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Dark Visions (Dark Visions #1-3)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 18,713 ratings · 783 reviews

GIFTED AND CURSED

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

As Kaitlyn learns to hone her abili...more

Paperback, Omnibus, 730 pages

Published September 3rd 2009 by Simon & Schuster (first published 1991)

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Jul 12, 2010 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 involve him con...more 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 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)

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Mar 24, 2010 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

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). No friends. People wh...more 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). 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)

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Jul 20, 2012 Stormmyy.. rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 tell the story of a girl named Kaitlyn Fairchild who 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...more

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Sep 12, 2009 Jordan K Bell rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like throwing things or people who like sappy dialogue (and to you, why?)

Recommended to Julie by: Amazon

Shelves: wouldn-t-recommend-to-anyone, awful-but-i-suffered-through, bad-romances, predictable

God, this book took me forever to finish.

The first two books were okay, but they were kind of slow and not interesting enough to rate past three stars. See, what knocked it down to two stars was the third book.

I do like L.J. Smith. At least I think I do. I loved The Forbidden Game Trilogy and The Vampire Diaries is just about my favorite TV show (that kind of counts, right?). It's just that Dark Visions was not her best work.

What really turned me off about this series was the sappiness of the di...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Myvampfiction rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 the ability to predict the future through...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Celise rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Forbidden Game by L.J. fans

Shelves: books-i-didnt-like, supernatural, young-adult

The Strange Power (Dark Visions #1) by L.J. Smith
*Names may be spelled incorrectly, this was an audiobook*

This marks the 11th L.J. Smith book I have read, and the 11th L.J. Smith book I have disliked. But the ideas are so good I can't stop! I'm still undecided on whether or not I should read the other two books in this edition. I “read” the first part of the this, The Strange Power, as an audio book read by Khristine Hvam. The reader does not affect my opinion of the book, however I do not reco...more The Strange Power (Dark Visions #1) by L.J. Smith
*Names may be spelled incorrectly, this was an audiobook*

This marks the 11th L.J. Smith book I have read, and the 11th L.J. Smith book I have disliked. But the ideas are so good I can't stop! I'm still undecided on whether or not I should read the other two books in this edition. I “read” the first part of the this, The Strange Power, as an audio book read by Khristine Hvam. The reader does not affect my opinion of the book, however I do not recommend listening to this particular version. The reader is awful at accents and her impression of girls' voices sounds quite soft and strange. Also, what does the cover have to do with anything? It says she is a red-head in the novel, so who is that? These things aside, I will review the actual content of the novel.

I have read seven books of the Vampire Diaries series as well as L.J.'s Forbidden Game trilogy and have yet to be impressed by her work. However, I thought I would try this because several people I follow as well as a good friend of mine told me that this novel and series is significantly better. I can't really see how that is, because I noticed the same flaws in story, characterization and technique.

The first indicator that this book would not be as good as I thought going into it was that everything was over-foreshadowed. Kate has bad feelings about Mr. Zeets and Merisol., but whatever, so happy to be here, la la la. Obviously that isn't good! It would have been better had she just left the twist to the end with the big reveal that he was bad, rather than ruining the surprise. Also, Joyce was clearly not good either.

It's not just the plot that is predictable. Though I respect that the author has a consistent style, it's irritating that in every one of her novels, she uses the same cast of characters with different names and hair colours. The only difference here is that Kate is unusual in appearance because of her eyes, rather than startlingly beautiful. But she still has eyes that everyone notices, and guys seem magnetically and unconditionally attracted to her. Then there is the soft female best friend role, Bonnie, Anna, etc. And enter not one, but TWO attractive men boys. I will say that her general story concepts are good, but this formula tells me that it probably wasn't so hard for L.J.'s ghostwriter to take over.

I need to point out that Kate says she is in love with Rob the second day they are at the institute. She actually says it straightforwardly, it's not just my interpretation. I thought she said at the beginning that she had had enough of boys? Boys, boys, boys. A word that L.J. Smith uses far too often, and it sounds so juvenile. But I will leave bashing this writer's vocabulary to my Vampire Diaries reviews.

As for the novel's storyline, it was actually really good (predictability aside). It wasn't as silly as some of the things Smith writes, so I was impressed with that at least. I liked the idea of the five-way mind link, though their reactions were unnecessary. They panic about being that way for the rest of their lives but once they are a few miles away from each other they can no longer pick up on it.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Mckenna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone tired of vampires

Shelves: favorites, strong-heroine

One of my favorite books EVER.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

So I found that I was getting tired of all the vampire romance books. I never really liked those insta-love books (that doesn't happen in life.) Sorry Stephanie Meyer, I only read your books because of Jacob.

Anyways, I loved Gabriel. I didn't like Rob. Kaitlyn kind of had the insta-love thing going on with him. Don't hold it against here though, it was just because she had never liked a guy before. She kind of worshipped him, called him and...more One of my favorite books EVER.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

So I found that I was getting tired of all the vampire romance books. I never really liked those insta-love books (that doesn't happen in life.) Sorry Stephanie Meyer, I only read your books because of Jacob.

Anyways, I loved Gabriel. I didn't like Rob. Kaitlyn kind of had the insta-love thing going on with him. Don't hold it against here though, it was just because she had never liked a guy before. She kind of worshipped him, called him and angel and the sun. Weird.

I started rambling. Sorry. So, I liked Gabriel cause he was all arrogant and distant, but he still had feelings for Kaitlyn. And they didn't have the insta-love, she actually developed feelings for him throughout the book(s), so THANK YOU L.J. SMITH. I loved how Kaitlyn would give her energy to Gabriel.

L.J. Smith just kept throwing twists and turns at me. It was awesome. You know how sometimes it's to much and you get confused? This book isn't like that. At all. When Gabriel went back to Mr. Zetes, I was just like a fish out of water, like WHAT?! NO! YOU LOVE KAITLYN! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! REDEEM YOURSELF!

That was during the middle of the night. Needless to say, I woke up several people. Back to the review though, it was just..... wow. I didn't see it coming. Spare me the hateful comments, I am not stupid. It's my opinion.

Loved the ending so much, especially when she chose him. Not gonna say who was chosen. Who am I kidding, it was G _ b _ i _ l. That didn't give it away, did it? Oh well.

I loved that Kaitlyn drew though. I finally found a main character to relate to. I draw, she draws. Relatable. I can't relate to Bella Swan. She lived in Arizona then moved to Washington, fell in love with a vampire, got married, got pregnant, died, became a vampire, kicked some but (in the mind sense of things.) I'm not going to apologize this time Meyer.

That's pretty much it. Friend me, unless you're a creeper. If so, and you try to friend me I will be forced to use my super spoon skills on you. (I dabble in spoon jitsu, doesn't everyone?)

(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Milana lovethepicture rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I read the blurb of dark visions I was excited, the book sounded like it had a great storyline. However, the book was hard to 'get into'. I found the main character Kait super annoying and wanted to punch her in the face most of the time. She had no spark to her; it just felt like she was one of those repetitive characters who can't think for themselves. I really loved Gabriel and his perspective in the book it made it more bearable but even then there wasn't much of a plot. He was all like...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Mar 06, 2012 Leticia Rosario rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dear friend,

I'm reading a book entitled dark visions by L.J Smith which is a work of science fiction

in the book a girl and four other thought they were going to some institute to test their powers
little did they know that there was a bigger thing hidden and trying to find out got them in trouble.
the friends took on a journey to stop the man who had betrayed them and the got in more and more trouble.
until they finally stop the man.

If i were Joyce i would not let a man bribe me to kill someo...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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 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)

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May 21, 2011 Amanda J rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 everything...more 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 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)

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May 06, 2011 Saba rated it 5 of 5 stars

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's a catch.

Whe the five learn of the Insi...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Nov 26, 2010 Bethany Huang (Midnight Mermaids) rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 that...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Rosa Rosario rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 creator of the i...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Arya rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 her power.

Gabriel is an ex-...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Erin Sterling rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 for the first time...more

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Jan 29, 2010 Darcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 that te...more 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 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)

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Sep 26, 2009 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 embarrassing) exciteme...more

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Jul 19, 2009 K rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 suprise...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Merna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fav-fantasy-books

I read Dark Visions some time ago. I dived into the book of L.J. Smith (author of vampire diaries) not expecting by far anything, after all I burrowed this book from the library just to consume time. And time unquestionable did pass when I read dark visions. I had finished the book as briskly as I had anticipated (All three in the trilogy) without an ounce of boredom or weariness clutching in my emotions. Once, completing Dark Visions, I was left with a ‘book hangover’ for a while. I was unable...more I read Dark Visions some time ago. I dived into the book of L.J. Smith (author of vampire diaries) not expecting by far anything, after all I burrowed this book from the library just to consume time. And time unquestionable did pass when I read dark visions. I had finished the book as briskly as I had anticipated (All three in the trilogy) without an ounce of boredom or weariness clutching in my emotions. Once, completing Dark Visions, I was left with a ‘book hangover’ for a while. I was unable to read another book until I got over living in the Dark Visions world.

A little description of what Dark visions is about.

This Trilogy follows the adventures of five psychics both fortunate and cursed because of their power. Five of the teens are invited to live together in a purple mansion called "The Institute" which is offered by Mr.Zetes to enhance their powers and be given the scholarship of a life time.

Yet, there’s a catch…

You’ll discover what that happens to be if you ever decide to pick this up.

When I read the synopsis, it did sound comparable to other YA books being printed these days more often than they should be. But take in mind this book was printed back in 1991. It was the merely the reason I gave this book a 4 stars instead of 5 because it wasn’t the utmost original idea to be written.

For me the plot was the thinnest bit predictable, nevertheless it never irritated me and it was gratifyingly written. My eyes skimmed through pages so energetically in order to discover what would occur next. I treasured each of the characters. None were self-centred and selfish except…Well, Gabriel, but everyone has to make an exception for him as you get to know him more during the course of the trilogy.

I may not be a fan of love triangles but this was a definite exclusion. Gabriel and Rob were two guys who were entirely distinct from each other. Both of whom held different backgrounds that lead up to their current behaviour and personality. Gabriel and Rob weren’t going insane and completely bonkers over Kaitlyn like many former YA love interests who are unreasonable ridiculous over the heroine. So, that was a plus.

I would recommend this book to everyone. I can’t guarantee you will enjoy Dark Visions as much as I did, bearing in mind we all have different tastes in books, though you should at least give it a shot.
(less)

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Feb 04, 2012 Linette rated it 5 of 5 stars 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 she was really in love with G...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Shul rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 experiment to test and expand thei...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Melissa Mandell rated it 3 of 5 stars

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. I think this may be L.J. Smith's str...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Zanthie * ♫ The Music Freak ♪ * rated it 5 of 5 stars 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 guy + bad guy...more 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 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)

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Nov 26, 2011 Sabruhu (leslecturesdesab) rated it 3 of 5 stars · 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 lecture.

Me voila donc lan...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars 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," because I was hooked from the first line. As for "T...more

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May 31, 2010 ♥Knightly♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Gabrial or Rob?	34	73	May 06, 2013 06:54pm
LJ SMITH IS THE WORST AUTHOR EVER.	62	217	Apr 26, 2013 08:03pm
What's The Name o...: Psychic teens, crystals on forehead used for amplification [s]	7	44	Feb 22, 2013 08:38am
Anything having to do with the book	1	9	Sep 09, 2012 10:57am
QUIZ ON DARK VISIONS!!!!	16	88	May 03, 2012 12:21pm
What's The Name o...: YA Psychic powers/thriller [s]	3	47	Dec 01, 2011 05:28pm

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About L.J. Smith

L.J. SMITH has written over two dozen books for young adults, including The Vampire Diaries, now a hit TV show. She has also written the bestselling Night World series and The Forbidden Game, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling Dark Visions. She loves to walk the trails and beaches in Point Reyes, California, daydreaming about her latest book. She also loves to hear from readers (info@lja...more

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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)

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Quotes from Dark Visions

“She now knew that it was possible to love two people at once-because you could love them in different ways.” — 62 people liked it

“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.” — 54 people liked it

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