Book Review: Deception by Lee Nichols

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Published by:  Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:  1st September, 2011
Source:  Thanks to publisher

When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.
After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can't shake the strange visions that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain, as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.

My Review:

Favourite Quote:  "He really was perfect.   If only he was perfect for me."

Wow!  What an impressive start to an awesome new series!  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Deception.

Deception was so easy to get into with it's engaging writing and perfect pacing.  It is a slightly eerie tale that never has a dull moment.  At the beginning I thought the plot was going to be a little predictable (but in the enjoyable sense) but there was quite a few completely unexpected twists.  I like the fact that Nichols' manage to surprise me.  It definitely makes me craving to find out what shocking surprises Nichols' has installed for us in book two Betrayal.

Emma was a fun and likeable character.  Despite her struggles she never really moped around but rather got on with things as best with things as she could.    I certainly don't think I would have been as strong as her with her family missing, moving into a strange town and suddenly being able to see ghosts.  Then you have the mysterious Bennett.  He was a hard to character to read at first but by the end of the book his secrets are starting to unravel.    I found the more he opened up the more I liked him.

However, the romance fell a little short for me.  Emma love life is a little complicated and I don't quite feel the chemistry with a certain guy.  I certainly see the potential of a amazing romantic relationship but I don't believe it yet.  Hopefully book #2 will change my mind.

Overall, Deception was a fun yet haunting tale with intriguing characters and a fantastic premise that kept me constantly entertained.  I can't wait for more.

Overall Rating: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Cover: 4/5

For more info:  Visit Lee Nichols' website.

18 comments:

Abbey said...

I havent seen or heard of this book, i dont know where you are finding these ones!
From your review this sounds like a goodie but i'm a little worried about the lack of romance, i am a total romance-a-holic.
I do like the cover however.
great review!

Bailey said...

Glad that the writing was great and that it wasn't so predictable. SO sad that the romance fell short though. =( I need to read this one soon! =D

Small Review said...

I loved this book too! I wish the Rake were a romantic interest because I wasn't feeling her romance either. It...got a little better for me in the sequel, but I'm still not 100% on board.

bibliophile brouhaha said...

The opening line COMPETELY reminds me of Good WIll Hunting - "You're not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you've met, she's not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other. ..."

So many books follow the same plot nowadays, so I'm happy to see this one caught you by surprise is some places! Great review!

Jenny said...

While the romantic element is usually my favorite part so it's a little bit of a bummer that it falls flat, the rest of the story sounds really good. I haven't heard much about this one, so thanks for the review Nic!

Savannah said...

I love this book! IO even got the second book but could not bring myself to read it. I am scared! I read other reviews and don't want to be angry. LOL. I know, I'm weird.

Missie, The Unread Reader said...

I'm not usually one for ghost stories. Something about them always turns me off. But this one sounds like one I could like. Your description of Emma kind of reminds me of Gabi (River of Time series), in their ability to stay strong regardless of the circumstances they face. Though I'm a bit disappointed the the romance doesn't sounds as tantalizing as I would like, I can wait it out.

Thanks for the helpful review, Nic, otherwise I might not have considered this book.

Jade said...

Ooooh I love haunting and eerie tales. Keep the blood pumping and the adrenaline up. This one sounds like a great read. I'm curious as to why she feels she's having the deja vu feeling and having visions of things now that she's someplace new. Sorry the romance fell short for you, but perhaps the author will be able to convince you in book 2. Sounds like a great new series. Nice review.

Leanna Elle said...

Glad you liked this one, but it's a shame about the romance. I'm all about romance! Hopefully it'll hot up in book 2!

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Okay, this one sounds like I would enjoy it. I also love that quote. :) Emma sounds like a character I would really enjoy and I love the sound of the plot. I can deal with the flat romance especially if it is a series. Oh yea... it's going on the wishlist!

Anonymous said...

This one sounds pretty good! I like the concept of it, but I think I'll wait to see if the romance picks up in book 2 :D

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

This definitely sounds like a riveting, engaging read! What a great review, Nic! :)

A Canadian Girl said...

I've heard quite a bit about this series and everyone seems to enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of ghost stories but I think this is one series that I could get into as well. It's too bad though that you found the romance a little lacking.

Jenny N. said...

Hopefully the romance with be better in the next book. I've seen some positive reviews for Deception plus I keep seeing it in bookstores so maybe I will pick it up one day.

Ange said...

Love the quote you included =). I haven't read many stories about ghosts. This one definitely intrigues me. Great review!

Nomes said...

oh you did a lovely job on this review. i agree it was fun and fast-paced (i am going to review it ... soon ;))

i also didn;t feel the romance, but i swear, i was trying to ;)

Julie said...

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's super funny and I like the ghost stories. I'm looking forward to reading the second book. I love this cover vs the US one. Great review!

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Glad that the writing was great and that it wasn't so predictable. SO sad that the romance fell short though

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