A reading group I am a part of suggested The Gifting series, and the first book was free on Amazon (I think it still is) so I grabbed it. I wasn't even half way through that first book and I knew I was going to NEED to read the rest of the series. I requested my local library purchase the series, and I was able to finish over the weekend.
One word to describe this series: AMAZING
This series takes place in the future, although I'm not exactly sure how far. So many things are still the same as they are today, but then there are crazy things that are taking place as well. The government is fully in control of the lives of Americans. There is much more technology than we have right now, and everyone just seems to go with whatever the government tells them to do.
But we have Tess. She sees some crazy stuff in her dreams. She also sees some crazy stuff when she's awake. So naturally, we decide that Tess is crazy. But when her parents move her across the country so she can get treatment from the best psychologist in the world, things start to get interesting.
We quickly meet Luka and he has a very strange and powerful attraction to Tess. It's hard to tell you much more about this story without giving away all the good parts, but I'll just say that Tess and Luka have something very much in common. It's that something in common that becomes the basis for this entire series.
It's impossible to tell you more without giving away this story, so you'll just have to trust me and read the books. I was completely captivated by the story, and there were places that my heart tracker shows a pretty big spike in heart rate. Having to put the books down to do things like eat, sleep, go to work completely stressed me out because I HAD to know how it was going to end.
There are three books in this series: The Gifting, The Awakening, The Gathering. Go ahead and get all three because you are going to want to read them back-to-back. But you also want to read them in order or you are going to be very lost. And if your local library doesn't have them - request them.
The Gifting
"If science is right, then I am crazy. And crazy is dangerous."
In a world where nothing supernatural exists, Tess Eckhart is positive she’s going crazy. After her complete freakout at a high school party, her parents worry she might be right. So much that they pack their bags and move across the country, next to a nationally-renowned facility for the mentally ill.
Tess is determined to fit in at her new school, despite the whispers and stares. But when it comes to Luka Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she’s unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches start, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries harder to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something—that he might somehow be responsible.
But what if she’s wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness too terrifying to fathom?
The Awakening
"I can't go home. It's not safe. Nowhere is."
Tess Eckhart isn’t crazy. She’s not suffering from psychosis. She and Luka Williams are part of The Gifting. Before they can find out what that means, the man with all the answers turns up dead. The only thing he left behind? A few patient files that lead to the nation’s most lawless city.
With authorities chasing them, Luka and Tess escape into the very heart of peril and against all odds, find an underground community of people just like them. They aren’t gathered together for the sole purpose of survival, either. They have a plan and a purpose—to awaken as many people with The Gifting as possible. It’s dangerous and deadly work. Tess wants to help. Luka is desperate to keep her safe—a task that proves increasingly difficult as Tess’s gifting comes to light.
Could Tess Eckhart be the One they’ve been waiting for? The One who can save them all?
The Gathering
"Darkness is a tricky thing. Especially when it cloaks itself in light." Luka isn't dead. He's not beyond saving. Tess knows because she saw him with her own eyes. After what she saw, she's sure of one thing: If they don't rescue him soon, Luka won't be Luka anymore. If only she could convince the other members of the hub. They're not sure Tess saw what she claims she saw. And they're preoccupied by the fact that their kind is being systematically eradicated. Answers lie in an ancient prophecy, one that revolves around a seventeen-year-old girl who never asked for any of this.
The Author
K.E. Ganshert was born and raised in the exciting state of Iowa, where she currently resides with her family. She likes to write things and consume large quantities of coffee and chocolate while she writes all the things. She’s won some awards. For the writing, not the consuming. Although the latter would be fun. You can learn more about K.E. Ganshert and these things she writes at her website www.katieganshert.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @KatieGanshert
