Kelley Armstrong (2008)
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3.66/ 5(1,474 reviews)
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10 min
Book Length
12 Minutes
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A teenage girl who can see ghosts is committed to a mysterious group home for 'troubled teens,' only to discover her fellow residents possess supernatural abilities and the institution harbors dark secrets that threaten them all.
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Sixteen-year-old Chloe Saunders is an aspiring filmmaker living a typical teenage life with her aunt and uncle after her mother's death. Her world shatters when she sees a decaying, bloody ghost in her school's bathroom. This traumatic experience leads to a public breakdown, resulting in a schizophrenia diagnosis and admission to Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens. Chloe initially resists the diagnosis and the move, believing she is sane. However, the unsettling atmosphere of Lyle House and its residents' odd behavior quickly make her question everything she thought she knew about reality and herself. She struggles to adapt to the strict rules and her new housemates' perceived instability.
Upon arrival at Lyle House, Chloe meets the other residents: the seemingly sweet but manipulative Tori, the quiet and artistic Rae, the aggressive and unpredictable Simon, and the brooding, mysterious Derek. Each of them displays unusual quirks and abilities. Chloe notices strange occurrences, such as objects moving on their own and unsettling whispers. She initially thinks these are due to her supposed mental illness or the other residents' conditions. She feels isolated and misunderstood, struggling to connect with anyone, especially given the strict 'no touching' rule enforced by the staff. Her attempts to fit in are met with hostility from Tori and suspicion from the others, making her feel like an outsider.
Chloe's encounters with ghosts become more frequent and vivid. She realizes she can see, hear, and interact with them. She confides in Derek, who, to her surprise, doesn't dismiss her claims. He reveals that he, Simon, Rae, and Tori are not mentally ill but supernatural beings: Derek is a necromancer, Simon is a sorcerer, Rae is a witch, and Tori is a half-demon. Chloe learns that she also possesses supernatural abilities; she is a necromancer, like Derek. This revelation is both terrifying and validating, explaining her ghost sightings and the strange events around her. She begins to understand that Lyle House is not a psychiatric facility but a safe house for young supernaturals.
Derek explains that Lyle House is run by the Edison Group, a powerful organization meant to protect young supernaturals. However, he also reveals that the Edison Group has a darker agenda: experimenting on supernaturals to control or replicate their powers. Chloe learns that the house is designed to keep them safe but also contained and monitored. The group is particularly interested in necromancers due to their rare and powerful abilities. This knowledge shifts Chloe's perspective from wanting to escape Lyle House to understanding its complex role in their lives, as both a refuge and a prison, under the guise of therapy.
As Chloe's necromancer abilities grow, so does her struggle to control them. Ghosts are constantly drawn to her, seeking help or simply making their presence known, leading to terrifying and overwhelming experiences. Derek, also a necromancer, becomes her reluctant mentor, teaching her how to shield herself from ghosts and use her powers more effectively. He warns her about the dangers of engaging with the dead, particularly the powerful and malevolent ones. Chloe's training is often frustrating and frightening, but she slowly gains control, learning to distinguish between harmless spirits and those that pose a threat. This understanding is important for her survival.
Driven by a desire for freedom and suspicion of the Edison Group's true motives, Chloe, along with Simon and Rae, attempts to escape Lyle House. Their plan is elaborate, using their powers to bypass security measures. However, their escape is short-lived and ends in failure. They are quickly apprehended by the staff, who demonstrate their own hidden supernatural abilities and the extensive surveillance system in place. The consequences are severe: Simon and Rae are subjected to painful 'therapy' sessions, and Chloe is confined. This failed attempt reinforces the powerful hold the Edison Group has over them and the difficulty of truly breaking free, making them question who they can trust.
Through fragmented memories, interactions with a persistent ghost, and hushed conversations, Chloe begins to piece together the truth about her deceased mother. She discovers that her mother was also a necromancer and was involved with the Edison Group, possibly even working for them before her death. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to Chloe's situation, suggesting that her admission to Lyle House was not accidental but a predetermined outcome due to her genetic predisposition. The ghost of a woman named Liz, who seems to know Chloe's mother, provides important clues, hinting at the dangerous experiments her mother was involved in and the reason for her death.
Chloe dedicates herself to helping Liz, a ghost who haunts Lyle House and seems trapped there. Through her interactions with Liz, Chloe learns that Liz was also a necromancer, experimented on by the Edison Group, and died within the house. Liz's fragmented memories and pleas for help guide Chloe to a hidden room within Lyle House, a secret laboratory where the Edison Group conducted unethical experiments on supernaturals, including Liz and potentially Chloe's mother. By uncovering the truth of Liz's death and her connection to the experiments, Chloe helps the ghost find peace, allowing her to finally move on. This act solidifies Chloe's understanding of her powers and the dangers she faces.
Chloe and her friends gather evidence of the Edison Group's unethical experiments, specifically targeting Dr. Marcel, the director of Lyle House. They discover that Dr. Marcel has been manipulating the residents, using their 'therapy' as a cover for his research into controlling and replicating supernatural abilities. He is particularly interested in necromancy, viewing it as the ultimate power. The group confronts Dr. Marcel, exposing his deception and the true nature of Lyle House. This confrontation is tense and dangerous, as Dr. Marcel is a formidable opponent, utilizing his own supernatural abilities and the house's security systems to maintain control and silence any dissent.
With Dr. Marcel exposed and the truth about Lyle House revealed, Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Rae make a final, desperate attempt to escape. They combine their unique supernatural abilities – necromancy, sorcery, and witchcraft – to overcome the Edison Group's defenses and the staff's resistance. The escape is chaotic and perilous, involving intense confrontations with the staff and navigating the house's booby traps. They manage to break free, but not without significant challenges and a clear understanding that their fight against the Edison Group is far from over. Their shared ordeal forges a powerful bond among them, turning them from reluctant housemates into a united front against a common enemy.
Having successfully escaped Lyle House, Chloe and her friends find themselves on the run, knowing that the Edison Group will be actively hunting them. They are now fugitives, but also free to explore their powers and their true identities without Dr. Marcel's oppressive control. Chloe grapples with the implications of her necromancy and the knowledge that her mother's past is deeply intertwined with the Edison Group. The ending leaves Chloe with a sense of both liberation and looming danger, as she prepares for a future filled with supernatural challenges and the constant threat of recapture. She knows that their journey has just begun, and the fight for their freedom and safety will continue.
The Protagonist
Chloe transforms from a naive, frightened girl denying her supernatural abilities into a powerful necromancer who embraces her true identity and takes charge of her destiny. She learns to trust her instincts and her friends.
The Supporting
Derek evolves from a withdrawn and cynical individual to a more open and supportive figure, allowing himself to form deep connections and trust Chloe with his secrets and his heart.
The Supporting
Simon matures from a mischievous prankster to a more responsible and courageous member of the group, using his powers effectively for the greater good.
The Supporting
Rae gradually finds her voice and confidence, evolving from a shy and reclusive individual to an active and powerful participant in the group's fight for freedom.
The Supporting
Tori remains largely self-serving but learns to cooperate with the group for mutual survival, showcasing a reluctant shift from pure antagonism to a more nuanced, albeit still challenging, alliance.
The Antagonist
Dr. Marcel remains a steadfast antagonist, his true manipulative and dangerous nature gradually revealed as Chloe uncovers the secrets of Lyle House.
The Supporting
Liz's arc is completed through Chloe's actions; she transitions from a tormented, trapped spirit to a peaceful one, having achieved closure and helped Chloe on her journey.
The Supporting
Her character arc is explored retrospectively through Chloe's discoveries, revealing her tragic past and the lasting impact she has on her daughter's life.
The novel explores Chloe's journey of self-discovery as she grapples with her newfound supernatural abilities and the truth about her identity. Initially believing herself to be ordinary, then mentally ill, Chloe slowly accepts being a necromancer. This theme is central to her development, as she learns to embrace her unique powers and heritage, moving beyond societal labels and her own ideas of who she is. The other characters also struggle with their identities as supernaturals forced into a 'normal' world.
“My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again. All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore.”
The book blurs the lines between reality and illusion, sanity and madness. Chloe's initial ghost sightings are dismissed as schizophrenia, forcing her and the reader to question what is real. Lyle House, presented as a therapeutic facility, is revealed to be a prison for supernaturals. This theme challenges the characters and the reader to look beyond surface appearances and question authority, demonstrating that what seems normal or true can often be a carefully constructed deception. It highlights how truth is subjective when supernatural elements are involved.
“Every time I thought I had a handle on things, reality shifted like quicksand beneath my feet.”
Lyle House is a central symbol for this theme, representing both physical and psychological confinement. The residents are literally imprisoned, but also confined by the Edison Group's lies and the stigma of their supernatural abilities. The narrative explores their yearning for freedom, the risks they take to achieve it, and the moral implications of being held captive for 'their own good' or for scientific exploitation. It looks into the idea that true freedom is not just physical escape but also liberation from fear, ignorance, and external control.
“We weren't patients. We were prisoners. And Lyle House was our cage.”
Trust is a constantly tested element in the novel. Chloe must navigate who to trust among her suspicious housemates and the deceptive staff of Lyle House. The Edison Group, initially presented as benevolent protectors, is revealed to be manipulative and dangerous. The bonds formed between Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Rae are built on shared experiences and a growing sense of trust, which is essential for their survival and escape. This theme highlights the dangers of misplaced trust and the importance of finding genuine allies in a world filled with deceit.
“In a place like this, trust was a luxury we couldn't afford, and a weapon that could be turned against you.”
The Edison Group's true purpose, as revealed through the secret laboratory and Liz's fate, centers on unethical scientific experimentation on supernaturals. They seek to understand, control, and replicate powers without regard for their subjects' well-being or rights. This theme raises questions about the boundaries of scientific pursuit, the dehumanization of individuals for research, and the potential for power to corrupt. It highlights the moral responsibility that comes with knowledge and the dangers of playing 'god' with human lives.
“They weren't trying to help us. They were trying to break us. To dissect us. To control us.”
A direct window into Chloe's thoughts and perceptions.
The story is told from Chloe Saunders's perspective, allowing readers to experience her confusion, fear, and gradual understanding of the supernatural world firsthand. This device effectively builds suspense and empathy, as her initial disbelief and questioning of her own sanity mirror the reader's journey into the unknown. It makes the revelation of Lyle House's true nature more impactful, as we've been privy to Chloe's internal struggle with 'madness' before the truth is revealed, emphasizing the theme of reality vs. perception.
Chloe's initial mental state casts doubt on her observations.
Chloe is diagnosed with schizophrenia, making her an initially unreliable narrator. Her early ghost sightings and strange experiences are presented through the lens of her perceived mental illness, leading both her and the reader to question the reality of what she sees. This device creates suspense and forces the reader to constantly evaluate the information presented, only for it to be subverted later when her 'illness' is revealed to be supernatural ability, reinforcing the theme of perception and challenging preconceived notions of sanity.
Subtle clues hint at future revelations and dangers.
Throughout the novel, subtle hints and clues are dropped about the true nature of Lyle House, the residents' powers, and the Edison Group's agenda. Examples include the peculiar behavior of the staff, the 'therapy' sessions, Chloe's fragmented memories of her mother, and the recurring ghost of Liz. This device builds suspense and allows astute readers to piece together parts of the mystery before the full reveal, making the eventual plot twists more satisfying and impactful. It creates a sense of impending doom and hidden depths within the narrative.
Lyle House's deceptive nature fuels the core conflict.
Lyle House is presented as a safe haven for troubled teens, a place for healing and rehabilitation. However, it quickly becomes apparent that it functions as a high-security prison for young supernaturals, designed to contain and monitor them. This ironic setting creates a strong sense of betrayal and fuels the characters' desire for freedom. The contrast between its ostensible purpose and its actual function highlights the insidious nature of the Edison Group and the theme of confinement, making the escape attempts more urgent and dangerous.
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Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author known for her work in the fantasy and supernatural fiction genres. Her notable works include "The Summoning," "The Awakening," "The Gathering," "Stolen," "The Reckoning," and "Broken," which often feature themes of magic and the paranormal. Armstrong's writing has garnered a dedicated readership and has contributed to her recognition in the literary community.
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