☆☆☆☆, 25 /5
(english review below)

Alors que ce roman s'inscrit dans tout ce que j'évite dans mes lectures (paranormal, thriller), me causant généralement trop d'angoisse et de peur, les avis autour de cette histoire ont tout de même fini par m'intriguer... Au point que j'ai décidé d'en commencer la lecture et de jour évidemment.
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Quand il s'agit de contacter les morts, il est facile d'aller un peu trop loin

Chaque année, à l'approche de l'anniversaire du 11 septembre, Kit Capriol scanne les monuments commémoratifs publiés dans le New York Times. C'est une chose simple de rechercher un nom et un numéro de téléphone, d'atteindre les membres survivants de la famille qui pourraient encore aspirer à un lien avec leur être cher perdu... pour offrir de l'aide. Après que son mari soit décédé dans la Tour Nord, Kit s'est débrouillée en tant qu'actrice, subvenant à peine à ses besoins et à celui de sa fille. Mais maintenant, Zoey est à l'hôpital, les factures sont immenses et le travail d'acteur s'est tari. Devenir médium est presque trop facile pour quelqu'un qui a l'habitude de prétendre gagner sa vie, et les clients désespérés ne sont pas difficiles à trouver.
Cependant, quelque chose a changé. Les séances que Kit tient dans son appartement commencent à sembler d'une réalité troublante, et l'homme intrigant qu'elle a rencontré dans un bar local pourrait être plus compliqué qu'il n'y paraît. Alors que les voix des morts se font plus fortes dans sa tête et que les murs de son appartement se rapprochent, Kit se rend compte que malgré l'absence de sa fille, elle n'a pas été aussi seule qu'elle le pensait...
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Je dois dire que c'était une plutôt bonne lecture.
Outre l'angoisse qui pointait déjà le bout de son nez car je craignais d'avoir trop peur, en fait, je m'étais laissée submerger pour rien ahah. C'était une histoire qui m'a faite lentement frissonner et qui m'a faite réfléchir quant à son dénouement tout au long de ma lecture.
Le style d'écriture de l'auteur était beau, presque poétique. Dans ce roman, il a instauré une ambiance plutôt lourde, sans pour autant qu'elle soit étouffante. Les clins d'oeil au paranormal, le suspens maintenu étaient si discrets et bien distillés au fil du roman que cette lecture est passée toute seule pour moi. J'ai dévoré chaque page, sans avoir peur, mise en confiance par l'auteur et son histoire.
Kit est un personnage que j'ai fini par apprécié au fil des pages. Je ne savais pas ce que c'était mais au début, j'avais du mal à l'apprécier. Quelque chose n'allait pas avec elle et c'est en la suivant dans l'intrigue que j'ai su. J'ai trouvé que l'auteur a bien joué avec la psychologie de la protagoniste. Kit est terriblement humaine dans ses comportements. Au fil de sa vie, sa marge de liberté change, ses choix ont des conséquences et la jeune femme fait comme elle peut pour s'adapter et compenser. Elle a des besoins auxquels il faut qu'elle réponde et même si ce n'est pas toujours avec la bonne manière, pour elle cela marche -bien qu'on s'entende que sur le long terme, ce n'est pas bon. Et c'est ce côté de sa personne, de son histoire que j'ai aimé parce que nous pouvons tous plus ou moins nous identifier à ses sentiments ou son vécu en tant qu'êtres humains.
Enfin, c'était un bon roman psychologie, rempli de mystères. Je regretterais presque que l'histoire ne soit pas un peu plus terrifiante ahah.

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ENGLISH REVIEW:

While this book fits into everything I avoid in my readings (paranormal, thriller), usually causing me too much angst and fear, the opinions surrounding this story have ended up intriguing me all the same... So much so that I decided to start reading it.
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When it comes to contacting the dead, it's easy to go a step too far

Every year, as the anniversary of 9/11 inches closer on the calendar, Kit Capriol scans the memorials published in the New York Times. It's a simple thing to look up a name and phone number, to reach out to surviving family members who might still be yearning for connection with their lost loved one... to offer assistance. After her husband went down in the north tower, Kit scraped by as an actress, barely supporting herself and her daughter. But now Zoey is in the hospital, bills are due, and the acting work has dried up. Becoming a medium is almost too easy for someone used to pretending for a living—and desperate clients aren't hard to come by.
Now, though, something has changed. The seances Kit holds in her apartment are starting to feel unsettlingly real, and the intriguing man she met at a local bar could be more complicated than he seems. As the voices of the dead grow louder in her head and the walls of her apartment close in, Kit realizes that despite her daughter's absence, she hasn't been quite as alone as she thought...
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I have to say it was a pretty good read.
Besides the anguish because I was afraid of being too afraid, in fact, I had let myself be overwhelmed for nothing haha. It was a story that slowly made me shudder and made me think about its outcome throughout my reading.
The author's writing style was beautiful, almost poetic. In this story, he created a rather heavy atmosphere, without being overwhelming. The nods to the paranormal, the maintained suspense were so discreet and well distilled over the course of the story that I devoured each page, without being afraid, put in confidence by the author and his story.
Kit is a character that I have come to appreciate over the pages. I didn't know what it was but at first I found it hard to appreciate her. Something was wrong with her and it was following her in the plot that I found out. I found that the author played well with the psychology of the protagonist. Kit is terribly human in her behavior. Over the course of her life, her margin of freedom changes, her choices have consequences and the young woman does what she can to adapt and cope. She has needs and even if it isn't always in the right way, for her it works -although we agree that in the long term, it isn't good. And it's this side of her person, of her story that I liked because we can all more or less identify with her feelings or her experience as human beings.
Finally, it was a good psychology book, filled with mysteries. I almost wish the story was a little more terrifying haha.

I really enjoyed this one. A creepy supernatural thriller with an interesting lead character, of dubious morality, and a plot that continually surprises, particularly in the second half. An entertaining read, it would make a good Netflix horror series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was going to be super creepy, but unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. I could not finish the novel and ended up DNF-ing around 30% in. The plot always felt like it was trying to do something more than it ever accomplished. Maybe the dialogue just didn't connect with me, but I would be willing to try another book from this author in the future.

I thought that I knew how this book was going to play out, based on the first half of the story. However, just when you get into the groove with it, the book picks up and goes in a different direction than anticipated. The paranormal action was done well and held my attention, with a few creepy moments as well.

👻 I had absolutely not idea what I was getting myself into with this one. I’m so glad I can say that I actually really enjoyed this one - a lot more than I was expecting to. I will advice with caution as this book does mention 9/11 quite a bit. I actually enjoyed following Kit, yes she was irritating at times but I think it worked out with the story.

👻 This book has some surprising twists. The ending left me completely shock on so many levels, I was so surprised and wasn’t expecting that whatsoever. The writing was so wonderful, I would definitely read more from this author. I felt instantly drawn into the story and kept flipping them pages. I was guessing what would happen throughout the whole story. So glad I can say I wasn’t disappointed.

👻 The Summoning was such a great story, although there are ghosts I wouldn’t consider it horror (more of a mystery). I was blown away by how much I actually enjoyed it, considering I had low standards. This one was suspenseful but not in a way I would’ve imagined. The suspense didn’t get too into the paranormal side which I actually enjoyed! Overall, this was such a surprising and great read!!

✨Thank you @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the gifted copy!!✨

CW: The 9/11/01 Terrorist attacks and aftermath are discussed and play a large part in the plot.
Two stars.
After reading the blurb, I was expecting this one to be a lot creepier than it was. I'm not sure I got this one... I thought it had a lot of promise, but it never really came together for me. I thought it was supposed to be more of a ghost story, more macabre, more disturbing… more SOMETHING. The dialogue seemed stilted and fake, and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. A lot of aspects of the story could have been developed more -- like Kit's sudden abilities. Were they real? Why did they suddenly appear? Was she haunted? Was it all in her head? The ending was a sort of confusing let-down, and the "twist" just seemed there for shock value. The potential was here… I just wanted more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review The Summoning.

This book sounded so creepy! For those readers who get scared easily, the good news is that this is more of a mystery/light thriller with just a touch of the supernatural. There are a couple of small creepy parts, but they aren't that bad at all.

So go on and pick this one up. Don't be scared!

The character of Kit was not very likable to me. Understanding the position she was in and feeling empathetic for her, I tried really hard to understand her decisions. But there were several that I was very frustrated with, the biggest one....if she needed money why couldn't she go get a regular job? Has she not heard of being a waitress? I don't know...

The mystery was interesting though. The reveals from the author throughout the book kept my interest and had me reading the book in 1 day. The overall story was probably a 3 from me but the fact that I just had to know how it ended was the biggest draw of this story.

Thank you to #PoisonedPenPress for this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a unique book and I've never read anything quite like it before. It sometimes got a little bogged down with multiple storylines, but I really did enjoy it overall. I have some patrons in mind already that I will be recommending this one to. Thank you!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Not a bad read but just not my cup of tea i guess, also felt long for the amount of pages somehow lol but would recommend

I'm not sure what I read because it was so confusing. There were so many storylines and no clear, concise path. I wish the writer had taken a few twists out and made it more streamlined.

I received a free advance reader's copy and am leaving this review voluntarily...

This book was interesting but quite slow at first. Kit was a strong character and well fleshed out. However, during the book, there were some characters who were unnecessary. This made some parts of the story confusing.

The atmosphere was excellently done. It felt like those horrors which I love, the ones which don't rely on blood and gore to scare the reader. It happened in modern times but sometimes I had to actually remind myself of that. The ending was worth the slow burn of the story and it tied everything together in a satisfying way.

Thanks to this book, I would definitely try more of this author's work.

There were some adult situations within this book so I would suggest that this book is read by older teens and adults who enjoy good old-fashioned horror stories.

Such a good morality question inside of this book. I did love that it made me think of how I would try and handle things but I definately saw who the bad guy was from a mile away. Things just were so sketch it was obvious. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a slow burn that I expected to be a bit creepier than it was, but was entertaining nonetheless. I find mediums and the paranormal unbelievable which makes for fairly low stress entertainment. Overall well written if not a bit slow building.

The premise of this book pulled me in immediately! I was really looking forward to a spooky read, particularly around this time of year, but unfortunately, this one just felt confused and a unfocused.

I must admit, the main character in the book was its saving grace! I enjoyed Kit and how she negotiated her life and tried to get herself back on track. She was vulnerable but with a hidden strength that really resonated with me and I genuinely wanted everything to work out for her!

It was the storyline that let this books down for me! It is difficult to review properly without giving away spoilers but this book seemed to be trying to be too many things at once and this, for me, resulted in it becoming confused and that translated on to me as the reader! The spooky aspects of this book were definitely atmospheric and the writing was really good but I couldn't surrender myself to it as there were too any characters that came in and out of the novel without impact or cause and the ending simply left me scratching my head!

This book had so much promise but felt a bit of a let down.

I was excited for this book when I first heard about it and even more excited that I got it from NetGalley to read and review.

Overall the book had some good moments, there were also some very confusing parts. It took until the end for me to really get into the book and see how everything concluded.

This book was not exactly what i thought it was going to be and i am still processing everything.. I am not sure if i would recommend this book to my family and friends or not.. i don't know yet....

Kit capriol is an out of work actress who channels the dead to make ends meet after the passing of her husband Peter on 9/11 . For Kit her seances have always for the most part been a performance . But things are starting to change shadows are lurking in doorways strange noises and things being moved in the middle of the night . Has Kit actually been communicating with the deceased ?
This book hooked me from the beginning . I loved the supernatural elements that it had . There are also tons of plot twists . The ending will surprise readers for sure . Overall this was a great read .
This book is a great read for spooky season 🔮 👻

This book definitely set me up for fall season and I'm all for it! If you like short chapters, suspenseful and spooky, this book is for you! It is a mix of thrill and horror- definitely hard to read at night. For a quick read, I really enjoyed it!

This is one of those books that give you eerie vibes one moment and then “what the heck is going on” feelings the next. Everything seems so bizarre and confusing until it’s not and it all starts to come together to make sense. A great mystery thriller with unexpected resolutions. I highly recommend for fans of Lisa Jewel or Ruth Ware.

The leading ladies narrative is quite strong and well written. In fact, I was sure this was a female author. And was very surprised to learn I was wrong. Props to J. P. Smith for fooling me; and for keenly understanding that strong, smart women can still be nervous or unsure at times. I appreciated the dynamic here of our lonely widow and her struggles; but how she’s persevered regardless. The heroine of the story and her character’s voice is what makes this story for me.

Mystery/Thriller
I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery/thriller (with a hint of supernatural) to it. This is not my usual genre; but I was intrigued by the psychic medium spin and in the mood for something a bit different. I’m glad I read it. While not amazing or perfect; and maybe 3.5 stars would be more appropriate than 4, the reality is that I truly enjoyed the strong narrative voice in The Summoning. The slow burn of the story felt very well paced to me and quite realistic. Added to that the supernatural element tossed in and I was hooked.

The End
The ending is the key to this story and you won’t know what the plot really is until you’re almost done with the novel. Without giving it away, I can say it brings up questions of societal power, gender roles, grief, and the assumption or expectation (if you will) that most people are inherently good. This skewing of people and the ‘goodness’ of our society comes crashing down even as I still asked myself ‘am I sure whose the villain?’ Not because it’s not obvious in the end but because of the blend of the otherworldly with stark, assured realism.

Overall
Clever is the best description for The Summoning. You think you’re reading one type of story; only to realize that maybe it’s not as cut and dry as it seems. A wonderful blend of realism and paranormal. While a few moments felt slightly ripped off (I swear it’s Sleep Away Camp referenced) none of these moments change the impact of the ending. Thankfully I enjoyed the characters a lot, and found the pacing to my taste (which is to say that some might find it a touch slow). I liked how realistic the set-up (and ending) felt given the occult inclusion. This is one you have to read to decide if it’s for you as I can’t say too much because it would spoil the whole experience and ending.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Summoning by J.P.Smith.
The premise of this book pulled me into the story. The characters were likable and easy to relate to. The mix of paranormal and ghost was enough to add suspense without making me sleep with the lights on. However, Smith weaves several storylines that are dropped and not tied up with the rest of the book. At the two-third mark of the book I was all in and excited because I had no idea how the story would end. But, the end was disappointing. I really wanted a paranormal twist; something unpredictable that was alluded to but never delivered.