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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
*3.5 stars
Overall, it was a pretty fun book.
I definitely think it could have been shorter and more consise and focused on the gravity of the situation rather than how two teenagers miraculously fall in love within approximately two days.
I also wish that the clues to the mystery were given so that the audience could guess the answers. It was pretty much impossible to guess with the way it was.
Despite all that, it was a fun read.
Overall, it was a pretty fun book.
I definitely think it could have been shorter and more consise and focused on the gravity of the situation rather than how two teenagers miraculously fall in love within approximately two days.
I also wish that the clues to the mystery were given so that the audience could guess the answers. It was pretty much impossible to guess with the way it was.
Despite all that, it was a fun read.
Very exciting! Didn't feel an emotional connection characters, but it was very adventurous. Will continue the series in the future.
1/10
This was DNF for me. The story line didn't stick with me, I found it very boring. Maybe I didn't understand it or maybe the writing was poor. Although I will say, I had a really high expectations for this book but I guess it just wasn't for me.
This was DNF for me. The story line didn't stick with me, I found it very boring. Maybe I didn't understand it or maybe the writing was poor. Although I will say, I had a really high expectations for this book but I guess it just wasn't for me.
*More like 3.5 stars*
This book was fast and fun, a very entertaining read but I feel like this book was just a set up for the rest of the series and I thought the plot would have more history in it but it was more like history events were briefly mentioned. I wasn't a huuuge fan of the main character, I didn't connect to her but I'm still intrigued enough by the story to read the sequel and see what happens next!
This book was fast and fun, a very entertaining read but I feel like this book was just a set up for the rest of the series and I thought the plot would have more history in it but it was more like history events were briefly mentioned. I wasn't a huuuge fan of the main character, I didn't connect to her but I'm still intrigued enough by the story to read the sequel and see what happens next!
Like Dan Brown's books with teenage sass. If you are into "conspiracies" with a lovestory, you'd love this book. Cliffhanger.
DAMN The end is just freaking AMAZING , i need to read the sequel right now ..^o^ and i was thinking & wondering ...why i always fall in love with the badboys even if they are "villains"
becuz THEY ARE THE BEST EVER !!
becuz THEY ARE THE BEST EVER !!
This book was a lot like a Mission Impossible movie in my option.
Lots and lots of action, lots and lots of running around, searching for stuff and fighting and shooting and stabbing... also a lot of things happening that don't make ANY sense at all, never actually get explained or are just taken as "this is what happens go with it!" type of situation.
Which is fine. This is NOT a book that you can read and take seriously.
Which honestly was kind of a perfect book for me right now since i had way to many mediocre to bad books for me personally right now so this mostly mindless action movie book was more or less exactly what i needed.
What i really enjoyed:
- its super fast paced as already mentioned.
Basically from page one, we are thrown into the active storyline without much explanation. Things just start to happen and we get swept up in the action just as the main character is and get little snippets of explanations here and there throughout the book as the main character learns about them as well.
- the writing:
its so easy and enjoyable to read.
It is just this type of writing that works perfectly for this plot because nothing in the writing makes you slow down or question what is going on, it lets you fly through the story and lets you focus on what is going on.
if that makes ANY sense at all to anyone outside my head.
What i thought was okay:
- the characters:
Because we are just thrown into the story without any introduction or explanations... we never really get to know the characters that well. at least in my option.
this book is so fast paced and action packed and stuff happens all the time and so the development and actual characterisation of the characters takes a huge step back.
But at the same time... thats kind of okay. Because that is not what the book is about.
- the plot:
This is a bit confusing... because what exactly is this book about?
Is it about a girl trying to find her father and his side of the family?
About a secret society?
About this ancient prophesy?
About the star-crossed love affair between two people that clearly have no business being together?
Or three people? Who could keep up at that point??
About a girl getting thrown into a world she does not understand at all?
Mindless action with fighting, killing, searching for stuff and clues and things, the kidnapping of people the readers never actually meet and honestly could care in no way or form any less about?
NO CLUE!
Is that a bad thing?
NO CLUE!
I didn't mind it that much that i had no idea what to expect from this book. So all in all the "plot" stuff was okay. Mostly because i honestly was just amused by what the author came up with next instead of being annoyed by not getting clear answers or directions for anything.
Which is an interesting change since a lot of the times in my reading HATE not knowing what is going on or where the plot will go since it feels to me utterly chaotic and as if the author had no idea where she/he was going with anything in the book.
But somehow Hall managed to make it work and not make me feel as if she didn't know where she was going with the things she was doing.
So thats good i guess.
What i really HATED:
- the goons
Behause what?
Where did those always come from? And why did they always know where everyone was? And just what?
How did they know where to find the people that they kidnaped or that they should take those people if they didn't know anything else apparently or know where the clues where if nobody else apparently knew where not find them and just... WHAT?
So really those parts of the book made no sense what so ever.
Other than add a lot of running, chasing and fighting/shooting/slashing with knifes into the book.
Which i am guessing was the whole point?
But even though the entire book is utterly ridiculous and so unbelievably its almost a comedy, i still wich that the author would have at least tried a little bit to make the "bad guys" and their sudden appearances seem a little less unrealistic.
- the main character / talk about Family:
Because what the heck!
She constantly complains that she always wanted a family, that she wish she knew someone she was related to, that she always hoped for people to call family...
What the heck is her mother?
that raised her, clearly loved her and gave her everything she ever wanted or needed, while also rising her as a single parent without any support what so ever?
That girl is 17 -as countless times mentioned in the book- she is not stupid -or it was suggested that she isn't i did feel that she was especially when her thoughts where shared because shake that girl HARD to see if something will click in her brain that resembles something called common sense please?
What i am trying to say is that she is NOT a little girl.
So she should be able to understand that her mother clearly did her best and loved her and WAS HER FAMILY!
So that it was mentioned a lot that the main character did not have any family, always wanted one... it made me want to stop reading this book. I always hate when authors make it sound as if a single parent with no other family members in the picture are NOT enough or good enough or as if something was missing. That is not okay.
I guess that a lot of it is because the author needed a start into the story and a reason for the main character to be utterly stupid and follow a boy into a private plane to leave the country and travel to an entire different continent without ANY actual explanation or real prove of ANYTHING at all.
(which yeah... that shows a clearly smart character right there!) but that could have been done better.
Its not a huge deal over all but its just something that i always HATE when it happens in books and sadly it does happen a lot and i always think that it could be done way better.
- the romance:
Because why?
Its basically an action movie.
Why do we need a strange three way thing?
Isn't it enough with the secret society, the prophecy stuff, the kidnapped people, the hunting of clues all over europe and being followed by people that want to kill everyone all the while trying to hide what is actually going on?
That sounds like a packed book to me.
But CLEARLY there's need for some romance.
Okay thats a personal issue i am having where it seems that in every book there is a need to add romance when it is clearly not needed.
In this book it was just so very clear that it was unnecessary that it was basically a neon sign blinking in rainbow colours every time those moments came up, since they were so unnecessary and with that so overly noticeable.
- the ending:
or should i say the last 1/4 of the book?
That entire marriage thing as just utterly stupid!
I mean come on!
we are talking about a 17 year old American in europe that is supposed to be just married of to a clearly older guy, i mean i have NO idea how old Luc is supposed to be but clearly NOT 17 or 18. There are no family connections and what??
We are just supposed to believe that an entire marriage is happening in not even 24 hours without anyone questioning what is going on or the questions of a legal representative that is actually legally allowed to sign off on that marriage for that above mentioned 17 year old?
I mean i get that it was a "spin" on the plot, that it pushed a lot of different parts of the plot forwards and all of that... but there would have been other ways to do that and i think that that was not the best way to do it.
Also the bit "cliffhanger" ending was unnecessary.
We are already there for the next book since NOTHING got actually solved or done in this one, and we know now that the mother (that was never enough or apparently actual family, no i am NOT bitter at all... ) is kidnapped and the "grandfather" apparently dead... how can we NOT want to see what the heck is going to happen next?
So why do we need the big "is she going to do it or not?" thing?
Thats a bit over the top in my option.
Okay and after all that ranting and bad mouthing of specific sections and parts... let me wrap this up:
I enjoyed some parts of it immensely and was grinning like a lunatic while reading it.
And other sections where borderline "i am going to rip this book apart if this continues to talk stupid!" aggression levels.
All in all it was okay.
If you want a mind numbing fast paced action book?
PERFECT!
You are in for a ride! Grab your popcorn and have fun!
If you want something with actual depth?
Sorry.
No.
Move on to something else.
Lots and lots of action, lots and lots of running around, searching for stuff and fighting and shooting and stabbing... also a lot of things happening that don't make ANY sense at all, never actually get explained or are just taken as "this is what happens go with it!" type of situation.
Which is fine. This is NOT a book that you can read and take seriously.
Which honestly was kind of a perfect book for me right now since i had way to many mediocre to bad books for me personally right now so this mostly mindless action
What i really enjoyed:
- its super fast paced as already mentioned.
Basically from page one, we are thrown into the active storyline without much explanation. Things just start to happen and we get swept up in the action just as the main character is and get little snippets of explanations here and there throughout the book as the main character learns about them as well.
- the writing:
its so easy and enjoyable to read.
It is just this type of writing that works perfectly for this plot because nothing in the writing makes you slow down or question what is going on, it lets you fly through the story and lets you focus on what is going on.
if that makes ANY sense at all to anyone outside my head.
What i thought was okay:
- the characters:
Because we are just thrown into the story without any introduction or explanations... we never really get to know the characters that well. at least in my option.
this book is so fast paced and action packed and stuff happens all the time and so the development and actual characterisation of the characters takes a huge step back.
But at the same time... thats kind of okay. Because that is not what the book is about.
- the plot:
This is a bit confusing... because what exactly is this book about?
Is it about a girl trying to find her father and his side of the family?
About a secret society?
About this ancient prophesy?
About the star-crossed love affair between two people that clearly have no business being together?
Or three people? Who could keep up at that point??
About a girl getting thrown into a world she does not understand at all?
Mindless action with fighting, killing, searching for stuff and clues and things, the kidnapping of people the readers never actually meet and honestly could care in no way or form any less about?
NO CLUE!
Is that a bad thing?
NO CLUE!
I didn't mind it that much that i had no idea what to expect from this book. So all in all the "plot" stuff was okay. Mostly because i honestly was just amused by what the author came up with next instead of being annoyed by not getting clear answers or directions for anything.
Which is an interesting change since a lot of the times in my reading HATE not knowing what is going on or where the plot will go since it feels to me utterly chaotic and as if the author had no idea where she/he was going with anything in the book.
But somehow Hall managed to make it work and not make me feel as if she didn't know where she was going with the things she was doing.
So thats good i guess.
What i really HATED:
- the goons
Behause what?
Where did those always come from? And why did they always know where everyone was? And just what?
How did they know where to find the people that they kidnaped or that they should take those people if they didn't know anything else apparently or know where the clues where if nobody else apparently knew where not find them and just... WHAT?
So really those parts of the book made no sense what so ever.
Other than add a lot of running, chasing and fighting/shooting/slashing with knifes into the book.
Which i am guessing was the whole point?
But even though the entire book is utterly ridiculous and so unbelievably its almost a comedy, i still wich that the author would have at least tried a little bit to make the "bad guys" and their sudden appearances seem a little less unrealistic.
- the main character / talk about Family:
Because what the heck!
She constantly complains that she always wanted a family, that she wish she knew someone she was related to, that she always hoped for people to call family...
What the heck is her mother?
that raised her, clearly loved her and gave her everything she ever wanted or needed, while also rising her as a single parent without any support what so ever?
That girl is 17 -as countless times mentioned in the book- she is not stupid -or it was suggested that she isn't i did feel that she was especially when her thoughts where shared because shake that girl HARD to see if something will click in her brain that resembles something called common sense please?
What i am trying to say is that she is NOT a little girl.
So she should be able to understand that her mother clearly did her best and loved her and WAS HER FAMILY!
So that it was mentioned a lot that the main character did not have any family, always wanted one... it made me want to stop reading this book. I always hate when authors make it sound as if a single parent with no other family members in the picture are NOT enough or good enough or as if something was missing. That is not okay.
I guess that a lot of it is because the author needed a start into the story and a reason for the main character to be utterly stupid and follow a boy into a private plane to leave the country and travel to an entire different continent without ANY actual explanation or real prove of ANYTHING at all.
(which yeah... that shows a clearly smart character right there!) but that could have been done better.
Its not a huge deal over all but its just something that i always HATE when it happens in books and sadly it does happen a lot and i always think that it could be done way better.
- the romance:
Because why?
Its basically an action movie.
Why do we need a strange three way thing?
Isn't it enough with the secret society, the prophecy stuff, the kidnapped people, the hunting of clues all over europe and being followed by people that want to kill everyone all the while trying to hide what is actually going on?
That sounds like a packed book to me.
But CLEARLY there's need for some romance.
Okay thats a personal issue i am having where it seems that in every book there is a need to add romance when it is clearly not needed.
In this book it was just so very clear that it was unnecessary that it was basically a neon sign blinking in rainbow colours every time those moments came up, since they were so unnecessary and with that so overly noticeable.
- the ending:
or should i say the last 1/4 of the book?
That entire marriage thing as just utterly stupid!
I mean come on!
we are talking about a 17 year old American in europe that is supposed to be just married of to a clearly older guy, i mean i have NO idea how old Luc is supposed to be but clearly NOT 17 or 18. There are no family connections and what??
We are just supposed to believe that an entire marriage is happening in not even 24 hours without anyone questioning what is going on or the questions of a legal representative that is actually legally allowed to sign off on that marriage for that above mentioned 17 year old?
I mean i get that it was a "spin" on the plot, that it pushed a lot of different parts of the plot forwards and all of that... but there would have been other ways to do that and i think that that was not the best way to do it.
Also the bit "cliffhanger" ending was unnecessary.
We are already there for the next book
So why do we need the big "is she going to do it or not?" thing?
Thats a bit over the top in my option.
Okay and after all that ranting and bad mouthing of specific sections and parts... let me wrap this up:
I enjoyed some parts of it immensely and was grinning like a lunatic while reading it.
And other sections where borderline "i am going to rip this book apart if this continues to talk stupid!" aggression levels.
All in all it was okay.
If you want a mind numbing fast paced action book?
PERFECT!
You are in for a ride! Grab your popcorn and have fun!
If you want something with actual depth?
Sorry.
No.
Move on to something else.
I love those around-the-world, searching for some mystery, danger and adventure type stories. I have read Dan Brown's books over and over because I love that old-world suspense. I was so excited to see that the library had The Conspiracy of Us right away and read to borrow. It was read Julia Whelan and was 9 hours, 36 minutes long.
Likes:
Avery was an interesting main character and I loved her purple eyes, how cool would that be!
There was definitely mystery, adventure and traveling. This was a good book to get a couple stops for my Around the World Challenge. The book starts in a not-real town in Minnesota, but then she goes to Paris and Istanbul.
I loved Jack, total book boy crush for sure! I imagined him being a lot like Johnny Pacar in his role on Make It or Break It.
The whole structure of the official families and the circle was interesting. I do want to continue with the series to see how it all goes down. There was some confusing stuff with the prophecy, but I am hoping that it all comes together in the next two books.
Gripes
The biggest gripe I have is that the conspiracy was a little convoluted. It was a bit hard to understand, but I think that this could be largely in part because I listened to the book instead of reading it. I do sometimes lose my focus sometimes when I am listening. It is a lot harder to go back and re-read when you have to reverse your audiobook!
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
Likes:
Avery was an interesting main character and I loved her purple eyes, how cool would that be!
There was definitely mystery, adventure and traveling. This was a good book to get a couple stops for my Around the World Challenge. The book starts in a not-real town in Minnesota, but then she goes to Paris and Istanbul.
I loved Jack, total book boy crush for sure! I imagined him being a lot like Johnny Pacar in his role on Make It or Break It.
The whole structure of the official families and the circle was interesting. I do want to continue with the series to see how it all goes down. There was some confusing stuff with the prophecy, but I am hoping that it all comes together in the next two books.
Gripes
The biggest gripe I have is that the conspiracy was a little convoluted. It was a bit hard to understand, but I think that this could be largely in part because I listened to the book instead of reading it. I do sometimes lose my focus sometimes when I am listening. It is a lot harder to go back and re-read when you have to reverse your audiobook!
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
fast-paced
“Toska.” He leaned forward, too. “It’s a Russian word, it has no translation into any other language, but the closest I’ve heard is the ache. A longing. The sense that something is missing, and even if you’re not sure what it is, you ache for it. Down to your bones.”
The Conspiracy of Us was one of the books that I have been wanting to read for a really long time and it didn't disappoint me. I've marked this book as "TBR" in January or so, and when I read it now for some reason I had this idea in my head that it was about time travelling, but it wasn't! LOL!
Okay! Let's get started. I really liked the concept of the book; a secret society that controls the world and most of them are politicians. Not very far from the truth, so I enjoyed reading how selfish they are. Avery, the main character, was so annoying at some parts of the book that I was willing to kill her myself. Not only that, but she's so hormonal (normal for a 16-year-old) that it took 2 pages or so describing the manly, very handsome, beautiful, British with an accent that makes you drool, interesting, oh my God I want him, please-be-mine Jack. Moving on, she's also reckless and naive that she went with a boy whom she had just met like 5 minutes ago (literally) because she found out she had a family!!! Please, all parents tell their children to NEVER LEAVE WITH A STRANGER, and when it's the night a girl doesn't leave with a man who has a knife!!! Fast forward to "I HAVE A BOY IN MY ROOM!! IN MY BED!!" Phase. The short version that she spent two pages describing awkward touching between them and it was hilarious when it should have made me feel all "butterflies" okay! I guess I have made it clear that I am not a big fan of her, but I don't hate her still!
Next, we have Jack and Stellan. Personally, I really liked Stellan much more, even though he appeared for 10 chapters or less, mainly because he was a sarcastic little shit and that's my favourite kind of any character. Jack reminds me of Adam from Shatter Me, but he's not an ass like Adam, Stellan is more like Warner minus Warner from Shatter Me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it in one sitting. I liked the description of Istanbul and Paris. I LOVED the multiculturalism in this book, Russian, Turkish, French and Arabic. I think this book is becoming one of my favourites and I hope the next one is better.
The Conspiracy of Us was one of the books that I have been wanting to read for a really long time and it didn't disappoint me. I've marked this book as "TBR" in January or so, and when I read it now for some reason I had this idea in my head that it was about time travelling, but it wasn't! LOL!
Okay! Let's get started. I really liked the concept of the book; a secret society that controls the world and most of them are politicians. Not very far from the truth, so I enjoyed reading how selfish they are. Avery, the main character, was so annoying at some parts of the book that I was willing to kill her myself. Not only that, but she's so hormonal (normal for a 16-year-old) that it took 2 pages or so describing the manly, very handsome, beautiful, British with an accent that makes you drool, interesting, oh my God I want him, please-be-mine Jack. Moving on, she's also reckless and naive that she went with a boy whom she had just met like 5 minutes ago (literally) because she found out she had a family!!! Please, all parents tell their children to NEVER LEAVE WITH A STRANGER, and when it's the night a girl doesn't leave with a man who has a knife!!! Fast forward to "I HAVE A BOY IN MY ROOM!! IN MY BED!!" Phase. The short version that she spent two pages describing awkward touching between them and it was hilarious when it should have made me feel all "butterflies" okay! I guess I have made it clear that I am not a big fan of her, but I don't hate her still!
Next, we have Jack and Stellan. Personally, I really liked Stellan much more, even though he appeared for 10 chapters or less, mainly because he was a sarcastic little shit and that's my favourite kind of any character. Jack reminds me of Adam from Shatter Me, but he's not an ass like Adam, Stellan is more like Warner minus Warner from Shatter Me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it in one sitting. I liked the description of Istanbul and Paris. I LOVED the multiculturalism in this book, Russian, Turkish, French and Arabic. I think this book is becoming one of my favourites and I hope the next one is better.