Loved it. I have put off reading it thinking that I wouldn't like it as much as the Vampire Diaries, and I can say that this one grabbed my attention and kept it through all three books. I ended up reading it in 2 days, which is saying a lot for me!! ( )

Plot: 4/5
The plot was interesting and well developed. Psychics and crystals and mad scientists are a couple of things I never expected to be thrown together.

Characters: 4/5
Some of the characters were very interesting, while others lacked depth.

Character development: 3/5
There were several characters in this series. Ony three of them really changed from beginning to end.

Romance: 2/5
I found the Rob & Kaitlyn romance to be incredibly hokey and not believable. I also found Gabriel’s initial infatuation with Kaitlyn did not make sense. If he had not been attracted to her in the beginning, I probably would have found it more believable.

Other comments: I found the story to be incredibly cheesy at places. Otherwise, it was good.

Overall grade: 13/20
That’s a D, people.
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Summary:
In this trilogy of "The Strange Power", "The Possessed", and "The Passion" leads the reader on a journey as lead character Kaitlyn and her friends, all with psychic powers, escape from a school everyone thinks it is to teach them how to use their powers. The owner of the school tries to use as powerful crystal on the students amplifying their powers and turning them evil for his use. During the many twist and turns the teens become homeless and receive help in strange ways from the evil doctors daughter and a cult of crystal worshipers. In the end a friend the teens thought they lost to the dark side saves them all from becoming evil with a shard of a crystal from the cult people, thus destroying the evil doctors crystal.

Personal Reaction:
I loved this series when I first read it because I am drawn to fantasy books that make you think there might be unknown abilities of the mind. These books open up a world of possibilities and what if which keep you reading on the edge of your seat. I also enjoyed the good versus evil tug of war and how the teens make stand their ground against the adults for what's good.

Classroom Extension:
1. I think this would be good read for junior high/ middle school in class readings and would spark classroom discussions of good versus evil and standing up for what you believe in, even to adults.
2. I would have my students do some creative writing of their own and have them write a short story that fits into the fantasy genre.

Kait is tired of being an outsider so she agrees to part of a research program, for a chance to get out of her small town and learn to control her powers. Unfortunately Kait and her new friends learn that the program is not all that it seems.

I liked the plot but the only characters the author really developed were Kait and Gabriel. Ray was slightly more developed then Anna and Lewis but only slightly. I liked Gabriel and Kate but I really liked Anna and Lewis and wished they had been a more developed. They seemed like they had a lot of potential to be interesting characters.

The book is a good paranormal read but there isn't a lot of depth here and it really isn't incredibly original. Many of L.J. Smith's are really very similar.
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Kait is tired of being an outsider so she agrees to part of a research program, for a chance to get out of her small town and learn to control her powers. Unfortunately Kait and her new friends learn that the program is not all that it seems.

I liked the plot but the only characters the author really developed were Kait and Gabriel. Ray was slightly more developed then Anna and Lewis but only slightly. I liked Gabriel and Kate but I really liked Anna and Lewis and wished they had been a more developed. They seemed like they had a lot of potential to be interesting characters.

The book is a good paranormal read but there isn't a lot of depth here and it really isn't incredibly original. Many of L.J. Smith's are really very similar.
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