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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I thought this was going to be a time-travel book. I was wrong.
It wasn't nearly as love-triangle-y as I expected, but the romance was still rushed. Given the normal amount of time, I'm sure these characters would've come together naturally. And I hope [b:The Conspiracy of Us|17134589|The Conspiracy of Us (The Conspiracy of Us, #1)|Maggie Hall|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410275946s/17134589.jpg|23536517] doesn't pull a [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] and make the love triangle happen in the second book.
Of course, the ending won't be that much of a help in preventing any love geometry.
The puzzle was done well. I liked all of the solving that happened, but am I the only one that thought That confused me.
And the dress is pretty! And the compass is a cool cover element, considering how it ties in.
I wonder if there's a sun on the next cover....
Just out of curiosity, has anyone read a love triangle that was done well?
It wasn't nearly as love-triangle-y as I expected, but the romance was still rushed. Given the normal amount of time, I'm sure these characters would've come together naturally. And I hope [b:The Conspiracy of Us|17134589|The Conspiracy of Us (The Conspiracy of Us, #1)|Maggie Hall|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410275946s/17134589.jpg|23536517] doesn't pull a [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] and make the love triangle happen in the second book.
Of course, the ending won't be that much of a help in preventing any love geometry.
The puzzle was done well. I liked all of the solving that happened, but am I the only one that thought
Spoiler
that Stellan was actually closely related to the Dauphins?And the dress is pretty! And the compass is a cool cover element, considering how it ties in.
I wonder if there's a sun on the next cover....
Just out of curiosity, has anyone read a love triangle that was done well?
I found that there was something in this book that could’ve get a 4⭐️ instead but i found the events to be multiples in such a short time (1-2 days?) that it made it look so unrealistic. I knew what was coming, it was predictible. Overall it was really a quick and fun read. I really liked Jack and Stallin ! The ending made me intrigued to read the rest of the trilogy.
Just finished this book, and can't figure out whether I enjoyed it or what I how feel about it all.
The cover art was amazing, really drew me in, I was expecting it to be in a different time frame for some reason with the title and cover art.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book enough to read it all, but not sure if I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, which I will probably at some point read though. It wasn't a favorite, but had a decent storyline that slightly pulled me in. The supposed love triangle really wasn't there in my book, and seemed to really push for the "he's so built, I can't help but notice how gorgeous he is", wasn't well done in my book.
Avery has been a loner her whole life with her mom uprooting her all the time and moving for her job and such, so she never lets friends get too close because she'll be moving again soon. She has no idea who her dad is and has this made up theory about how amazing he is. The cutest new guy in school, Jack, asks her to prom and she says no, but then at the last minute, lies about it all, and meets up with him which spirals the whole evening into some dramafest of her kind of being kidnapped, but yet willing to go in the hopes of meeting her dad. From there there's drama, many questions raised about old books, power and greed, and maybe some kind of love.
Things I liked:
1. The storyline moved along finally after the first 100 pages or so and was then enjoyable
2. Characters were fun
Things I didn't like:
1. The supposed love triangle was non-exsistent and cheesy
2. Hated how easily Avery just forgave Jack and acted like nothing happened...really?
3. Stellen was not much in the book for the attention he is supposed to now have
4. Didn't draw me in as far as series go, I liked it, but didn't love it
5. I don't feel the need to hurry and wait for the next book, but will read it at some point
Overall, it was a fine book, but not a favorite. Would recommend for a light read.
The cover art was amazing, really drew me in, I was expecting it to be in a different time frame for some reason with the title and cover art.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book enough to read it all, but not sure if I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series, which I will probably at some point read though. It wasn't a favorite, but had a decent storyline that slightly pulled me in. The supposed love triangle really wasn't there in my book, and seemed to really push for the "he's so built, I can't help but notice how gorgeous he is", wasn't well done in my book.
Avery has been a loner her whole life with her mom uprooting her all the time and moving for her job and such, so she never lets friends get too close because she'll be moving again soon. She has no idea who her dad is and has this made up theory about how amazing he is. The cutest new guy in school, Jack, asks her to prom and she says no, but then at the last minute, lies about it all, and meets up with him which spirals the whole evening into some dramafest of her kind of being kidnapped, but yet willing to go in the hopes of meeting her dad. From there there's drama, many questions raised about old books, power and greed, and maybe some kind of love.
Things I liked:
1. The storyline moved along finally after the first 100 pages or so and was then enjoyable
2. Characters were fun
Things I didn't like:
1. The supposed love triangle was non-exsistent and cheesy
2. Hated how easily Avery just forgave Jack and acted like nothing happened...really?
3. Stellen was not much in the book for the attention he is supposed to now have
4. Didn't draw me in as far as series go, I liked it, but didn't love it
5. I don't feel the need to hurry and wait for the next book, but will read it at some point
Overall, it was a fine book, but not a favorite. Would recommend for a light read.
Quick review for a not-so-quick read. Usually Julia Whelan's narrations engage me enough to get through even the most tedious of books, but I still felt the burn listening to this book on audio. I had some try/fail cycles in picking this one up, finally succeeded in finishing the third time around, and I'm kind of surprised for a fast-paced caper thriller how dull, unimaginative, and notably incomplete it was. That's a shame, because I'd really looked forward to this read.
Maggie Hall's "The Conspiracy of Us" focuses on Avery West, a young woman who lives with her mother and can't get settled into one place at one time. As per "mandates", her mother moves them from place to place and Avery's bitterness shows as she finds something of a connection to the one place she's managed to stay for a time, even to get asked to prom by someone she's had her eye on for a while. But things aren't always what they seem, and Avery's pulled into an international scuffle with people who want to use and manipulate her for their own ends.
"The Conspiracy of Us" suffers much from overuse of YA tropes that are repetitious and underdeveloped, maybe even quite manipulative. Between Avery being the "special" heroine (her purple eyes tell as much since it reveals her link to a powerful group), and her affections being caught between a British and Russian boy who both work for the Circle - I had to swallow a bitter pill of awkward turns of overfocused lust in a love triangle that made no sense and haphazard worldbuilding. To say that Avery's a key in preventing a possible WW III and manipulating actual historical events without any due expansion and implausible measures really didn't sit well with me.
I couldn't connect to the places that Avery traveled or the fashion sense (it wasn't really immersive in any culture or vivid prose - Hall's prose is too surface focused). Even the characters themselves were too...shallow, for lack of a better word. Avery was far too passive of a heroine to really root for, Stellan and Jack I struggled to have a connection with despite few humanizing qualities, and even then, they were mostly helping Avery as she waited for them to help her out of messes. The puzzles and some action sequences and harrowing conflicts had potential, and that's probably what's keeping me on board to see if the next book in this series improves.
But honestly, I think this book had so much bark and not enough true bite. A shame because it's actually a really good premise to work with. I wish it had less focus on the silly, manipulative love triangle, and more on the harrowing action/adventure/puzzle/thriller/political game measure that came across in the blurb.
Overall score: 2/5 stars
Maggie Hall's "The Conspiracy of Us" focuses on Avery West, a young woman who lives with her mother and can't get settled into one place at one time. As per "mandates", her mother moves them from place to place and Avery's bitterness shows as she finds something of a connection to the one place she's managed to stay for a time, even to get asked to prom by someone she's had her eye on for a while. But things aren't always what they seem, and Avery's pulled into an international scuffle with people who want to use and manipulate her for their own ends.
"The Conspiracy of Us" suffers much from overuse of YA tropes that are repetitious and underdeveloped, maybe even quite manipulative. Between Avery being the "special" heroine (her purple eyes tell as much since it reveals her link to a powerful group), and her affections being caught between a British and Russian boy who both work for the Circle - I had to swallow a bitter pill of awkward turns of overfocused lust in a love triangle that made no sense and haphazard worldbuilding. To say that Avery's a key in preventing a possible WW III and manipulating actual historical events without any due expansion and implausible measures really didn't sit well with me.
I couldn't connect to the places that Avery traveled or the fashion sense (it wasn't really immersive in any culture or vivid prose - Hall's prose is too surface focused). Even the characters themselves were too...shallow, for lack of a better word. Avery was far too passive of a heroine to really root for, Stellan and Jack I struggled to have a connection with despite few humanizing qualities, and even then, they were mostly helping Avery as she waited for them to help her out of messes. The puzzles and some action sequences and harrowing conflicts had potential, and that's probably what's keeping me on board to see if the next book in this series improves.
But honestly, I think this book had so much bark and not enough true bite. A shame because it's actually a really good premise to work with. I wish it had less focus on the silly, manipulative love triangle, and more on the harrowing action/adventure/puzzle/thriller/political game measure that came across in the blurb.
Overall score: 2/5 stars
Please check out the full review on my blog - as well as the amazing text conversation I had with my friend about this book at MNAR.
The Breakdown: As long as you come into this book knowing that first third might make you roll your eyes a lot you’re gonna like it. You’re going to like it a lot…
Rating: Four Stars
Reasoning: Lots of stereotypical YA stuff happening in the first third, but the second and third more than make up for it.
Recommended For: YA Fans, Teenage Readers, Escapist Fiction, YA that ISN’T Post-Apocalyptic!
The Breakdown: As long as you come into this book knowing that first third might make you roll your eyes a lot you’re gonna like it. You’re going to like it a lot…
Rating: Four Stars
Reasoning: Lots of stereotypical YA stuff happening in the first third, but the second and third more than make up for it.
Recommended For: YA Fans, Teenage Readers, Escapist Fiction, YA that ISN’T Post-Apocalyptic!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was a lot of fun! It was a bit like [b:Ruby Red|8835379|Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy, #1)|Kerstin Gier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312036605s/8835379.jpg|6510846] with a bit of the movie National Treasure mixed in. There was absolutely nothing sci-fi or paranormal about it besides the mention of a prophecy, but its mysterious existence is basically just accepted. This is all action/adventure/mystery/romance.
I really enjoyed all the history and geography in this. It starts out with Avery in high school, in Minnesota I think. She then travels to Paris, then Istanbul, then Paris again, where they visit several museums as well as the Notre-Dame cathedral. It all felt real to me, like we were really there, and I can't wait for them to travel further in the following books, in search of Alexander's tomb.
Avery was a very average girl and of course some times she made silly mistakes, such as getting on the plane with Stellan in the first place. But she held herself together well and I was proud of her for not completely losing her shit when people started shooting at her. She helped Jack plan along the way and saved him at Notre-Dame. But she still felt very genuine and realistic.
And I loved Jack. He was such a sweetheart. I rarely ever like the bad boy types, except on very rare occasions. But this is not one of them. Jack is quiet and kind and brave and he goes out of his way to protect Avery again and again, and risks his life just to be with her. I wasn't sure how far a romance would go in this book, or if it would be less of a focus. But I am glad that there was time for a lot of romance in this.
“I've never considered breaking that oath before. Ever. But I did, for you... It was all for you.”
I don't understand everyone's fascination with Stellan though. I mean, he never did anything interesting. He was rude. He pulled a knife on Avery twice. How is that likable? I am glad that he was not really portrayed as a love interest at least. He was good-looking enough for Avery to notice, but that's about it. She never trusted him, and with good reason. He mostly just hung around and never made a scene. So I appreciate that he didn't try to be a scene-stealer at least. But after that ending, I am sure the love-triangle aspect will be vamped up in the next book. I am not looking forward to that at all, especially since Avery and Jack ended in such a good place. They better not go through with Stellan's idea.
So I totally loved this book for being a lot of fun, a great adventure with great mystery, romance, and likable characters, besides Stellan. I really swallowed it up and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
I really enjoyed all the history and geography in this. It starts out with Avery in high school, in Minnesota I think. She then travels to Paris, then Istanbul, then Paris again, where they visit several museums as well as the Notre-Dame cathedral. It all felt real to me, like we were really there, and I can't wait for them to travel further in the following books, in search of Alexander's tomb.
Avery was a very average girl and of course some times she made silly mistakes, such as getting on the plane with Stellan in the first place. But she held herself together well and I was proud of her for not completely losing her shit when people started shooting at her. She helped Jack plan along the way and saved him at Notre-Dame. But she still felt very genuine and realistic.
And I loved Jack. He was such a sweetheart. I rarely ever like the bad boy types, except on very rare occasions. But this is not one of them. Jack is quiet and kind and brave and he goes out of his way to protect Avery again and again, and risks his life just to be with her. I wasn't sure how far a romance would go in this book, or if it would be less of a focus. But I am glad that there was time for a lot of romance in this.
“I've never considered breaking that oath before. Ever. But I did, for you... It was all for you.”
I don't understand everyone's fascination with Stellan though. I mean, he never did anything interesting. He was rude. He pulled a knife on Avery twice. How is that likable? I am glad that he was not really portrayed as a love interest at least. He was good-looking enough for Avery to notice, but that's about it. She never trusted him, and with good reason. He mostly just hung around and never made a scene. So I appreciate that he didn't try to be a scene-stealer at least. But after that ending, I am sure the love-triangle aspect will be vamped up in the next book. I am not looking forward to that at all, especially since Avery and Jack ended in such a good place. They better not go through with Stellan's idea.
So I totally loved this book for being a lot of fun, a great adventure with great mystery, romance, and likable characters, besides Stellan. I really swallowed it up and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
