tmager's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the main character Bridget. She is funny, sarcastic (which I can totally relate to) but also strong and caring. Unfortunately she can be closed off from people the main reason for this is because she can hear voices and worse yet there demon voices. She also struggles because her friends and family have no idea. The relationship between her and her little brother Sammy was heart warming Sammy is such a sweet little boy you can't help but love him. Another great character was the potential love interest Matt Quinn, he was so sweet and protective of her just a genuinely nice guy thank you Gretchen for that.
This book was very engaging there was never a lull it was fast paced, suspenseful and creepy all at the same time. This book wrapped up nicely, but of course I wanted more not that this books needs a sequel but I would love to read it if there was one.
This is Gretchen McNeil's debut novel, I loved her writing it was easy to read and flowed nicely. I will definitely be picking up more books by her and I encourage you to pick this one up.
http://thisbooks4you.blogspot.ca/
This book was very engaging there was never a lull it was fast paced, suspenseful and creepy all at the same time. This book wrapped up nicely, but of course I wanted more not that this books needs a sequel but I would love to read it if there was one.
This is Gretchen McNeil's debut novel, I loved her writing it was easy to read and flowed nicely. I will definitely be picking up more books by her and I encourage you to pick this one up.
http://thisbooks4you.blogspot.ca/
simplytakeit's review against another edition
I wanted to enjoy this book. Sadly a mix of fatphobic comments and just being bored of the book made me not want to read anymore.
emmaghanem's review against another edition
3.0
Possess was a great novel. It was full of creepy moments, action, and a little bit a mystery. Overall it was a great book to read in the month of October, and it was also a greaty story. I haven't read many books about exorcism, so this was a first for me! It was interesting, and since I am religious, I can relate with a lot of the things that were mentioned in the book. Although this wasn't one of my favourite books, it did have it's moments. I liked the creepy doll shop scene, I thought that it was just the right amount of scary for me, and I also liked the ghost cat. I found that really creepy too, but it made the story interesting.
There were some things in the book that I didn't like. One, I found that the author used "Sweet Cartwheeling Jesus" wayyy too much. At first it was funny, but then it just got old. She used it 3 maybe 4 time? I'm not sure, but I didn't find it funny the second time around. I think the author could've used some different expressions. The next thing that I didn't like, was the romance. The romance for me was okay. It wasn't excellent, and at some times I wondered if it really made a difference to have it in the book. The romance at some times was really stupid. They kept having random make-out sessions that were completely unecessary. Especially when they were kissing while they were doing something important. Like, what the hell.
Overall I found this a great book, and it deserved 4/5 stars from me. It was interesting enough to keep me busy on my 6 hour road trip with my family. I know that there is controversy of a second book, because there are some things in the last chapters that hint towards another book, but i'm not sure. Personally, I would love to read a sequel to this book.
There were some things in the book that I didn't like. One, I found that the author used "Sweet Cartwheeling Jesus" wayyy too much. At first it was funny, but then it just got old. She used it 3 maybe 4 time? I'm not sure, but I didn't find it funny the second time around. I think the author could've used some different expressions. The next thing that I didn't like, was the romance. The romance for me was okay. It wasn't excellent, and at some times I wondered if it really made a difference to have it in the book. The romance at some times was really stupid. They kept having random make-out sessions that were completely unecessary. Especially when they were kissing while they were doing something important. Like, what the hell.
Overall I found this a great book, and it deserved 4/5 stars from me. It was interesting enough to keep me busy on my 6 hour road trip with my family. I know that there is controversy of a second book, because there are some things in the last chapters that hint towards another book, but i'm not sure. Personally, I would love to read a sequel to this book.
readingundertheradar's review against another edition
4.0
You can read my full review on my blog: http://www.happybookloversblog.com/2014/10/privateschoolproblems-possess-review.html
I'm also GIVING AWAY LOTS OF BOOKS! Ends Oct 31: http://www.happybookloversblog.com/search/label/blogtober%20giveaway
First of all, I want to say I had NO IDEA this was THE Gretchen McNeil. Of 3:59, Ten, and Get Even. Yep, that girl. This is her debut, and I could not have been more impressed.
Initially I was too scared to pick this book up, and man am I mad at myself I waited so long. This ARC has been on my shelf for an embarrassing length of time (I'm talking since before it was published. That's when I got this). I'm also a huge fan of McNeil now, and I've actually got another window open as I type this buying 3:59 and Ten because I've not read those yet.
I really felt fully immersed into the story from page one, and it dumps you right into the middle of one of Bridget's first "banishments," her nicer way of saying exorcism. She's evidently got way more power than the priest leading her has ever seen, so she's his mentee learning on the job and attending all kinds of demon-ridding activities. You know, on top of being in high school and worrying about boys (there's a really cute one in this).
See more at: http://www.happybookloversblog.com/2014/10/privateschoolproblems-possess-review.html#sthash.JpLBOLEc.dpuf
I'm also GIVING AWAY LOTS OF BOOKS! Ends Oct 31: http://www.happybookloversblog.com/search/label/blogtober%20giveaway
First of all, I want to say I had NO IDEA this was THE Gretchen McNeil. Of 3:59, Ten, and Get Even. Yep, that girl. This is her debut, and I could not have been more impressed.
Initially I was too scared to pick this book up, and man am I mad at myself I waited so long. This ARC has been on my shelf for an embarrassing length of time (I'm talking since before it was published. That's when I got this). I'm also a huge fan of McNeil now, and I've actually got another window open as I type this buying 3:59 and Ten because I've not read those yet.
I really felt fully immersed into the story from page one, and it dumps you right into the middle of one of Bridget's first "banishments," her nicer way of saying exorcism. She's evidently got way more power than the priest leading her has ever seen, so she's his mentee learning on the job and attending all kinds of demon-ridding activities. You know, on top of being in high school and worrying about boys (there's a really cute one in this).
See more at: http://www.happybookloversblog.com/2014/10/privateschoolproblems-possess-review.html#sthash.JpLBOLEc.dpuf
bookishanjali's review against another edition
4.0
I was expecting a completely creepy read I mean look at the cover and the title, demons and exorcisms screams horrifying but what I wasn't expecting was quite a few funny moments which actually made me enjoy Possess that much more.
Bridget is a pretty amazing girl, to wake up one day and learn you can banish demons is pretty crazy but the girl was strong and did her thing when it came to getting rid of the demons. I'm glad that the author gave us an explanation on why she was able to banish demons and there was a back story to it instead of her just being blessed with the gift or something.
There was romance but believe me when I say it was the furthest thing from any sort of insta love, like etc. Bridget literally wanted to be left alone by everyone including Matt who was a childhood friend of hers, which is why when she finally did fall for him it just made it that much sweeter.
I do have to say that there were some aspects of Possess that was predictable which is what kept me from giving it a full five star rating but the plot was fast paced and a lot of interesting things happened along the way.
Overall Possess was full of demons, exorcisms, possessed dolls, priests with hidden agendas, mystery, romance and a spunky heroine and if your looking for a book with all that then I highly recommend Possess.
Bridget is a pretty amazing girl, to wake up one day and learn you can banish demons is pretty crazy but the girl was strong and did her thing when it came to getting rid of the demons. I'm glad that the author gave us an explanation on why she was able to banish demons and there was a back story to it instead of her just being blessed with the gift or something.
There was romance but believe me when I say it was the furthest thing from any sort of insta love, like etc. Bridget literally wanted to be left alone by everyone including Matt who was a childhood friend of hers, which is why when she finally did fall for him it just made it that much sweeter.
I do have to say that there were some aspects of Possess that was predictable which is what kept me from giving it a full five star rating but the plot was fast paced and a lot of interesting things happened along the way.
Overall Possess was full of demons, exorcisms, possessed dolls, priests with hidden agendas, mystery, romance and a spunky heroine and if your looking for a book with all that then I highly recommend Possess.
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
4.0
Initial Impressions 10/27/13: Possess was really interesting! I don't read a lot of books about ghosts or possessions or demons (i'm too scared hahaha) so a book by Gretchen McNeil was perfect because for every horror, there is a bit of humor and sarcasm.
I was afraid it would be too religious at first, but it really just had to be set up and once I got into the story, it was much more like religious history and info the reader needs to solve the case.
Very fun book and a nice, mild scare!
Full review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide 11/15/13: Many thanks to Amy who bought this book for me for All Hallow’s Read! I’d heard a lot of positive reactions to the book and having only read one other book by Gretchen McNeil, I had high hopes that I would enjoy it too! I’m actually really glad she got it for me because I probably wouldn’t have ever picked it up for myself. We’ve talked several times how I’m a big, big chicken and I do NOT read books about ghosts or demons. And what does POSSESS have? Ghosts and demons. But I put my faith in Amy and rest assured that all turned out well! She just knows! :)
At first, I was just a tiiiiny bit skeptical. I’m not big on books who focus a lot on religion and right away we meet Bridget who goes to a Catholic school and meets with Monsignor Renault and Father Santos. Priests? I was worried. But I carried on through the first few chapters and once we started getting into the meat and potatoes of the religious history and the mythology surrounding angels and demons, I immediately became sucked in! Things really started coming together and I saw that as much as I wasn’t a huge fan, religion definitely needed to be involved in this story and everything really fell into place.
I loved how delightfully creepy POSSESS was! I was a little scared that possessions, demons, and the like would be a little too much for me, but it was just the perfect amount to creep me out and not have me sticking the book in the freezer. (Points for understanding the reference!) What really made it enjoyable for a scaredy cat like me was the combination of creepy, funny, and yes, even romance! I can definitely say that without the humor and sarcasm that I love from Gretchen McNeil, it might not have been enjoyable and I really liked those moments when I was pulled out of the fear and given time to shake it off.
I had some minor issues here and there with characters but this was one of those books where I didn’t read too far into it. I was definitely reading for fun and for the horror factor so it was a really enjoyable book for me! There were definitely some SUPER creepy moments (don’t worry, it’s not clowns, but it was worse than that for me haha) and some really great sort of religious mythology. I really liked how the book came together and it was a really fun read!
I was afraid it would be too religious at first, but it really just had to be set up and once I got into the story, it was much more like religious history and info the reader needs to solve the case.
Very fun book and a nice, mild scare!
Full review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide 11/15/13: Many thanks to Amy who bought this book for me for All Hallow’s Read! I’d heard a lot of positive reactions to the book and having only read one other book by Gretchen McNeil, I had high hopes that I would enjoy it too! I’m actually really glad she got it for me because I probably wouldn’t have ever picked it up for myself. We’ve talked several times how I’m a big, big chicken and I do NOT read books about ghosts or demons. And what does POSSESS have? Ghosts and demons. But I put my faith in Amy and rest assured that all turned out well! She just knows! :)
At first, I was just a tiiiiny bit skeptical. I’m not big on books who focus a lot on religion and right away we meet Bridget who goes to a Catholic school and meets with Monsignor Renault and Father Santos. Priests? I was worried. But I carried on through the first few chapters and once we started getting into the meat and potatoes of the religious history and the mythology surrounding angels and demons, I immediately became sucked in! Things really started coming together and I saw that as much as I wasn’t a huge fan, religion definitely needed to be involved in this story and everything really fell into place.
I loved how delightfully creepy POSSESS was! I was a little scared that possessions, demons, and the like would be a little too much for me, but it was just the perfect amount to creep me out and not have me sticking the book in the freezer. (Points for understanding the reference!) What really made it enjoyable for a scaredy cat like me was the combination of creepy, funny, and yes, even romance! I can definitely say that without the humor and sarcasm that I love from Gretchen McNeil, it might not have been enjoyable and I really liked those moments when I was pulled out of the fear and given time to shake it off.
I had some minor issues here and there with characters but this was one of those books where I didn’t read too far into it. I was definitely reading for fun and for the horror factor so it was a really enjoyable book for me! There were definitely some SUPER creepy moments (don’t worry, it’s not clowns, but it was worse than that for me haha) and some really great sort of religious mythology. I really liked how the book came together and it was a really fun read!
kerrithebookbelle's review against another edition
5.0
LOVE THIS. if youve read TMI or TID, youre familiar with cassandra clares nephilium. but what if they were the bad guys? the characters are so amazing, and the plot, which was firmly based in catholic religion and mythology, is fantastic. as a catholic school girl for 16 years, i liked that all of the facts about catholic history and beliefs were factual. the ending was crazy, and fhough the romance was a bit rushed at the end, i still loved it! great standalone to pull you out of a reading slump! :)
darlala's review against another edition
3.0
This book is so hard to review. I guess I'm giving it 3 stars. I don't know...maybe 3.5. I want to give it 4 stars based on freakiness-level, but when I take into account how annoying the main character is and how obvious the villains are...I lean more towards 2 stars.
I found this book scary. Cliche-scary, but scary, nonetheless. It was exciting, and I eagerly kept reading page after page, so the premise was definitely spooky, cool, and interesting.
However, I also found it predictable. The bad guys were completely obvious to me very early on. It was easy to see where the story might lead, who was good, who was bad, and definitely which boy she'd end up with.
As for Bridget, our reluctant heroine...she got on every last nerve I have. She was petulant, immature, and just plain stupid. She was obviously supposed to be some kind of catholic school bad girl, but she was perfectly well-behaved and had nice, tame friends. So that was a fail. Her most annoying attribute was her attitude when someone would try to answer her questions or help her understand something. She was the one looking to be enlightened, and yet treated her helpers like crap. She stifles yawns on several occasions, when frankly, she would've been completely boggled in real life. Having paranormal powers explained to you isn't exactly a yawn-fest. She was a total brat.
There is one point where a tragedy strikes Bridget and her friends, it's brutal, and it's really just glossed over. "Oh, terrible thing happened...so sad...moving on." Frustrating.
The point-of-view is scattered, as well. Are we third person, or are we in Bridget's head?? It's not always clear.
Lastly, the author tried way to hard to make these kids teenagers. They said weird and cliche phrases, and what the hell is up with "flail"? While I appreciate the reference, it was overdone.
So I guess I'm going with 3 stars for the fact that the book actually did scare me. I'm feeling generous.
I found this book scary. Cliche-scary, but scary, nonetheless. It was exciting, and I eagerly kept reading page after page, so the premise was definitely spooky, cool, and interesting.
However, I also found it predictable. The bad guys were completely obvious to me very early on. It was easy to see where the story might lead, who was good, who was bad, and definitely which boy she'd end up with.
As for Bridget, our reluctant heroine...she got on every last nerve I have. She was petulant, immature, and just plain stupid. She was obviously supposed to be some kind of catholic school bad girl, but she was perfectly well-behaved and had nice, tame friends. So that was a fail. Her most annoying attribute was her attitude when someone would try to answer her questions or help her understand something. She was the one looking to be enlightened, and yet treated her helpers like crap. She stifles yawns on several occasions, when frankly, she would've been completely boggled in real life. Having paranormal powers explained to you isn't exactly a yawn-fest. She was a total brat.
There is one point where a tragedy strikes Bridget and her friends, it's brutal, and it's really just glossed over. "Oh, terrible thing happened...so sad...moving on." Frustrating.
The point-of-view is scattered, as well. Are we third person, or are we in Bridget's head?? It's not always clear.
Lastly, the author tried way to hard to make these kids teenagers. They said weird and cliche phrases, and what the hell is up with "flail"? While I appreciate the reference, it was overdone.
So I guess I'm going with 3 stars for the fact that the book actually did scare me. I'm feeling generous.
sophilozophy's review against another edition
5.0
I'd describe Possess as Buffy the Exorcist. The Exorcist part is obvious and the reason I think of Buffy is because like her, Bridget was always fated to this battle against demons and other forces of darkness. Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides, teaches and trains her. Bridget has San Francisco's Monsignor Renault and keeps her extracurricular activities a secret while going about her everyday life.
Possess isn't like anything I've ever read – which is very refreshing to say. Bridget is definitely not the shy type that wants to be rescued. She's a tough, independent and enjoys the feeling of power her ability gives her while fearing what having it makes her at the same time.
I really enjoyed the fact Bridget was the one being pursed by Matt, her former childhood friend who recently moved back to San Francisco and has taken on the role of protector for both her and younger brother Sammy. Unlike Bridget with her combat boots and friends she can count on one hand, Matt is very popular. It was obviously Matt liked her and despite sarcastic remarks and giving him the cold shoulder that Bridget liked him too. I always root for the childhood friends that now have the possibility of being more.
Possess is a dark, unique and captivating fast-paced story. I enjoyed the unsettling feeling I got reading it. The vivid descriptions helped me picture every scene effortlessly in my mind and the unpredictable plot kept me in a constant state of suspense that only increased from page to page. The first thought I had when I turn the last page was that I want more of this world Gretchen McNeil created. I really hope this isn't the last I hear of Bridget and Matt.
Possess isn't like anything I've ever read – which is very refreshing to say. Bridget is definitely not the shy type that wants to be rescued. She's a tough, independent and enjoys the feeling of power her ability gives her while fearing what having it makes her at the same time.
I really enjoyed the fact Bridget was the one being pursed by Matt, her former childhood friend who recently moved back to San Francisco and has taken on the role of protector for both her and younger brother Sammy. Unlike Bridget with her combat boots and friends she can count on one hand, Matt is very popular. It was obviously Matt liked her and despite sarcastic remarks and giving him the cold shoulder that Bridget liked him too. I always root for the childhood friends that now have the possibility of being more.
Possess is a dark, unique and captivating fast-paced story. I enjoyed the unsettling feeling I got reading it. The vivid descriptions helped me picture every scene effortlessly in my mind and the unpredictable plot kept me in a constant state of suspense that only increased from page to page. The first thought I had when I turn the last page was that I want more of this world Gretchen McNeil created. I really hope this isn't the last I hear of Bridget and Matt.
sirensaria's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very good book. At times, the storyline felt a little rushed, but the idea behind the whole story was rather interesting. The characters were very real and believable. The religious ideas behind the story weren't too focused upon so it didn't really detract from the story. Overall, a pretty damn good book.