Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall is a young adult contemporary novel that is full of surprises--and I'm not just talking about one of the twists at the end that I didn't see coming. Whereas the beginning of the novel felt almost cliched and predictable, Hall did the unthinkable and had her protagonist completely call out the crap that was going down. I was actually kind of annoyed at the beginning, but as the novel progressed I was surprised, and very happy, to see the character kind of shake the naïveté off her shoulders.
Avery West, the protagonist, has just found out that her life has been so filled with secrets, that she didn't even know she had a family on her father's side. Avery is introduced as your typical, anti-social teen who would rather not connect with anyone when she has to move than make friends and, say, go to prom.
At first, I was curious as to whether this beautifully covered book would become one of those cliched "different girl meets handsome boy" type of deals. For the first thirty pages or so, I was so disappointed to find that it might turn out to be a tragic, typical storyline. But then, something amazing happened: reality appeared in the form of a very serious situation and slaps Avery in her annoyingly hopeful face. From that moment on, The Conspiracy of Us becomes this incredible, action-riddled story that I could not put down. This was such an awesome book to start my year with, since it was fun, fresh, and exciting.
The mystery is intriguing, especially if you're into anything by Dan Brown or Steve Berry. I was surprised to see the level of detail put into the clues given. This was definitely a well thought out novel. I felt myself growing emotionally connected to the characters as the clock ticked closer and closer to what they feared the most, and I wanted to see where everything lead them in the end.
The characters were interesting in their complexity. Of course, there's the damaged bad boy that you love to hate; there's the damaged good guy that only has the protagonist in his line of sight, you have the protagonist who learns to deal with life's crap as her character develops; and you have the bad guys who will stop at nothing to get the characters to fail. I did like the predictability of these characters because it kind of balanced out the serious themes running below the main storyline. I was also a huge fan of how the budding romance between two of the characters did not override the main storyline (and no love triangle, for now.) As a result, the combination of fun, slightly romantic, well-known character archetypes, and serious themes made for an awesome, light, and suspenseful mystery.
The pacing was awesome once the proverbial shit hit the fan and I have to say, it was this fantastic pacing that had me tearing through the pages.
Though one of the twists is easily predictable and I am not a huge fan of this being turned into a series, I highly recommend Hall's book to my fellow readers. If you want something quick and light, but intriguing and surprising, then you might want to pick this one up.
Happy reading!
I received a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall is a young adult contemporary novel that is full of surprises--and I'm not just talking about one of the twists at the end that I didn't see coming. Whereas the beginning of the novel felt almost cliched and predictable, Hall did the unthinkable and had her protagonist completely call out the crap that was going down. I was actually kind of annoyed at the beginning, but as the novel progressed I was surprised, and very happy, to see the character kind of shake the naïveté off her shoulders.
Avery West, the protagonist, has just found out that her life has been so filled with secrets, that she didn't even know she had a family on her father's side. Avery is introduced as your typical, anti-social teen who would rather not connect with anyone when she has to move than make friends and, say, go to prom.
At first, I was curious as to whether this beautifully covered book would become one of those cliched "different girl meets handsome boy" type of deals. For the first thirty pages or so, I was so disappointed to find that it might turn out to be a tragic, typical storyline. But then, something amazing happened: reality appeared in the form of a very serious situation and slaps Avery in her annoyingly hopeful face. From that moment on, The Conspiracy of Us becomes this incredible, action-riddled story that I could not put down. This was such an awesome book to start my year with, since it was fun, fresh, and exciting.
The mystery is intriguing, especially if you're into anything by Dan Brown or Steve Berry. I was surprised to see the level of detail put into the clues given. This was definitely a well thought out novel. I felt myself growing emotionally connected to the characters as the clock ticked closer and closer to what they feared the most, and I wanted to see where everything lead them in the end.
The characters were interesting in their complexity. Of course, there's the damaged bad boy that you love to hate; there's the damaged good guy that only has the protagonist in his line of sight, you have the protagonist who learns to deal with life's crap as her character develops; and you have the bad guys who will stop at nothing to get the characters to fail. I did like the predictability of these characters because it kind of balanced out the serious themes running below the main storyline. I was also a huge fan of how the budding romance between two of the characters did not override the main storyline (and no love triangle, for now.) As a result, the combination of fun, slightly romantic, well-known character archetypes, and serious themes made for an awesome, light, and suspenseful mystery.
The pacing was awesome once the proverbial shit hit the fan and I have to say, it was this fantastic pacing that had me tearing through the pages.
Though one of the twists is easily predictable and I am not a huge fan of this being turned into a series, I highly recommend Hall's book to my fellow readers. If you want something quick and light, but intriguing and surprising, then you might want to pick this one up.
Happy reading!
*3.5*
I didn't know a whole lot about this going in, but I remember hearing someone talk about it once and it sounded up my alley. Also, it says that it's great for fans of Ally Carter, and I love the Gallagher Girls series with all my heart.
I don't regret picking this up. It was a lot of fun. The adventure and action in it was really good and fast-paced. The characters were likable enough, and the romance, despite being a bit insta-lovey, still gave me some of those swoony-feels.
My biggest problem with this is that it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, Avery is suddenly approached by these two guys, one a complete stranger, and because they're telling her they know her father's side of her family (her father, who she had never met or really known anything about), she agrees to go with them, TO PARIS. You can argue that they would have taken her either way, sure, but she still didn't put up a fight. That's just a whole other level of ridiculous to me. Also, the whole thing with the Twelve was a little far-fetched to even accept in a realm of fiction, but fine.
Overall though, this book fulfills its purpose. It's fun, fast, and despite its faults, addicting. I'll be reading the next one in the series. Also, the audiobook for this is excellent.
I didn't know a whole lot about this going in, but I remember hearing someone talk about it once and it sounded up my alley. Also, it says that it's great for fans of Ally Carter, and I love the Gallagher Girls series with all my heart.
I don't regret picking this up. It was a lot of fun. The adventure and action in it was really good and fast-paced. The characters were likable enough, and the romance, despite being a bit insta-lovey, still gave me some of those swoony-feels.
My biggest problem with this is that it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, Avery is suddenly approached by these two guys, one a complete stranger, and because they're telling her they know her father's side of her family (her father, who she had never met or really known anything about), she agrees to go with them, TO PARIS. You can argue that they would have taken her either way, sure, but she still didn't put up a fight. That's just a whole other level of ridiculous to me. Also, the whole thing with the Twelve was a little far-fetched to even accept in a realm of fiction, but fine.
Overall though, this book fulfills its purpose. It's fun, fast, and despite its faults, addicting. I'll be reading the next one in the series. Also, the audiobook for this is excellent.
4.5 stars
Just by the synopsis, this book promised a great deal. Conspiracy, romance, mystery, political intrigue, beautiful locations, and an adventure worthy of glorifying in addition to a comparison to Ally Carter. All of my favorite things in the world, and this book gave it to me in dazzles.
The Conspiracy of Us spins us a tale of one girl caught up in the tantalizing what if, where the world is controlled by those who hold the puppet strings behind the world leaders and politics, one that harkens back to Alexander the Great. (cue the mini-shriek from my ancient history loving self. And it is something I had never heard of, refreshing to read about compared to the more prevalent historical tangents that have been used too often in books.)
First and foremost, the conspiracy. Avery is introduced to the all-powerful Circle of Twelve, a set of twelve families that control everything, or at the very least, hold the strings to do anything with the world. Bloodlines that run back eons, to the ancient times of elaborate tombs and whatnot. The same families that believe Avery is a very deadly piece in the chess game of world power.
Getting caught up in the whirlwind of Avery's quest to discover just what she is a part of was an exhilarating ride. Seeing Paris and Istanbul was another bonus, and I loved reading about the cities. And of course, meeting the equally charming and deadly members of the Circle as well as mysterious foes completed the merry adventure.
As the blurb suggests, there is the simmering question of a love triangle. We're introduced to two swoon-worthy boys, as far as looks go. Thankfully, they're both vastly different from each other, and we're not thrown into a pseudo-argument between them about Avery. That's not to say that there isn't any biting banter, because who doesn't enjoy subtle subtext behind pleasant politeness. (Excuse the alliteration, I wanted to feel fancy.) Both present interesting pieces to the puzzle that encompasses the book. I have a fondness for one over the other, since objectivity is something I have never quite mastered, but both are rather appealing, in case you must know.
Maggie has an effortless way with words that is both beautiful and easy-to-read, simply delectable.
If it was, it was a shade of toshka. A craving for something you couldn't possibly understand. A craving I was finally letting myself feel, only to wish I hadn't.
While it's not a perfect book, because there were certain instances of things that maybe should have stretched believable limits for some, but overall this book was an adventure that touched my particular tastes, and I adored it. And, the ending scene was brilliant, the way things fold together—I cannot wait to see where Maggie takes us in the second book.
(And crossing my fingers that Map of Fates takes us to Florence, I'm dying to read about that magical city.)
You can read this review and others on my blog
Just by the synopsis, this book promised a great deal. Conspiracy, romance, mystery, political intrigue, beautiful locations, and an adventure worthy of glorifying in addition to a comparison to Ally Carter. All of my favorite things in the world, and this book gave it to me in dazzles.
The Conspiracy of Us spins us a tale of one girl caught up in the tantalizing what if, where the world is controlled by those who hold the puppet strings behind the world leaders and politics, one that harkens back to Alexander the Great. (cue the mini-shriek from my ancient history loving self. And it is something I had never heard of, refreshing to read about compared to the more prevalent historical tangents that have been used too often in books.)
First and foremost, the conspiracy. Avery is introduced to the all-powerful Circle of Twelve, a set of twelve families that control everything, or at the very least, hold the strings to do anything with the world. Bloodlines that run back eons, to the ancient times of elaborate tombs and whatnot. The same families that believe Avery is a very deadly piece in the chess game of world power.
Getting caught up in the whirlwind of Avery's quest to discover just what she is a part of was an exhilarating ride. Seeing Paris and Istanbul was another bonus, and I loved reading about the cities. And of course, meeting the equally charming and deadly members of the Circle as well as mysterious foes completed the merry adventure.
As the blurb suggests, there is the simmering question of a love triangle. We're introduced to two swoon-worthy boys, as far as looks go. Thankfully, they're both vastly different from each other, and we're not thrown into a pseudo-argument between them about Avery. That's not to say that there isn't any biting banter, because who doesn't enjoy subtle subtext behind pleasant politeness. (Excuse the alliteration, I wanted to feel fancy.) Both present interesting pieces to the puzzle that encompasses the book. I have a fondness for one over the other, since objectivity is something I have never quite mastered, but both are rather appealing, in case you must know.
Maggie has an effortless way with words that is both beautiful and easy-to-read, simply delectable.
If it was, it was a shade of toshka. A craving for something you couldn't possibly understand. A craving I was finally letting myself feel, only to wish I hadn't.
While it's not a perfect book, because there were certain instances of things that maybe should have stretched believable limits for some, but overall this book was an adventure that touched my particular tastes, and I adored it. And, the ending scene was brilliant, the way things fold together—I cannot wait to see where Maggie takes us in the second book.
(And crossing my fingers that Map of Fates takes us to Florence, I'm dying to read about that magical city.)
You can read this review and others on my blog
That was really good! A wonderful mystery with plenty of twists and turns!
Reading this YA thriller was similar to sitting down with a bag of candy or popcorn. Fun, addictive - I gulped it down. Not necessarily nutrient filled but it didn't matter in the moment.
Not as great as it could have been, but I know my audience for this one (it reminds me of a romancey 39 Clues. The one written by Lerangis, because I think that's the worst plotted 39 Clues book). Add in a forced love triangle and it's clear: I will not be back for the sequel. Also, this book does not wrap up. At all. Not a single storyline. For me, that feels like sloppy writing in a series.
Cheesy, glamorous, globe-trotting fun, with a heroine who gets to make (some) decisions for herself, pretty, dangerous boys, proper tension and, unexpectedly, a little Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. Totally down for book two.
3.5 stars (4.5 for the series)
half of me is very judgy of both this book and myself for enjoying this book so much. like i can objectively say it has a lot of overused tropes and the main character has such stupid moments.
but
after the first couple chapters (which are just not great. even two rereads later, i struggle through them and become convinced i was high the other times i read it), it gets so fun and intriguing. also, i really like scavenger hunt, travelling around the world plots, so judgy me never really stood a chance.
and the books get so much better. i'm honestly surprised how invested in these characters, plot, and world i became in the later books. i adore the characters.
(i also highly recommend the audiobook. the narrator is wonderful.)
half of me is very judgy of both this book and myself for enjoying this book so much. like i can objectively say it has a lot of overused tropes and the main character has such stupid moments.
but
after the first couple chapters (which are just not great. even two rereads later, i struggle through them and become convinced i was high the other times i read it), it gets so fun and intriguing. also, i really like scavenger hunt, travelling around the world plots, so judgy me never really stood a chance.
and the books get so much better. i'm honestly surprised how invested in these characters, plot, and world i became in the later books. i adore the characters.
(i also highly recommend the audiobook. the narrator is wonderful.)
I absolutely loved this book. Reminded me a little of the 39 clues, and the thrill was amazing. I was searching for a sequel.