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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3/5
Hurray another mystery book. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I saw this book on Book outlet. Overall, I thought "hey another mystery series! I wonder if it is any good." Having only read around five other mystery books, four of which were a series, I havn't read a lot of mystery. It can go two ways,. One: be great and have a plot twist or anything to make the book stand out. Or, Two; Have so much suspense I DNF the book entirely. This book was almost the second example. which explains the rating. It was just an alright book, I wish I would have enjoyed it more but I don't think anything could be added into the book.
Hurray another mystery book. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I saw this book on Book outlet. Overall, I thought "hey another mystery series! I wonder if it is any good." Having only read around five other mystery books, four of which were a series, I havn't read a lot of mystery. It can go two ways,. One: be great and have a plot twist or anything to make the book stand out. Or, Two; Have so much suspense I DNF the book entirely. This book was almost the second example. which explains the rating. It was just an alright book, I wish I would have enjoyed it more but I don't think anything could be added into the book.
whitwein's review against another edition
Just didn’t find myself interested in anything that was happening.
booksofsummer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
When Brynn Hilder is recruited to attend private school Vale Hall, she sees it as her chance to finally get away from her neighborhood, her mother's drug-dealing boyfriend, and a life spent running cons in order to save up for college.
Except, Vale Hall is not all it appears to be. Brynn has been singled out specifically because of her talent with conning people. That's exactly the kind of "talent" that Dr. Odin looks for in his students. The number one rule is to never reveal your true identity.
When Brynn's first assignment is befriending the son of a Senator in hopes of uncovering some dirt, Brynn begins to question Dr. O's motivations. Unfortunately, with Brynn's future - as well as the future of every other student at Vale Hall - in the palms of Dr. O's hands, Brynn doesn't know who she can trust when the situation with the senator crisscrosses with Brynn's former life.
Just to clear the air, I went into The Deceivers thinking we were going to get a paranormal retelling of norse mythology. Well... I guess we do in a way, but without the paranormal aspect. I honestly kept waiting for someone's powers to manifest through like the first maybe five chapters, then I realized to take the whole Valhalla thing with a grain of salt. This is a strictly contemporary setting in a school where young adults are being taught to be con artists.
Once I got to that point, I really enjoyed The Deceivers. It's an extremely readable story where the pacing continually moves and rarely slows down, yet Kristen Simmons was wonderful at mixing in some background / setup information for all of our characters.
Of course with Brynn in the foreground. She's a driven character who understands her circumstances very well. She knows if she doesn't get out, she'll end up selling drugs like many of her former friends do, working for her mother's boyfriend, and this is not what she wants for herself. Getting admitted into Vale Hall seems like a godsend to her. Not only does she get out of her worsening homelife, but she gets a chance to stick it to corrupt officials in the city. Or so it seems.
I loved how Kristen Simmons sets up the areas of gray that Brynn walks through. I mean, yes, she's behind the scenes fighting those who are abusing their power, but she's not exactly doing it legally. Kristen Simmons does a wonderful job building up the predicament that Brynn finds herself in as her conscience tells her something is off about the whole Vale Hall setup. But this will be something that, I believe is dealt with throughout the remainder of the series.
I did feel like the whole con artist thing was a bit clunky. I mean, just because Brynn can talk rich kids out of their parents' money with fake concert tickets doesn't mean she's qualified to go undercover with the senator's son. But I felt like this clunkiness was intentionally showcasing this very point. The idea that Brynn has a lot to learn and the fact that things are so much more twisted than she thought possible as we see at the end. I was so focused on Brynn that I know I missed some of the clues, but I appreciated the fact that I didn't see all, or many, of them coming.
I really like what Kristen Simmons has started with this series. I'm wondering if the series will continue to follow Brynn or if a different character will step up. I'd kind of like to continue exploring Brynn's character. I think she's definitely the type to throw a wrench into whatever Dr. O's really got going on behind the scenes, but I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't want a secondary character to step up as they all have varied and interesting stories of their own. Either way, I'm here for the sequel.
Except, Vale Hall is not all it appears to be. Brynn has been singled out specifically because of her talent with conning people. That's exactly the kind of "talent" that Dr. Odin looks for in his students. The number one rule is to never reveal your true identity.
When Brynn's first assignment is befriending the son of a Senator in hopes of uncovering some dirt, Brynn begins to question Dr. O's motivations. Unfortunately, with Brynn's future - as well as the future of every other student at Vale Hall - in the palms of Dr. O's hands, Brynn doesn't know who she can trust when the situation with the senator crisscrosses with Brynn's former life.
Just to clear the air, I went into The Deceivers thinking we were going to get a paranormal retelling of norse mythology. Well... I guess we do in a way, but without the paranormal aspect. I honestly kept waiting for someone's powers to manifest through like the first maybe five chapters, then I realized to take the whole Valhalla thing with a grain of salt. This is a strictly contemporary setting in a school where young adults are being taught to be con artists.
Once I got to that point, I really enjoyed The Deceivers. It's an extremely readable story where the pacing continually moves and rarely slows down, yet Kristen Simmons was wonderful at mixing in some background / setup information for all of our characters.
Of course with Brynn in the foreground. She's a driven character who understands her circumstances very well. She knows if she doesn't get out, she'll end up selling drugs like many of her former friends do, working for her mother's boyfriend, and this is not what she wants for herself. Getting admitted into Vale Hall seems like a godsend to her. Not only does she get out of her worsening homelife, but she gets a chance to stick it to corrupt officials in the city. Or so it seems.
I loved how Kristen Simmons sets up the areas of gray that Brynn walks through. I mean, yes, she's behind the scenes fighting those who are abusing their power, but she's not exactly doing it legally. Kristen Simmons does a wonderful job building up the predicament that Brynn finds herself in as her conscience tells her something is off about the whole Vale Hall setup. But this will be something that, I believe is dealt with throughout the remainder of the series.
I did feel like the whole con artist thing was a bit clunky. I mean, just because Brynn can talk rich kids out of their parents' money with fake concert tickets doesn't mean she's qualified to go undercover with the senator's son. But I felt like this clunkiness was intentionally showcasing this very point. The idea that Brynn has a lot to learn and the fact that things are so much more twisted than she thought possible as we see at the end. I was so focused on Brynn that I know I missed some of the clues, but I appreciated the fact that I didn't see all, or many, of them coming.
I really like what Kristen Simmons has started with this series. I'm wondering if the series will continue to follow Brynn or if a different character will step up. I'd kind of like to continue exploring Brynn's character. I think she's definitely the type to throw a wrench into whatever Dr. O's really got going on behind the scenes, but I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't want a secondary character to step up as they all have varied and interesting stories of their own. Either way, I'm here for the sequel.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
When Brynn Hilder is recruited to attend private school Vale Hall, she sees it as her chance to finally get away from her neighborhood, her mother's drug-dealing boyfriend, and a life spent running cons in order to save up for college.
Except, Vale Hall is not all it appears to be. Brynn has been singled out specifically because of her talent with conning people. That's exactly the kind of "talent" that Dr. Odin looks for in his students. The number one rule is to never reveal your true identity.
When Brynn's first assignment is befriending the son of a Senator in hopes of uncovering some dirt, Brynn begins to question Dr. O's motivations. Unfortunately, with Brynn's future - as well as the future of every other student at Vale Hall - in the palms of Dr. O's hands, Brynn doesn't know who she can trust when the situation with the senator crisscrosses with Brynn's former life.
Just to clear the air, I went into The Deceivers thinking we were going to get a paranormal retelling of norse mythology. Well... I guess we do in a way, but without the paranormal aspect. I honestly kept waiting for someone's powers to manifest through like the first maybe five chapters, then I realized to take the whole Valhalla thing with a grain of salt. This is a strictly contemporary setting in a school where young adults are being taught to be con artists.
Once I got to that point, I really enjoyed The Deceivers. It's an extremely readable story where the pacing continually moves and rarely slows down, yet Kristen Simmons was wonderful at mixing in some background / setup information for all of our characters.
Of course with Brynn in the foreground. She's a driven character who understands her circumstances very well. She knows if she doesn't get out, she'll end up selling drugs like many of her former friends do, working for her mother's boyfriend, and this is not what she wants for herself. Getting admitted into Vale Hall seems like a godsend to her. Not only does she get out of her worsening homelife, but she gets a chance to stick it to corrupt officials in the city. Or so it seems.
I loved how Kristen Simmons sets up the areas of gray that Brynn walks through. I mean, yes, she's behind the scenes fighting those who are abusing their power, but she's not exactly doing it legally. Kristen Simmons does a wonderful job building up the predicament that Brynn finds herself in as her conscience tells her something is off about the whole Vale Hall setup. But this will be something that, I believe is dealt with throughout the remainder of the series.
I did feel like the whole con artist thing was a bit clunky. I mean, just because Brynn can talk rich kids out of their parents' money with fake concert tickets doesn't mean she's qualified to go undercover with the senator's son. But I felt like this clunkiness was intentionally showcasing this very point. The idea that Brynn has a lot to learn and the fact that things are so much more twisted than she thought possible as we see at the end. I was so focused on Brynn that I know I missed some of the clues, but I appreciated the fact that I didn't see all, or many, of them coming.
I really like what Kristen Simmons has started with this series. I'm wondering if the series will continue to follow Brynn or if a different character will step up. I'd kind of like to continue exploring Brynn's character. I think she's definitely the type to throw a wrench into whatever Dr. O's really got going on behind the scenes, but I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't want a secondary character to step up as they all have varied and interesting stories of their own. Either way, I'm here for the sequel.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Except, Vale Hall is not all it appears to be. Brynn has been singled out specifically because of her talent with conning people. That's exactly the kind of "talent" that Dr. Odin looks for in his students. The number one rule is to never reveal your true identity.
When Brynn's first assignment is befriending the son of a Senator in hopes of uncovering some dirt, Brynn begins to question Dr. O's motivations. Unfortunately, with Brynn's future - as well as the future of every other student at Vale Hall - in the palms of Dr. O's hands, Brynn doesn't know who she can trust when the situation with the senator crisscrosses with Brynn's former life.
Just to clear the air, I went into The Deceivers thinking we were going to get a paranormal retelling of norse mythology. Well... I guess we do in a way, but without the paranormal aspect. I honestly kept waiting for someone's powers to manifest through like the first maybe five chapters, then I realized to take the whole Valhalla thing with a grain of salt. This is a strictly contemporary setting in a school where young adults are being taught to be con artists.
Once I got to that point, I really enjoyed The Deceivers. It's an extremely readable story where the pacing continually moves and rarely slows down, yet Kristen Simmons was wonderful at mixing in some background / setup information for all of our characters.
Of course with Brynn in the foreground. She's a driven character who understands her circumstances very well. She knows if she doesn't get out, she'll end up selling drugs like many of her former friends do, working for her mother's boyfriend, and this is not what she wants for herself. Getting admitted into Vale Hall seems like a godsend to her. Not only does she get out of her worsening homelife, but she gets a chance to stick it to corrupt officials in the city. Or so it seems.
I loved how Kristen Simmons sets up the areas of gray that Brynn walks through. I mean, yes, she's behind the scenes fighting those who are abusing their power, but she's not exactly doing it legally. Kristen Simmons does a wonderful job building up the predicament that Brynn finds herself in as her conscience tells her something is off about the whole Vale Hall setup. But this will be something that, I believe is dealt with throughout the remainder of the series.
I did feel like the whole con artist thing was a bit clunky. I mean, just because Brynn can talk rich kids out of their parents' money with fake concert tickets doesn't mean she's qualified to go undercover with the senator's son. But I felt like this clunkiness was intentionally showcasing this very point. The idea that Brynn has a lot to learn and the fact that things are so much more twisted than she thought possible as we see at the end. I was so focused on Brynn that I know I missed some of the clues, but I appreciated the fact that I didn't see all, or many, of them coming.
I really like what Kristen Simmons has started with this series. I'm wondering if the series will continue to follow Brynn or if a different character will step up. I'd kind of like to continue exploring Brynn's character. I think she's definitely the type to throw a wrench into whatever Dr. O's really got going on behind the scenes, but I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't want a secondary character to step up as they all have varied and interesting stories of their own. Either way, I'm here for the sequel.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
threadingfibers's review against another edition
5.0
I held on to reading this book for far longer than it should have taken me to read it simply because I just didn't want it to end!
I need some more Brynn and Caleb asap!
I can't wait to dive further into this series and I really hope we get to know more of the other characters.
It was so cool how the story came full circle and to see all of the ties at the end with Dr Wednesday, Dr O, Brynn, Pete, Geri, and everyone else!
Even Grayson's character arc was great, definitely scary at the end, but fantastic!
I need some more Brynn and Caleb asap!
I can't wait to dive further into this series and I really hope we get to know more of the other characters.
It was so cool how the story came full circle and to see all of the ties at the end with Dr Wednesday, Dr O, Brynn, Pete, Geri, and everyone else!
Even Grayson's character arc was great, definitely scary at the end, but fantastic!
cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Deceivers is an entertaining story. It has the fun element of seeing smart kids pull off clever cons. It has mystery and romance. There’s a lot at stake for Brynn especially, so it’s got plenty of tension. There are two more books in the series, so I’ll probably read those to see how it all comes together in the long run. For now, though, it’s perfectly fine standing on its own.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/the-deceivers-vale-hall-young-adult-con-artists-mystery-thriller-book-review/
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/the-deceivers-vale-hall-young-adult-con-artists-mystery-thriller-book-review/
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this read about a con artist beaten at her own game. Brynn thinks she's tailing the cute guy she keeps seeing around their rundown town, but he leads her to a group of kids apparently vying for a scholarship. Desperate to get away from her mother's drug dealing boyfriend, Brynn throws everything she has at the contest. When she realises everyone was in on it - and what the point was - she's not sure whether to continue, but anything's better than running drugs for Pete, isn't it?
So. The main characters were well drawn; Brynn, Caleb, Dr O, Pete and Marcus, Caroline and Henry. Pretty much everyone else is a cypher...I'm still not sure I know the names of all the students. That doesn't really matter, though, as they weren't important to the story.
The descriptions of the cons, and the unraveling, layer by layer, of Brynn's, were fascinating. I'm glad this is the start of a series; I look forward to learning a lot more about these characters.
(Please Kirsten, don't break them up in the next book and get them together in the third! Let them be stable or break them up forever! I think Henry would be good for Brynn...)
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
It's after 2am when I get off the connecting bus, and hurry down the familiar streets towards Midgard. Racing into my messenger bag, I check for my keys, but my fingers close around a folded piece of paper, hidden in the side pocket. Stopping beneath a streetlight, I pull it out and unfold the white stationery with a scripted STERLING centred at the top.
Thanks for the dance, it says. See you soon, C.
I hug the note to my chest and give a whoop into the night. I don't care if half of Devin Park hears me. Then I run the rest of the way home, unsure what happens next, just knowing I did it.
I'm one step closer to getting out.
I'm so happy, I don't see Pete sitting on the front steps until I'm right in front of him.
So. The main characters were well drawn; Brynn, Caleb, Dr O, Pete and Marcus, Caroline and Henry. Pretty much everyone else is a cypher...I'm still not sure I know the names of all the students. That doesn't really matter, though, as they weren't important to the story.
The descriptions of the cons, and the unraveling, layer by layer, of Brynn's, were fascinating. I'm glad this is the start of a series; I look forward to learning a lot more about these characters.
(Please Kirsten, don't break them up in the next book and get them together in the third! Let them be stable or break them up forever! I think Henry would be good for Brynn...)
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
It's after 2am when I get off the connecting bus, and hurry down the familiar streets towards Midgard. Racing into my messenger bag, I check for my keys, but my fingers close around a folded piece of paper, hidden in the side pocket. Stopping beneath a streetlight, I pull it out and unfold the white stationery with a scripted STERLING centred at the top.
Thanks for the dance, it says. See you soon, C.
I hug the note to my chest and give a whoop into the night. I don't care if half of Devin Park hears me. Then I run the rest of the way home, unsure what happens next, just knowing I did it.
I'm one step closer to getting out.
I'm so happy, I don't see Pete sitting on the front steps until I'm right in front of him.
rek216's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
konigindiva81's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75