Deception

Review Time! Deception by Lee Nichols was a 2010 YA Debut however it was only published in Australia last year. I seem to always keep my review copies on the shelf for a while before reading them (maybe it’s like wine, gets better the longer it’s on the shelf ;P) Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy!

(Goodreads) When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett. 

But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

The Short Story? – A very filling read! Nichols has written a wicked novel with everything from forbidden romance to murder mysteries! With a ghostly twist, Nichols has developed a very interesting plot filled with adventure and action. Very well developed character with good depth and personality, it’s one for all the enjoy!

The Long Story? – It was one of those books that you read and enjoy but it doesn’t really sway one way or another. An inbetweener, the books you read and enjoy but can’t really work out why you enjoyed it. Nichols has written a very filling story, the plot is very solid. It’s got a little bit of everything, romance, action, mystery, suspense and adventure. The writing flows and its very nicely paced, comfortable read  - a novel that you can easily lose yourself in! Very original, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything novel about Ghostkeepers. One definitely for the paranormal YA readers who enjoy and it’s just a great novel that’s going to leave you feeling very satisfied!

The things about the characters that really stood out to me was their backgrounds. Nichols has developed further on her characters, not only giving them a personality and a “life” but a history as well. There is history about their heritage and also personal history like what event shaped them to be who they are. It’s really quite an excellent characterization effort! Emma was a very “human” character, she had her flaws and her insecurities and that really stood out to me. You have characters who are just perfect in everyway and they’re nice but they’re not relatable. Bennett was cute, he had his moments but he made a good impression! I also loved the romance build-up, thank God for no insta-love! Keen to see where it leads in Betrayal!

In a nutshell, I can’t *really* explain why I loved this novel but I did. It’s just one of those feel-good reads that you can rest kick-up your feet and know you’re going to enjoy! Great plot, fantastic writing, amazing characterization – don’t pass up on Deception because it’s really worth your time and money :) Thumbs up!

What’s its Worth? – Hand Over the Paycheck

Badass Bookie xx