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Possessions #1
Possessions
The It Girl meets The Exorcist in this chilling, haunted boarding school tale New-girl Lindsay discovers all is not right at the prestigious Marlwood Academy for Girls. Ethereal, popular Mandy and her clique are plotting something dangerous. Lindsay overhears them performing strange rituals, and sees their eyes turn black. It doesn?t help that the school itself is totally eerie, with ancient, dilapidated buildings tucked into the Northern California woods, a thick white fog swirling through campus. There are hidden passageways, odd reflections in the windows at night, and scariest of all is the vast lake rumored to have captured the ghost of a girl who drowned many years ago.
What Lindsay doesn?t yet realize is that Mandy and her cohorts are becoming possessed by spirits who have haunted the school for two hundred years. Spirits who want someone dead...
And that someone is Lindsay.
What Lindsay doesn?t yet realize is that Mandy and her cohorts are becoming possessed by spirits who have haunted the school for two hundred years. Spirits who want someone dead...
And that someone is Lindsay.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2009
36 people are currently reading
6172 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Holder
352 books2,407 followersNancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
April 21, 2012
1.5
The Plot:
I really wanted to like this book. I have read her Wicked series and didn't like it. But after I purchased this without realizing who the author was I decided to go in with an open mind and hope it was as good as it's AMAZING cover. However it wasn't. It was not original or very interesting. Lindsay goes to a boarding school after a breakdown (that is never fully explained or explored) to start over new. As it turns out her new school is haunted and used to be an asylum for girls in the late 1800s. One super vengeful ghost possesses the most popular girl in school, Mandy. On top of being possessed Mandy has to also find other girls that can be possessed so the other ghosts can have bodies and get their revenge on who killed them, all this in exchange for helping Mandy's brother. Help him do what exactly? I have no idea, it has something to do with getting his crazy ass out of "rehab." (Plus he and Mandy are apparently having an incestuous relationship.This doesn't bother me. I am a fan of Supernatural after all.) However none of this comes to light until the last little bit. The bulk of the book is spent on parties with Mandy, pranks, wondering why the hell Mandy is so weird, and having feelings for Mandy's mega hot boyfriend, Troy.
The story trudges on with Lindsay being confused and ignoring a ghost face that she sees everywhere, a voice inside of her telling her what to do, and the weird shit that keeps happening. I am sorry but if a ghost face kept popping up everywhere and I saw unlikely companions of Mandy's acting strange with black eyes and speaking in different accents, I would book it the hell out of there. But not Lindsay. No she has to stay to help Julie, her roommate, for some ungodly reason. Excuse me but you do not know her, and she keeps acting like a bitch. You do not have to save her stupid ass because you've known her a month and she's your "best friend." Then we find out that, surprise surprise, Lindsay is being possessed by the ghost the bitch ghosts want revenge on. So what does Lindsay's stupid ass do? Follows the bitch ghosts into the woods. You are a dumb ass and deserve to be lit on fire by those bitch ghosts, which is how Lindsay's ghost apparently killed the bitch ghosts. And all of this could have been avoided if she had a sassy gay friend.
Anyway it ends on a cliff hanger so you'll want to pick up the next book and see what happens. Only problem is I have no inclination of picking up the next book. Lindsay is aggravating, this plot is thin, the pacing is slow, and I don't want to read another horror book about whiny bitch ghosts.
Positive:
Parts of it were a bit creepy. I was reading about the face in the reflection and looked up and thought I saw a ghost face in my tv. Turns out that it was just my sock. And Rose was hilarious. There was no insta-love. Insta-lust? Yes. But not "I've just seen you now I want to marry you and have your babies."
Overall:
The Plot:
I really wanted to like this book. I have read her Wicked series and didn't like it. But after I purchased this without realizing who the author was I decided to go in with an open mind and hope it was as good as it's AMAZING cover. However it wasn't. It was not original or very interesting. Lindsay goes to a boarding school after a breakdown (that is never fully explained or explored) to start over new. As it turns out her new school is haunted and used to be an asylum for girls in the late 1800s. One super vengeful ghost possesses the most popular girl in school, Mandy. On top of being possessed Mandy has to also find other girls that can be possessed so the other ghosts can have bodies and get their revenge on who killed them, all this in exchange for helping Mandy's brother. Help him do what exactly? I have no idea, it has something to do with getting his crazy ass out of "rehab." (Plus he and Mandy are apparently having an incestuous relationship.This doesn't bother me. I am a fan of Supernatural after all.) However none of this comes to light until the last little bit. The bulk of the book is spent on parties with Mandy, pranks, wondering why the hell Mandy is so weird, and having feelings for Mandy's mega hot boyfriend, Troy.
The story trudges on with Lindsay being confused and ignoring a ghost face that she sees everywhere, a voice inside of her telling her what to do, and the weird shit that keeps happening. I am sorry but if a ghost face kept popping up everywhere and I saw unlikely companions of Mandy's acting strange with black eyes and speaking in different accents, I would book it the hell out of there. But not Lindsay. No she has to stay to help Julie, her roommate, for some ungodly reason. Excuse me but you do not know her, and she keeps acting like a bitch. You do not have to save her stupid ass because you've known her a month and she's your "best friend." Then we find out that, surprise surprise, Lindsay is being possessed by the ghost the bitch ghosts want revenge on. So what does Lindsay's stupid ass do? Follows the bitch ghosts into the woods. You are a dumb ass and deserve to be lit on fire by those bitch ghosts, which is how Lindsay's ghost apparently killed the bitch ghosts. And all of this could have been avoided if she had a sassy gay friend.
Anyway it ends on a cliff hanger so you'll want to pick up the next book and see what happens. Only problem is I have no inclination of picking up the next book. Lindsay is aggravating, this plot is thin, the pacing is slow, and I don't want to read another horror book about whiny bitch ghosts.
Positive:
Parts of it were a bit creepy. I was reading about the face in the reflection and looked up and thought I saw a ghost face in my tv. Turns out that it was just my sock. And Rose was hilarious. There was no insta-love. Insta-lust? Yes. But not "I've just seen you now I want to marry you and have your babies."
Overall:
November 3, 2011
Seriously one of the worst YA books I have ever read. The main character was so annoying that by the end I just wanted her to be killed off and let someone else take the role of lead character. Sick of female authors writing about young women and making them so pathetic. Omg look a cute boy that thinks im cute but he has a gf but idc about my self respect im going to follow him around like a lost puppy dog and hope he picks me in the end. i dont even care if it makes me look pathetic im 15 and i know this is my one true love. Why not write about a character who is a strong independent woman who knows if a guy has a gf and is trying to also be with you, not to get involved because you are better then that shitfest. OR the female lead having strength and powers that have nothing at all to do with the hot local boy that happens to bring the powers out of her. Come on authors! Give me some female characters who kick major ass and dont need a stupid boy to make them feel better about themselves.
October 12, 2009
Possessions is the first book I've read by Nancy Holder, but I can definitely say it won't be the last.
Prior to reading this book, I'd read a review that said Possessions would be the result if Stephen King were asked to write Gossip Girls. I'd have to say that that statement's fairly accurate. Possessions has all of the drama associated with your typical high school "in-crowd," and, combined with a thrilling supernatural twist, it makes for a read that will have you turning pages and possibly huddling under the covers at night.
Hmm...problems I had with this book...Thankfully, there weren't any that jumped out at me and hit me over the head with a sledgehammer (believe me, it's happened), but, being the nitpicky reader I am, I have to, well, nitpick just a little. In all honesty, the first half of the book didn't completely grab my attention. It was by no means at all poorly written (I actually liked the writing style quite a bit), but it read very much like a first-in-a-series book, with a lot of character and setting background, which is sometimes necessary, but it doesn't always make for the most interesting reading experience.
With that being said, the last 100 pages of Possessions were bordering on phenomenal. I enjoyed them so much that I would recommend reading the book even if the rest of it was comprised of my mother's grocery list (which it's not, I promise). I stayed up until 4 AM my time to finish the book, and am writing this review at 5 because I couldn't stop thinking about how it ended.
Overall, Possessions makes for an entertaining, suspenseful read and definitely has me looking out for its sequel, The Evil Within, which will be published in June of 2010.
Prior to reading this book, I'd read a review that said Possessions would be the result if Stephen King were asked to write Gossip Girls. I'd have to say that that statement's fairly accurate. Possessions has all of the drama associated with your typical high school "in-crowd," and, combined with a thrilling supernatural twist, it makes for a read that will have you turning pages and possibly huddling under the covers at night.
Hmm...problems I had with this book...Thankfully, there weren't any that jumped out at me and hit me over the head with a sledgehammer (believe me, it's happened), but, being the nitpicky reader I am, I have to, well, nitpick just a little. In all honesty, the first half of the book didn't completely grab my attention. It was by no means at all poorly written (I actually liked the writing style quite a bit), but it read very much like a first-in-a-series book, with a lot of character and setting background, which is sometimes necessary, but it doesn't always make for the most interesting reading experience.
With that being said, the last 100 pages of Possessions were bordering on phenomenal. I enjoyed them so much that I would recommend reading the book even if the rest of it was comprised of my mother's grocery list (which it's not, I promise). I stayed up until 4 AM my time to finish the book, and am writing this review at 5 because I couldn't stop thinking about how it ended.
Overall, Possessions makes for an entertaining, suspenseful read and definitely has me looking out for its sequel, The Evil Within, which will be published in June of 2010.
April 19, 2016
В книгата имаше от всичко по малко-кучки,духове,зловеща атмосфера,приятелство,романтика и напрежение.Първият път като я четох не можа да ми допадне и я оставих,но реших да и дам втори шанс и не съжалявам за решението си.Хареса ми много,но за жалост няма да видим втората и третата книга на български,а много ми се иска да видя как ще се развие историята и какъв ще е краят и.
July 25, 2011
Loved Mean Girls? Enjoy Gossip Girl? Dig on R.L. Stine? Because Possessions is what I imagine would happen if Mean Girls and Gossip Girl had a baby, then gave it to R.L. Stine for its formative years.
As potentially awesome as that may sound, it's not. The entire book is derivative, predictable, and ultimately, unsatisfying.
Those familiar with the narrative style of the likes of Courtney Summers will immediately see the extreme similarity in Holder's work, to the point where I thought I'd accidentally reopened Summers' Cracked Up To Be. Thankfully, I hadn't, since that book's plot fell flat at the end with its implausibility. Unfortunately, Holder's plot fails as well, but for different reasons.
Meet Lindsay Cavanagh. Apparently, her barely-teen self was oh-so-traumatized by being popular and having her Queen Bee BFF Jane bone her boyfriend (this after the death of her mother a few years back which actually is a trauma, so okay) that she fell into a "nervous breakdown" - the details of which we never learn the extent of. Apparently, she had such a breakdown that she felt the need to write an essay and run away to a new boarding school, where everyone except Linz and another scholarship girl are filthy rich. How filthy rich? Well, the Queen Bee of the school can ask for and get $50K to do a haunted house for Halloween.
Already rolling your eyes? It gets worse.
In a blatant rip-off of Mean Girls, Linz becomes smitten with Queen Mandy's boyfriend, older hunky dude Troy. At this point, I'm certain Lindsay was named after Lohan. Babble babble OMG muscles cute!!!!111 begins, and I want to wring Lindsay's neck. Her lack of qualms about wanting to steal Troy away makes me completely unsympathetic to her 'drama' over Jane sleeping with Riley, and I'm thinking Holder would have been better off leaving the breakdown as a result of mom's death alone, because Lindsay's endless "they slept together on the blankie I made my mommy" whining gets tired and insincere.
But then, Stine slips in. Oh my God, are the girls possessed? Was the school previously an asylum, a reformatory, a family retreat or all of the above? Why does Lindsay spend half a freaking book endlessly seeing a ghost face and ignoring it away? Wait, I can answer that: to allow Holder to stretch out her thin plot to an acceptable length and have plenty of romantic angst over dreamy Troy.
The paranormal plot elements are done okay, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before in other stories, stories with better execution and characters worth caring for. The worst part is, nothing is entirely explained, because.... this is a to be continued. Ugh. So Holder wants us to care about a whiny brat who's jealous of rich girls, a ghost story I saw coming from chapter three that's never fleshed out properly, and a sea of vapid rich girls?
No thanks.
Look: if you want the generic, junk food equivalent of a skilled thriller in the YA field, read Possessions. It's a fast read, with short chapters. But don't look for genius here. The average reviewers are apparently not familiar with the masters, or are more easily impressed. If you want quality thriller action, with characters you'd give a damn about, try Cheerleaders: The First Evil and its sequels, or Fog - the first in the Fog/Snow/Fire trilogy by Caroline B Cooney, who pulls off something masterful and the best part is, no waiting for the sequels. By the time you finish Fire, you will be in awe - the complete opposite of how I felt about Possessions.
As potentially awesome as that may sound, it's not. The entire book is derivative, predictable, and ultimately, unsatisfying.
Those familiar with the narrative style of the likes of Courtney Summers will immediately see the extreme similarity in Holder's work, to the point where I thought I'd accidentally reopened Summers' Cracked Up To Be. Thankfully, I hadn't, since that book's plot fell flat at the end with its implausibility. Unfortunately, Holder's plot fails as well, but for different reasons.
Meet Lindsay Cavanagh. Apparently, her barely-teen self was oh-so-traumatized by being popular and having her Queen Bee BFF Jane bone her boyfriend (this after the death of her mother a few years back which actually is a trauma, so okay) that she fell into a "nervous breakdown" - the details of which we never learn the extent of. Apparently, she had such a breakdown that she felt the need to write an essay and run away to a new boarding school, where everyone except Linz and another scholarship girl are filthy rich. How filthy rich? Well, the Queen Bee of the school can ask for and get $50K to do a haunted house for Halloween.
Already rolling your eyes? It gets worse.
In a blatant rip-off of Mean Girls, Linz becomes smitten with Queen Mandy's boyfriend, older hunky dude Troy. At this point, I'm certain Lindsay was named after Lohan. Babble babble OMG muscles cute!!!!111 begins, and I want to wring Lindsay's neck. Her lack of qualms about wanting to steal Troy away makes me completely unsympathetic to her 'drama' over Jane sleeping with Riley, and I'm thinking Holder would have been better off leaving the breakdown as a result of mom's death alone, because Lindsay's endless "they slept together on the blankie I made my mommy" whining gets tired and insincere.
But then, Stine slips in. Oh my God, are the girls possessed? Was the school previously an asylum, a reformatory, a family retreat or all of the above? Why does Lindsay spend half a freaking book endlessly seeing a ghost face and ignoring it away? Wait, I can answer that: to allow Holder to stretch out her thin plot to an acceptable length and have plenty of romantic angst over dreamy Troy.
The paranormal plot elements are done okay, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before in other stories, stories with better execution and characters worth caring for. The worst part is, nothing is entirely explained, because.... this is a to be continued. Ugh. So Holder wants us to care about a whiny brat who's jealous of rich girls, a ghost story I saw coming from chapter three that's never fleshed out properly, and a sea of vapid rich girls?
No thanks.
Look: if you want the generic, junk food equivalent of a skilled thriller in the YA field, read Possessions. It's a fast read, with short chapters. But don't look for genius here. The average reviewers are apparently not familiar with the masters, or are more easily impressed. If you want quality thriller action, with characters you'd give a damn about, try Cheerleaders: The First Evil and its sequels, or Fog - the first in the Fog/Snow/Fire trilogy by Caroline B Cooney, who pulls off something masterful and the best part is, no waiting for the sequels. By the time you finish Fire, you will be in awe - the complete opposite of how I felt about Possessions.
July 1, 2013
Possessions introduces us to the story of Lindsay, a girl who is starting over in a new school after an emotional breakdown she had in her old life. But Marlwood Academy is not your typical school, yes, you have the popular girls and the girls that are dying to be popular but Marlwood is also haunted by the ghosts of girls from the time it was an asylum. Lindsay will soon discover that the deadly games that the popular clique in Marlwood plays are connected to the dead girls from the past.
I thought this book was going to be great, it had everything I love. A boarding school, ghosts, creepy past and the occasional girl drama. BUT, it wasn't that good at all. Lindsay was a terrible main character, she had a breakdown in her old life because the popular girl she was trying so hard to please hooked up with her boyfriend. I mean ok it sucks, but hell girl, your mother died and you were fine but you had a breakdown over that? Really? Then she was going on and on about how she wasn't going to be the same that she wasn't going to fall under Mandy's, the queen bee in her new school, spell, but she was simple weak and terrified wherever Mandy was involved. She kept saying how her hair were wild and untamed or something like that, like she wanted to convise us that she was wild and untamed. Dream on Lindsay, it's not happening.
Then there are all the other characters, Julie, the best friend. God, I don't even know how she got that title. She sucked as a friend. She was following Mandy everywhere desperate for attention. She ignored Lindsay, didn't believe her, was constantly in Mandy's side. So I don't really see why Lindsay would consider her a BFF. Anyways, then there was Troy-the love interest-he was okay, simply okay, we didn't get to learn much about him, just that he was hot and unavailable. Seriously these two are the only pieces of info we have on him. Then comes Mandy, the mean girl, who wasn't really that mean. If you want the title of the queen bee you got to earn it, she wasn't that much of a villain, I was expecting her to be vicious but she wasn't and that was a bit underwhelming. The only character I found interesting and likable was Rose, the other scholarship girl. She was curious and smart and a thrill seeker but she only showed up in one chapter were we got to know her and then she went to join the dark side, with no reason or explanation whatsoever on how that happened.
The plot wasn't that original either. A bunch of mean girls getting possessed by vengeful spirits of dead girls. I must have seen a thousand movies with that theme. There wasn't that much of a background story about the dead girls which didn't give them any essence or purpose. Also the writing style was a bit weird for me. It had small sentences and not much of a flow between paragraphs. Lindsay would be talking about one thing and then all of a sudden she went on and on about something completely irrelevant. It was a bit confusing to keep up with.
The only reason this book got two stars instead of one, is because it had a few creepy moments and I love eveything creepy and scary, but Goosebumps were more scary than this one.
I thought this book was going to be great, it had everything I love. A boarding school, ghosts, creepy past and the occasional girl drama. BUT, it wasn't that good at all. Lindsay was a terrible main character, she had a breakdown in her old life because the popular girl she was trying so hard to please hooked up with her boyfriend. I mean ok it sucks, but hell girl, your mother died and you were fine but you had a breakdown over that? Really? Then she was going on and on about how she wasn't going to be the same that she wasn't going to fall under Mandy's, the queen bee in her new school, spell, but she was simple weak and terrified wherever Mandy was involved. She kept saying how her hair were wild and untamed or something like that, like she wanted to convise us that she was wild and untamed. Dream on Lindsay, it's not happening.
Then there are all the other characters, Julie, the best friend. God, I don't even know how she got that title. She sucked as a friend. She was following Mandy everywhere desperate for attention. She ignored Lindsay, didn't believe her, was constantly in Mandy's side. So I don't really see why Lindsay would consider her a BFF. Anyways, then there was Troy-the love interest-he was okay, simply okay, we didn't get to learn much about him, just that he was hot and unavailable. Seriously these two are the only pieces of info we have on him. Then comes Mandy, the mean girl, who wasn't really that mean. If you want the title of the queen bee you got to earn it, she wasn't that much of a villain, I was expecting her to be vicious but she wasn't and that was a bit underwhelming. The only character I found interesting and likable was Rose, the other scholarship girl. She was curious and smart and a thrill seeker but she only showed up in one chapter were we got to know her and then she went to join the dark side, with no reason or explanation whatsoever on how that happened.
The plot wasn't that original either. A bunch of mean girls getting possessed by vengeful spirits of dead girls. I must have seen a thousand movies with that theme. There wasn't that much of a background story about the dead girls which didn't give them any essence or purpose. Also the writing style was a bit weird for me. It had small sentences and not much of a flow between paragraphs. Lindsay would be talking about one thing and then all of a sudden she went on and on about something completely irrelevant. It was a bit confusing to keep up with.
The only reason this book got two stars instead of one, is because it had a few creepy moments and I love eveything creepy and scary, but Goosebumps were more scary than this one.
January 2, 2018
So..where do I start.. First of all, my general opinion on this book is that it's quite interesting to read. They way story goes reminds me of some movie, but not in a bad way. I like how the plot evolves and how actions have real consequences, which gives you information that whatever characters decide to do next, WILL have an outcome, good or a really bad one. I'm really triggered that it ends on a cliffhanger and I am dying to know what happens next, so for now I can't really judge the entire series because I don't know the ending, but I'm really looking forward to find out! :)
June 10, 2024
Wow I can't believe this book was in my to-read list all along when I have been searching for the second the whole time
EDIT (as of 2024):
I have finally read this book after it sat at the top of my to-read list for 10 years. Was this a good idea? Perhaps not since my tastes and my standards for books has changed. Also, I’m obviously no longer the target audience. However, I still read it for my younger self.
Over 10 years ago, I read the second book in this series (without knowing it was a trilogy) and I found it really scary but then I couldn’t remember its name. I wanted to read the first book but I couldn’t find it because I didn’t remember what the second was called and so I forgot about it. I made this goodreads account in 2014 and then I added this here book to my to-read list, not knowing it was actually the first book in the series! And then when I finally found out the title of the first book I was shocked to see that Possessions had been in my to-read list all along!
Ok enough yapping. Onto my thoughts on this book: I didn’t like it :////
I found the main character really immature and judgmental and boring and weak and shallow and helpless. I didn’t like her comments on Kiyoko’s looks for instance – she was super judgmental and insulting.
I didn’t like the writing. This book was just not written well. I thought the dialogue in particular was so poor. I don’t know how else to describe how lacklustre the writing was. I hated that it was told through the POV of the main character because she was so stupid and therefore so were the descriptions of everything. I wish it was third person but I find YA rarely is.
The author kept mentioning that Lindsey had a breakdown in the past and then never told us clearly what happened. There was the big climax and then all of a sudden it cut away and there was no resolution. I guess you could say it ended on a really poorly executed cliffhanger. It didn’t exactly make me want to pick up the second book (good thing I already read it ha!)
We are supposed to care about Lindsey’s relationship with Troy, but it’s very hard to because he’s cheating on his girl with her innit. I really don’t think her romance with Troy works. I am not rooting for them! He’s a cheater!!! I don’t think this book needed romance—I wish it was just her trying to save her friend and having friendship be the shining light.
The spooks were ok. I wish the black eyes were revealed later on rather than literally the first chapter. There were also elements that make me understand why younger me found this book so scary. I think the way she described the possession was interesting, but the backstory was seriously lacking.
Overall, I’m really disappointed. I think I would have enjoyed it way more if I had read it 10 years ago though.
EDIT (as of 2024):
I have finally read this book after it sat at the top of my to-read list for 10 years. Was this a good idea? Perhaps not since my tastes and my standards for books has changed. Also, I’m obviously no longer the target audience. However, I still read it for my younger self.
Over 10 years ago, I read the second book in this series (without knowing it was a trilogy) and I found it really scary but then I couldn’t remember its name. I wanted to read the first book but I couldn’t find it because I didn’t remember what the second was called and so I forgot about it. I made this goodreads account in 2014 and then I added this here book to my to-read list, not knowing it was actually the first book in the series! And then when I finally found out the title of the first book I was shocked to see that Possessions had been in my to-read list all along!
Ok enough yapping. Onto my thoughts on this book: I didn’t like it :////
I found the main character really immature and judgmental and boring and weak and shallow and helpless. I didn’t like her comments on Kiyoko’s looks for instance – she was super judgmental and insulting.
I didn’t like the writing. This book was just not written well. I thought the dialogue in particular was so poor. I don’t know how else to describe how lacklustre the writing was. I hated that it was told through the POV of the main character because she was so stupid and therefore so were the descriptions of everything. I wish it was third person but I find YA rarely is.
The author kept mentioning that Lindsey had a breakdown in the past and then never told us clearly what happened. There was the big climax and then all of a sudden it cut away and there was no resolution. I guess you could say it ended on a really poorly executed cliffhanger. It didn’t exactly make me want to pick up the second book (good thing I already read it ha!)
We are supposed to care about Lindsey’s relationship with Troy, but it’s very hard to because he’s cheating on his girl with her innit. I really don’t think her romance with Troy works. I am not rooting for them! He’s a cheater!!! I don’t think this book needed romance—I wish it was just her trying to save her friend and having friendship be the shining light.
The spooks were ok. I wish the black eyes were revealed later on rather than literally the first chapter. There were also elements that make me understand why younger me found this book so scary. I think the way she described the possession was interesting, but the backstory was seriously lacking.
Overall, I’m really disappointed. I think I would have enjoyed it way more if I had read it 10 years ago though.
June 11, 2010
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.
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.
September 6, 2016
WOW! Really Fascinating to read this book...
The most noticeable thing about this book was it's cover. Okay let be honest to myself - that it's the amazing book cover of it that made me read it in first choice & the truth is I really liked it a lot...
I enjoyed it so much. Yeah I took much time to finish it but hey it was a good book to read in horror genre. Though I have a few collection in my reading experience when it come about in horror genre literature. But above all till now by this book I can say that yes I really love to read this kind of work in horror book...
The story plot was good enough to entertain me. I specially liked those characters - the way they working with each other. The 7 girls in that haunted house and the only good girl in a positive way more like heroine "Lindsay Cavanaugh" the only girl who alone fights against them. She tried to protect her roommate "Julie" but she won't listen her. I really felt sorry for that girl "Kiyoko" the way her life ended - it was pathetic...
Specially "Mandy" the girl or say the devil herself who was responsible for all the occurrence that happened on that school. The disturbing relationship with her own brother - I didn't like it though. Yes she played with "Troy" boyfriend of her. Later of course "Troy" found out something wrong and unnatural about her (Mandy) and thus the reason he wanted to breakup with her and met "Lindsay!"...
It was until then Lindsay found out that she can trust no one but Troy & that's how she (Lindsay) tried her best to tell everything to Troy and keep safe Julie too....
Overall fact - I really want to read that kind of book again & of course in horror genre...
Thanks to Author Nancy Holder...
October 3, 2009
Possessions by Nancy Holder was about a girl named Linsday Cavanaugh. She just moved into a boarding school called Marlwood by scholarship. There have been rumors that the school is haunted. Linsday started expieriencing some wierd things while she was at the school. She kept seeing a girls face, her eyes black and her mouth shaped like an O. Linsay is instantly freaked out. Mandy, a popular girl at Marlwood, was spotted by Lindsay doing some wierd things like, talking to herself or her eyes would sometimes be fully black and she would have a southern accent. Same with her followers, They would have black eyes and have accents as well. Julie, Linsdays roomate wants to be one of the popular girls, what she doesnt know is that they only want her to put a ghost inside her.
I want to make a text to text connection. This book reminds me of another book by Nancy Holder Pretty Little Devils. In this book, Mandy and her friends always like to prank people. This reminds me in the book Pretty Little Devils, Sylvia one of the popular girls, always pranked people when they joined her group.
I gave this book 4 stars. I loved the book, but at the end it said that she had to go back to Marlwood. Its like the book is starting all over again and everything she went through was just the beginning. Other than that, the book was good. I recommend this book for people who like the supernatural.
I want to make a text to text connection. This book reminds me of another book by Nancy Holder Pretty Little Devils. In this book, Mandy and her friends always like to prank people. This reminds me in the book Pretty Little Devils, Sylvia one of the popular girls, always pranked people when they joined her group.
I gave this book 4 stars. I loved the book, but at the end it said that she had to go back to Marlwood. Its like the book is starting all over again and everything she went through was just the beginning. Other than that, the book was good. I recommend this book for people who like the supernatural.
March 25, 2011
Won through Goodreads Firstreads.
Possessions is an atmospheric and engrossing read from beginning to end. From the very first page you are thrown into the deep end of boarding school life, and the hierarchy of teenage girls in that environment, but with some added horror and mystery.
Marlwood is a very creepy place to say the least and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise more than once!
Lindsay is a brilliant character with a detailed personality and a mysterious and haunting past, and I related to her frequently whilst reading.
I found myself thinking back to my own high school days during this book, remembering the temptations and benefits of being 'top girl' and also being the girl that resisted them, preferring to keep my quirky personality and my own thoughts, much like the main character in Possessions.
While being a story of teenage life, the dreams, the girls, the boys, the secrets and the mischief, Possessions has a much darker side lurking beneath the surface that waits to be revealed slowly, chapter by chapter.
This book is so filled with twists and turns and suspense it becomes utterly unputdownable!
I read this book in a matter of hours and I'm very eager to read the second in the series.
Possessions is an atmospheric and engrossing read from beginning to end. From the very first page you are thrown into the deep end of boarding school life, and the hierarchy of teenage girls in that environment, but with some added horror and mystery.
Marlwood is a very creepy place to say the least and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise more than once!
Lindsay is a brilliant character with a detailed personality and a mysterious and haunting past, and I related to her frequently whilst reading.
I found myself thinking back to my own high school days during this book, remembering the temptations and benefits of being 'top girl' and also being the girl that resisted them, preferring to keep my quirky personality and my own thoughts, much like the main character in Possessions.
While being a story of teenage life, the dreams, the girls, the boys, the secrets and the mischief, Possessions has a much darker side lurking beneath the surface that waits to be revealed slowly, chapter by chapter.
This book is so filled with twists and turns and suspense it becomes utterly unputdownable!
I read this book in a matter of hours and I'm very eager to read the second in the series.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com
After discovering her boyfriend being intimate with another girl, Lindsey finds herself at Marlwood Academy. Can someone say dilapidated and creepy?
At night, Lindsey keeps seeing ghostly apparitions out her window that are nothing short of unnerving. One day, she stumbles across a room filled with memories, mementos, and other items from the school's past. To make matters worse, she overhears the Queen Bee, Megan, and her cohorts performing strange rituals and knows they're plotting something dangerous.
When the school's buried past comes to light, Lindsey realizes that Megan and her cohorts are possessed by evil spirits who want someone dead. Can Lindsey stop Megan and her friends in time?
POSSESSIONS is an extremely eerie, gripping, page-turning book. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is very intense and well-done. This is one book you'll want to read with the lights on. Fans of hard-core horror like THE EXORCIST will have a hard time parting with this book.
After discovering her boyfriend being intimate with another girl, Lindsey finds herself at Marlwood Academy. Can someone say dilapidated and creepy?
At night, Lindsey keeps seeing ghostly apparitions out her window that are nothing short of unnerving. One day, she stumbles across a room filled with memories, mementos, and other items from the school's past. To make matters worse, she overhears the Queen Bee, Megan, and her cohorts performing strange rituals and knows they're plotting something dangerous.
When the school's buried past comes to light, Lindsey realizes that Megan and her cohorts are possessed by evil spirits who want someone dead. Can Lindsey stop Megan and her friends in time?
POSSESSIONS is an extremely eerie, gripping, page-turning book. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is very intense and well-done. This is one book you'll want to read with the lights on. Fans of hard-core horror like THE EXORCIST will have a hard time parting with this book.
September 2, 2018
http://www.writingis.fun/%D0%BE%D0%B1...
Честно да си призная притежавам тази книга от толкова дълго време, че чак не помня вече от колко. Съзрях я на разпродажба някъде, това го помня. Сюжета звучеше обещаващо и поне бях с очакването книгата да е една идея страшна. По-долу е мнението ми за прочита й и защо аз я намерих за меко казано странна.
Честно да си призная притежавам тази книга от толкова дълго време, че чак не помня вече от колко. Съзрях я на разпродажба някъде, това го помня. Сюжета звучеше обещаващо и поне бях с очакването книгата да е една идея страшна. По-долу е мнението ми за прочита й и защо аз я намерих за меко казано странна.
October 3, 2016
2.5 stars
Was expecting more
less insta love and mean girl drama. The possession crap all happened towards the end and felt rushed to me. I have the sequel but I'm not sure if I'll end up reading it.
Was expecting more
less insta love and mean girl drama. The possession crap all happened towards the end and felt rushed to me. I have the sequel but I'm not sure if I'll end up reading it.
Read
October 4, 2011I have to be honest, I just couldn't finish this. It's not you, Possessions, it's me. I expected something creepier and edgier.
January 18, 2024
I named the voice in my head Sybil. That's how great an impact this book had on me
November 13, 2009
Possessions by Nancy Holder is the first book I've read by this author. From reading the synopsis you already know the popular girls are possessed by spirits. The mystery in this book lies in why were they possessed and who were these spirits.
I had a fun time reading Possessions. I know your thinking "Fun?" What was fun for me was the creepy factor in the setting of the book. I loved how the eerie atmosphere was set. While reading you could feel how creepy it was staying at a school, surrounded by old and decrypted buildings, out in the middle of nowhere, in the woods with a seemingly eternal fog. It made you feel total isolation from the rest of the world.
I liked Lindsey, the heroine, from the start. She has a spunky personality paired with a sarcastic attitude and she stuck out like a sore thumb at Marlwood Academy for the rich. That appealed to me because I'm almost always for the underdog. I liked that Lindsey was determined to be herself and tried to avoid the "in" crowd because of bad past experiences at her previous high school. She forms a fast friendship with her roommate Julie. Julie was a naive girl, whose family wasn't as rich as they once were. There were some spots in the book where I didn't feel she gave the friendship between Lindsey and herself enough value and consideration.
Mandy, the "in" crowd leader at Marlwood and her followers added their fair share to creepy factor with their weird pranks they would setup to entertain the other girls after curfew. And from the very beginning Mandy tries drawing Lindsey into her inner circle of friends. Mandy's character is written well as the evil it girl, one moment it seems she okay and then next she is just pure evil.
There's a little bit of forbidden romance mixed in as well. The last thing Lindsey expected to happen to her at an all girls school was to meet a guy. But there is one problem, the guy Lindsey likes is Mandy's boyfriend Troy. Troy goes to school across the lake from Marlwood at an all boys school. I was right there with Lindsey during her heart-pounding moments that Troy's athletic good looks created. It was reminiscent of young love in all it's sweetness.
Possessions was entertaining and fast read for me. The only quibble I have with this story is that I would've like to have read more about the spirits and have more details surrounding the story about them. I think it would’ve made the story more fleshed out. Hopefully we’ll get more of these details in the next book. All in all the story moved at good pace and was easy to follow. There was enough mystery to keep me interested in what was going to happen next. And the ending was perfect for this story, a big time cliffhanger.
I had a fun time reading Possessions. I know your thinking "Fun?" What was fun for me was the creepy factor in the setting of the book. I loved how the eerie atmosphere was set. While reading you could feel how creepy it was staying at a school, surrounded by old and decrypted buildings, out in the middle of nowhere, in the woods with a seemingly eternal fog. It made you feel total isolation from the rest of the world.
I liked Lindsey, the heroine, from the start. She has a spunky personality paired with a sarcastic attitude and she stuck out like a sore thumb at Marlwood Academy for the rich. That appealed to me because I'm almost always for the underdog. I liked that Lindsey was determined to be herself and tried to avoid the "in" crowd because of bad past experiences at her previous high school. She forms a fast friendship with her roommate Julie. Julie was a naive girl, whose family wasn't as rich as they once were. There were some spots in the book where I didn't feel she gave the friendship between Lindsey and herself enough value and consideration.
Mandy, the "in" crowd leader at Marlwood and her followers added their fair share to creepy factor with their weird pranks they would setup to entertain the other girls after curfew. And from the very beginning Mandy tries drawing Lindsey into her inner circle of friends. Mandy's character is written well as the evil it girl, one moment it seems she okay and then next she is just pure evil.
There's a little bit of forbidden romance mixed in as well. The last thing Lindsey expected to happen to her at an all girls school was to meet a guy. But there is one problem, the guy Lindsey likes is Mandy's boyfriend Troy. Troy goes to school across the lake from Marlwood at an all boys school. I was right there with Lindsey during her heart-pounding moments that Troy's athletic good looks created. It was reminiscent of young love in all it's sweetness.
Possessions was entertaining and fast read for me. The only quibble I have with this story is that I would've like to have read more about the spirits and have more details surrounding the story about them. I think it would’ve made the story more fleshed out. Hopefully we’ll get more of these details in the next book. All in all the story moved at good pace and was easy to follow. There was enough mystery to keep me interested in what was going to happen next. And the ending was perfect for this story, a big time cliffhanger.
October 9, 2013
2.5 stars
At its core, Possessions has a pretty cool story. Nothing exactly original or groundbreaking, but perfect for a simple, clean YA horror novel. Sadly, not only does the plot move super slowly, with long stretches in which nothing of actual importance happens, riddled with Lindsay drooling over Troy and Mandy being a typically crazy mean girl, but there's very little exploration of any of the things the novel introduces, especially the characters.
Lindsay had this 'breakdown' before coming to this haunted boarding school - where no schoolwork gets done, ever. And she keeps mentioning this breakdown and what happened with her mother and essentially all this woe-is-me 'backstory', but we never actually learn anything beyond that. The same goes for every other character in the novel and the plot lines. The antagonist made a pact to get someone out of rehab. Okay. As silly as that sounds, I was willing to roll with it. But then rehab is never mentioned again or the why, the guy in rehab gets momentarily presented as a possible antagonist, and then it all disappears. Characters were mentioned at the beginning and then forgotten. Relationships were introduced and then vanished. It was hard trying to keep up when so many things stopped being important suddenly, or actually important things went unexplained. This novel was inconsistent all the way through, in plotting and characterization.
No such thing as an insta-love, but Linday got obsessed with Troy pretty quickly. There was, however, a case of insta-frienship which might be just as bad. A day and a half after meeting each other, Lindsay was already calling 'best friend' and risking her life for Julie, a vapid, shallow girl who tended to leave Lindsay for the popular crew whenever she felt like it and then telling Lindsay she was crazy.
This novel had potential, not to be great, but decent. There were some truly creepy scenes in there and I did like the general idea behind the plot, but it was too disjointed and inconsistent. The novel is, in the end, fairly entertaining, but I'm not sure if I'll stick around for book 2.
At its core, Possessions has a pretty cool story. Nothing exactly original or groundbreaking, but perfect for a simple, clean YA horror novel. Sadly, not only does the plot move super slowly, with long stretches in which nothing of actual importance happens, riddled with Lindsay drooling over Troy and Mandy being a typically crazy mean girl, but there's very little exploration of any of the things the novel introduces, especially the characters.
Lindsay had this 'breakdown' before coming to this haunted boarding school - where no schoolwork gets done, ever. And she keeps mentioning this breakdown and what happened with her mother and essentially all this woe-is-me 'backstory', but we never actually learn anything beyond that. The same goes for every other character in the novel and the plot lines. The antagonist made a pact to get someone out of rehab. Okay. As silly as that sounds, I was willing to roll with it. But then rehab is never mentioned again or the why, the guy in rehab gets momentarily presented as a possible antagonist, and then it all disappears. Characters were mentioned at the beginning and then forgotten. Relationships were introduced and then vanished. It was hard trying to keep up when so many things stopped being important suddenly, or actually important things went unexplained. This novel was inconsistent all the way through, in plotting and characterization.
No such thing as an insta-love, but Linday got obsessed with Troy pretty quickly. There was, however, a case of insta-frienship which might be just as bad. A day and a half after meeting each other, Lindsay was already calling 'best friend' and risking her life for Julie, a vapid, shallow girl who tended to leave Lindsay for the popular crew whenever she felt like it and then telling Lindsay she was crazy.
This novel had potential, not to be great, but decent. There were some truly creepy scenes in there and I did like the general idea behind the plot, but it was too disjointed and inconsistent. The novel is, in the end, fairly entertaining, but I'm not sure if I'll stick around for book 2.
November 17, 2009
I have heard tons of mixed reviews ranging from a really bad recommendation to completely loving it. However, I have to say, I'm more in the middle because I have realized that there are many positive as well as negative things about this novel.
The negative: Possessions moved too slow. There was a really long rising action and it just seemed as if I had to keep waiting and waiting for things to finally start to occur. Another thing that I didn't quite like was the fact that there were way too many descriptions about insignificant characters. Like, who really cares about them? Just give a basic description and leave it at that. Oh, and the last thing. You know how this book is supposed to center of the supernatural, the paranormal? Well, besides the snipets that you get throughout the book and the last 50 or so pages, there was basically nothing about it. Nancy Holder would sort of remind that there's some evil possession going on but it seemed as if Possessions was mostly about rich girls at boarding schools who are bullying the lesser. I really wanted more ghostly presents.
Now, the positive: it was scary. The parts that had evil things going on were absolutely chill-breaking. I kept getting the goosebumps whenever Nancy talked about the girls getting black eyes [not getting punched in the eyes type of black eyes but eyes with no whites:] and talking in southern accents because you could definitely feel the evil coming through the book. I think she did an awesome job with that. The main characters were also nicely written: Lindsay, Mandy and Julie. They were nicely portrayed and definitely realistic. The things they go through and the things they do is definitely believable. I actually enjoyed reading about them but for the rest of the girls who seemed to just be in the background, it was just too much.
Overall, Possessions was an intense novel that you should definitely not read during the night. I feel like I keep reading scary books these days: Posessions, The Stone Child and Deadly Little Lies. Oh well. Keep the adrenaline coming! Haha.
The negative: Possessions moved too slow. There was a really long rising action and it just seemed as if I had to keep waiting and waiting for things to finally start to occur. Another thing that I didn't quite like was the fact that there were way too many descriptions about insignificant characters. Like, who really cares about them? Just give a basic description and leave it at that. Oh, and the last thing. You know how this book is supposed to center of the supernatural, the paranormal? Well, besides the snipets that you get throughout the book and the last 50 or so pages, there was basically nothing about it. Nancy Holder would sort of remind that there's some evil possession going on but it seemed as if Possessions was mostly about rich girls at boarding schools who are bullying the lesser. I really wanted more ghostly presents.
Now, the positive: it was scary. The parts that had evil things going on were absolutely chill-breaking. I kept getting the goosebumps whenever Nancy talked about the girls getting black eyes [not getting punched in the eyes type of black eyes but eyes with no whites:] and talking in southern accents because you could definitely feel the evil coming through the book. I think she did an awesome job with that. The main characters were also nicely written: Lindsay, Mandy and Julie. They were nicely portrayed and definitely realistic. The things they go through and the things they do is definitely believable. I actually enjoyed reading about them but for the rest of the girls who seemed to just be in the background, it was just too much.
Overall, Possessions was an intense novel that you should definitely not read during the night. I feel like I keep reading scary books these days: Posessions, The Stone Child and Deadly Little Lies. Oh well. Keep the adrenaline coming! Haha.
September 6, 2013
Wow! Where do I begin? Not only is this instant "cover-love" for me, it is also described as "The It Girl meets The Exorcist". That alone had me wanting to grab this book immediately.
POSSESSIONS is about a girl, Lindsay, sent to a boarding school following a nervous breakdown. Lindsay thinks she can start a new life here, only to discover eerie happenings, ghostly pranks, and rumors that the school is a centuries-old, former insane asylum for wayward girls - and an operating theater with evidence lobotomies were performed.
Now Lindsay is left to wonder if the events of the academy are real - girls are being possessed by the spirits of these long-dead wayward girls, or if she is losing her mind...again. I will admit, I DO NOT scare easily, but this book thoroughly creeped me out. I found myself turning on the hallway light if I had to get out of bed at night because I was just so on edge. This book is amazing. It is truly hard to find a SCARY book (especially one that is not cheesy), but this one really is frightening.
Plus, the addition of Lindsay's history of a nervous breakdown made all of the events intensified in their significance. As a reader, you wonder if she is truly experiencing delusions or if the eerie, ghostly occurrences really are haunting the academy. You are taken for a wild ride as Lindsay sets out to prove the reality of these horrors and set things straight.
Nancy Holder wraps up the story nicely, but leaves just enough open to make you need the sequel right after you turn the last page of POSSESSIONS. This is the first book in a trilogy – POSSESSIONS is followed by THE EVIL WITHIN and THE SCREAMING SEASON. Go, get it now! It's perfect for this time of year! --GR.Victoria Lucas
POSSESSIONS is about a girl, Lindsay, sent to a boarding school following a nervous breakdown. Lindsay thinks she can start a new life here, only to discover eerie happenings, ghostly pranks, and rumors that the school is a centuries-old, former insane asylum for wayward girls - and an operating theater with evidence lobotomies were performed.
Now Lindsay is left to wonder if the events of the academy are real - girls are being possessed by the spirits of these long-dead wayward girls, or if she is losing her mind...again. I will admit, I DO NOT scare easily, but this book thoroughly creeped me out. I found myself turning on the hallway light if I had to get out of bed at night because I was just so on edge. This book is amazing. It is truly hard to find a SCARY book (especially one that is not cheesy), but this one really is frightening.
Plus, the addition of Lindsay's history of a nervous breakdown made all of the events intensified in their significance. As a reader, you wonder if she is truly experiencing delusions or if the eerie, ghostly occurrences really are haunting the academy. You are taken for a wild ride as Lindsay sets out to prove the reality of these horrors and set things straight.
Nancy Holder wraps up the story nicely, but leaves just enough open to make you need the sequel right after you turn the last page of POSSESSIONS. This is the first book in a trilogy – POSSESSIONS is followed by THE EVIL WITHIN and THE SCREAMING SEASON. Go, get it now! It's perfect for this time of year! --GR.Victoria Lucas
January 5, 2015
possession is kind of like RL. Stones meets Gossip Girl. You have your click of mean popular rich girls and then the girl that doesn't fit in. combine this with a supernatural twist and it makes for a good plot. Or at least it was supposed to be but the plot falls flat, with overused cliche and already used story line. The first half of the book was extremely boring. I only started getting into the book towards the end. That's were the supernatural dlement really jumped at me and I started to enjoy myself a bit. However I hated the characters. They were so annoying and petty. The MC apparently suffered some trauma after her boyfriend slept with her popular best friend, she has a breakdown which they never elaborate on and she decides to go to this boarding school where she then falls for the boyfriend of the rich and popular Mandy. can anyone see how stupid that is? I just couldn't her over how whiny she was. The writing style was okay, it flowed pretty easily. Honestly the book is okay if you want a short and easy paranormal read.
July 8, 2012
RATING: 1.5 Out Of 5
Unfortunatly I was very dissapointed with this book...
I had heard that is was a mix of gossip girl and something by Stephen King. That sounds awesome right? Yer.. but this doesn't live up to that description.
I won't say to much about this, because Miranda in her review pretty much sums up my feelings on this book, link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Unfortunatly I was very dissapointed with this book...
I had heard that is was a mix of gossip girl and something by Stephen King. That sounds awesome right? Yer.. but this doesn't live up to that description.
I won't say to much about this, because Miranda in her review pretty much sums up my feelings on this book, link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
October 20, 2016
I expected it to be tiny bit creepier than it was, but I definitely liked it enough to continue with the rest of the trilogy! Not horrible, not amazing. A fun, quick read. Prolly better suited for somewhat younger teens (14-16 or so) but I don't see why someone older wouldn't enjoy it. Just as long as you take it for what it is. I could see this as a Nickelodeon/Disney made for TV Halloween movie. Could be fun!
July 8, 2023
God I read this when I was still in Primary School… lil 10 year old me didn’t know what had hit her. I have reread this series and while the writing isn’t quite what I remembered I’ll remember it fondly… I ❤️ lobotomies xx
May 9, 2017
Although I felt this story had a slow start, by the end the novel had captured my interest and totally had me creeping out! Spook city kind of creepy. Very Good.
June 19, 2018
Yeah, okay, whatever.
November 7, 2018
Състоянието, в което искаш две противоположни неща се нарича когнитивен дисонанс - като например да искаш самоуважение и популярност.
June 9, 2019
Postaje jedna od mojih omiljenih definitivno! 😍🔥
September 29, 2021
omg the way i loved this series. HATED THE ENDING THOUGH.
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