido, sarebbe stata una migliore amica ideale, ma non viene approfondita abbastanza perché la protagonista, e i lettori, possano fidarsi di lei.

I ragazzi sono soli per quasi tutto il viaggio e gli abitanti della casa compaiono troppo a fine romanzo perché possano offrire più che poche, vaghe, impressioni.

La narrazione è in terza persona, ma segue principalmente la protagonista. Sono presenti anche momenti dedicati a Gabriel in cui i suoi pensieri e sentimenti vengono mostrati in maniera dettagliata. La scrittura è semplice e immediata, anche se si notano differenze tra le scene di pura trama e quelle più sentimentali. Registro medio anche se il racconto dell'antico popolo richiede attenzione.

Giudizio finale complessivo: Decisamente buono nonostante io non apprezzi le trilogie inseparabili. Mi fosse stato presentato come un solo libro lo avrei di sicuro apprezzato molto di più. Purtroppo i continui riferimenti alla prima parte e l'assenza del finale non permettono di leggerlo da solo. E' comunque gradevole e scorrevole. Come dicevo non mancano momenti coinvolgenti ed emozionanti e la cosa si fa apprezzare molto. Mi auguro che anche la terza parte si mantenga su questi toni.

Voto: 7/10

[Victoria Pring · Rating 4 out of 5]

||I feel so sorry for Gabriel, yes he makes some bad decisions but he has been hurt so many times he truly believes he has no good options.|| I'm still enjoying most of the characters though Lewis is annoying me a little as they dont seem to have bothered to provide him with a personality, Anna doesnt have much more but there is a little atleast. I think Kait could try to use her powers a little more, seems like it would have been helpful. Same with Anna, she could have used her ability to talk to local birds. Most of them seem reluctant to use their abilities, other than Rob ofcourse. There is no way I could read this book without wanting to read the next ||I need to know what happens, especially with Gabriel, he can't be a bad guy, he just cant.||

[Kyla Sixkiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Possessed continues the story of Kaitlyn and her friends as they break free from the manipulative influence of Mr. Zetes. The narrative delves into their perilous journey to the White House, a place they hope will offer salvation.

However, the novel suffers from a lack of significant plot progression. The majority of the book focuses on the group's travels and their attempts to protect Gabriel, who poses a growing threat. While this approach offers opportunities for character development, it can feel somewhat repetitive.

The ending provides a satisfying cliffhanger, setting the stage for the next installment. Despite its flaws, The Possessed is a decent continuation of the series, offering fans a glimpse into the characters' ongoing struggles and the looming threat of Mr. Zetes.

[Read With Tarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the events in The Strange Power, Kaitlyn & Co run away from the Institute in the middle of the night. They decide that they will try & find the mysterious White House from their dreams as they feel it holds the answers to their questions. However, life on the road isn’t easy for them. They find it difficult to locate the mysterious White House. They are “physically attacked” by the grey people. Lewis becomes besotted with a mysterious girl. And Gabriel’s psychic vampirism is getting out of control….

I’ve got three things to say:
1) Gabriel
2) Gabriel
3) Gabriel

Oh, I love him *-*

Can’t wait to get stuck into the Passion now….

[Anna Blackmon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing really happened until the last few pages. One of the biggest problems in this series lies with the Rob and Kait romance. They barely act like a couple but we are supposed to believe they are in love? I mean, I get they were on the run this book but there seems to be nothing between them other than what you would expect from friends. That might be on purpose though. Overall, this book was short with nothing really happening. I would have loved for there to have been more danger since they are on the run from an evil cult and all but this book acts more like a filler preparing for the final installment.

[Rachel B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have rated this lower as a standalone, honestly. Not much really happens in the book.

I enjoyed seeing more of the magic in this installment, like the astral projection attacks. And we learn more about the mystery man from the airport who was introduced in Book 1.

But there's yet more insta-love here (blech), and I really hated the descriptions of the energy transfers between Kaitlyn and Gabriel. The author purposefully used sexually suggestive language, and it was so unnecessary.

There's also a bit of profanity, including God's name used flippantly.

[Klára · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knihy od L. J. Smith mi vždy prinášajú príjemný pocit nostalgie a opäť sa cítim ako žiačka základnej školy, ktorá práve začala čítať fantasy.

Má všetko, čo si môžete predstaviť: milostný trojuholník, mágia, napätie alebo silné priateľstvo (found family). Samozrejme, nie je to nič veľkolepé, ale to sa mi na tom páči, lebo si môžem vypnúť hlavu a len sa nechať unášať prúdom.

Kniha ide rýchlo a ľahko a k tomu nie je ani dlhá, tak ak sa chcete vrátiť do starých čias YA paranormal kníh, táto séria je skvelou možnosťou!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Stars*

I actually read this book in the three in one book, Dark Visions, though I marking it read here so it adds to my Goodreads Reading Challenge!

Review
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The beginning was pretty slow moving though it sped up after a few chapters in! This book was super suspenseful and kept you reading so you knew what happens next! Definitely will be picking up another one of L.J. Smith's books up!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Possessed isn't as gripping as its predecessor. It straddles between a standalone plot and flypaper for fans of vampire lore. In between filler material of the gang driving up the west coast, Smith shines when she writes about Gabriel's inner demons and the sacrificial aspects of love. Her prose is elevated. It flits between romance, desire, danger. Of course, maybe The Possessed is Smith's first love-note to vampire fiction.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

much better than the first one! there was actually a sense of urgency in this book that i didnt feel in book 1 at all. it does annoy me that smith always makes guy Main Girl DOESN'T go for much more developed, though. idk anything about Rob other than he's apparently in love with Kait after like maybe two weeks of knowing her aND BARELY INTERACTING WITH HER AT ALL. its fricking annoying when gabriel and kait actually know each other.