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

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington
Release Date: August 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies.

My Thoughts:
I was extremely intrigued by the concept of this book from the first time I heard of it. The very basic premise could have gone so many ways, which I really liked because it made it hard to predict. Forget Me is a straight up contemporary mystery/thriller, which we don’t see a lot of in YA. I can’t talk too much about the plot because it’s incredibly twisty, and it’s more like journey that you need to experience for yourself. What I can say is that I thought the author did a great job. The story ties together in such an interesting way. I loved the mystery solving aspect and how it made sense that teens were the ones doing the detective work, figuring out if there was some kind of conspiracy.

Forget Me has an eerie feel to it, especially at the beginning when you have no clue what's going on. Granted, I started reading it late at night, but an abandoned mini golf course is genuinely creepy. Most of all, though, an abandoned amusement park. Can you say fun house mirrors?! The book has some definite pull the covers up to your chin moments.

There are a lot of great aspects to this book, with one of my favourite parts being the friendship between Morgan and Toni. I love celebrating awesome female friendships. Both girls here felt like fully realized characters, and they were unflinchingly supportive of and loving to one another.

Overall? I found Forget Me to be a very intriguing and satisfying read.

The Cover:
Like! Perfect creepiness. (Although I have to admit when I see a smaller version I keep thinking the carousel is a boat.)

Rating:
[4/5]

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

Ultraviolet and Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
Release Date: June 2, 2011
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pages: 303
Series: Ultraviolet #1
Review Source: For review from Monarch Books

Synopsis: (from Amazon.com)
"Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her."

Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she's confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori's body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated--into nothing.

But that's impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? Alison must be losing her mind--like her mother always feared she would.

For years Alison has tried to keep her weird sensory abilities a secret. No one ever understood--until a mysterious visiting scientist takes an interest in Alison's case. Suddenly, Alison discovers that the world is wrong about her--and that she's capable of far more than anyone else would believe.

My Thoughts:
‘Ultraviolet’ was an incredibly interesting read. It’s been a long time since a book captured my attention so much and kept it throughout. I loved the Canadian setting (Sudbury), and I was immediately intrigued by the psych ward setting and the main character who right away claims that she has killed someone.

Alison was so interesting, because she has these abilities or senses, but just from her narration she doesn't seem crazy. She seems damaged, yes, but trustworthy. You can’t help but like her, and wish the best for her. All of the characters in this book are great, but for me the strength of Alison’s narration and her unique way of seeing the world is what made this book shine.

I had actually read some spoilery reviews for ‘Ultraviolet’ a while back, so I vaguely knew where the book was heading. Obviously this affected my reading experience somewhat. I think if you didn’t know the twist it would be pretty major, although in my reading I did notice a few hints or moments of foreshadowing.

Overall I just really enjoyed ‘Ultraviolet’. It felt fresh and unique. One description of the book calls it “genre-bending”, and I really find that to be true. I definitely recommend that you give this book a chance.

The Cover:
The colour is pretty, and I love how shiny it is in person.

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pages: 320
Series: Ultraviolet #2
Review Source: For review from Monarch Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Back in her hometown, Tori Beaugrand had everything a teenaged girl could want—popularity, money, beauty. But she also had a secret. A secret that could change her life in an instant, or destroy it.

Now she’s left everything from her old life behind, including her real name and Alison, the one friend who truly understood her. She can’t escape who and what she is. But if she wants to have anything like a normal life, she has to blend in and hide her unusual... talents.

Plans change when the enigmatic Sebastian Faraday reappears and gives Tori some bad news: she hasn’t escaped her past. In fact, she’s attracted new interest in the form of an obsessed ex-cop turned investigator for a genetics lab.

She has one last shot at getting her enemies off her trail and winning the security and independence she’s always longed for. But saving herself will take every ounce of Tori’s incredible electronics and engineering skills—and even then, she may need to sacrifice more than she could possibly imagine if she wants to be free.

My Thoughts:
‘Quicksilver’ is labelled as a companion book for ‘Ultraviolet’, and while I can see that you might be able to read them separately (different main characters, and quite a different situation), I personally would recommend reading ‘Ultraviolet’ first. It gives the story a lot of context, and gives the readers explanations that they might otherwise be lacking.

‘Quicksilver’ is very different, tonally, from ‘Ultraviolet’, but like that book it got my attention right away. Tori, or Niki as she is known in her new location (though I’m just going to refer to her as Tori), is so different from Alison. I love how we get to see her perspective and what she’s had to deal with over the years. She’s so different from what Alison originally thought of her, and I love that. It really shows how we can’t know who a person truly is.

This book automatically made me happy because it’s another Canadian setting, this time close to home in Southwestern Ontario (pretty sure it’s the KW area, though it’s not officially named). I was also nerding out at what I’m pretty sure was an ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ reference. There were definite nerd references and lots of science and engineering geekery. I loved seeing that sector represented, especially from a girl's POV.

While ‘Ultraviolet’ was very ‘mess with your mind’, psychological thriller, this one was more strictly sci-fi with a side of action. However I think what I loved most about this book was the relationship between Tori and Milo. I don’t think it’s too spoilery to say that Tori is asexual. This was very interesting for me, because I have to admit that I don’t really know anything about asexuality. Nevertheless, it felt like RJ did a fabulous job presenting it, in that it felt natural. Tori’s asexuality wasn’t presented in a preachy way at all, it was just a part of her. Because of this there was a lack of overt romance, but there was such a deep connection between Tori and Milo. I loved how there was pure friendship and respect between these two.

If you've been searching for a book with action and science that features great characters, then look no further. There’s a lot to like about these books, and I’m looking forward to reading more from R.J. Anderson in the future.

The Cover:
The image isn't my fave, but I like the colour again, and the general design (title font, etc).

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 256
Series: Mind Games #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

My Thoughts:
This book has a perfect title because it is definitely filled with crazy mind games. There are flashbacks and hints and all kinds of craziness going on as you slowly begin to figure out what exactly is going on. This makes ‘Mind Games’ a pretty difficult book to review, because the greatness of the book is in reading it and unraveling what exactly it’s about and what exactly has been going on. The book is short and it packs a punch. There’s murder, corruption, characters with abilities, sisters, complex relationships, and -- this has to be mentioned -- some very hot boys.

If you’re looking for a book with a concrete plot and an easy to follow narrative then ‘Mind Games’ is not the book for you. The multiple POV (though Fia is definitely the star of this book) and the non-linear narrative make this book great, but they also make it a bit of a “thinking book”. I wouldn’t say it’s confusing or challenging, it just requires some effort to figure out the order of events and to keep track of everything that’s happened. If you can handle a book that’s a bit more conceptual and psychological then I highly recommend this one.

While this review is vague I hope it piques your interest in the book. ‘Mind Games’ truly shows Kiersten White’s strength as an author. The book is SO different from the Paranormalcy series, and yet they do share an insanely interesting concept with a shady organization at the centre and some fabulous strong female characters. ‘Mind Games’ is a pretty incredible start to a new series, and I am intrigued to see where the next book will take us.

The Cover:
LOVE it!!

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Mind Games by Kiersten White on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 336
Series: Shadowlands #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Thoughts:
I have been a Kate Brian fan for years and years, so I was very excited when I first saw the synopsis for this book. This author is incredibly talented at creating “crazy killer” characters and some intense twisty plots (see: Private and Privilege series), so I knew that this book would be intense and exciting. After reading ‘Shadowlands’ I can definitely say I was correct in this assessment.

It might be weird to start off a review talking about the book’s ending, but this ending is insane and I actually didn’t see it coming at all! You know that something eerie is going on, but I never would have guessed at the ending. What’s perfect about this ending is that it makes the book all the more brilliant. It’s an ending where you want to go back and find clues and see how brilliant the plotting is with hints and suggestions. And that’s really all I can say without giving the secret away, but I have a feeling that most people’s jaws will drop within the last few pages.

As mentioned, this book does feature some of the same aspects as some Kate’s previous books, but ‘Shadowlands’ is also written in a completely different way. It’s more of a psychological thriller in some ways where you’re on the edge of your seat trying to figure out if this is a relatively simple story of avoiding a killer or whether there’s something below the surface. The setting is a mysterious island that is cut off from technology and the modern world in so many ways, and that just adds to the book’s mystery.

I loved the book’s narrator, Rory, and I enjoyed reading about her relationship with her sister and her dad. The whole population of the island, especially the teenagers that Rory and her sister begin to hang around with, are so mysterious and interesting that you really can’t wait to figure out what is happening with them. Really this book was so twisty turny and different from what I expected it to be, and yet it was really amazing -- I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading 'Shadowlands', and I’m intrigued to see where the next book will go after that crazy reveal.

The Cover:
Like it! And I feel like it really fits the story once you've read the whole book.

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Shadowlands by Kate Brian on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.