Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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
I used to shy away from YA novels thinking I was “too old” to enjoy what they had to offer. I dont remember when or how but I finally accepted that some of the best books I’ve read have been from this genre. I say this to tell you that when I say I loved Chameleon by Zoe Kalo, I don’t say that lightly.
I was drawn to the storyline from the very first page and stuck around for the creepy vibes and intricate characters. I would give Chameleon ⅘ stars, it was not like anything I’ve read in the past. While this was my first read by Zoe Kalo, it definitely won’t be my last!
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a thrilling supernatural read! I really loved the characters good and not so good. Zoe Kalo really knows how to keep you reading late into the night. I haven’t ever read a story that changed my way of seeing certain things like waterfalls. When Paloma arrives at the convent you don’t know who she can trust. With all the twist and turns you can’t be sure whose story is true and what secrets will be revealed. This is a really great supernatural read!
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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 by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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 by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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?
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 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!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
4 Stars
The cover of this book caught my attention first. It’s beautiful. It has nothing to do with the book but it’s forgivable. It’s breathtaking. I think the title is perfect for the story found within. I read the synopsis and became immediately intrigued. A seance, a convent, ghosts and mentally unbalanced teenagers. Maybe there will be an exorcism? Well there wasn’t an exorcism but I did find a very interesting, well written story filled with secrets, trauma and teenage angst.
There are moments that feel surreal and others that are downright creepy. This is not a horror story though. You must remember that the story takes place in Puerto Rico in 1973. There are situations that families couldn’t deal with so the “problem “ was hidden away in a convent. Hoping God will take care of it. Mental illness and victims of sexual assault needed to be kept hidden.
Paloma is sent to the convent and becomes friends with a group of ragtag misfit girls. She connects with them all differently and doesn’t know if she can trust them. She’s seeing a ghost and hearing things. She feels like she is going crazy but she knows that there are secrets hidden within the walls. People are dying. Can she uncover the truth?
The author has a way of telling the story which constantly keeps you guessing. The complex characters and mystery will have you quickly turning the pages. For me, the only disappointment was the ending. The last couple of chapters felt rushed. Paloma was trying to figure it all out. I turned the page and the book ended. I needed to go back and reread the last chapter because I felt like I had missed something but I didn’t. I feel confused and I don’t know what happened.
Review by @Anna Hirsch
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have never read a book by this author previously, but I found it to be very intriguing once I got into the first few chapters. I thought that her way of developing the characters was different but in a positive way. There was a lot of mystery, secrets and lies. No one could be trusted and just when you thought you knew what was about to happen a curve in the road lie ahead to throw you off course. It was a mystery. A puzzle that you had to put together and the last piece wouldn’t be put into place until she was ready. I really didn’t feel a huge connection with any of the characters but could sympathize with them with their dark pasts. If you love books that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the end, then this is the right book for you.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo is a dark and eerie YA paranormal (or is it?) story. We are faced with the usual angst that YA’s go through plus each of them have very dark secrets. Please be aware that there are trigger issues such as mental health issues, rape, and psychological manipulation.
I found myself confused and I struggled to read some parts due to the way it was written and had to go back and re read them. The premise is good, but it felt like at times we needed a little more detail to make this story and the characters really shine and make this a great story. However, the mystery and suspense keep you wanting to know what is going on.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First off, the title to this book is spot on! I read the whole book in one night. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. There were so many twists and turns that you never knew what was going to happen next. It was thrilling.
The author shined some light on some metal illness which as someone who also suffers from mental illness was very captivating for me. It helped me to connect to the main character Paloma. She was struggling to understand what was real and what was in her head which just added to the darkness of the book.
It was very well written and easy to connect with the characters.
I would highly recommend reading this title if you are looking for a mysterious and dark quick read!
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed Chameleon. A fast read that engaged me early and kept me reading. Excellent world-building and descriptions. I struggled a little with some of the Spanish references I’d not encountered before (thankfully I could easily look them up on my Kindle!). I would have given this book five stars except I was so disappointed in the ending. It felt as though the author had a word count to stick to and rather than sparing a few extra hundred words to wrap things up it felt like it ended abruptly. On the plus side, I have spent the day since re-writing the ending in my head and so the story has truly not left me. Absolutely worth reading.
Reviewed by Penelope Taylor May 2021
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo is a young adult paranormal story that will leave you questioning your own surroundings.
Paloma is sent to a convent because she was trying to contact her dead father, though this doesn’t stop her. After trying once more to contact her father, strange things start happening. Is she imagining things, or is there something more going on here? Are her new friends people she can trust, or are they half the problem? Just how far would you be willing to go in order to talk to the deceased?
Review by Carly Vogler
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Chameleon is a gripping tale that will grab your attention from the start. 17-year-old Paloma is sent to an all-girls Catholic boarding school for unclear misbehaviour, and is befriended by a group of girls that are by turns empathetic, helpful, and strange. There is an underlying tension in her relationship with these teens that only adds to the intrigue of this haunting book. The supernatural is everywhere in this tale, from the waterfall that Paloma is oddly terrified of, to seances contacting the dead, to ghost sightings in the corners of peoples’ vision. This book definitely elicited some creepy vibes, and I felt increasingly unsettled as the story wound on. Zoe Kalo is great at allowing spaces for readers to fill in the blanks, which adds to the air of suspense in this book.
Reviewed by @ericalorraine
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Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up CHAMELEON by Zoe Kalo, but I loved the cover and I knew I wanted to know more. I am so glad I picked it up! This sucker took me on one heck of a ride. I was up well into the night cuddled up into my covers and constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure I was actually alone lol. This sucker scared the crap out of me at times and that is saying something for me, a seasoned ghost hunter. I loved it and was sad to see it end. I loved how this wove like a true story and as if I was right there with the characters. Hence the scare, when the scenes are set in convents and mental institutions. This isn’t one you want to miss if you love a good scare and a true mind boggle treat!
Review by @lizaileen
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Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this spooky thriller book. One character that I didn’t like was Rubia the ring leader. Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way. The rest of the characters were well written. I wanted to hide Amelia away from everyone just so she could have a break from being picked on. I loved the spooky thriller parts and some made my skin crawl. Definitely a good read and will be going on my personal bookshelf!
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a Young Adult Ghost novel and is 252 pages. This story follows a 17-year-old Paloma as she unleashes a ghost that has been dormant for years. This story takes place in the early 70’s. She held a séance to contact her father and that got her kicked out of school and she ends up in a convent. All she wanted was to be left alone. She made a few friends there and decided to hold another séance which awoke an entity and the body count is building. Good character building and research.
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a page turner. I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved how Kalo keeps you in suspense from the first to last page. It was a great way to introduce myself into more supernatural reading. With all the twists in this book, I was on the edge of my seat. So many emotions while reading this, which makes me want more and more.
