The Summoning: Mary, book 1 by Hillary Monahan

MARY: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them–Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna–must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go.

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: “Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY.” A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror.

Once is not enough, though–at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary’s wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary–and Jess–before it’s too late?

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book initially creeped me out a lot. If you have ever played this game as a child then you will instantly be reminded of the terror of the unknown and that feeling of suspense waiting for the image to appear in the mirror.

What I loved about this book was that the author didn’t wait forever for the excitement to begin. She did a good job of building an interesting story with believable characters and yet kept the suspense level high. There were some spots in this book that made me question my everyday activities. I don’t recommend reading this book late at night and then going to take a solo shower. Yikes.

If you love books where the drama and tension never cease and you have that fearful feeling (the one all good horror books and films give you) then this is a book you will probably enjoy.

I liked the main character and a couple of the secondary characters quite a lot, but I wish that the story of Mary herself would have been focused upon more, especially during the end. She is mean, vengeful and filled with hatred, but the reasons why are not 100 percent clear. Yes, she was mistreated, but there seems to be a missing element between that and her nature as a ghost.

This was a fun book with a lot of shivers and unexpected events. I think anyone who likes horror would have fun with this, regardless of whether they are young adult or older.

Definitely worth a recommendation and a read.

*Note to self. Buy salt.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley.