FIVE GIRLS. AN ISOLATED CONVENT. A SUPERNATURAL PRESENCE. A DARK SECRET.SHORTLISTED for the 2017 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction!I can’t believe it has come to this. The way things have blown out of proportion. I only wanted to contact my dead father. Ask his forgiveness.Seven months.Seven months isn’t that long, is it? I’ll go through the motions, no need to make friends that I’ll … the motions, no need to make friends that I’ll never see again. When you get close to people, you end up getting hurt.
Puerto Rico, 1973
17-year-old Paloma only wanted to hold a séance to contact her dead father. She never thought she would be kicked out of school and end up in an isolated convent. Now, all she wants is to be left alone. But slowly, she develops a bond with a group of girls: kind-hearted Maria, insolent Silvy, pathological liar Adelita, and their charismatic leader Rubia.
At night, the waterfall’s dark music haunts her dreams of drowning…
When Paloma holds another séance, she accidentally awakens an entity that has been dormant for years. The body count begins. Someone doesn’t want the secret out…
Are the ghost and Paloma’s suspicions real—or only part of her growing paranoia and delusions?
If you love the vibes in “The Craft” and “Pretty Little Liars,” you’ll enjoy this mess-with-your-head, YA supernatural/psychological thriller!
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Very quick read. Zoe has done great descriptive work. I have enjoyed reading this story. It’s a nice mysterious and suspense story with a few unexpected turns
Chameleon
Written by: Zoe Kalo
Woah!
This book had me hooked. Kalo had us guessing who the real villain was from the start. I felt like at times I loved the character of Paloma then others I wasn’t sure. The twists and turns has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. You don’t know exactly who you trust and who you don’t. It’ll even have you questioning yourself through out. This YA thriller is such a good story from beginning to the end. The title definitely describes the story well.
I enjoyed this supernatural thriller. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more from her. This is a well written story that made me feel as if I was right there with the characters. The characters are relatable and made the story engaging. I enjoyed being pulled into the story which kept me turning pages to the end. I found this book to be fast paced and entertaining to read. This is a story about Paloma and a seance to contact her dead father but what happens is not what she was expecting. When she holds a second seance she awakens a spirit that wants to keep its secret, just that secret. The twists and turns left me turning pages fast. This was a great morning read and I highly recommend it.
A suspenseful thriller that will keep you reading! In her senior year of school, Paloma is sent to live in a convent school. Upon first arriving she soon realizes she won’t be able to put her head down and power through the next 7 months. This dark, supernatural suspense will keep you reading till the bitter end and questioning some people’s sanity.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the open ending. Zoe Kalo is a new author for me but you can bet I will be searching out other novels she has written.
I give Chameleon by Zoe Kalo, 5 stars.
What a great YA psychological horror! I will admit, when I first started this book, I thought I knew exactly what I was getting. The good and bad guys seemed pretty stereotypical and straightforward. But what this author does so well is making you second guess yourself the whole time. You quickly find out that things are not what they seem and there is so much more going on than what you can imagine. Some of the creepy things are obvious, but the ones that really got to me were the ones that you had to sit back think about. I am very rarely shocked by books anymore, but the twists in this story did it to me a few times.
This was my first time reading this author and I couldn’t believe how much I loved it. I want more!
I am a huge YA fan, and enjoyed this YA psychological thriller. Talk about creepy, the convent is hiding secrets……. or so you think. I enjoyed the characters, my heart aches for Paloma and her past with her dad. The character, Rubia, boy oh boy, when you think she is trying to have open arms and befriend Paloma, whom is new, Rubia is manipulative, and you catch on in the story. Only part that I am on the fence is the ending, I wanted more and it felt a bit abrupt. Overall a very good story with lots of twists and turns.
Paloma is a seventeen year old girl who has recently lost her father, so in an attempt to contact him she conducted a seance in school, but she really underestimated the effect it would have on the rest of the school’s population, fear and rumours of an indiscretion with a boy in a confessional spread like wildfire and resulted in her expulsion. However, the convent she is now approaching with her mother, step father and little sister looks more like a prison, a prison she only has to stay in for seven months, a prison ruled by nuns in black habits and full of orphans and less than perfect school children. As she enters through the front door, Paloma cannot but admire the building itself, but the nuns are not what she would have expected, or at least the one who answers the door isn’t. After she watches one girl get told off for lying and have her ear twisted as a punishment, they are interrupted by another nun, but this time, one in a whilte habit, Madre Superiore, the headmistress of the establishment and the one who takes the family to her office to go over the final details and oversee their goodbyes.
As the same nun from earlier escorts Paloma to her dormitory, she points out where the necessary places she will need to know about are, the dining room, the library, the dormitories and the floor where the nuns sleep and which is off limits to students and as they enter the dormitories, Paloma is introduced to one of the students she will be sharing the dormitory with called Rubia. Rubia helps Paloma to settle in and goes through the rules with her again while Paloma unpacks, but for some reason, she can’t put her finger on it, Rubia seems off, not rude or impolite, but indescifrable for some reason and that unsettles Paloma a little. Paloma also finds out that Rubia will be the one who will be helping her to catch up on the lessons she has missed between schools, to which Paloma reluctantly agrees, it is while she is unpacking that Paloma hears the waterfall through the open windows and has to stop herself from panicking and having flashbacks, but she manages and Rubia carries on with the tour of the convent.
As they talk more about the different nuns and a little about Rubia’s past, Paloma changes into her uniform and they head down for dinner, on their way Rubia introduces her to three other girls who are also in the same dormitory, Adelite who is the one who was being punished for lying earlier, who is very quiet and seems to always be far away in her own mind, Silvy, a girl with cat like eyes and delusions of grandeur with regards to her heritage and personality, but who is also always seeking attention and finally Maria, a bigger girl with a friendly smile and tortoiseshell glasses who seems to be close with Adelita and helps to keep her mind on what she is doing at the time. Each of the girls has a past and slowly as time progresses Paloma learns of them, but she also learns that they are nearly all interested in the seance and want to take part in one, all apart from Maria who is very dubious of the whole thing, however, they all agree to hold one, however, their reasons are slightly different for each of them and what they discover during the seance leads to a whole host of new questions and a mystery to solve.
A few days later, accidents start to happen and Paloma starts to believe that she is seeing and hearing things in the halls of the convent and in the graveyard outside, however when the accidents become fatal, Paloma risks everything to try and unravel the mystery, however, is it all in her head, or is there really a malevolent presence in the convent? Will she be able to solve the mystery or will there be nobody left to save? This is a thrilling and yet disturbing mystery which will keep you guessing right until the end while simultaneously leaving you wondering if it is all in Paloma’s imagination and not real at all.
I was blown away by how intense I felt throughout the entire book. The main characters are really difficult to pinpoint until the climax of the story. Even then the end still leaves you feeling like the movie “Shutter Island” before Leonard DiCaprio’s character realizes he is crazy. I will say the character histories, for me, needed a little more development especially the main character. Overall, a good mystery YA and unique in nature. Never read anything like this!
Chameleon was a deep dark tale and enveloped me from the first page. I was so entranced by Ms. Kalo’s characters and words that I finished it in one sitting. As amazing as this book is tread with caution it contains a few triggering things including rape, mental illness, and psychological manipulation…but over all it was a great gothic/creepy book that gave me chills during several scenes. Giving us a wonderful creepy, mysterious setting, she will magically hook you from the beginning. Ms. Kalo’s characters are well- developed and her story flows effortlessly, I look forward to seeing more from her.
Deception, mystery and suspense.
This is a very intriguing paranormal. A unique storyline, this had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. There was a constant layer of suspicion throughout the whole story. I wasn’t overly fussed by the ending (I think I just wanted more) but the rest of the story makes up for it. The characters are well written, with the author cleverly offering a depth to each of the girls without info dumping. This is a really engaging read and I recommend this book.
Zoe Kalo is a new author to me and I want to say that the cover pulled me to this book. The Young Adult (YA) genre is grabbing the attention of everyone. Zoe does an amazing job grabbing me from the first page until the last page. I also found myself turning pages faster and faster. The characters are complex and developed. This story is about Paloma. She was sad about her father’s passing and held a seance to contact him. She was kicked out of school and sent to a convent, from that moment everything changed. She formed a bond with special girls and they held another seance. Whom did they contact that night? What is going to happen to all the girls? Will Paloma contact her father? I highly recommend this book to see what happens to her and her friends.
CHAMELEON by Zoe Kalo. I really enjoyed this book. Its the story of Paloma who gets sent to live in a convent in the middle of nowhere after getting kicked out of school. She got kicked out because she preformed a seance to reach her dead father. She is not happy being sent to the convent and she tries to isolate herself from everyone but she ends up becoming friends with several of the girls there. She becomes really good friends with Rubia, Adelita, Silvy and Maria. They all have paranormal abilities in one sense or another and they are all a little naughty. This convent has a very dark, haunting sense about it and its just gets darker as the book goes on. The girls end up doing another seance and apparently summon a very bad person. Bodies start piling up and they are actually scared for their lives. Paloma has big suspicions about what is happening but is having to tread lightly to protect herself and her friends. There are nuns, ghosts and all kinds of danger in this book. Its a great haunting read.
I give Chameleon by Zoe Kalo 4.5 stars. The book starts very foreboding and keeps up the suspense and mystery all the way through to the very end. Imagine being sent to a school run by nuns and a quote producing girl who seems to have the answers for everything? The mystery doesn’t stop and I couldn’t help but to identify with each character. Kalo’s development and description of characters are poetic and so readily able to be visualized in my head. I was drawn into the book and felt at home within the pages. A MUST READ for the young adult audience. I recommended this to my 12 year-old granddaughter who started it already and loves Paloma, the main character.
Paloma is sent to a convent because she got kicked out of her school for holding a séance to contact her dead father. Palomas family basically drops her off on the steps and never really heard from them again. She tries to keep to herself but the other girls have other plans for her. She ends up forming a so called friendship with a group of girls that seem too good to be true and we all know when something seems to be it usually always is. Paloma uncovers some convent mystery and who the ghost of Madeline was.
The waterfall seems to call to her where she loses her most prized possession but in the end finds it in the most peculiar way.
Kalo draws you in from the first couple of sentences and I found myself not being able to put it down. I needed to keep reading to find out what kind of crazy went on in this convent.
Chameleon has all the components of a gripping novel: suspense, paranormal activity, and a narrator you aren’t sure if you can trust or not. It was a fun and easy read that I read within a day. I wish that some events had been elaborated on to build more suspense. A few things felt a bit rushed over. The ending left me feeling like I wanted a more detailed explanation, but the slight cliff hanger was probably intentional! Overall, it was an interesting YA paranormal story that made for a good light read.
This was a good read. The author does a good job of creating a suspenseful atmosphere. Her characters are all different but they all work uniquely well together. I couldn’t put it down.
Paloma was moved to a convent school after attempting an seance got her kicked out of her school. Upon her arrival she notices things are strange and things are happening. When she gets close to a group of girls they decide to do a seance to find out who Adelita invisible friend is. Paloma sees this as a chance to try again to connect with her father but what the girls uncover and awaken is a spirit that had been silence for years.
When the spirit is released and the secrets of the convent come to light, are they real or is it part of Paloma’s growing paranoia?
The definition of chameleon is changing one’s opinions, behavior, and appearance according to the situation. A chameleon is also a reptile that has protruding eyes and can change its color depending on its surroundings, mood, or temperature depending on the species.
Zoe Kalo’s Chameleon is a story of a Puerto Rican high school senior. Paloma has been asked to leave her previous school. This leaves her step-father and mother no other choice but to put her in a monastery school. Paloma is determined to just get through the next seven months without incident so that she can make her own way in life. As soon as she arrives, she is sucked into a group of girls that hold many secrets. Rubia is an orphan that has lived in the monastery since she was five years old, Silva has been at the monastery for three years, Maria’s mother abandoned her because she could not care for her, and Adelita’s parents were junkies.
Strange things have happened and continue to happen at the monastery after Paloma’s arrival. Can she solve the mystery of the ghost girl that Adelita speaks to? Can she save herself from becoming one of the dead when she reveals who the chameleon at the monastery is?
This story is a great story for teenage girls who enjoy mysteries. Some of the content would be more appropriate for teenagers above the age of 15 or 16.
4 Stars
Chameleon is a fabulous YA paranormal fantasy by Zoe Kalo. This story oozes with creepy vibes. The author has done a fantastic job of setting a chilling and ghostly tone to her story- which made for a great read.
Paloma’s life gets a little crazy from the moment she decides to try to contact her deceased father by holding a séance. She’s not only expelled, but then sent to a remote and eerie convent which will certainly take a bit of adjustment to settle in. Making friends was unexpected- and so the story begins, as we follow this band of quirky misfits through all the suspenseful details. Get set for a mysterious and supernatural ride that will have you flipping the pages to find out what the heck is going on and how it all comes together in the end.
Looking forward to more from Ms. Kalo!
Thank you, Zoe Kalo!
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo is dripping with mystery that will thrill your socks off! 5 stars! I am a sucker for anything paranormal, and this story had me from the first line. This YA book follows Paloma, a teenager in Puerto Rico in the early 1970s, and her journey from a normal life to a convent for troubled girls. Paloma dabbles in the supernatural and holds a séance to contact her dead father. When she is caught, she is sent away. The characters are vibrant and the situations chilling and suspenseful. This book contains some heavy subject matter, but kept me intrigued the entire way through. I highly recommend picking up this book, as what happens to Paloma after holding a second séance in order to reach her father will give you the chills for sure! Author Zoe Kalo has outdone herself with this one, and I am eagerly looking for more from her.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo is a YA psychological thriller that really has your head spinning. Right from the start I loved the fact that this book has a darker feeling to it. It wasn’t as light heated and easy reading as other YA book I had read.
The story itself was great. Although a little confusing at times it was well written and had me hooked from the start. I didn’t know what direction it was all going to be taken in so I enjoyed just going along for the ride.
This is the first book that I have tammy wad by this author but it is one I thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to discovering more of this authors work in the future.