The Deceivers

An incredible story with a twist that works! Pay attention to everything you read, it might just be the key to everything.

Catch-up Review :) This is a wild joyride and I loved every second of it. Brynn Hilder grew up in the outskirts of the city, attempting the best grades, conning innocent citizens, and planning for the day she can escape her mother’s abusive boyfriend. When she is unwittingly recruited for Vale Hall, an elite boarding school, she believes it to be an accident; however, she quickly learns Vale Hall isn’t a typical high school - it’s a school for con artists, working to right the wrongs of the city one undercover mission at a time. But soon enough, she learns her own mission runs even deeper, and as she races to escape her past life and succeed in her mission, she must also determine her role in the school - the con artist or the pawn. As you may know, I am an absolute sucker for books with spies, assassins, hackers, and - you guessed it - con artists. What you may not know is that I LOVE Kristen Simmons’s work. Well, I’ve only read Pacifica, but it absolutely blew me away; her writing style is beautiful, and every aspect of the plot was so well-executed. So of course I had to read this book!! And it did not disappoint. I couldn’t stop reading, not for anything. If I did, my mind was consumed! The plot was engaging, mysterious, and I couldn’t help rooting for the characters to come together and succeed! I loved all of the characters, but especially Brynn. She is a great protagonist with a good head on her shoulders. Kristen Simmons did a great job at building a unique backstory for Brynn; she is upfront about the drug trade (which plays a huge part in the entire book), the state of the neighborhood she lived in, the various relationships her mother has been in. Brynn is a fantastic protagonist, especially for the role of head con artist ;) I also enjoyed the touch of romance; the two characters are a team, and they fit together perfectly - it added the perfect touch of side plot and light to the novel. I do wish there was more simple “conning.” I know that sounds crazy, but the plot gets real big real fast, too fast, and there’s not enough simple build-up towards the beginning. I would have loved to see more of Brynn in her element, because it sure did get complicated!! Despite that, though, this was a rollercoaster of a book, and I enjoyed it soooo much. I can only guess at what craziness the second one has in store! If you enjoyed this review, feel free to follow me here on Goodreads and on my Instagram/Twitter @ashton_reads! Love ya!