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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Was going to give it 2 but I realised I've given Half Bad 3 and this was somewhat more enjoyable so!
This review was written for The Review Diaries.
Please visit the site for the full review: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2015/02/review-conspiracy-of-us-by-maggie-hall.html
I wanted to like this book, it had such a great cover and blurb and really sounded like it could be something quite exciting. It was being compared to ‘The DaVinci Code’ (which, shush, don’t tell anyone but I kinda enjoyed…) and had a wonderful array of masked balls, international travel and conspiracies. Plus a gorgeous cover. I couldn’t wait to read it.
I’m wondering now I’m on the other side whether it was just the wrong time for me to read it, because sometimes I come back and re-read a book I disliked and really enjoy it the second time around. However, this time it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
There were so many illogical choices and moments, starting with Avery deciding to run off with absolute strangers out of the blue because they said they knew her family (always trust random strangers kids!) and continuing right through wearing her contact lenses for three/four days straight, to hey you have to get married even though you’re not willing and it’s not legal without permission from your parent or guardian!
I know that it was supposed to be a young adult book and therefore we need characters who fit into that age bracket, but the idea that these big powerful secret society families would employ sixteen year olds to organise security/kill people/tote guns around seemed completely ridiculous. If the characters had been aged up to 18 – 20 then a lot of the issues would have been dealt with. As it was it was just irritating.
The other big issue for me was that it really wasn’t compelling. Given the high stakes, the racing around trying not to be murdered, you would think that I would have been racing through the pages to find out what happened, but instead I had to really push myself to keep reading. I was bored. It was a quick read, and once I sat down and got on with it I was through it very quickly, but there wasn’t any hook to keep me interested.
Please visit the site for the full review: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2015/02/review-conspiracy-of-us-by-maggie-hall.html
I wanted to like this book, it had such a great cover and blurb and really sounded like it could be something quite exciting. It was being compared to ‘The DaVinci Code’ (which, shush, don’t tell anyone but I kinda enjoyed…) and had a wonderful array of masked balls, international travel and conspiracies. Plus a gorgeous cover. I couldn’t wait to read it.
I’m wondering now I’m on the other side whether it was just the wrong time for me to read it, because sometimes I come back and re-read a book I disliked and really enjoy it the second time around. However, this time it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
There were so many illogical choices and moments, starting with Avery deciding to run off with absolute strangers out of the blue because they said they knew her family (always trust random strangers kids!) and continuing right through wearing her contact lenses for three/four days straight, to hey you have to get married even though you’re not willing and it’s not legal without permission from your parent or guardian!
I know that it was supposed to be a young adult book and therefore we need characters who fit into that age bracket, but the idea that these big powerful secret society families would employ sixteen year olds to organise security/kill people/tote guns around seemed completely ridiculous. If the characters had been aged up to 18 – 20 then a lot of the issues would have been dealt with. As it was it was just irritating.
The other big issue for me was that it really wasn’t compelling. Given the high stakes, the racing around trying not to be murdered, you would think that I would have been racing through the pages to find out what happened, but instead I had to really push myself to keep reading. I was bored. It was a quick read, and once I sat down and got on with it I was through it very quickly, but there wasn’t any hook to keep me interested.
There are no spoilers in this review.
If you like conspiracy novels by authors like Dan Brown or Ally Carter, I think you would enjoy this book. The beginning of this book, and also actions of Avery (the main character) seem pretty improbable. What 16 year old girl would just leave and get on a plane with people she doesn't know, to find a family she's never heard of in Paris? But once you get past all of that the story itself is action packed and interesting. Imagine there is a group of people that control the entire world. It sounds crazy, but you never know. The one thing I can say that I liked/ hated about the book was how it ended. Maggie Hall was clever in the way she ended it, because it made it impossible to not want to pick up the next book in the series. All in all, it was a fun read if you don't take it too seriously.
If you like conspiracy novels by authors like Dan Brown or Ally Carter, I think you would enjoy this book. The beginning of this book, and also actions of Avery (the main character) seem pretty improbable. What 16 year old girl would just leave and get on a plane with people she doesn't know, to find a family she's never heard of in Paris? But once you get past all of that the story itself is action packed and interesting. Imagine there is a group of people that control the entire world. It sounds crazy, but you never know. The one thing I can say that I liked/ hated about the book was how it ended. Maggie Hall was clever in the way she ended it, because it made it impossible to not want to pick up the next book in the series. All in all, it was a fun read if you don't take it too seriously.
If you like solving riddles or following clues - this is the book for you. With a little YA flair, Maggie Hall's debut novel (and first book in a trilogy, duh) brings to life the lore of Alexander the Great and his Diadochi. I assume I learned about this group of Alexander's supporters and successors when I was in school, but I sure didn't retain any of that knowledge. Now I want to read up on the real deal. The book reminds me of one of my favorite movies, National Treasure. If you like that sort of thing, I suggest you give this one a read.
Avery West is sixteen years old and knows nothing about her father until a boy comes into her life saying he works for her father’s family and they want to meet her. Soon she’s on an adventure in Paris, learning about her so-called family that is a part of a secret society called the Circle that seems to be able to control the world and her part to play in a prophecy. Two boys who work for Circle are Jack and Stellan and Avery isn’t sure if she can trust either of them as she discovers the prophecy is more like a conspiracy and it could destroy her life, along with the world.
The Conspiracy of Us is a great adventure story. It incorporates secret, world-controlling societies (think of the conspiracy theories about the Illuminati) with historical figures like Alexander the Great and how they relate to what’s going on today a bit like The Da Vinci Code. It’s a fast-paced book as you follow how all these clues are connected together and how it relates to a prophecy that Avery appears to be the centre of.
Avery is your standard YA heroine but a lot of her actions make sense. Thanks to her mother’s job, they’re constantly moving around the country so she’s never really made any long term friendships or connections meaning she’s quite closed off. What she’s always wanted though is to know who her father is so when that opportunity comes along she’s almost painfully naïve as she impulsively follows Stellan abroad in the hope to find him, not realising how reckless her actions could be.
Jack and Stellan are both intriguing characters. They both clearly have painful pasts but the way in which that has shaped them is different. There is a bit of a love triangle in The Conspiracy of Us which isn’t so great (not a fan of love triangles) but the way it sets it up means there’s interesting character moments.
One thing I really liked about The Conspiracy of Us is that it throws you pretty much straight into the action, there’s no long set up or world-building so with 30 pages you’ve met the three main characters and the plot is really kicking off. While the starting point of the book might not be that fleshed out, when it comes to the descriptions of cities like Paris and Istanbul, they were very vivid.
The Conspiracy of Us is an action-packed ride and would be great for people who like stories about treasure hunters.
The Conspiracy of Us is a great adventure story. It incorporates secret, world-controlling societies (think of the conspiracy theories about the Illuminati) with historical figures like Alexander the Great and how they relate to what’s going on today a bit like The Da Vinci Code. It’s a fast-paced book as you follow how all these clues are connected together and how it relates to a prophecy that Avery appears to be the centre of.
Avery is your standard YA heroine but a lot of her actions make sense. Thanks to her mother’s job, they’re constantly moving around the country so she’s never really made any long term friendships or connections meaning she’s quite closed off. What she’s always wanted though is to know who her father is so when that opportunity comes along she’s almost painfully naïve as she impulsively follows Stellan abroad in the hope to find him, not realising how reckless her actions could be.
Jack and Stellan are both intriguing characters. They both clearly have painful pasts but the way in which that has shaped them is different. There is a bit of a love triangle in The Conspiracy of Us which isn’t so great (not a fan of love triangles) but the way it sets it up means there’s interesting character moments.
One thing I really liked about The Conspiracy of Us is that it throws you pretty much straight into the action, there’s no long set up or world-building so with 30 pages you’ve met the three main characters and the plot is really kicking off. While the starting point of the book might not be that fleshed out, when it comes to the descriptions of cities like Paris and Istanbul, they were very vivid.
The Conspiracy of Us is an action-packed ride and would be great for people who like stories about treasure hunters.
This book was exciting, gripping, and fast pace. I really enjoyed this book to the point where I couldn't stop reading it. I did have some problems with the plot and characters. I was a bit confused at times and it took me awhile to connect certain things about the story together. Other than that this book was great and I really want to read the next one because I NEED to know what happens.
I really liked the story of this book. The writing kind of bothered me though. It felt like every chapter (and the end of the book) would end on a cliffhanger. I think that you can do that every once in a while, but every time is very predictable and it became annoying after a while. I will still read the next two in the series, because I do like the story and I want to see how it goes. However, I hope the writing gets a little better and I do not notice the gimmicks as much as I did in the first book.
Mystery, intrigue, conspiracy, romance...this book really has it all. I loved the mystery behind things and the history. The incorporate of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, all of the references to 12, definitely kept you intrigued and trying to figure things out along with the characters. There are so many complexities and random bits of information it does get hard to keep track of sometimes, but it's still very exciting!!! Plus there's the coveted love triangle, so that's always exciting. Can't wait to read the second.
