Summoner by S. D. Grimm

Summoner by S. D. Grimm

Release Date: Today!

*Thanks so much to Entangled Teen for sending me over a n advanced copy! I really appreciate it!!*

When Allie’s best friend dares their group to play a game in a cemetery—something she calls “witching”—Allie never expects what it might mean for her. When she plays, she doesn’t just find bodies, she summons their souls. But one soul wants more than Allie is willing to give.

And the boy next door could be the key to saving her.

Cody Burkhart. Straight from Montana, cowboy hat wearing, and smoking hot, he’s just the thing to help Allie become “normal” again after the death of her mother. And as her newly appointed Guardian, he’s also just the thing to help Allie ward off the vengeful spirit who’s after her soul. Except Cody has his own demons to slay that keep him closed off. But as the full moon approaches, so does their only chance to break the curse, and Cody will have to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

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September and October always bring out the need to find books that I can curl up around an imaginary campfire, bring out the fuzzy sweaters, sip some tea I don’t even like, and read a ton of ghostie novels. I love me some ghostie novels, and up until Halloween, I try to read as many of them as I can. This book was the absolute perfect way to begin the fall season books, and it was a lot of fun!

First, I loved the premise of this book. It was something slightly different in the ghost story genre. I loved the idea of witching and accidentally summoning a presence that you can’t control. It was also super intriguing about the idea of the guardian, which I hadn’t seen in a ghost story before. I was super intrigued throughout the whole story as to where this would go next and what would happen.

The romance was really sweet as well. Okay, I will warn you – it is super instalove. However, it was instalove done sort of right? Well, if that makes any sense. I kept going, well, I know this is instalove, but I really like this two together and they’re so sweet that I’m just going to say forget about the madness I should be feeling over it and JUST LOVE THE SHIP. And it ended up working out because I really did enjoy the ship, and Cody was just a sweetheart! P.S. The summary sounds like he might be “saving” her from her grief – but really he does help her through it – no “saving” involved.

I also really did like Allie. She was a great heroine, and I understood her motives and liked her for them. She is struggling with her grief, and she really does take a lot of accountability for what she does. She solves her own problems, and I was so rooting for her throughout the story.

Ariel is not until September and October reads. I think she might be a little cold in them? Sorry, Ariel.

Grimm also has a natural writing ability, and the atmosphere she created was wonderful. It felt like I was reading this book on a chilly, fall night on Halloween. The mood and setting was wonderful, and if you’re looking for a quick, breezy read to get you into the holiday spirit, this is the book!

The only reason I knocked off a crown is for the clicheness at parts. I could predict quite a few things that happened and while I did enjoy the instalove, it still was instalove. However, this was a really enjoyable novel and I was super invested until the very last moment. This book got the season off right, and I’m so now in the mood for lots of ghosties and Halloween books. Four crowns and an Ariel rating!

What do you think? What are some of your favorite reads to read in the autumn months? Let’s discuss in the comments below!