** spoiler alert ** 
 I was really disappointed in this book. Look at the cover. Isn't it beautiful? That amulet, I was drawn by that amulet. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but doesn't everybody do it anyway? 
 First you can tell that it was written by an adult trying to write like a teenager. I think the way that I perceived this may have been my fault, because as I was flipping through the first pages, the dedication, which I usually skip, popped up and I read it. It said something like: "For my daughter, who endured my questions about teenagers, without too much eye rolling." And that stuck with me, and I could just TELL after that. 
 Secondly, the way she wrote the main character, Chloe, was quite strange. She was supposed to be a girl who kept the rules, and was just kind of confused why she was in this home for crazy people. A goody two-shoes sort of character. And that's allright with me, I mean we're all striving to be better people, right? But every now and then she would have some random uncharitable thought that went completely against her character. And you're thinking "Where did that come from?" And over all she was just kind of a boring person. Very real in the fact that there are boring people out there, but not really something that I want to read about. 
 Third, I didn't like the idea that everybody had a super power. I thought it was really cool that she could speak to the dead. But I didn't like that everybody else had super powers. The first time when Simon did the "fog" thing. I was thinking "Please don't let them be super heroes, please don't let them be super heroes." Unfortunately a short time after that Simon said something like "It's like we're a ban of super heroes." This is where I groaned and decided that it could only really go downhill from here. 
 Fourth, it was somewhat plotless. I mean, you knew she was in this home and was trying to be on her best behavior so she could get out, but she didn't really....do...anything there. I mean there was some stuff, but there was no end goal, nothing to shoot for. Because when she got out, what else was she going to do?? With her character she would just move on with her life as it was before, which who wants to read about that? I felt something was missing and I realized that it was a solid plot, but I hadn't noticed before because occasionally something happened that was "interesting" but didn't really add to the story. 
 Fifth (This really isn't in any particular order, I'm just writing stuff down as I think of it. ) I didn't really like the other characters. Whenever she mentioned Derek I just though "gross." Like there's this huge seemingly mentally disturbed child following me around trying to talk to me, I would just try to stay away. I mean there was no attraction there for me. Then there was Simon who was attractive and he knew it. Which bugged me, but that's really just a side point. He didn't seem to really have likes or dislikes, or really be anything. I didn't know who he was. Kind of bland. 
 Sixth, the swearing. I mean I know some books swear, and I get over it and move on with my life, even though I don't like it. But if you're going to do it, could you a least do it right? There were three or four uses of swear words through the book, and every one of them, I felt, were just horribly misplaced. I think it would've been better if she just left it out in the first place, if she wasn't going to place them strategically. 
 Seventh, where is the security in this place? Aren't the people who live there crazy? The "Nurses" never seem to be around. The boys are always stealing food, and it's as easy as pie to steal the keys to go into a forbidden closet. And when they go swimming near the end, the kids that can't go they just leave there alone?? What is wrong with them? And then all the locks are easy to pick because they don't think that the kids know how? Even I know how to pick a lock, And I'm not a "bad" kid who got sent to a home for burning my mom when I was angry! 
 And finally the Amulet. I really wanted something to go on about the amulet, but NOTHING happened. It was why I wanted to read the book in the first place. The Amulet! And then it was just there. She just had it, and she wasn't even allowed to wear it. 
 Now there was stuff that I did like about the book. The scene where Liz shows Chloe that there may in fact be a poltergeist was phenomenal. Great scene. The beginning scene when she was little was also very nice. I loved the reality of Chloe's fear when she was afraid. Yep. That's it. Very disappointing, but I am going to try to read the next ones, to see if it gets any better. I am willing to do that.