The Conspiracy of Us

Gr 7 Up—Avery West has been very careful not to form strong friendships and bonds, knowing that they will be lost every time she has to move because of her mother's job. When she meets Jack Bishop, a fellow new student at her school, everything changes. After a last-minute decision to attend prom with Jack, they are approached out of the blue by Stellan, who demands that Avery go with him and whom, strangely, Jack appears to know well. Soon Avery finds herself in a world of Keepers, the mandate, and The Circle of Twelve. Not only is her father alive and part of one of the secret families of The Circle, but he could possibly even be the head of one. There are secret societies Avery knows nothing about, and some of them want her out of the picture. The search for the truth takes her to Paris and Istanbul and finally, to her father. Hall sweeps readers into a world of conspiracies, puzzles, and mystery from the first page, and provides a likable and intelligent narrator in Avery. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid (2010), Ally Carter's "Gallagher Girls" series (both Hyperion), and Michael Scott's "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" (Delacorte).—Selenia Paz, Helen Hall Library, League City, TX