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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
this went downhill so fast in the best way possible
4.25/5 stars
Ohh wow. What a freaking sequel.
*This review is spoiler-free, even of details from the first book in the trilogy, EXCEPT in the synopsis I copied from Goodreads*
Goodreads Synopsis:
Brynn Hilder is living a life she never dreamed possible: She lives in a mansion, getting a top-rate education at Vale Hall. She has friends and an almost-boyfriend. Anything she wants, she can have.
The only catch? To stay in this life, she has to help the director of Vale Hall take down the bad guys of Sikawa City by collecting secrets and running cons.
Getting everything she wants and fighting evil doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. The thing is, she’s not so convinced anymore that Dr. Odin is really going after bad people after all. And the friends and almost-boyfriend that have made her life so different are all liars and con artists—so can she trust that any of it is real?
The stakes are higher. The cons are riskier. And nothing is what you think it is.
Again, WHAT A SEQUEL. I am literally in awe of the absolutely crazy, unpredictable roller coaster I finished today. HOLY COW!!!
As I said in my review of the first book, The Deceivers(click the title to see my review), although I loved it, the plot gets too heavy by the end, and the “conning” is too focused on the drug trade; the craziness was a little hard to follow. That is absolutely not the case with Scammed!! All my favorite tropes are explored in this one in the ways I was hoping for the first, and I am SOOO freaking hyped about the tensions and the secrecy and the “who is lying to who” in this dang book! We get more of Brynn’s awesomeness and romance but with some more added complexity, and stunningly executed plot twists - I literally didn’t see any of them coming, and that is extremely impressive (I bow to Queen Kristen Simmons). I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious how excited I am, but I probably need to stop or I’ll get too excited and drop what I’m doing to go read the third book, Payback... Basically, if you like stories about con artists/fugitives/spies/etc. or shocking, action-packed contemporary roller coasters, this is definitely the series for you!
If you enjoyed this review, you can friend me here on Goodreads and follow my Bookstagram/Pinterest/Twitter @ashton_reads. Thanks for reading!
Ohh wow. What a freaking sequel.
*This review is spoiler-free, even of details from the first book in the trilogy, EXCEPT in the synopsis I copied from Goodreads*
Goodreads Synopsis:
Brynn Hilder is living a life she never dreamed possible: She lives in a mansion, getting a top-rate education at Vale Hall. She has friends and an almost-boyfriend. Anything she wants, she can have.
The only catch? To stay in this life, she has to help the director of Vale Hall take down the bad guys of Sikawa City by collecting secrets and running cons.
Getting everything she wants and fighting evil doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. The thing is, she’s not so convinced anymore that Dr. Odin is really going after bad people after all. And the friends and almost-boyfriend that have made her life so different are all liars and con artists—so can she trust that any of it is real?
The stakes are higher. The cons are riskier. And nothing is what you think it is.
Again, WHAT A SEQUEL. I am literally in awe of the absolutely crazy, unpredictable roller coaster I finished today. HOLY COW!!!
As I said in my review of the first book, The Deceivers(click the title to see my review), although I loved it, the plot gets too heavy by the end, and the “conning” is too focused on the drug trade; the craziness was a little hard to follow. That is absolutely not the case with Scammed!! All my favorite tropes are explored in this one in the ways I was hoping for the first, and I am SOOO freaking hyped about the tensions and the secrecy and the “who is lying to who” in this dang book! We get more of Brynn’s awesomeness and romance but with some more added complexity, and stunningly executed plot twists - I literally didn’t see any of them coming, and that is extremely impressive (I bow to Queen Kristen Simmons). I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious how excited I am, but I probably need to stop or I’ll get too excited and drop what I’m doing to go read the third book, Payback... Basically, if you like stories about con artists/fugitives/spies/etc. or shocking, action-packed contemporary roller coasters, this is definitely the series for you!
If you enjoyed this review, you can friend me here on Goodreads and follow my Bookstagram/Pinterest/Twitter @ashton_reads. Thanks for reading!
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WOW! I liked The Deceivers, but I LOVED Scammed. This book is an excellent sequel; it has the vibrant cast of characters I fell in love with in book one, and the plot is even more compelling and shocking than I was expecting it to be.
I LOVED the pacing of this book: at first I was like, "Why are you starting your book off in this parking lot where our protagonist is learning to drive? That's kind of boring." And then I understood. Because that was the only moment of down time Brynn got in the whole book. Every chapter in this book moves the plot forward in an unpredictable and exciting way without feeling rushed.
And the twists?!?!?! I pride myself on being able to predict most of the twists in the books I read, but that makes for a lot of dull reading experiences for me. I did not have that problem with Scammed! I remember just standing in my room in shock, absorbing it all. I won't say more so that you can be surprised, too, except to say that Kristen Simmons is a master at making everything connect in her books.
Also, there was a kiss scene that I thought was actually hot, despite the fact it was a YA book. What can I say, I love a man who can read every minute change in mood his partner has during a makeout scene.
I cannot express enough how thrilling it was to read this book. Like, this is why I love YA mystery and thriller books!!!!! More of this, please!!!!
One thing that did not detract from my reading experience at all, but that I did take note of, was that the characters had less time to develop due to all the plot acceleration. I didn't mind that at all, though, as The Deceivers spent more time on on-page character development. I suggest reading these books back-to-back if you want the best of both worlds.
If you have been waiting to pick up this sequel, I implore you to wait no longer!! Scammed is everything I wanted it to be and more.
I love this series so much that I am going to be interviewing the author, Kristen Simmons, on my podcast, Keeping TABs, hosted by the Princeton Public Library's Teen Advisory Board (aka me and my friend). If you love this series as much as I do and want to hear about how Kristen Simmons crafts such compelling novels, search "Keeping TABs PPL" into your search bar wherever you listen to podcasts to subscribe/check it out :)
I LOVED the pacing of this book: at first I was like, "Why are you starting your book off in this parking lot where our protagonist is learning to drive? That's kind of boring." And then I understood. Because that was the only moment of down time Brynn got in the whole book. Every chapter in this book moves the plot forward in an unpredictable and exciting way without feeling rushed.
And the twists?!?!?! I pride myself on being able to predict most of the twists in the books I read, but that makes for a lot of dull reading experiences for me. I did not have that problem with Scammed! I remember just standing in my room in shock, absorbing it all. I won't say more so that you can be surprised, too, except to say that Kristen Simmons is a master at making everything connect in her books.
Also, there was a kiss scene that I thought was actually hot, despite the fact it was a YA book. What can I say, I love a man who can read every minute change in mood his partner has during a makeout scene.
I cannot express enough how thrilling it was to read this book. Like, this is why I love YA mystery and thriller books!!!!! More of this, please!!!!
One thing that did not detract from my reading experience at all, but that I did take note of, was that the characters had less time to develop due to all the plot acceleration. I didn't mind that at all, though, as The Deceivers spent more time on on-page character development. I suggest reading these books back-to-back if you want the best of both worlds.
If you have been waiting to pick up this sequel, I implore you to wait no longer!! Scammed is everything I wanted it to be and more.
I love this series so much that I am going to be interviewing the author, Kristen Simmons, on my podcast, Keeping TABs, hosted by the Princeton Public Library's Teen Advisory Board (aka me and my friend). If you love this series as much as I do and want to hear about how Kristen Simmons crafts such compelling novels, search "Keeping TABs PPL" into your search bar wherever you listen to podcasts to subscribe/check it out :)
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! I LOVE THE CHARACTERS SOOOOOO MUCH! I DEF CAN'T WAIT FOR THE THIRD ONE!
There's less than two weeks before this book gets released, so it's time for my review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me review this book.
Scammed is the second book in the Vale Hall series that centers around a school for con artists. This book has even more twists, shocks, and romantic scenes than the first book, which left me wanting more.
Kristen Simmons has a way with words that makes me completely immersed in the world and unable to put the book down. All the characters in this book were just as amazing as what they were in the first book and the plot was so much fun.
Henry and Charlotte are definitely my favorite characters and I loved getting to spend more time with them in this book.
I highly recommend that everyone reads this series because it will blow your mind and you will not be able to stop reading it once you start.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me review this book.
Scammed is the second book in the Vale Hall series that centers around a school for con artists. This book has even more twists, shocks, and romantic scenes than the first book, which left me wanting more.
Kristen Simmons has a way with words that makes me completely immersed in the world and unable to put the book down. All the characters in this book were just as amazing as what they were in the first book and the plot was so much fun.
Henry and Charlotte are definitely my favorite characters and I loved getting to spend more time with them in this book.
I highly recommend that everyone reads this series because it will blow your mind and you will not be able to stop reading it once you start.
* Update: I still love these books. Going back and rereading them before Payback showed me a lot of clues I missed the first time around. The relationships read so differently the second time around, as well! Especially after not knowing who to trust during the first read through. I'm excited to start Payback now. The ending of this one still makes me so mad! (bc of the story, not the writing) *
I have really been enjoying the Vale Hall series by Kristen Simmons. I read The Deceivers last year and was so intrigued by the setup and the characters, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. And when it finally became available, I jumped on it! The idea of students running con jobs for the director in exchange for a place to live and a chance at a new life is a really great set up. So much has happened over the first two books, I really cannot wait to see what’s going to happen in the last one! I really hope View Spoiler » gets what’s coming to him!
If you’re a fan of mysteries or thrillers and boarding school books, you’ll want to pick up this series. For me, it has a really similar feel to The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The group of kids really seemed to shine in the second book, with friendships and relationships being more of a focus than the first one where we meet Brynn and follow her on her assignment. This one has intrigue and twists and assignments and cons and deceptions and drama as well. But I really enjoyed getting to know Henry and Charlotte and Sam and even Geri better in this one.
There were a few times where I thought I knew what was going to happen but mostly I was surprised by the turns this book took. I always enjoy books that do a good job making me wonder who I can trust and who I can’t. I also really liked how this one ended. It really set up the next one nicely without having a cliffhanger to make us all go crazy!
If you like books with great characters and lots of twists and turns, boarding schools, drama, high stakes, lots of action, and never really knowing who to trust, don’t miss these books!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I have really been enjoying the Vale Hall series by Kristen Simmons. I read The Deceivers last year and was so intrigued by the setup and the characters, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. And when it finally became available, I jumped on it! The idea of students running con jobs for the director in exchange for a place to live and a chance at a new life is a really great set up. So much has happened over the first two books, I really cannot wait to see what’s going to happen in the last one! I really hope View Spoiler » gets what’s coming to him!
If you’re a fan of mysteries or thrillers and boarding school books, you’ll want to pick up this series. For me, it has a really similar feel to The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The group of kids really seemed to shine in the second book, with friendships and relationships being more of a focus than the first one where we meet Brynn and follow her on her assignment. This one has intrigue and twists and assignments and cons and deceptions and drama as well. But I really enjoyed getting to know Henry and Charlotte and Sam and even Geri better in this one.
There were a few times where I thought I knew what was going to happen but mostly I was surprised by the turns this book took. I always enjoy books that do a good job making me wonder who I can trust and who I can’t. I also really liked how this one ended. It really set up the next one nicely without having a cliffhanger to make us all go crazy!
If you like books with great characters and lots of twists and turns, boarding schools, drama, high stakes, lots of action, and never really knowing who to trust, don’t miss these books!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I received a copy of Upright Women Wanted through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Scammed is the second novel in Kristen Simmon’s Vale Hall series. This is a school that teaches – and expects – students to be the ideal con artists. All the principal asks in return, is that the students target the marks he picks.
Brynn Hilder is the newest student at Vale Hall, and her journey has already been a complex one. Her first mission was a major one – and one she mostly did right, with a few notable exceptions. Like letting the mark run away.
Now that moment is back to haunt her, as her old mark – and the job itself – come back into the forefront in the most surprising of ways. As it turns out, this investigation of Brynn’s is far from over. She’s going to have to choice sides and fight some hard battles in order to keep a spot for herself at Vale Hall.
“I glance to the stone tablet to my right, near the door. Etched in it are three words: Vincit Omnia Veritas. Truth conquers all.”
Warnings: Scammed touches upon some heavier moments, being that these are people digging into the worst parts of a person’s past. There are going to be mentions and references to sexual assault, beatings, murder, and attempted murder.
Scammed was an amazing follow up to The Deceivers. It was everything I could have hoped for, and more. So much more. This novel upped the ante in every way possible, from the physical danger to the emotional toll taken on the characters.
Brynn is one stubborn and sassy character, and I adore her. Even if she is exceptionally talented at getting herself into the worst kinds of trouble. That just makes her story all the more interesting, right?
I was so surprised by some of the twists taken in this novel. Especially considering all of the revelations towards the end. They were not smoothing I could have predicted – and yet, looking back at the whole book, you can very clearly see the groundwork that was laid down. It was a nice (and carefully thought out) touch.
One other noteworthy surprise; how much Simmons was able to make me feel while reading this. I’m not just talking about Brynn’s story and struggles (though there is that), but the secondary characters as well. They just felt so human here. I loved it.
I’m really looking forward to the next novel in this series. I feel like that’s going to be the one that breaks the mold, as the story progresses and matures. I’m making that assumption based on some of the changes made during Scammed, but I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I’ll be curious to see how far this goes – and how hard it will be on Brynn and everyone else.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Scammed is the second novel in Kristen Simmon’s Vale Hall series. This is a school that teaches – and expects – students to be the ideal con artists. All the principal asks in return, is that the students target the marks he picks.
Brynn Hilder is the newest student at Vale Hall, and her journey has already been a complex one. Her first mission was a major one – and one she mostly did right, with a few notable exceptions. Like letting the mark run away.
Now that moment is back to haunt her, as her old mark – and the job itself – come back into the forefront in the most surprising of ways. As it turns out, this investigation of Brynn’s is far from over. She’s going to have to choice sides and fight some hard battles in order to keep a spot for herself at Vale Hall.
“I glance to the stone tablet to my right, near the door. Etched in it are three words: Vincit Omnia Veritas. Truth conquers all.”
Warnings: Scammed touches upon some heavier moments, being that these are people digging into the worst parts of a person’s past. There are going to be mentions and references to sexual assault, beatings, murder, and attempted murder.
Scammed was an amazing follow up to The Deceivers. It was everything I could have hoped for, and more. So much more. This novel upped the ante in every way possible, from the physical danger to the emotional toll taken on the characters.
Brynn is one stubborn and sassy character, and I adore her. Even if she is exceptionally talented at getting herself into the worst kinds of trouble. That just makes her story all the more interesting, right?
I was so surprised by some of the twists taken in this novel. Especially considering all of the revelations towards the end. They were not smoothing I could have predicted – and yet, looking back at the whole book, you can very clearly see the groundwork that was laid down. It was a nice (and carefully thought out) touch.
One other noteworthy surprise; how much Simmons was able to make me feel while reading this. I’m not just talking about Brynn’s story and struggles (though there is that), but the secondary characters as well. They just felt so human here. I loved it.
I’m really looking forward to the next novel in this series. I feel like that’s going to be the one that breaks the mold, as the story progresses and matures. I’m making that assumption based on some of the changes made during Scammed, but I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I’ll be curious to see how far this goes – and how hard it will be on Brynn and everyone else.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
A solid second book in this trilogy. A lot heavier psychological stakes, though a little light on action. Brynn as a character got a little annoying, as she seemed perpetually bogged down by teenage love drama for most of the book. I look forward to it's resolution and to seeing how she pulls it all together.