Book Review | The Conspiracy of Us | Maggie Hall

I received this book for free from eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Series: The Conspiracy of Us #1
Published by Putnam Juvenile on January 13, 2015
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary YA, Thriller, Travel
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley
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four-stars

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.

THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall is super fun, guys. Who doesn’t love secret societies and romance and prophecies and the Louvre? Because I DO. THE CONSPIRACY OF US, Maggie Hall’s debut, is fast-paced and exciting, full of car chases in foreign cities and mysterious prophecies. The Circle, a powerful secret society composed of government officials, celebrities, CEOs, and other prominent worldwide figures, adds lots of awesome tension and jeopardy. Plus that awesome bit about being able to close down the Prada store in Paris so that a Circle member can go shopping in peace–it all adds up to an incredibly enjoyable read.

THE CONSPIRACY OF US begins with Avery West and her mother–constantly on the move thanks to her mother’s job–getting ready to hit the road once more after Avery breaks a promise she made to her mom to not leave the house to go to homecoming with the mysterious and handsome Jack, who gets weird phone calls at school and randomly speaks with a British accent. It’s a little over the top, her mom’s adamance, but it turns out to be good advice when Avery and Jack are confronted at the dance by a devilish blonde guy named Stellan. Avery is taken away and off to Paris–turns out that Jack and Stellan work for different “families” in the Circle, which is itself about to be dealing with some major turmoil. This is where the prophecy comes in. Apparently, there’s this ancient prophecy about a certain girl with purple eyes who can lead one of the families in the Circle to great power over the others. Naturally, some families want to use her and others want to bump her off. So there’s danger and chases and growing feelings between Avery and Jack and also some bloody murder. YAY.

So let’s start with the Circle, if I may, since it’s kind of a big deal. I loved this whole idea. It’s like a HUGE worldwide mob of incredibly powerful people. Different families govern different areas of the world, and it turns out that Avery is related to one of them through her dad, a guy she’s had no contact with in years and can barely remember. Have you guys ever seen the movie So I Married An Axe Murderer? If not, it’s brilliantly hilarious. There’s also a scene in it that reminds me of the Circle. I have one word for you all: PENTAVERATE:

This is the Circle, you guys. THE PENTAVERATE IS REAL BUT ALSO WAY BIGGER. Kind of awesome, huh? I have a feeling that Maggie Halls construction is a LOT deadlier, though, since all of the guys Avery comes into contact with–Jack, Stellan, and others–are completely at ease using weapons and killing people. EEP.

Avery herself is pretty rad. She’s a little reckless with her own safety, which makes her a little dumb but she’s really not without her reasons, and I can’t blame her for acting the way she does. She’s smart and determined and not afraid of being afraid, if you follow me. Like, she decides she wants to learn more about her father, so she leaves the safety of home with her mom and, despite being basically terrified, she goes to Paris with Jack (or Stellan…I can’t actually remember) to find out more. I have a lot of respect for her audacity, and empathy for her fear. What young girl with a blurry, perpetually changing life not want to KNOW more about her family and her past? It’s natural curiosity.

Of course, Avery isn’t the only main character of note in THE CONSPIRACY OF US. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the boys. And if you’re worried about a triangle, don’t be. At least not in this book. Avery is clearly gradually enamored of Jack, even though he’s got some secrets and there’s this thing where it’s against all kinds of rules for Jack and Avery to be a thing so they’re always in danger of being caught. But Jack’s steady and strong and basically a J. Crew model, I feel like. Their interactions are really sweet and just swoony enough for some warm fuzzies. Stellan, on the other hand, is very secretive but also slippery, unreliable, and dangerous. (Well, they’re both dangerous. I just got the feeling that Stellan was a little more unhinged.) The best way I can describe their differences is that Jack is often looking out for Avery; Stellan is often looking out for himself. Makes for very interesting interactions.

So all of this danger and mystery surrounding Avery and the Circle comes from this prophecy. This was probably the weakest part of THE CONSPIRACY OF US, for me. I just remember it being a little confusing. Kind of changeable. So that’s a bummer. But it’s still taking Avery and the other characters down some very interesting paths, so I’ll get behind it. Also, I mentioned the danger and the bloody murder right? You can blame that on the prophecy, too.

THE CONSPIRACY OF US is chock full of things that I find enormously entertaining. Lots of adrenaline, lots of rich people, ruthless people in positions of great power. Oh and also? The Circle has its headquarters IN the Louvre. Avery LIVES IN THE LOUVRE while she’s in Paris under the Circle’s protection slash in their grip. Is this really possible? If so, how much does it cost a night because I WILL save up for it. That coolness aside, I’m definitely intrigued about where things are going for book 2.