The Deceivers (Vale Hall, #1)

by Kristen Simmons

[Sam@WLABB]

On the surface, this does not appear to be my usual cup of tea, but Simmons incorporated several elements, that had me chomping at the bit to read this one.

1. Based on Norse mythology
2. Shades of Ocean's 11
3. An elite, top-secret boarding school

And let me tell you, these elements were combined in such a way, that I could NOT stop flipping the pages.

When I first met Brynn, she was living in a rundown part of town, Devon Park, with her mother's drug dealer boyfriend. All she wanted was a way out of this dead end life, and she thought she could run cons in order to accomplish the task. Little did she know, her skills as a con artist would earn her way into an elite school, Vale Hall, which promised a top-notch education and a colligate future. The catch? She would have to complete missions and collect secrets, but this was a price Brynn was willing to pay to ensure her future.

There were so many things that kept me engrossed in this story.

• Brynn was a very complex character. She appears to have a take-no-prisoners attitude, when it came to getting what she wanted, but her actions more than contradicted that assumption. She surprised me quite a few times over the course of this story, and these were good surprises.

• All the Vale Hall operatives had very interesting backstories. The circumstances that brought them to Dr. Odin's attention, as well as their skillsets, were all worth exploring further, and made me more invested in each and every one of them.

• All the major players were so intertwined. It was amazing watching all the pieces fall into place, as bit by bit, we learned more and more about what happened to who and why.

• I went back and forth with Dr. O on many occasions. The whole concept of Vale Hall puts us in some serious morally grey areas, but his actions would often make me feel like he was one of the good guys. He would do so many incredible things for people, and turn around and do something completely questionable. He's one of the characters I hope to get to know better in future books.

• Caleb, sigh, I am all about Caleb. He was a little light in a story, that leaned towards the darker side of things. I am shipping him and Brynn, so let's make that a permanent thing.

• Just when I thought I knew exactly what was going on, the story would take a turn I didn't see coming. That's what happens when readers get smug.

• They may have been teen cons, but they formed a family at Vale Hall, and I really enjoyed sharing some of those lighter moments with them.

This story was gritty and twisty and the characters and story had me glued to the pages. I am looking forwarded to seeing what new deceptions the students of Vale Hall will be pulling in the near future.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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