The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion (Dark Visions, #1-3)

My rating:

add to my books

The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion (Dark Visions #1-3)

by L.J. Smith

4.20 · rating details · 8,198 ratings · 554 reviews

GIFTED AND CURSED
Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: She's a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens.

Learn

...more

Paperback, 730 pages

Published December 15th 2009 by Simon Pulse (first published November 1st 1998)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Paranormal Romance Series

99th out of 360 books — 3,565 voters

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

TRT's 2009 Gotta Have 'Em List! (Part 1)

33rd out of 155 books — 436 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 13,061)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 12, 2010

Emma rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: teen, paranormal-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was a sure winner as I loved the Night World Series.

Kaitlyn/Kait has psychic powers, she has precognitions and premonitions but she can only see them, and draw them, she can't stop them from happening as she can't control it. She has never been accepted in her home town but soon she is at an Institute with four other psychics learning to control their abilities, or at least they think that is what they are doing. Little do they know that Mr Z has other plans, plans that i...moreThis book was a sure winner as I loved the Night World Series.

Kaitlyn/Kait has psychic powers, she has precognitions and premonitions but she can only see them, and draw them, she can't stop them from happening as she can't control it. She has never been accepted in her home town but soon she is at an Institute with four other psychics learning to control their abilities, or at least they think that is what they are doing. Little do they know that Mr Z has other plans, plans that involve him controlling them for his own desires. They need to stop him before he destroys their lives as well as the lives of others, and the only way to do this is to run away and find the magic that can stop him, for only magic can fight magic. They embark on a journey to find the Fellowship, an old race who is calling to Kait. All their hopes and expectations are shattered when they find them, revealing themselves as a peaceful race. All that is left for them to do is fight Mr Z themselves, even if it kills them in the process.

But things aren't that simple. Gabriel, devastated they can't help them, more specifically him realises that the winning side is with Mr Z and betrays them all by returning and helping to destroy the members of the Fellowship, and his 'friends' if need be. But will his unexplained and uncontrollable love for Kaitlyn be his weakness? Well I can't say, I have already given too much away!

This story was split into three, like all the other bind ups by L J Smith, but this time it was a continuous story, which I loved. Like her other books there is a journey, a discovery and a love triangle, not to mention a mystery to unravel. All good things to make a book hard to put down!

I read it a second time and loved it just as much! The fight between loving the good or the evil, the choices. It is a book more than anything of self discovery, especially for Kaitlyn. It was fast paced, never dull and it grips you, i read it in 12 hours tops because it makes you want so much more.

(less)

like 8 likes

· see review

Mar 24, 2010

Kim rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya, read-in-2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2 1/2 stars. This 1/2 stars thing is becoming a trend in my reviews.

I don't want to give it 2 stars because the book kept me entertained. I don't want to give it 3 stars because it had too many flaws.

First of all: the main character, Kaitlyn: she raises the bar for all Mary Sues out there. She is the epitome of Mary Suedom. She's different from everybody else. A witch. An outcast who was so 'ugly' kids dared each other to run up to her and touch her (yes I'm being serious...more2 1/2 stars. This 1/2 stars thing is becoming a trend in my reviews.

I don't want to give it 2 stars because the book kept me entertained. I don't want to give it 3 stars because it had too many flaws.

First of all: the main character, Kaitlyn: she raises the bar for all Mary Sues out there. She is the epitome of Mary Suedom. She's different from everybody else. A witch. An outcast who was so 'ugly' kids dared each other to run up to her and touch her (yes I'm being serious). No friends. People where scared of her because of the ~special color of her eyes. A loner who likes to draw and sees the world with an artist's eye. This girl will eventually blossom *insert hand gestures* and even turns into some kind of leader figure/heroine/here she comes to save the day-kind of girl. *facepalm*

Kaitlyn can the future and because of her special ability, she is asked to participate in some sort of project for special kids. She and 4 other kids agree and they are sent to some sort of house where they all live together, so they can perform tests on them to see just how psychic they are. Each of them has a different power.

Naturally, Kaitlyn falls in love with the first boy she sees (Rob) and in return, everybody is smitten with her because she (what a surprise!) is gorgeous! Even the dangerous killer Gabriel, who killed 2 people so far (not bad for a 17-year old) BUT *insert music* the fact that he didn't mean to kill them... makes it alright! He couldn't control his powers! The audience sighs with relief. Yeah he's just a badboy, rawr.

Rob of course doesn't know what hit him because his mind doesn't work that way. Apparently. He doesn't think of girls in a romantic way. Boys at that age... Like Xander once said: looking at linoleum makes guys want to have sex. But thanks to Kait's dazzling looks and charming personality, Rob will quickly change his mind. The most logical next step is a jealous Gabriel etc etc blah blah. Two completely different guys fighting for the same girl. How original.

The funder of this little project turns out to be an evil mastermind who wants to use those kids for all kind of dark and illegal things (minds out of the gutter, now) but this all becomes clear pretty early on in the story. Kaitlyn, Rob, Gabriel, Anna and Lewis run away to find help, they get caught (more or less), meanwhile Gabriel goes back willingly and suddenly decides he is evil (Kait led him on, the little skank). Then Kait decides to go back and save him (she thinks she's the only one he'll listen to), but then it's her turn to be rejected. Some stuff happens then (boring things, mostly) and eventually Kait and Gabriel hook up. The end.

What I liked a lot was the psychic link between the 5 main characters. They hear each other's thoughts (thanks to Gabriel). You'd think the writer would have used this amazing little gem to build up the relationships, right? Well, she didn't. How she missed that home run is beyond me.

Side note: I know this makes me sound like a pervert but I think the idea of communicating with somebody on such a personal level is very appealing. I'd kill to have something like that with somebody (preferably the love of my life lol)

Let's see... There was a lot of lip curling going on (have you ever seen anybody do that in real life while being serious?), a lot of action, and I have to admit I stayed entertained. Conclusion: good storyline, not enough creativity, could have been something A LOT better. L.J. Smith, it was nice meeting you but I won't be reading any more of your books. I'm sorry, god knows I tried.(less)

like 19 likes

· see review

Sep 12, 2009

Jordan K Bell rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-ive-read-more-than-once

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 2 likes

· see review

Nov 22, 2011

Myvampfiction rated it

· review of another edition

review by Saluki

*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*

The “Dark Visions” series by L.J. Smith is comprised of three books, “Strange Power,” “The Possessed,” and “The Passion”. In these books, a totally different type of vampire is explored: a psychic vampire. These vampires aren’t out for blood, instead they crave energy. However, their bite can be every bit as deadly as vampires that drink blood.

Kaitlyn Fairchild is a misfit. She has strange blue eyes and th...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 22, 2011

Alicia rated it

· review of another edition

I really like, and have done for quite a while, Smith’s style of writing – with just a few magical, spellbinding words she is able to create entirely new worlds; most remarkable of all is that they are believable and it is a complete outrage that she has been fired. Dark Visions is a trilogy consisting of The Strange Power, The Possessed and The Passion (I do love book titles with random-artistic-names-that-have-barely-anything-to- do-with-the-story), which were written in 1994/5 and recently re...moreI really like, and have done for quite a while, Smith’s style of writing – with just a few magical, spellbinding words she is able to create entirely new worlds; most remarkable of all is that they are believable and it is a complete outrage that she has been fired. Dark Visions is a trilogy consisting of The Strange Power, The Possessed and The Passion (I do love book titles with random-artistic-names-that-have-barely-anything-to- do-with-the-story), which were written in 1994/5 and recently republished so that all the books were binded up – a great idea, but it was ridiculously tiring reading them back-to-back, resulting in me losing interest in the entire story about halfway through, so unless you're utterly engrossed, I would perhaps recommend you read a different book in-between so you don't get bored, should you choose to read Dark Visions.

There was an amazing amount of twists and turns, most of which took me completely by surprise, but there were so many that I began to feel like Smith was trying far too hard to give the story life. The Strange Power starts off interestingly enough, drawing you into the premise; Kaitlyn, the central character and sort-of narrator, is your average unpopular teenager, except she draws the future. Miraculously, the Zetes institute has heard of her and offers to help her with her psychic abilities, along with other teens like her. She fits in there perfectly, (and of course the two good looking boys there soon lust after her) until they find themselves in a dangerous psychic link and discover all is not as it seems…, but the other two stories dragged quite a lot for me.

I didn’t mind Kaitlyn too much at first, but her narration soon got on my nerves, and although we hear her pretty-much-every thought and feeling, she didn’t appear to develop much of a character, whereas Gabriel’s point of view proved a very refreshing change and enabled the reader to learn more about his motives and character; though I also found that bad boy Gabriel was remarkably similar to bad boy Damon from The Vampire Diaries (which was written before this trilogy) whilst other characters like Anna and Lewis were not explored at all, and appeared to only be there to move the story along and so there was not just Rob, Kaitlyn and Gabriel at the institute.

However, it was incredibly imaginative and very well-written throughout, with both the mystery and the romance elements well-played and I think many people would enjoy it, especially fans of Smith and similar authors.(less)

· see review

Jun 29, 2011

Jahlia ( (the lovely abnix, thing 10 Evil 1)) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: left-with-an-empty-feeling

These books left me with a positively empty feeling inside. It was entertaining while i read it but eventually that faded.

The plot wasn't the most original i'd seen but it was a refreshing relief from the usual YA fiction. The idea of psychic vampires was a bit different and not as commonly used as the idea of regular vampires.

The charactors fell a bit flat for me, and eventually i lost interest in them, and no matter how i tried i couldn't force myself to care at all a...more

· see review

May 21, 2011

Amanda J rated it

· review of another edition

This book was sexy and suspenseful! L.J always finds a way to create the perfect heroin and hasn't yet to disappoint!
This story is about Kaitlyn Fairchild, a girl with fiery hair to match her temper, and a pair of haunting witch eyes to go with her prophetic drawings to earn her the top spot as an outsider and freak in her home town. They all consider her a witch, but she isn't; she's a psychic. Kaitlyn can't wait for college and finally leave high school at the end of the year, but ever...moreThis book was sexy and suspenseful! L.J always finds a way to create the perfect heroin and hasn't yet to disappoint!
This story is about Kaitlyn Fairchild, a girl with fiery hair to match her temper, and a pair of haunting witch eyes to go with her prophetic drawings to earn her the top spot as an outsider and freak in her home town. They all consider her a witch, but she isn't; she's a psychic. Kaitlyn can't wait for college and finally leave high school at the end of the year, but everything is put on hold when Joyce shows up at school and Kait accepts the invitation to the Zetes institute of Physic Studies. Here she can get a fresh start and study with other psychic teens to learn how to control their powers. At the institute Kaitlyn meets Rob. The model southern golden boy and not shy of gorgeous, he uses his powers to heal others with his psychic energy, he's kind and gorgeous with his golden hair and eyes to match he's warm and inviting, but completely clueless when it comes to girls. Kaitlyn quickly finds her self falling for the all-american boy, and then she meets Gabriel. Completely opposite of rob, he's definitely not the boy next door. With striking features, black shaggy hair, and opaque black eyes, he's dangerously beautiful; and it's not just an act. Gabriel is also aggressive and mysterious, a telepath with the true nature of a psychic vampire; feeding off other peoples life force. Together, with Rob and Gabriel's history and opposing forces, they begin to threaten the stability of the group. Then one of the experiments goes wrong, trapping the five teens into a psychic link. It soon starts to threaten all the members sanities and even their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust, and whom to love.

This book was fantastic! There's a love triangle with Rob, Kait, and Gabriel, and also forbidden love and tuns and tuns of action! 5 stars! L.J always succeeds to create the perfect bad boy and then the perfect way to redeem himself to make him worthy for the girl! This book gave me every emotion to rage, to excitement, to horror, to love. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes L.J Smith's work, or any romance or fantasy novels! (less)

· see review

May 06, 2011

Saba rated it

· review of another edition

This novel follows the adventures of five physcic both blessed and cursed because of their power. Rob is the healer, Anna manipulates animals, Lewis is the quick talking "mind over matter" guy, Gabriel, the physic vampire, and Kaitlyn , the witch.

Five teens invited to live together in a purple mansion called "The Insitute", to inhance their powers and be given the scholarship of a life time. And who would be so kind as to do this? Mr.Zetes.

Of course there'...more

· see review

Mar 03, 2011

Stormmyy.. rated it

· review of another edition

This book is amazing!! The unique plot with extraodinary characters is one thingt that sets this book apart from the rest of the ever frequent fantasy books out right now! Dark Visions is about a girl named Kaitlyn Fairchild that is born with the ability to draw the future. In a sheer suprise she finds herself being admitted into a institute specifically created to study and research those of her kind. Left to join the institute she finds herself making real friends for the first time in her lif...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 07, 2011

Elizabeth rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Nov 26, 2010

Bethany Huang (Midnight Mermaids) rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Readers of Kelley Armstrong's books

Just finishing this book has take off at least a quarter of my huge TBR stack. Just as humongous as this book was, it only took me about 3-4 days since it was so spellbinding. Kaitlyn, Anna, Lewis, Rob and Gabriel are the protagonists of the story-and Gabriel is temporarily the antagonism. Kaitlyn gets a chance to become a different person-and to reshape her personality. When she takes the chance, suddenly life as she knew it is changing. Her reputation as a witch was caused by her drawings th...more

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 07, 2010

Rosa Rosario rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In "Dark Visions" by L.J. Smith, the five main characters: Kaitlyn, Gabriel, Rob, Lewis and Ana are being recruited to an institue in Calafornia. This institute claims that they help people with strong psychic powers, and want to help them to explore their powers in depth, and change the world. But this is not their only intentions, they have very bad things in mind for these children. Which lead the, on an adventure, looking for the fellowship and a way to destroy Mr.Zetes, the creato...more

· see review

Jul 22, 2010

Arya rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

As always L. J. Smith does not fail to amaze me! She has written a book true to her "vampire" theme, but so different from Night World you will wonder if this is actually the same author. These vampires are psychic, and they are not after your blood. . .

Kaitlyn Fairchild has always been the social pariah. In her small town she is considered a witch and a plague on society, but Kait isn't a witch she is a psychic, and there is a man who will stop at nothing to exploit he...more

· see review

Feb 03, 2010

Erin Sterling rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: psc, read-in-2010, teen-fiction, teen-fantasy

2.5 Twilight readalike about psychic vampires. I liked L.J. Smith's other vampire books better--I just couldn't get into psychic vampires.

---------------
Kaitlyn Fairchild has always been an outsider with her strange eyes and ability to draw the future in her small Ohio town, so she jumps at the opportunity to attend the Zetes Institute and study with 4 other psychics in California with the promise of money and free college tuition in exchange for being studied. Making friends...more

· see review

Jan 29, 2010

Darcy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

Strange Power
This is a very good book. The the vampire in this book ix very different. He doesn't suck blood, he sucks energy. All of the characters are very interesting. The book involves plenty of evil. The students really start to notice something terribly wrong. The book ends in a nice clip hanger. I couldn't put this book done. This is the first L.J. Smith novel I have read. I really think a lot of people will like this. I certainly recommend this to everyone. Kaitlyn is a nice girl t...moreStrange Power
This is a very good book. The the vampire in this book ix very different. He doesn't suck blood, he sucks energy. All of the characters are very interesting. The book involves plenty of evil. The students really start to notice something terribly wrong. The book ends in a nice clip hanger. I couldn't put this book done. This is the first L.J. Smith novel I have read. I really think a lot of people will like this. I certainly recommend this to everyone. Kaitlyn is a nice girl that tends to run into a lot more trouble then everyone else. I thought it so romantic that Gabriel rescues her from the guy at the airport who shows up at the house. I'm surprised the grown-ups let the kids do whatever they want. The adults are very strange. Something is terribly wrong with the place and the people working there. Kaitlyn liked two of the guys involved in the experiments. Gabriel seems to dangerous. They all need to find help. The truths are hidden by lies. Lewis cares way too much to much about objects. He's so oblivious to everything going on around him. Many things start to unravel. You start wondering what the experiments are for, how the kids are going to manage their powers, and terrible evil lurking in the house. I think it is quite funny that Zetes have two small nasty dogs. They hardly seem real. The author makes you hate these dogs more than anything.
The Possessed
This was another great book of series. A lot of things happen in this book. There is a lot of suspense. The students are trying to escape Mr. Zetes the man who is trying to turn them into weapons or kill them. This one is better than first. I definitely recommend reading this one. The students show up at the house of protection and learn many secrets. They learn about their race and the mysterious crystal. They also are attacked by other people of their own race. Join them in the escape from Mr. Zetes.
The Passion
I really loved this book. The ending is perfect. Some of it you expect but some of it you don't. At first I though tit would be another vampire novel but it isn't. This is great for any teen to read who really likes fantasy. The book shows some evil, but it just briefly touches it. The book has some tense moments in it. I couldn't put this book down. I found this to be very exciting. LJ Smith has gotten me to read everything she has written. I didn't find a moment of dullness.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Sep 26, 2009

Erin rated it

Shelves: 2009, multiple-reads

I can't lie - I was really into LJ Smith when I was in middle school. I think I found some Night World books in a used bookstore and went crazy from there. And then, sadly, I was packing for college and, seriously underestimating the power of nostalgia and importance of comfort reading, packed them all up and gave them to Goodwill. All of them! Night World, Dark Visions, Forbidden Game, Secret Circle! Everything! How foolish.

Fast forward a few years, and picture my (really embarrassi...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Jul 19, 2009

K rated it

· review of another edition

Dark Visions is another book which includes 3 stories: The Strange Power, The Possessed, and The Passion. As I have found Smith's books to be hot and cold, I was nervous about this one, but was determined to read it anyways as the subject matter interested me. And... I was pleasantly suprised to find that I loved it. By that, I mean the stories interested me so much that I couldn't put it down due to having to see how things worked out in the end. Trust me when I say no one could be more sup...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Feb 04, 2012

Linette Leng rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who liek TMI, Vampire Diaries and Academy fans

Shelves: l-j-smith, best-books-ever

This is my favorite book! I mean like forever. This book has stolen my heart. I don't when I will EVER read a book like this. The Characters....the world....the plot...EVERYTHING was perfect!
My favorite characters in order of the web:

Gabriel was my favorite character from the start!
Anna: she is like the best friend anybody would ever want
Rob is Golden Boy in both ways.!!
Kaitlyn and the only reason why she's fourth is because she took way to long to figure out that...more

· see review

Jun 19, 2010

Shul rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

Like many of Smith's other books, I had a hard time getting into them at first. This book is huge because of it being three books in one, but each book itself is a decent size.

Again, it took a little while to get into it. The idea was interesting, very similar to Kelly Armstrong's Young adult series "Darkest Powers", though Smith's came out much later then Armstrong's. The story is a bunch of kids with various psychic powers get pulled together to be part of an experimen...more

· see review

Jun 14, 2010

Melissa Mandell rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: guilty-pleasures

Total guilty pleasure read - this thing has been on my shelf since I was about 16. L.J. Smith was the innocent-teen-dark-romance writer way before Stephanie Meyer came along.

Things I liked:
- A dark, mysterious love interest that is part friend, part foe
- Adventurous dangerous teenage road trip
- Psychic abilities, weeeeee fun
- Very good descriptive abilities - paints a very good picture of places, facial expressions, objects, physical sensations, dreams, etc. ...more

· see review

Oct 28, 2010

Zanthie * ♫ The Music Freak ♪ * rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of paranormal romance novels.

Shelves: action, must-read, romance, paranormal-supernatural, favourites, psychics, young-adult, magical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved this book. Yeah, it has it's negative points, but mainly, this book and positive points. It's well written, grips you from page one and has an intriguing plot.
YA books are usually centered around the same thing: vampires or werewolves. Now I have no problem with this, but seriously? Can't we have something a bit different for a change?
I was losing all hope of finding something original until I found this. Admittedly, plenty of novels have the same romance as this one: good g...moreI loved this book. Yeah, it has it's negative points, but mainly, this book and positive points. It's well written, grips you from page one and has an intriguing plot.
YA books are usually centered around the same thing: vampires or werewolves. Now I have no problem with this, but seriously? Can't we have something a bit different for a change?
I was losing all hope of finding something original until I found this. Admittedly, plenty of novels have the same romance as this one: good guy + bad guy = which to choose?
But, think about it, this book was first published in 1994, and RE-published in 2009. So, that's a lot before Twilight and the like, isn't it? So, did L.J.Smith copy Stephanie Meyer? No, unless she has a time machine, which I highly doubt 'cause someone would have found it by now.

Now, let's get down to the story. Kaitlyn is an outsider with no friends, and is made fun of in her rural area. She has an ability that frightens the narrow-minded residents near by: she has premonitions of the future, in the form of a drawing. But she never knows what they mean until it's too late.
Then, a woman called Joyce comes to her school claiming that Kaitlyn has a place at the Zetes Institute, a place for psychic teens to train their abilities. Five kids from over the states have been chosen. Kaitlyn accepts the offer, and moves to California to start her new life with fellow psychics: Rob, a golden boy than can heal others. Anna, a gentle girl that can influence animals. Lewis, a quirky chracter that uses PK, psychokinesis. And finally, Gabriel, a telepath that's been in jail for murder-twice.
The five realize that there's something dodgy going on behind the scenes of the institute, but after being nearly caught snooping around in the hidden room in the cellar, Gabriel accidentally traps them in a psychic web. There are five of them, creating a balanced shape, and the only way to break the web is to kill one of the members.
Then, when Kaitlyn and Gabriel are drawn to Mr.Zetes's house, they are both trapped. Gabriel is offered a chance to live: if he kills Kaitlyn. But after refusing, he is hooked up to the mutated crystal fulll of power that Mr.Zetes has in his possession, and is tortured by it for over an hour. Then, the others arrive and free them. This is when Rob realizes his love for Kaitlyn, and they end up together.
Now, they're on the run to find the strange man that was after Kaitlyn when they first arrived, the one that has been contacting them in their dreams. They travel through the states in search of a rocky beach, and a white house. But thanks to the powers of the crystal, Gabriel has become a psychic vampire: he needs to feed of another's life energy to survive. Kaitlyn offers herself as his pool of energy, hereby creating a bond between the two.
Eventually, they find the house, but due to Gabriel's past he is not welcome. The house is the hiding place of an ancient race of psychics, and they have the crystal that can destroy Mr.Zetes for good.
Gabriel rebels, and heads back to the institute. Kaitlyn knows she can change him, so she pretends to wasnt to serve Mr.Zetes too, and is welcomed back tot he institute, although there is suspicion surrounding her.
Mr. Zetes discovers she is a spy and traps her in an isolation tank, a tank where all her senses are cut off. Gabriel fights to talk to her telepathically, to keep her sane. Thsi is when they both realize they love eachother. The others come to the rescue, they fight off Mr.Zetes and kill him, and Gabriel and Kaitlyn have the happy ending they deserve.

^^^The plot was full of twists and exciting moments, even if the romance was a bit easy to guess. I was team Gabriel from the start: Rob was just too good. Fairplay L.J.Smith, you know how to write a good book. ;)
- Zanthie(less)

· see review

Nov 26, 2011

Sabruhu rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

3,5/5

J'ai lu ce livre dans le cadre du baby bit-lit challenge livraddict, si ce n'avait été pour ce challenge, je ne l'aurais jamais lu. En effet, je ne suis pas fan de l'écriture de L.J. Smith. J'ai commencé les "journal d'un vampire" mais le tome 4 m'a paru tellement tiré par les cheveux que je fais maintenant une looooongue pause dans cette série. Et ça aurait été dommage de ne pas lire ce livre, ce n'est pas le livre du mois attention mais j'ai finalement aimé cette lec...more

· see review

Jul 09, 2010

Kayla rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Psychic fans

A series of three books all wrapped up into a not-so small package of 732 pages... and it wasn't half bad. Not as good as some of Smith's other books, but good enough to hold its own in the book world.

Out of the three, I would have to say that the third book, "The Passion," would be my favorite. The second one, "The Possessed" was almost painfully predictable, and so it wasn't my favorite.

I sped-read through the first book, "The Strange Power,"...more

· see review

May 31, 2010

♥Knightly♥ rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, romance, paranormal, i-loved-this-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Dec 14, 2011

Lauren rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This book had so much potential! And I was thisclose to liking it! Instead, it ended up being okay. There were a couple of main things I just couldn't get over...

The good points:

The story really develops and keeps you wanting more. You don't want to put the book down because there's a lot of action. The relationship with Kait and Gabriel definitely has its moments. It's the only relationship in the book that really develops to a point that makes sense/is believable.
...moreThis book had so much potential! And I was thisclose to liking it! Instead, it ended up being okay. There were a couple of main things I just couldn't get over...

The good points:

The story really develops and keeps you wanting more. You don't want to put the book down because there's a lot of action. The relationship with Kait and Gabriel definitely has its moments. It's the only relationship in the book that really develops to a point that makes sense/is believable.

The not-so-good:

In the beginning of the book, Kait was totally against boys, she thought they were all jerks. Then, after getting into the Institute she meets Rob. Literally, I don't think even 24 hours passes until she declares herself in love with him. Seriously, "IN LOVE".... no crush, she's full out in love. I had a HUGE issue with this. Sure, I love the whole love at first sight thing, but I don't think this was it. It wasn't real or believable. I'm pretty sure their only dialogue is saying I love you, multiple times.... and it sort of leaves you saying - what?! LOL. I think later on in the book you're supposed to think she's torn between Rob and Gabriel, but her relationship with Rob was so unreal that I couldn't believe it to begin with.

Another issue - there wasn't enough dialogue between characters. Going with what I said above, I couldn't see how Kait could be in love with Rob when they barely exchanged any words.

I also hated the point of view the story was told. It was just too direct for me. "And then Kait said...." And then Kait thought..." It got to be too much.

The book was less enjoyable because it seemed the SAME words and sentences were copy and pasted multiple times. Every description was the same... her aquamarine eyes..., ...her witch eyes with rings around them..., etc. I got it the fist three times.

My last big issue was in the "last book"... Kait mourns over the character Leshaun...the one who attacked her twice trying to get her attention. She later learns he's not a bad guy when she finds him and the other Followers in Canada... but I'm pretty sure her and Leshaun barely spoke. When someone dies, of course it sucks and is sad, but she got really, really upset over finding out he was dead, missing him terribly, and seeking revenge.

Overall, the story left me entertained and I really would have liked it a lot if there was more dialogue/more of a believable relationship between the characters.

The story has great action and development. It wasn't awful or something I'd read again, but it was entertaining enough to recommend to others. (less)

· see review

Jan 26, 2012

CekMoNSter rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, english

This is a thick book as it comprises three serial stories in one book. The cover was not that eye-catching although dark design was pretty cool.

Completed The Strange POwer
-The first one. Female protoganist, living with other psychics in a house. Sort of dorm like.. This reminds me dearly of a game that I loved, called Persona 3.Somehow, it felt a bit like Cullen-ish because the psychic were treated like the superior family in their school.. The story begins with the introduction o...moreThis is a thick book as it comprises three serial stories in one book. The cover was not that eye-catching although dark design was pretty cool.

Completed The Strange POwer
-The first one. Female protoganist, living with other psychics in a house. Sort of dorm like.. This reminds me dearly of a game that I loved, called Persona 3.Somehow, it felt a bit like Cullen-ish because the psychic were treated like the superior family in their school.. The story begins with the introduction of Kaitlyn, who was able to draw future. She was brought to an institute, where she had agreed to be tested for her powers along with other four teens and the story continues with her, doubting the whole facility and its secret. I was expecting another Fourth Realm Trilogy to be honest, but somehow the ending wasn`t that impactful like I wish it did. But I like the characters, especially the main. She wasn`t funny, but she had this female authority in her, that kind of make her the leader, despite others strong power. I love the gullibility of Rob, although somehow I was worried that his innocence might be used against the team. Gabriel was the typical Edward Cullen in here. Lewis, is the clown.
All in all, this read felt a bit like Power Rangers where five combined to help protect the universe(or themselves) from the evil Mr.Z!!!
Will continue the next one..

Completed The possessed
-Okay, so this one is a bit of going downhill for me..It didn`t catch me like the first one, although this one kind of revealed another dark secret and somehow manage to test the relationships of the five. The story progressed with the five, running away from the Mr.Zetes and pretty much homeless. They were looking for a white house that they`ve seen in their joined dreams. The direction-less journey however was far from peace when a number of psychic attacks, attacked their car.Along this journey, Kait was being surprised with Gabriel`s secret, and his hunger.Again, I was hoping for more blood-fighting battle, but instead I was bombarded with juvenile fistfight. This plot I think can work wonders with older audience, packing in more actions as it goes, but as it was intended for a younger audience, I had to accept this as it was. A bit of disappointment though..
Will continue with the next one..

Completed The Passion
-This one is a bit better than the previous one. I kinda of respect the way Kait rationalize what she was supposed to do. She was torn between her love to Rob, or the need to save Gabriel. It was a bit childish though for her to choose to be a spy..Smart, but somehow I still had a feeling of childsplay here..The nasty portrayal of the crazies on the institute were believable, and it kinda scared me too. It was the spying thing that got me a bit mixed up..A bit ridiculous..But still I love that everyone is happy at the end..

Overall: 3.5 stars..
I love the main theme of the story, how it started as a place where five very gifted psychic met and learn about their powers. The characters development weren`t that smooth for me, except for Kait`s lovelife. The one major thing that weighed this story from getting 5 stars for me was actually the main idea and objective of the read. Provided that the writing was a bit more grandeur in term of its setting, with guns, killing, cops, digitalized gadgets, this can really work as an older read instead of just YA..But this is a YA book, one that I can`t argue about..So yeah.A pity there, when the story can actually be more successful..

Still a good read!Nuff said~(less)

· see review

Sep 01, 2011

Rachel rated it

· review of another edition

I loved it. I'm a huge fan of L.J Smith as a general rule, but I absolutely adored this book (or should that be books? It is a trilogy put into one, after all). First off, Gabriel is without a doubt my favourite character. I loved him from the first page and I probably spent the whole book most interested in what was going to happen to him. He's dark, mysterious, cold and frosty on the outside but warm and so terribly lovable on the inside. I did spend most of the book torn, as well. I really wa...more

· see review

Jan 26, 2011

Constantly-dreaming rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Kelley Armstrong's 'Darkest Powers' Trilogy

Shelves: all-time-favorites, favorites

Awesome trilogy.
I *may* have been partial to it because the main character's name is Kaitlyn - spelled differently than mine, but still sounds the same haha.
But any bias that would have caused was overshadowed by the enjoyment I got out of simply reading the story.
It did take me a few days to finish it, only because it was over 700 pages and unfortunately I had to go to work in between reading, haha. Otherwise, I would have been done the book in a day - two tops.
...more

· see review

Dec 09, 2010

Mrs. Missive rated it

· review of another edition

L.J. Smith is the definition of Young Adult reading for me. I was obsessed with her writing as a young teen. Her stuff is like comfort food for me and the voice in her writing always takes me back to nights spent down in my basement cuddled up under blankets with her books.

We are taken on another adventure to save the world with a group of teenagers whose parents are clueless or have no objection to them hitchhiking all over the country. This book was written in the 90's, so you ...moreL.J. Smith is the definition of Young Adult reading for me. I was obsessed with her writing as a young teen. Her stuff is like comfort food for me and the voice in her writing always takes me back to nights spent down in my basement cuddled up under blankets with her books.

We are taken on another adventure to save the world with a group of teenagers whose parents are clueless or have no objection to them hitchhiking all over the country. This book was written in the 90's, so you really have to suspend the current technology and put yourself in that time period to read this book, in order for it to ring true.

We get the good boy/bad boy love triangle that seems to take place in almost all of L.J. Smith's writing. Our "witchy" heroine,Kait, is 17 and pulled from school to take part in psychic experiments on the other side of the US. Her dad's just hunky dorey with that, because it's an L.J. Smith novel, and the parents are out of the way for most of the adventures. (Maybe that's why I liked her books so much?)

Since we are dealing with psychics we get a real connection with the characters feelings, because everyone can tell what they are feeling. There are a couple of spots where Smith switches to the boys' POVs but for the most part we stick with Kait.

The writing is simple, the story has a epic quality due to its length, but it is an easy mellow book to read. The characters aren't complex creatures. It's pretty obvious who they are and what they are going to do next. The only character with a little depth is Gabriel. He's the tortured soul/bad boy. So we find out why he's tortured. Of course it's a simple explaination.

I read L.J. Smith when I need a reality break. There is always a sunshine and cookies type of HEA, there is real danger to the characters, but not any real emotional trauma. And in the end. Good beats evil, girl gets guy, and everybody gets what they want. Sometimes it's just nice to know that everything will be wrapped up in a neat little package. And it's always nice to dream that the bad boy can really have a heart of gold and change. In that respect this book gets 4 stars. (less)

· see review

Feb 28, 2011

Camellle rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya-romance

I love rading this book. My favrite charecter would hare to be kaytliyn. SHe is qoquite peice of work. Any one with a brain could tell there was some attraction betweeen her and Gabriel. ALl through the book I had high hopes for them. I wantted her to get over her "relationship" with Rob. ROb isnt Gabriel. Gabriel just has that appeal. Ob is a goody toshoes. I dont even think ROb can hande Kaite. I know for certain Gabreil could.Gabreil si head over heals for Kait.I am not saying ROb ...more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 435 436 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: YA Psychic powers/thriller [s]	3	27	Dec 01, 2011 05:28pm
QUIZ ON DARK VISIONS!!!!	13	65	Oct 16, 2011 01:46pm

combine
Other Editions (12)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

159 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

99 users

Fantasy

87 users

Romance

65 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

45 users

Paranormal > Vampires

37 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

30 users

Fantasy > Magic

15 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

15 users

Young Adult > Teen

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About L.J. Smith

L.J. Smith recently changed her name because she got tired of being one of a googolplex of Lisa J. Smiths. Her attempts to get people to call her by her new name have not, so far, been successful. Despite initial disappointments, she will not give up the fight! She also wonders if many people out there realize that “smiths” were revered in ancient times for their ability to take bits of rock and m...more

More about L.J. Smith...

Books by L.J. Smith

The Awakening and The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #1-2)

The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries, #3-4)

Night World, No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder (Night World,#1-3)

Night World, No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate (Night World, #4-6)

Night World, No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight (Night World, #7-9)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Dark Visions

3 trivia questions
2 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Strange Power; The...

“Not that he regretted having killed the guy in Stockton. The one who'd been ready to shoot him over the five crumpled dollar bills in his jeans pocket. He was quite happy to have sent that particular home boy to hell.” — 45 people liked it

“She wanted to tell him that she understood him now, in a way she'd never understood anyone before. Because she was with him. It wasn't even like being in the web; it was much closer than that, much deeper. He'd torn down all the barriers and put his soul into her hands.” — 35 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved Dark Visions

What's The Name of That B...

3600 members

last activity 16 minutes ago

shelf: read

YA Paranormal and Fantasy...

2187 members

last activity 4 hours, 3 min ago

shelf: read

Comfort Reads

1129 members

last activity 11 minutes ago

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion
avg rating	preview: The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion Goodreads rating: 4.20 (8198 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6322323-the-strange-power-the-possessed-the-passion?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309974986m/6322323.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6322323-the-strange-power-the-possessed-the-passion?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion by L.J. Smith[/url]

The Strange Power; The Possessed; The Passion (Dark Visions #1-3)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website