The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 336
Series: Untitled Series #1
Review Source: ARC for review from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A fast-paced international escapade, laced with adrenaline, glamour, and romance--perfect for fans of Ally Carter

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

My Thoughts:
I really liked this book for the most part, but I didn't truly love it. The plot was exciting, but the background to it was hard to believe in some instances. Saying that one family caused World War I and World War II? Saying that the problems in the Middle East are because of a family causing trouble that goes into larger society? These statements are highly simplistic, and a bit offensive.

There was a lot about The Conspiracy of Us that I did like, though. The running around Europe part was exciting and fun, even if I did wonder why a girl would run off to France with someone she doesn't know without calling her mom first. The action scenes were especially well done. I could picture those parts like a movie, which isn’t always the case, so I think the author deserves major props for how cinematic the writing was there. I also liked that despite what the book description says, there isn’t really what I would consider a love triangle. There are two guys vying for Avery’s attention in their own way, and it’s a complicated situation -- that is going to get even more complicated in the next book -- but it’s definitely not typical love triangle drama.

The Conspiracy of Us is a great Gallagher Girls read-alike, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people. It’s the first book in a new trilogy, which means there's not a whole lot of resolution. The end is a bit of a cliffhanger, and it opens up a lot of questions for the next volume. Overall I recommend this one.

The Cover:
I loveeeeee it!!

Rating:
[Strong 3/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 432
Series: n/a
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

My Thoughts:
What is there to say about Kiss Kill Vanish? This book is amazing! It’s exciting, romantic, and thrilling; it kept me at the edge of my seat.

It's hard to talk specifics without giving away details because this is a very twisty book, one where you're never sure who to trust. Valentina, or Jane as she’s going by in Montreal, is hiding from her boyfriend and her father. There’s this whole dichotomy between V’s quiet life in Montreal, practicing her mandolin, and the life she’s left behind in Miami -- a life that she’s reminded of through her involvement with two rich boys.

There’s definitely a slow reveal structure to the book, where for a lot of the time you’re guessing about what exactly happened back in Miami. As you figure out some of what's going on it's very intense and emotional. There’s also a very romantic feel to the book, both with how Valentina got involved in this situation, and in another aspect which I can’t even really allude to. Let’s just say that there’s one character who is so different from who he starts as and I really loved him, even in his first couple of scenes.

I really believe that Kiss Kill Vanish is the strongest of Jessica Martinez’s books so far. It’s been months since I read this novel, but I still remember how it felt to read it. It’s an amazing, thrilling book that I would recommend to everyone.

The Cover:
Adore!!

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Deeper by Robin York

Deeper by Robin York
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 400
Series: Caroline & West #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.

When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

My Thoughts:
Deeper is a New Adult novel with a big focus on revenge porn, how Caroline has to deal after her ex-boyfriend posts explicit pictures of her online after she breaks up with him. A large part of the book is Caroline having to live with the consequences of this: how guys look at her and treat her, how her family views her, and what impact it will have on her future. We also see examples of how some men view women not even as people, but just objects to exploit and do terrible things to.

Caroline is a character who grows so much throughout the book. She chooses to become strong after what happened. She’s deeply, psychologically troubled by what has happened, but with West to support her she learns how to find inner strength. Caroline learns to stand up for herself, owning the fact that she did nothing wrong, that she has nothing to apologize for or feel ashamed of.

West is absolutely a complex character. He's not a leading man I would usually find appealing, but he totally breaks the mold. He’s an incredibly hard worker, he's smart, and he cares so much about his little sister. But then there’s the fact that he deals drugs for the money, and his past is messy. West is not someone to pin your hope and dreams on, and yet you can see that his feelings for Caroline are true and deep. Caroline and West are actually quite awesome together. Their relationship takes a slow progression from lust to friendship and then something more.

So many New Adult books feature that misunderstood bad boy character and a female lead who is dealing with a crisis. The two characters somehow find each other and make everything okay just by that fact alone. I'm so glad that my suspicions were right and that Deeper is nothing like that. Robin York writes adult romance as Ruthie Knox, and if there's one thing I adore about Ruthie's books is that she writes in-depth characters who have flaws, who don’t fit stereotypes, but who you fall for and cheer for. That’s definitely the case here as well, in her first book as Robin.

Deeper definitely has a killer ending. It’s one which leaves you feeling for both characters, wanting a Happily Ever After for them, and yet understanding why things have turned out the way they have. However this is just Part 1 of Caroline and West’s story, so there’s definitely a kernel of hope there.

If you’re looking for a quality New Adult book with high emotions and many themes that you might expect to find in NA, then look no further. Deeper features all the popular things about NA, but with some real heart to the story and characters that make the situations feel real and meaningful instead of cliche. I highly recommend you check this one out.

The Cover:
Like alright.

Rating:
[Strong 4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Sempre by J.M. Darhower
Release Date: originally self-published 2012; ebook on November 25, 2013; paperback coming February 25, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 528
Series: Forever #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A sexy novel about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…
Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco grew up under vastly different circumstances. Haven, a second-generation slave, was isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege and excess.

Now, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.

In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that began before either of them were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price—especially not freedom. But how much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free

My Thoughts:
Looking back on my reading of this book I just think “ugh”, which is never a good thing. Full disclosure: I stopped reading Sempre at 70%, however I did skim through the rest, so I figure I have a right to share my thoughts (unlike a true DNF where I stop reading within the first 30% or so). I was intrigued by the idea of this book, but I mostly wanted to read it because bloggers whose taste I usually share were raving about it. Well, this is one case where we differ, because I definitely didn’t care for this one. I have to say, though, that it kept me reading that long (and this is a long book, so 70% is a lot of pages), and that’s something.

For this book to really work I think you have to be 100% behind the relationship between Haven and Carmine, and I just didn't really get their connection. They were cute together, I guess, but it felt like Carmine changed for no real reason, with no real trouble… but he was still a very complicated character. I didn’t really understand what made Haven care for him, except for the Stockholm Syndrome aspect of him being the first guy her age she’s ever really known, and the first person to treat her relatively well.

One thing that really distracted me about the book, and that I found problematic, was that Haven didn't worry about her mom more often. I could understand her not trying to escape her circumstances because she’s lived her whole life as a slave and doesn't really understand freedom, but to basically never think about her mom at all except in convenient scenes? Very strange. I was also confused by the way her intelligence was presented. She supposedly teaches herself how to read and soaks up information from Jeopardy like a sponge, which, okay, some people are like that. But then she would be completely naive about certain expressions or customs, while others, that seemed more obscure to me, she totally understood. Like can we talk about the cherry coke thing? Carmine asks her to get him a Cherry Coke, and Haven comes back with a Coke with real cherries in, which surprises Carmine. This clearly indicates that there was Cherry Coke in the fridge. Haven, why would you look past the pop can with PINK CHERRIES on it (no reading comprehension necessary) and instead go for regular Coke and add cherries to it? That is such a dumb little thing, but it really bugged me.

I guess the worst thing about this book, from my perspective, is that it was so high stakes -- like serious actual consequences happening, which I did appreciate -- but I never felt nervous or upset about things. I was actually pretty apathetic while characters were getting killed, and that’s a horrible way to feel. I think I was just so bored with repetitive scenes of things like cleaning the house and making dinner that by the time the action scenes were occurring I just didn’t care at all. The book is so incredibly long, and yet it feels like not a lot happens in it. Perhaps most frustrating of all was the fact that, despite its length, the book feels like it’s missing background information and character development -- you’re thrown into the situation without really knowing how it all works. For some books that can be awesome, but for this one it just felt confusing.

While there’s obviously something about Sempre that has made its readers praise it so much, I clearly missed out on that aspect. Sempre lured me in and made me give it chance after chance, but in the end I just couldn’t care enough to actually finish the book.

The Cover:
Not my fave, but it is very fitting.

Rating:
[2/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo (preorder) | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository (preorder)

Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 352
Series: n/a
Review Source: eARC from publisher

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

My Thoughts:
I liked so much what this author tried to do. Bringing Oliver Twist into a modern setting isn’t an easy thing to do, because of the differences in society, with poor laws, orphanages, etc. So having a group home setting where the kids are computer hackers instead of pickpockets? It was a genius way of connecting the stories, and I give Vivi Barnes props for coming up with the idea.

But while I loved the idea of the book, the execution just seemed almost boring. I just wasn't into it at all, and I had a hard time finishing it, mostly because I didn't really care about the characters. I’m not sure why I had this lack of connection: maybe because I wanted more background information? Or because of one situation that I found a little implausible? Either way, I’m sorry to say that I didn’t really care for this one.

The Cover:
Not a fan, at all.

Rating:
[2/5]

Purchase Links:
Book Depository | Chapters-Indigo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

This is W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

This is W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Soho Teen
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from book website)
everyone at hawthorne lake country club saw willa ames-rowan climb into a boat with james gregory, the club's heir apparent. and everyone at hawthorne lake country club watched him return.

alone.
​
no one believes that willa's drowning was an accident. after all, she held the club record for the 1500 meter freestyle. and the gregory family has a history of making troublesome girls disappear.
​
they all know james gregory killed her.
​
but none of them will say a word.
​
enter the w.a.r.--the war to avenge Willa's death. four girls. four very different motives to avenge, and only one rule: destroy
the gregory family at any cost. innocence is lost, battles are won, and the pursuit of the truth ultimately threatens to destroy them all.

My Thoughts:
I was so intrigued by this concept and I had enjoyed the Liar Society books by these authors immensely. To me, though, ‘This is W.A.R.’ felt like it had been written by entirely different people. While Liar Society features an incredibly smart and resourceful heroine, the girls here were way out of their league and were grasping for straws.

The first thing this book requires of its reader is a huge suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t believe that every single person in a community (as insular as it was) would “know” that a boy killed a girl and just wouldn’t say anything about it because of how rich and important the family is. Of course there are people, rich and poor, that would lie for their own, but there are also tons of people with morals who would never corroborate a fake story. In order to enjoy this book you also have to believe that the local police department is so inept that they wouldn't find anything strange with the murder scene. You have to believe that in the drowning of a teenager they wouldn’t check the blood-alcohol levels or do a tox screen to see what caused her death. To me, this just didn’t make sense.

I also had a hard time with the motivations of the girls and what exactly they were trying to do. They want justice for their friend’s death, and instead of trying to gather evidence of what happened and actually get the killer prosecuted, they decide that taking away the inheritance of the culprit and his brother is the way to go. So apparently being poor is a good punishment for murder? They also apparently think that stupid teenage pranks will be enough to cause the grandfather of the boys to disinherit them. Ladies, if their grandfather is paying people off to cover up a murder, do you really think that pictures of a drug deal or having an antique watch go missing will make a difference?

This book is told from four perspectives, and each girl knows a little something different about the night their friend was killed. Unfortunately the voices here really blended together and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. The stakes of this book were just so high, and the immature teenage pranks that would have been fun or witty in another book just came off as ridiculous here. I so wish I could say I liked this one, because the authors are awesome, but I just wasn’t feeling it at all.

The Cover:
Generally like.

Rating:
[2/5]

Find This is W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Pride & Prejudice meets Veronica Mars in this slick romantic spy-thriller where nothing’s as it seems.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She's busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she's sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her "nothing amazing," it's no loss for Berry. She'll forget him in no time. She's more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother's death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can't Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

My Thoughts:
How much fun was this book?! So good! As the description states, basically if you combine ‘Veronica Mars’ with ‘Pride & Prejudice’ you’ve got ‘Spies & Prejudice’. That’s kind of a perfect concept for me since I love both. Our main character, Berry, is definitely complicated and layered. Berry is tough and snarky as she deals with the death of her mother, but she’s a total Veronica: someone you empathize with and cheer for, even when she’s quick to judge and makes some wrong decisions. We love Berry despite these things, because ultimately she just wants justice and is trying to do the right thing.

The main plot of the book revolves around an investigation that Berry starts when she spies her BFF's dad with a paper that has her mom's name on it. Berry’s on a quest to prove that her mom didn't kill herself, and along the way she has to decide how far she'll do to get information (e.g. could she betray her BFF if it brings her closer to the truth?). On the romance P&P side of things, our Mr Darcy is represented by Tanner, who brings some major sa-woon to the picture. He’s another very complicated character who has some secrets of his own.

‘Spies & Prejudice’ was such a great read, and I love how effortlessly high concept the book gets. There’s an intricate plot with spies and corporate espionage, and yet it still completely feels like contemp YA with friendship, family, and romance making up a large part of it. ‘Spies & Prejudice’ is the perfect read for fans of Veronica Mars, but it would also be great for Ally Carter fans, especially those who might want something a bit older feeling. I loved this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next.

The Cover:
I like it.

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.