I fell in love with the cover a long time ago; and had it on my wishlist for months, before I finally got it. At some point during the reading, I knew that I had to read the second one right after, so Map of Fates is already at home. This book is a wonderful way to not only travel around the world through the eyes of Maggie Hall but also contains a haunting and very entertaining riddle that needs to be solved. For the protagonist, Avery means that, that she´s not only to learn the rules the Circle has but also that the world is actually a village. Something she´s never experienced before, though she and her mother were moving a lot and every few months she had to come to terms with a new home, new school, etc.
The Conspiracy Of Us
by Maggie HallThe Conspiracy Of Us #1
Publisher G.P. Putnam´s Sons on January 13, 2015
Genre Young Adult
Pages 324
Format Hardcover
Source Purchased
✶✶✶✶½
Sixteen-year-old Avery West´s newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily start a war. They are part of a secret society known as the Circle of Twelve, and 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 threatening her life, 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 both boys are hiding secrets of their own, and when the clues expose stunning new information, Avery realizes the conspiracy could destroy her life – if it doesn´t destroy the world first.
Story
Avery doesn´t want to get involved in any kind of school activity or into making real friends. Because she knows only too well, that, when her mother gets a certain kind of envelope, she has to pack again and that they will move to a new place. So why bother and get connected with anyone around her if she has to leave everything behind? But when she meets Jack for the first time and only hours later Stellan, she feels that she wants to change her strict rules. And when she does, she finds out that all her life has been a lie and that she actually has a family. A family she wants to meet.
Style
From the US to France, to Turkey and back to France. Maggie Hall sends her characters as well as her readers from a small town to Paris, into the magical beauty of Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia to the silent atmosphere of Notre - Dame and the secrets the Louvre carries since centuries. Written from Avery´s point of view the author describes the story of Avery and the big secret of her life in a well-written style and with a huge vocabulary. She has a wonderful way of describing the most beautiful places and dresses. But be aware, in this novel are quite a few very bloody and cruel scenes. A lot of action, some hilarious scenes, haunting chases, and even better dialogues make this story one big reading pleasure.
And towards the end, the author even brings some more action and life-threatening things into the game. And sets up a surprising cliffhanger that leaves you breathless and wanting more.
Characters
Strong secrecy characters; men with endless power and even more money in their pockets; and a bunch of beautiful women were created by Maggie Hall and play very well together. The author obviously likes to play with opposed figures. Except for Avery, they're all bound by a vow to their secret society. The Circle of the Twelve, or better, said, the families live in the present, but they kind of act as if they were still living in the Middle Ages.
For Avery, this means, that she has not only to fight for her life but also to keep herself from being forced into a marriage she doesn´t want. Raised in the US, she isn´t like all the other teenage girls; not in the least. She keeps herself away from all the fun other girls her age have, stays away from any party, and keeps most of her belongings in boxes ´cause she never knows when the next move is about to take place.
Conclusion
If you are in for an ancient riddle, the hunger for power, and a young teenage girl with a desire to find out who and what she is, then this is your book. I had so much fun reading it, diving in into a world I've never seen and suffered with characters that are strong, smart, and still longing for the final piece that's missing in their lives: true love. Highly recommended.
Happy reading
Maggie Hall
Maggie Hall indulges her obsession with distant lands and far-flung adventures as often as she can. She has played with baby tigers in Thailand, learned to make homemade pasta in Italy, and taken thousands of miles of trains through the vibrant countryside of India. In her past life, she was a bookstore events coordinator and marketing manager, and when she´s not on the other side of the world, she lives with her husband and their cats in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she watches USC football, dabbles in graphic design and blogs about young adult literature for YA Misfits.
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